Money talks: Top Houston innovation grant and gift news of 2025

Year in Review

Here is the top gift and grant news of the year. Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

Editor's note: As 2025 comes to a close, we're looking back at the stories that defined Houston innovation in 2025. Below, we recap the biggest Houston innovation grant funding and gift news of the year:

Houston scores $120M in new cancer research and prevention grants

The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas has doled out 73 more grants to health care systems and companies in the state. Carter Smith/Courtesy of MD Anderson

In November 2025, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas granted more than $120 million to Houston organizations and companies as part of 73 awards issued statewide. The funds were part of nearly $154 million approved by the CPRIT's governing board earlier that month, bringing the organization's total investment in cancer prevention and research to more than $4 billion since its inception.

TMC lands $3M grant to launch cancer device accelerator

Recent funding from CPRIT will help launch the new Accelerator for Cancer Medical Devices. Photo via TMC

In September 2025, a new business accelerator at Houston’s Texas Medical Center received a nearly $3 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. The CPRIT grant, awarded to the Texas Medical Center Foundation, will help launch the Accelerator for Cancer Medical Devices. The accelerator will support emerging innovators in developing prototypes for cancer-related medical devices and advancing them from prototype to clinical trials.

Houston foundation grants $27M to support Texas chemistry research

Houston's Welch Foundation has awarded more than 80 grants to support chemical research and careers in Texas for 2025. Photo via Getty Images

Houston-based The Welch Foundation doled out $27 million in its June 2025 round of grants for chemical research, equipment and postdoctoral fellowships. $25.5 million was allocated for the foundation's longstanding research grants, which provide $100,000 per year in funding for three years to full-time, regular tenure or tenure-track faculty members in Texas. The foundation made 85 grants to faculty at 16 Texas institutions for 2025.

Houston Methodist receives $25M gift, renames department of medicine

Houston Methodist will rename its department of medicine the Houston Methodist Charles W. Duncan Jr. Department of Medicine. Photo courtesy Houston Methodist.

In August 2025, Houston-based nonprofit The Duncan Fund awarded a $25 million gift to Houston Methodist's department of medicine to establish new endowed fellowships, streamline complex care and bring artificial intelligence into the fold to develop more personalized treatment plans. In turn, the health care system announced that it would rename the department the Houston Methodist Charles W. Duncan Jr. Department of Medicine.

Houston foundation doles out $700K for Texas chemical research

The Welch Foundation has awarded funding through two of its newest grant programs. Photo via Getty Images.

Houston-based The Welch Foundation issued $700,000 in additional funding in August 2025 to support chemical research through two of its newest grant programs. The foundation named the recipients of its Welch eXperimental (WelchX) Collaboration Retreat and Pilot Grants and the Welch Postdoctoral Fellows of the Life Sciences Research Foundation Grants. The WelchX grants were awarded to teams of two Texas researchers who presented "innovative and collaborative ideas" addressing challenges in the clean energy space, according to the foundation.

CPRIT grants $22M to bring top cancer researchers to Houston

CPRIT recently granted $93 million to 61 organizations and scientists, including many in Houston, to advance cancer research. Carter Smith/Courtesy of MD Anderson

In June 2025, it was announced that several prominent cancer researchers would be coming to the Houston area thanks to $22 million in grants awarded by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). The biggest CPRIT recruitment grant — $6 million — went to genetics researcher Jean Gautier. Gautier, a professor of genetics and development at Columbia University’s Institute for Cancer Genetics, joined the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to continue his research.

Baylor, Rice win $500,000 to launch humanities-driven health AI center

A new center being developed by Baylor College of Medicine and Rice University aims to develop ethically responsible and trustworthy AI for health care. Photo via Getty Images.

In August 2025, Baylor College of Medicine and Rice University announced they had been awarded a $500,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to create the Center for Humanities-based Health AI Innovation (CHHAIN).

Baylor center receives $10M NIH grant to continue rare disease research

BCM's Center for Precision Medicine Models has received funding that will allow it to study more complex diseases. Photo via Getty Images

Baylor College of Medicine’s Center for Precision Medicine Models received a $10 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health in November 2025, which will allow it to continue its work studying rare genetic diseases. The Center for Precision Medicine Models creates customized cell, fly and mouse models that mimic specific genetic variations found in patients, helping scientists to better understand how genetic changes cause disease and explore potential treatments.

Houston billionaire benefactors will donate almost entire fortune to charity

Pictured: Nancy and Richard Kinder. Photo by Michelle Watson/Catchlight Group

Houston billionaires Rich and Nancy Kinder announced plans to donate an astounding 95% of their multi-billion-dollar wealth to charities. The news came as the Kinder Foundation announced an $18.5 million expansion project for Emancipation Park in the heart of Third Ward. That historic park was founded by slaves in 1872.

Here's what grant funding news stories trended this year on InnovationMap. Photo via Getty Images

Show me the money: Top Houston innovation grant and gift news of 2024

year in review

Editor's note: As the year comes to a close, InnovationMap is looking back at the year's top stories in Houston innovation. Money means a lot to startups and other innovative entities, and while startups are usually scouting venture capital investors, grants and donations are key too. These are the most-read news articles about grants and gifts — be sure to click through to read the full story.

Rice researchers secure $35M federal grant to advance medical device technology

Rice’s Biotech Launch Pad will lead the effort to commercialize the device. Photo courtesy Rice University

Rice University has secured part of a nearly $35 million federal grant aimed at commercializing a bioelectric implant for treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity.

The federal Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health awarded the $34.9 million grant to Rice and several other universities.

Rice’s Biotech Launch Pad will lead the effort to commercialize the self-contained, implantable Rx On-site Generation Using Electronics (ROGUE) device. ROGUE houses cells that are engineered to produce type 2 diabetes and obesity therapies in response to patients’ needs. Continue reading.

Houston health care institutions receive $22M to attract top recruits

The grants, which are between $2 million to $6 million each, are earmarked for recruitment of prominent researchers. Photo via Getty Images

Houston’s Baylor College of Medicine has received a total of $12 million in grants from the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas to attract two prominent researchers.

The two grants, which are $6 million each, are earmarked for recruitment of Thomas Milner and Radek Skoda. The Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) announced the grants May 14.

Milner, an expert in photomedicine for surgery and diagnostics, is a professor of surgery and biomedical engineering at the Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic at the University of California, Irvine and the university’s Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. Continue reading.

Texas organization grants $68.5M to Houston institutions for recruitment, research

Several Houston organizations have received millions from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. Photo via tmc.edu

Three prominent institutions in Houston will be able to snag a trio of high-profile cancer researchers thanks to $12 million in new funding from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.

The biggest recruitment award — $6 million — went to the University of Texas MD Anderson Center to lure researcher Xiling Shen away from the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation in Los Angeles.

Shen is chief scientific officer at the nonprofit Terasaki Institute. His lab there studies precision medicine, including treatments for cancer, from a “systems biology perspective.” Continue reading.

Houston health care institution secures $100M for expansion, shares renderings

Baylor College of Medicine's Lillie and Roy Cullen Tower is set to open in 2026. Rendering courtesy of SLAM Architecture

Baylor College of Medicine has collected $100 million toward its $150 million fundraising goal for the college’s planned Lillie and Roy Cullen Tower.

The $100 million in gifts include:

A total of $30 million from The Cullen Foundation, The Cullen Trust for Health Care, and The Cullen Trust for Higher Education.
$12 million from the DeBakey Medical Foundation
$10 million from the Huffington Foundation
More than $45 million from members of Baylor’s Board of Trustees and other community donors, including the M.D. Anderson Foundation, the Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation, and The Elkins Foundation.

“The Cullen Trust for Health Care is very honored to support this building along with The Cullen Foundation and The Cullen Trust for Higher Education,” Cullen Geiselman Muse, chair of The Cullen Trust for Health Care, says in a news release. “We cannot wait to see what new beginnings will come from inside the Lillie and Roy Cullen Tower.” Continue reading.

Cancer-fighting Houston lab led by Nobel laureate receives $5M grant at annual event

MD Anderson's lab led by Nobel laureate James Allison has secured a $5 million donation. Photo courtesy of MD Anderson Cancer Center

The James P. Allison Institute at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center scored a $5 million gift at its second annual symposium.

On behalf of Mayor John Whitmire, Oct. 10, 2024 was named “James P. Allison Institute Day,” and it was also the day that the TMC3 Collaborative Building in the Texas Medical Center’s Helix Park greeted 900 attendees for the scientific symposium, entitled “Immunotherapy in Space and Time: The Tumor Microenvironment.”

Allison, who won the Nobel Prize in 2018, leads his namesake institute that was founded in 2022 to advance translational and clinical within cancer to create new, synergetic therapies. In addition to his role as director of the institute, he is regental professor and chair of Immunology at MD Anderson. Continue reading.

UTHealth Houston has secured millions in grant funding — plus has reached a new milestone for one of its projects. Photo via utsystem.edu

Houston health care leader secures funding, milestones for latest initiatives across cancer, stroke, and more

news roundup

UTHealth Houston is making waves in many disciplines right now. From cancer to Alzheimer’s disease to stroke, the institution is improving outcomes for patients in new ways. Last week, UTHealth announced three exciting updates to its roster of accomplishments.

On October 8, UTHealth announced that it had received a $4.8 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, aimed at helping cancer survivors to continue their healing and enhancing primary care capacity. It will be put into action by UTHealth researchers working with eight community health centers around Texas that treat un- and underinsured patients. The initiative is called Project CASCADE, which stands for Community and Academic Synergy for Cancer Survivorship Care Delivery Enhancement.

“Project CASCADE focuses on how primary healthcare teams provide whole-person and coordinated care to underserved patients who have a history of cancer,” says Bijal Balasubramanian, professor of epidemiology and the Rockwell Distinguished Chair in Society and Health at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, a multiple principal investigator of the study. “Primary care is uniquely suited to deliver whole-person and coordinated care for cancer survivors because, at its core, it prioritizes, personalizes and integrates healthcare for all conditions, not just the cancer.”

She continued by adding that 70 percent of cancer survivors live with other chronic conditions. The study will help by taking a holistic approach, rather than relegating people’s care to many different teams. Project CASCADE is one of only four National Cancer Institute-funded U01 grants that have been awarded to applicants focused on primary care for cancer survivors.

“Community health centers are the primary-care homes for patients who are underinsured or uninsured. In collaboration with community health center clinics, this study will develop a model of cancer survivorship care that can be disseminated and scaled up to be used across other health systems in Texas,” Balasubramanian says.

The intervention will use a designated care coordinator champion to oversee every aspect of patients’ health journey. Project ECHO will provide a backbone for treatment. That’s a telementoring strategy that improves primary care clinicians’ knowledge about post-cancer care, recognition and management of the effects of cancer and its treatments, and communication between oncologists and the primary care team. Project CASCADE is also a partnership between The University of Texas System institutions, including UT Southwestern Medical Center and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

The previous week, UTHealth made history by performing the first infusion in Houston of a newly FDA-approved drug, Kisunla, for the treatment of early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease. The lucky recipient was 79-year-old Terrie Frankel. Though Kisunla is not a cure for Alzheimer’s, it has been noted to slow progress when administered early in the disease’s encroachment.

“Mrs. Frankel is the ideal patient for this treatment,” her doctor, David Hunter says. “We want to see patients as soon as they, or their family, notice the slightest trace of forgetfulness. The earlier the patient is in their Alzheimer’s disease, the more they benefit from treatments like Kisunla.”

UTHealth was one of the sites in the trial that charted the fact that Kisunla reduced amyloid plaques on average by 84 percent at 10 months after infusion. Frankel will receive her infusions monthly for the next 18 months, and her doctors will keep tabs on her progress with PET scans and use MRIs to scan for possible side effects. Next year, researchers will begin recruiting participants over the age of 55 with a family history of dementia, but no memory loss themselves, for a new trial, one of several currently working against Alzheimer’s that are taking place at UTHealth.

Stroke is no less of a worry to many patients. Last week, UTHealth received another grant that will improve the odds for patients who have had a stroke with the successful re-opening of a blocked vessel through endovascular surgery. The $2.5 million grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health, will fund a five-year study that will include the creation of a machine-learning program that will be able to predict which stroke patients with large blood vessel blockages will benefit most from endovascular therapy.

The investigators will form a database of imaging and outcomes of patients whose blockages were successfully opened, called reperfusion, from three U.S. hospitals. This will allow them to identify clinical and imaging-based predictors of damage in the brain after reperfusion. From there, the deep-learning model will help clinicians to know which patients might go against the tenet that the sooner you treat a patient, the better.

“This is shaking our core of deciding who we treat, and when, and how, but also, how we are evaluating them? Our current methods of determining benefit with imaging are not good enough,” says principal investigator and associate professor in the Department of Neurology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, Sunil Sheth.

And this is just some of the groundbreaking work taking place at UTHealth each day.

Calling all sports tech startups founded by Black or Hispanic innovators. Photo via Getty Images

Diversity-focused sports tech accelerator opens applications to Houston innovators for the first time

apply now

A global organization has announced it's opening applications to its equity-focused sports tech accelerator to Houston founders for the first time.

Thanks to a collaboration with Impact Hub and Black Ambition, the adidas Community Lab has expanded its footprint and is now accepting applicants from new markets, including Houston, Toronto, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and New York, for its 2024-2025 cohort.

The initiative, which has been running for three years, has a goal of supporting Black and Latino/a/e founders with mentorship, pitch training, event programming, and networking. The eight-month program also has $75,000 in grant funding to dole out to participants as well.

“As Community Lab enters its third year, we are thrilled to cultivate a larger cohort of social entrepreneurs who share our vision of removing barriers to accessing sport for the communities we collectively serve,” Ayesha Martin, senior director of adidas Purpose, says in a news release.

Both the global organization of Impact Hub and the local group, Impact Hub Houston, are involved in the collaboration.

“Impact Hub is thrilled to partner and support this third iteration of adidas Community Lab, empowering visionary leaders who are advancing SDG3 —Good Health and Wellbeing — and SDG10 — Reduced Inequalities," Michelle Avalos, co-founder of Impact Hub Houston, adds. Together, we’re helping entrepreneurs create equitable access to sports and foster healthier, more inclusive communities for all."

Applications are open online now until September 23.

Founded by Pharrell Williams, Black Ambition will also collaborate with the program this year on key programing sessions. The organization invests funding and resources into Black and Hispanic entrepreneur-founded startups.

"Black Ambition was founded to create the space, bespoke opportunities and relationships needed for underrepresented founders to excel, uninterrupted. We are excited to partner with adidas Purpose to extend elements of our renowned, global founder support model to social impact entrepreneurs positively transforming their communities through sports and wellness," says Jermeen Sherman, managing director at Black Ambition.

The two new awardees are LymphGuide and HEXASpec, which were selected from 26 applications. Each company received an $100,000 grant. Photo courtesy of The Ion

2 lab-stage Houston startups receive fresh funding from Rice University grant program

cashing in on innovation

Rice University has doled out another batch of grants from its program supporting lab-based innovations.

The One Small Step Grant, which was announced a year ago and gave out its first grants in February, was established to fund Rice-founded, lab-stage projects on their path to commercialization

“The One Small Step Grant invites applications from students and faculty who are tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges and preparing to bring their innovative technologies to market,” Nafisa Istami, innovation manager at Rice, says in a news release. “We received highly competitive applications from across campus, truly showcasing the growing momentum of technology innovation happening at Rice.”

The two new awardees are LymphGuide and HEXASpec, which were selected from 26 applications. Each company received an $100,000 grant.

LymphGuide was developed by Martha Fowler in Rice professor Omid Veiseh’s lab. The hydrogel platform is a customizable alginate that's combined with an engineered cell therapy to aid in lymphatic cell regrowth, initially targeting the treatment and prevention of lymphedema.

"We are profoundly grateful to the One Small Step Grant for supporting our vision to treat lymphedema,” says Martha Fowler, cofounder of LymphGuide. “This funding will propel our biotechnology into pre-clinical evaluation to make a meaningful impact in scientific research and for people suffering from lymphatic disease.” Fowler is also an active contributor in the Rice entrepreneurship ecosystem and an Liu Idea Lab of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Innovation Fellows Cohort 2 member.

Led by by Tianshu Zhai in Rice professor Jun Lou’s lab, HEXASpec develops inorganic fillers and molding compounds for next-generation chip packaging. Zhai is also one of the Liu Idea Lab of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Innovation Fellows.

“We are thrilled to receive the One Small Step Grant from Rice Innovation,” says Tianshu Zhai, cofounder of HEXASpec. “This support is crucial for advancing HEXASpec and signifies the strong backing of the Rice entrepreneurship community. We’re grateful for the opportunity to develop our technology with such robust support.”

The next round of grant opportunities will open next month with an online application process.

“The One Small Step Grant program is a demonstration of Rice’s commitment to supporting the commercialization of Rice technologies,” says Adrian Trömel, associate vice president of Innovation Strategy and Investments. “Each cycle further highlights the impactful work of Rice students and faculty to solve global problems across industries.”

Prana Thoracic Inc., a Houston medical device company developing a tool for early interception of lung cancer, announced an additional $3 million in funding. Photo via Getty Images

Houston medtech startup secures additional $3M for lung cancer diagnostic tool

fresh funding

A Houston-based medtech startup with an innovative tool that's aiming to transform lung cancer intervention has closed its series A extension round.

Prana Thoracic announced an additional $3 million in funding, a raise that was oversubscribed by 30 percent, reports the company. The company's series A originally closed in March 2023 at $3 million. In August of 2022, the company secured $3 million in grant funding.

"We are grateful for the overwhelming support from our investors in this financing round. Their confidence in our mission and plan is motivating,” Joanna Nathan, CEO and co-founder of Prana Thoracic, says in a news release. “This additional funding will enable us to accelerate our efforts in bringing precision surgical solutions to lung cancer patients worldwide.”

The extension included participation from new investors, including cultivate(MD), GenHenn Capital, and Houston Angel Network, as well as from prior lead investor New World Angels. Existing investors — Johnson & Johnson Development Corp, Texas Medical Center Venture Fund, and the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) — also support the company.

"We are excited to support Prana Thoracic in their mission to improve lung cancer treatment. Their innovative approach has the potential to significantly impact patient outcomes," says Dr. R. Sean Churchill, managing director of cultivate(MD), in the release.

The additional funding will support the company as it advances through its clinical and regulatory plans.

“The team has made remarkable progress in developing this novel and minimally invasive technique for lung tissue excision, which has the potential to transform the diagnosis and treatment of early-stage lung cancer," adds Dr. Edward M. Boyle, founder and director at the company. "Beyond lung applications, they are pioneering new methods to use this technology for other soft tissues and are actively exploring integration with ablation and robotic systems, aligning with the future direction of these fields."

In 2022, Nathan joined the Houston Innovators Podcast to discuss her passion for Prana Thoracic's innovation. Listen to the episode below.

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Here’s where wages grew the most in Houston since 2021, according to new report

pay raise

Bolstered by a thriving manufacturing sector, Waller County—the country’s second-fastest-growing county—leads all Houston-area counties for the growth of pay from 2021 to 2026, according to a new study.

The study, conducted by personal finance website SmartAsset, found average pay in Waller County rose 48 percent from 2021 to 2026. The county’s average weekly pay climbed from $891 to $1,323 during that period.

Manufacturing ranks as the No. 1 employment sector in Waller County, accounting for about 4,500 workers, according to Executive Pulse. Those workers earn an average pay of $77,442 per year.

Waller County powers up its manufacturing hub

Waller County’s manufacturing economy keeps expanding, almost certainly contributing to the 48 percent spike in average pay from 2021 to 2026.

Grundfos, the world’s largest producer of water pumps, broke ground in June on a manufacturing plant at its Brookshire campus. The Danish company’s U.S. headquarters is in Brookshire. In conjunction with the groundbreaking, Grundfos opened the Grundfos Academy Americas training center.

The new 143,000-square-foot facility will make pump systems and water technology, primarily for water utilities and commercial real estate landlords.

Grundfos expects construction to be completed by Q3 2027, with the first production lines planned to start in Q4 of next year.

“Our growing presence in Brookshire reflects both our confidence in the U.S. market and our long‑term commitment to investing where our customers and partners need us most,” Grundfos CEO Poul Due Jensen said in a release.

Another manufacturer, TMEIC Corporation America, recently opened its third U.S. plant at Twinwood Business Park in Brookshire. The 280,000-square-foot facility, which eventually might employ 500 people, makes uninterruptible power supply units and medium-voltage power drives. The $65 million plant includes a customer training center and tech development labs.

The Twinwood facility is the largest of TMEIC’s 13 factories around the world.

TMEIC’s two other U.S. manufacturing plants are in the Houston area. The company’s North American headquarters is in the Houston Energy Corridor.

Perhaps the biggest recent manufacturing prize for Waller County: Austin-based electric vehicle maker Tesla’s new 1.65 million-square-foot factory at Brookshire’s Empire West Industrial Park. The $200 million plant, expected to employ up to 1,500 people by 2028, produces utility-scale batteries for energy storage.

Other major manufacturers in Waller County include Daikin North America and Igloo.

Pay growth around the region

Here’s a rundown of 2021-26 pay growth in the Houston metro’s eight other counties, according to SmartAsset.

Austin County — 42 percent
Chambers County — 37 percent
Harris County — 33 percent
Liberty County — 31 percent
Montgomery County — 29 percent
Fort Bend County — 28 percent
Galveston County — 26 percent
Brazoria County — 23 percent

Statewide, Dickens County, outside of Lubbock, saw the most significant growth in wages. According to the study, wages grew by 212 percent over the five years, from $707 per week in 2021 to $2,204 per week in 2026.

Among all Texas counties, Waller was ranked No. 44 on the report.

Small counties in the High Plains and West Texas regions saw the largest percent changes in average weekly wage, according to the report. See the full findings here.

Houston team’s breakthrough device leads innovation news to know

10+ can't-miss Houston business and innovation events for October

where to be

Editor's note: Healthcare and energy conferences headline this month's slate of innovation events in Houston. But there's also time for family-friendly gatherings and pickleball socials. Here’s what not to miss in October and how to register. Please note: this article may be updated to add more events.

Oct. 2 — Joy in Medicine Initiative Symposium

The Houston Methodist Joy in Medicine Initiative Symposium will explore the power of connection in enhancing professional fulfillment for clinicians and healthcare teams, this year with the theme of "Forging New Paths: Leadership, Connection & Innovation to Sustain Joy in Medicine." Hear from Dr. Shlomit Schall, Houston Methodist Physician Organization president and CEO and chief physician executive; Houston Methodist CEO Marc Boom; and Dr. Albert Wu, from Johns Hopkins, author of Therefore, Let us Rejoice: Sustaining Joy in Medicine. Stick around for a networking happy hour.

This event is Friday, Oct. 2, from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at Thompson Houston on Allen Parkway. Find more information here.

Oct. 6-7 — Hydrogen Americas Summit and Exhibition

Hydrogen Americas delivers an unparalleled opportunity to explore how hydrogen integrates with CCUS and other energy solutions under the new U.S. and Americas energy paradigm. This event moves to Houston in 2026, providing unmatched access to industry leaders and opportunities. The summit will include CCUS-dedicated sessions integrated directly into the conference programming, providing deeper insights into carbon capture, utilization and storage. Look forward to networking opportunities to connect with global suppliers, regional developers and key policymakers.

This event begins Oct. 6 at George R. Brown Convention Center. Register here.

Oct. 6-7 — Annual Energy Summit — Energy, Risk, and Geopolitics

The 10th annual energy summit is co-hosted by Baker Botts and the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University's Baker Institute. This year's summit, “Energy, Risk, and Geopolitics,” will explore how a changing geopolitical landscape and shifts in supply chain risks are impacting investment, innovation and market dynamics. The two-day program will include discussions spanning petroleum and LNG markets, critical minerals, electricity reliability, AI and power demand.

This event begins Oct. 6 at 7:30 am at James A Baker III Hall. The event will also be livestreamed. Register here.

Oct. 7 – Rockets Get You to Orbit. Culture Gets You to Stay

The Ion will host a morning discussion exploring humanity’s future in space. The event will feature Rick Tumlinson, author of Why Space? The Purpose of People; Scott Solomon, author of Becoming Martian; and David Alexander and Alexander Regier of Rice University’s new Space Humanities Initiative. The conversations will be moderated by EarthLight Foundation Director Junaid Mian.

This event is Wednesday, Oct. 7, from 8:30-11 a.m. at the Ion. Register here.

Oct. 8 — Greentown Labs’ Fall Pickleball Social

Greentown Labs hosts its fall social at Pickle Lab HTX this month. Enjoy friendly matches, networking and light bites. All skill sets are welcome.

This event is Thursday, Oct. 8, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Pickle Lab HTX. Register here.

Oct. 10 – Ion Family Tech Festival

Bring the whole family out to the second Ion Family Tech Festival. Kids will get to participate in hands-on STEAM workshops and learn more about STEAM-related careers.

This event is Saturday, Oct. 10, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

Oct. 13 – Mercury Fund Day at the Ion

Don’t miss the latest installment of Mercury Fund Day at the Ion, previously known as Software Day. The recurring monthly event features office hours (by application), a keynote and networking opportunities.

This event is Tuesday, Oct. 13, from 3:30-7 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

Oct. 14 — Future of Global Energy Conference

This October, the sixth annual Future of Global Energy Conference kicks off, convening influential leaders from across energy, technology, finance and public policy who will come together to explore the forces defining the next era of global energy and Houston’s role in shaping it. Ryan Lance, Executive Chairman of ConocoPhillips and 2027 Chair of the Greater Houston Partnership’s Board of Directors, is the keynote speaker for this year’s conference, bringing a global perspective on rising demand, market volatility and Houston’s role in the next era of energy growth.

This event takes place Oct. 14 at the Marriott Marquis. Register here.

Oct. 17 — Energy Day 2026

Energy Day Houston is the nation’s largest free, family-friendly STEM festival. It features over 50 interactive exhibits and live demonstrations focused on traditional and emerging energy career paths to power up your curiosity.

This event begins at 11 a.m. on Oct. 17 at Sam Houston Park. Get details here.

Oct. 22 — Rice360 Innovation for Healthcare Access Conference

Researchers and innovators from Rice University, the Texas Medical Center, non-profit organizations, healthcare providers and others will come together to explore gaps in healthcare at the Innovation for Healthcare Access Conference. The event will feature speakers, workshops and case study presentations and will focus on innovations for the health of women and children in underserved rural and urban communities across Texas.

This event is Thursday, Oct. 22, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Rice University BioScience Research Collaborative (BRC). Register here.

Oct. 28-29 – TiECon 2026

TiE Houston, TiE Dallas and TiE Austin are joining forces to host TiEcon Texas 2026 at the Ion this month. The event will focus on how automation, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are reshaping Texas industries, the economy and daily life. The conference will feature keynotes, panels, fireside chats and the TiE Hatch Pitch Competition.

This event starts Thursday, Oct. 29, at the Ion. Register here.

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