Updated: 10 can't-miss innovation events for January

Where to be

From enlightening talks to anniversary celebrations, here's where you need to be in January. Getty Images

Houston's innovation community is starting 2019 strong with plenty of business professional events.

If you know of innovation-focused events for February, email me at natalie@innovationmap.com with the details.

1. How to Start a Startup with Roberto Moctezuma, founder & CEO of Fractal River

Thinking 2019 is the year you finally turn your business idea into a startup? Station Houston wants to help. It's free to attend this discussion lead by Roberto Moctezuma, the founder and CEO of Houston-based Fractal River, an advisory firm. The talk will focus on identifying problems, determining market needs, learning important metrics, and more.

The event is from 6 to 7 pm on Tuesday, January 8, at Station Houston (1301 Fannin St., Suite 2440).

Learn more here.

2. January U.S. Oil & Gas Blockchain Forum Luncheon

For the first event of the year, the U.S. Oil & Gas Blockchain Forum is focusing on how blockchain can help the energy industry. Guest speakers are Andrew Bruce, CEO and founder of Houston-based Data Gumbo, and Rebecca Hofmann, blockchain strategist at Equinor.

The luncheon is from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm on Tuesday, January 15, at the Equinor Auditorium (2107 CityWest Blvd). Tickets to attend are $50.

Learn more here.

3. Salesforce Essentials Workshop: Houston

Attention small business owners: Salesforce has a workshop designed for you. Learn about the platform and how it can help your business strategy over lunch.

The workshop isn Tuesday, January 15, from noon to 2 p.m. at The Cannon (1336 Brittmoore Road) and is free to attend.

Learn more here.

4. Society of Petroleum Engineers Women-in-Energy Congress

Energy industry ladies take center stage of a full-day event focused on women in oil and gas. Susan Dio, chairman and president of BP America, will deliver the keynote address before the rest of the day's panels and presentations begin.

This event is January 18, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Houston Community College West Houston Institute (2811 Hayes Road).

Learn more here.

5. Houston Startup Demo Day

Three Houston startups will present their product and business plan at The Station's monthly demo day. The companies and judges are still being determined, but the event details are finalized.

Hear the pitches on Wednesday, January 23, from 6 to 8 p.m., at Station Houston (1301 Fannin Street, Suite 2440). The event is free to attend.

Learn more here.

6. NRLC Workshop: Pitching Part 2: The Physical Pitch with Beth O'Sullivan

If you thought you were pitch perfect, think again. Beth O'Sullivan, a management senior lecturer at Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business, is giving a free lecture on the art of pitching your company. The Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is offering the event.

The lecture will be from 4 to 5:30 pm on Wednesday, January 23, at the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (6100 Main Street Cambridge Office Building, Suite 130).

Learn more here.

7. Women Entrepreneurs Pitch Party at The Cannon

Calling all angel investors — The Cannon Ventures would like to introduce you to a few female entrepreneurs this month. InnovationMap is a media partner for the event, and the goal is to generate connections between the entrepreneurs and potential investors.

The event takes place on Thursday, January 24, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at The Cannon (1336 Brittmoore Road).

If you're an interested investor and would like to attend, email Jake Askew at jaskew@cannonventureshouston.com.

8. Oil & Gas Happy Hour Hosted by OGGN + The Cannon

Grab a beer and some bites at Oil & Gas Global Network's monthly happy hour — this time in collaboration with Houston-based The Cannon.

Join oil and gas professionals at The Cannon (1336 Brittmoore Road) on Tuesday, January 29, from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 for this happy hour event, and proceeds go to Redeemed Ministries, a local charity to help human trafficking victims.

Learn more here.

9. Station Houston 3.0 and Launch Party

As Station Houston officially becomes a nonprofit on January 1, and, in preparation for its move to the Midtown Innovation District, the organization is revealing Station Houston 3.0 to start 2019 with. The free event is Wednesday, January 30, from 6 to 8 pm at Station Houston (1301 Fannin St., Suite 2440).

Guests can mingle until the short program and announcement, which is followed by light bites. Station will also be showing off Houston's first VR Lab and its new space.

Learn more here.

10. Inaugural meeting of the Houston Industrial Digital Transformation & IoT Meetup

Calling all digital and tech innovation leaders in oil and gas or utilities — there's a new group for you to join. The Houston Industrial Digital Transformation and IoT Meetup formed to bring leaders of industrial innovation together for collaboration and so that they can learn from each other's digital transformations.

The inaugural meetup is from 6 to 8 pm on Wednesday, January 30, at ChaiOne HQ (9 Greenway Plaza, Suite 850). It's free to attend.

Learn more here.

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4 Houston innovators join prestigious group of inventors as senior members

top honor

Houston is home to four new senior members of the National Academy of Inventors.

To be eligible to be an NAI Senior Member, candidates must be active faculty, scientists and administrators from NAI member institutions that have demonstrated innovation and produced technologies that have “brought, or aspire to bring, real impact on the welfare of society,” according to the NAI. The members have also succeeded in patents, licensing and commercialization, and educating and mentoring.

The University of Houston announced that three professors were selected to join the prestigious NAI list of senior members. UH now has 39 faculty members on the NAI list.

“We congratulate these three esteemed colleagues on being named NAI Senior Members,” Ramanan Krishnamoorti, vice president for energy and innovation at UH, said in a news release. “This recognition is a testament to their dedication, research excellence and pursuit of real-world impact by knowledge and technologies. Their achievements continue to elevate the University as a leader in innovation and entrepreneurship.”

UH’s new senior members include:

  • Birol Dindoruk, the American Association of Drilling Engineers Endowed Professor of Petroleum Engineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Cullen College of Engineering. He is known for his research in carbon capture and storage, fluid-rock interactions and hydrogen storage. He holds three patents.
  • Megan Robertson, the Neal R. Amundson professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at UH’s Cullen College of Engineering. She is developing new polymers and groundbreaking strategies for recycling and reusing plastics. Robertson currently has three patents and two more patent applications pending.
  • Francisco Robles Hernandez, a professor of mechanical engineering technology at the UH College of Technology. He holds four patents, and several others are under review. His work focuses on carbon materials, including pioneering work with graphene and designs with steel and aluminum used in automotives and railroads.

“As an inventor, this is one of the highest honors you can be awarded, so I am very proud to receive it,” Robles Hernandez said in a news release. “UH has been instrumental in supporting my research and innovation efforts, but it’s the creativity of the students here that makes it successful.”

Allison Post, associate director of electrophysiology research and innovations and manager of innovation partnerships at the Texas Heart Institute at Baylor College of Medicine, also made the list.

Post was recognized for her work in biomedical engineering and commitment to advancing cardiovascular care through innovations. Post is the youngest member to be inducted this year.

Other notable Texas honorees include Emma Fan from the University of Texas, Arum Han from Texas A&M and Panos Shiakolas at UT Arlington.

In 2024, Edward Ratner, a computer information systems lecturer in the Department of Information Science Technology at the University of Houston’s Cullen College of Engineering, and Omid Veiseh, a bioengineer at Rice University and director of the Biotech Launch Pad, were named NAI fellows.

The Senior Member Induction Ceremony will honor the 2025 class at NAI’s Annual Conference June 23-26 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Plans revealed for $2 billion expansion of Houston convention district

coming soon

Mayor John Whitmire and Houston First Corporation shared a new master plan for the George R. Brown Convention Center and its surrounding area last week. The plan features expanded exhibition space, a living roof, a pedestrian plaza with access to Toyota Center and more.

The project will be funded by the state’s portion of incremental Hotel Occupancy Tax revenue growth within a three-mile radius of the GRB for 30 years, which is estimated to total about $2 billion, according to a release from Houston First.

The first phase of the project, which is slated to be completed by 2028, will focus on developing a 700,000-square-foot convention facility known as GRB South.

GRB South will feature:

  • Two exhibition halls, totaling 150,000 square feet
  • A 50,000-square-foot multipurpose hall that opens to the new Central Plaza
  • The 100,000-square-foot Central Plaza, an extension of the Avenida Plaza that will connect to Discovery Green and Toyota Center
  • Atrium flex hall totaling 25,000 square feet
  • 225,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space
  • A 60,000-80,000-square-foot ballroom
  • Ground-level spaces for retail and restaurants
  • A central atrium, providing each level with natural light

The design of the space is inspired by the Houston area's native prairies and will use low-carbon materials, high-efficiency building systems with rainwater collection and water-reduction strategies. A living roof on top of the GRB South will also have the potential for solar integration.

"It is imperative for us to stay competitive and meet the needs of our meetings and convention customers,” Michael Heckman, president and CEO of Houston First, said in the release. “This project will not only accomplish that but will establish a gathering space that will be the epicenter for entertainment, sports, and city-wide events, accentuating our ability to capitalize on Houston's unique offerings.”

The full campus renovation is expected to wrap in 2038, and construction will be managed in phases. Houston First reports that construction should not impact events currently scheduled as GRB.

“This project is truly transformative for downtown Houston, a lasting legacy that will solidify our position as a top-tier convention and entertainment destination,” Mayor John Whitmire said in the release. “Most importantly, we are creating a space that will build community, foster connection, and shape the future of Houston.”

Explore renderings of the plans below.

  

Rendering courtesy Houston First.

Tech company floats plan for futuristic shipyard on Texas Gulf Coast

Anchors Away

Armed with $600 million in fresh funding, Austin-based Saronic Technologies has set its sights on building a shipyard for producing remotely operated military vessels — and the futuristic shipyard could be located along the Texas Gulf Coast.

The shipyard, dubbed Port Alpha, would manufacture unstaffed midsize and large Navy ships known as “maritime drones.” Defense Newsreported that Texas — with the Gulf Coast being a prime target — is among the places under consideration for the shipyard. A timeline for construction of the shipyard hasn’t been set, and a cost estimate for the project hasn’t been revealed.

“A core principle of Saronic is that we design our vessels for autonomy from the keel up,” Saronic co-founder and CEO Dino Mavrookas, a former Navy SEAL, says in a news release. “We will take the same approach with Port Alpha, designing a shipyard from the ground up to produce at a speed and scale not seen since World War II.”

Saronic says Port Alpha would boost the U.S. shipbuilding industry, which is practically nonexistent. Consulting giant McKinsey & Co. reported in 2024 that the U.S. has gone from building about 5 percent of the world’s ocean-going ships in the 1970s to about 0.2 percent today. China, Japan, and South Korea now dominate global shipbuilding.

“The last years have seen a degradation in the capacity for the United States to build ships and to manufacture core needs of the country. I am excited to back Saronic and its focus on revitalizing shipbuilding in America, while also building products to defend those interests,” says investor and tech entrepreneur Elad Gil, who led the $600 million funding round.

The $600 million round, announced February 18, pushes the value of Saronic to $4 billion. Investors in Saronic, founded in 2022, include Gil, General Catalyst, a16z, Caffeinated Capital, and 8VC.

Last year, Saronic raised $175 million from investors, lifting the company’s value to $1 billion. In 2023, the startup collected $55 million from investors.

In the past three years, Saronic has focused on manufacturing three small remotely controlled vessels, or “maritime drones,” for the Navy: the six-foot-long Spyglass, 14-foot-long Cutlass, and 24-foot-long Corsair. Port Alpha would specialize in much bigger remotely controlled ships for the Navy. The Navy has expressed interest in assembling a modern fleet that combines staffed and unstaffed vessels.

Saronic’s nearly 420,000-square-foot factory in Austin manufactures the Spyglass, Cutlass and Corsair boats.

“The velocity and economics of warfare have fundamentally evolved, and several of our own team have witnessed firsthand how unmanned systems became true force multipliers in Afghanistan and in other theaters of conflict,” says Paul Kwan, managing director of General Catalyst.

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This story originally was published on our sister site CultureMap Austin.

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