Saddle up, Space City. Houston Exponential's Houston Tech Rodeo is back for its third year — and the innovation-focused programing returns with in-person events scattered in downtown and beyond.
The week-long event is organized by themes and hubs. For example, WeWork Downtown will host conversations on consumer packaged goods and food tech on Monday, while health tech programing will take place Thursday at Texas A&M's EnMed building. The full schedule is available online and registration is completely free, but if you'd like to attend some can't miss panels and events, look no further than this guide below.
Feb. 28 — Lasso The Moon
What do civil, commercial, and military players need from Houston’s innovation and academic communities to solve our most far-reaching challenges? Join the Space Force Association and TexSpace for a multi-disciplinary presentation and roundtable discussion with networking and tabletop exhibits that aim high. The event features SpaceForce, Limitless Space Institute, Axiom Space, Intuitive Machines, and more.
The event takes place on Monday, Feb. 28, from 1 to 5 pm at The Ion Houston (4201 Main St.)
March 1 — Investing in ClimateTech
This discussion will bring together local VCs to discuss sourcing, diligencing, and investing in climatetech solutions, as well as how Houston is perfectly positioned to benefit from this momentum.
Speakers:
- Ernst Sack, Blue Bear Capital
- Eric Rubenstein, Managing Partner, New Climate Ventures
- Amy Henry, CEO/Co-Founder, Eunike Ventures
- Moderated by Juliana Garaizar, VIP of Innovation and Head of Houston Incubator, Greentown Labs
The event takes place on Tuesday, March 1, from 1:30 to 2:30 pm at Greentown Houston (4200 San Jacinto St.)
March 2 — The Founder Institute Texas Showcase
It's Tech Rodeo time which means we've rounded up several strong local founders to pitch as well as recognized experts to judge and AMA panel. This year we'll be available in-person at Houston's Downtown Launchpad as well as live-streaming & replaying the pitches and an impactful AMA. Join for best-in-class startup networking afterwards.
The event takes place on Wednesday, March 2, from 12:30 to 3 pm at Downtown Launchpad (10th floor, 1801 Main St.)
March 3 — Four Fierce Females - Innovator, Igniter, Inventor, Investor
Talk about girl power. Four female panelists engage in a health tech conversation from their four points of view as an innovator, igniter, inventor, and investor. Houston Methodist is hosting the entire morning's conversations from 8:30 am to noon.
- Michelle Stansbury – Houston Methodist
- Ayse McCracken – Ignite Healthcare Network
- Emma Fauss - Medical Informatics
- Samantha Lewis - Mercury Fund
The event takes place on Thursday, March 3, from 9:30 to 10:15 am at Texas A&M EnMed building (1020 Holcombe Blvd.)
March 4 — Tech Rodeo Career Fair
HTX Talent and the University of Houston Downtown Career Centers (Main Career Center and the Marilyn Davies Career Center) has introduced the first Tech Rodeo Career Fair. Top tech companies will connect with talented job seekers from all over the Houston community and surrounding areas. Learn what type of positions employers are looking for, meet recruiters and companies that fit your job profile, and grow your network.
Register to attend here: https://bit.ly/3GtcKaR
Employer registration here: https://bit.ly/3Amo7zB
The event takes place on Friday, March 4, from 1 to 4 pm at The University of Houston - Downtown.
Bonus: Where to network at HTR
A huge portion of HTR is getting the community out and about to meet, network, and share ideas and energy. There are plenty of opportunities to do so, including the following events:
- Swag pickup (Sunday, Feb. 27, from 1 to 4 pm.) at McIntyre's Downtown (901 Commerce St.)
- Cup of Joey (Daily, from 7 to 8:45 am) at Finn Hall (712 Main St.). Note: Coffee networking takes place at Texas A&M's EnMed building on Thursday, March 3.
- Happy Hour and Mini-Showcase at Greentown Labs (Tuesday, March 1, from 5 to 7 pm) at Greentown Labs (4200 San Jacinto St.)
- Techqueria at the Tech Rodeo (Wednesday, March 4, from 3:30 to 8:30 pm) at West Houston Cannon Location (1334 Brittmoore Rd.)
- What's Your Anthem? A Happy Hour hosted by Accenture & Hines (Wednesday, March 4, from 5 to 7 pm) at The Square by Hines (717 Texas St, Floor 12)
- Inclusive Innovation Community Happy Hour (Thursday, March 3, from 5 to 7 pm) at Weights + Measures (2808 Caroline St.)
- Tech Rodeo Block Party (Friday, March 4, from 7 to 9 pm) at Main Street 300 block (between Congress and Preston)
All of these events have more details on the HTR website, which can be accessed here once you are registered.