Check out these conferences, pitch competitions, networking, and more in the month of October. Photo via Getty Images

Houston's busy business event season is in full swing, and there are ton of local innovation and entrepreneurship-focused programming across the city. Here's a rundown of what all to throw on your calendar for October when it comes to innovation-related events.

This article will be updated as more business and tech events are announced.

October 4 — Softeq Venture Studio Happy Hour

The Softeq Venture Studio is excited for you to meet the newest startups accepted into its 2H 2022 Cohort. Meet the teams and learn more about how they secured $125K in funding.

You'll have the chance to meet the startup founders, learn about the problems being solved, and learn more about how the Softeq Venture Studio de-risks growing startups.

The event is Tuesday, October 4, at 5 pm, at Yardhouse (City Centre). Click here to register.

October 5 — State of the Airports

Houston Airports is one of North America's largest and busiest multi-airport systems in the world and plays an important role in the greater Houston region's position as a great global city.

State of the Airports features Houston Airports Director, Mario Diaz, who will share the latest information and growth plans for Houston's three airports. Diaz will also address the important role the Houston Airports plays in bolstering Houston's position as an international air gateway.

The event is Wednesday, October 5, 10:30 am to 1:30 pm, at the Marriott Marquis. Click here to register.

October 11 — State of Space

Earlier this month, Space City celebrated the 60th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s proclamation delivered at Rice Stadium, "We choose to go to the moon." Many decades ago, these words showed the world that Houston holds a place as the epicenter for the world's biggest space endeavors and while space exploration has changed tremendously since those famous words, Houston's reputation in aviation and aerospace only grows stronger.

Join the Greater Houston Partnership for State of Space on Tuesday, October 11, to hear from some of the sharpest minds in aerospace and aviation technology who continue to chart a vibrant future for Houston centered around NASA's Johnson Space Center and one of the world’s only truly urban commercial spaceports.

Speakers include:

  • Featured speaker and panelist: Vanessa Wyche, Director, NASA’s Johnson Space Center
  • Stephen Altemus, President & CEO, Intuitive Machines
  • Peggy Guirges, General Manager of Space Systems, Collins Aerospace
  • Panel Moderator: Arturo Machuca, Director, Houston Spaceport and Ellington Airport

The event is Tuesday, October 11, 10:30 am to 1:30 pm, at Omni Riverway. Click here to register.

October 12 —  Making an Impact in the Houston Tech Ecosystem

You may have heard that Jay Steinfeld was the founder and CEO of Global Custom Commerce, which operates the world’s top online window coverings retailer Blinds.com. Boot-strapped in 1996 for just $3,000 from his Bellaire garage, Global Custom Commerce was acquired by The Home Depot in 2014. Jay remained its CEO and later joined The Home Depot Online Leadership Team. After stepping away from these roles in early 2020, he has increased his involvement on numerous private company boards and serves as a director of the public company Masonite (NYSE: DOOR). He also teaches entrepreneurship at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business and supports numerous charities. Jay is an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and has earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Houston Technology Center. Active as an industry speaker on corporate culture, core values, how to scale a start-up, and disruption, he has more than 100 published articles.

But did you know that many of Jay’s former employees have started businesses of their own, formed angel investment funds, developed and led some of Houston’s best technology teams, and grown into pillars of the HouTech community?

Come hear what’s sure to be an intriguing panel discussion with Jay and several ex-Blinds.com’ers as they discuss company culture, core values, lessons learned, and thoughts on the HouTech ecosystem and take questions from the audience.

The event is Wednesday, October 12, at 6 pm, at the Ion. Click here to register.

October 13 — October Transitions on Tap

Transition On Tap is Greentown Labs' monthly networking event devoted to fostering conversations and connections among the climate and energy transition ecosystem in Houston and beyond. Entrepreneurs, investors, students, and friends of climatetech are invited to attend, meet colleagues, discuss solutions, and engage with our growing community. If you’re looking for a job in climatetech or energy, trying to expand your network, or perhaps thinking about starting your own energy-related company, this is the event for you.

The event is Thursday, October 13, 5 to 7 pm, at Greentown Houston. Click here to register.

October 14 — Tech, Tools and Tips: Digital Training Day at Impact Hub Houston

Struggling with a process in your business? There's probably a tech tool for that. Impact Hub Houston invites YOU to attend an extended edition of its Tech, Tools, and Tips Series hosted in partnership with Frost Bank.

The goal for this session is to provide small business owners with an overview of various digital tools that can help your day to day operations. By attending this event, you will learn about various digital tools and also have an opportunity to network with other small business owners.

The event is Friday, October 14, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm, at the Omni Riverway. Click here to register.

October 14-15 — Tejano Tech Summit 2022

The inaugural Tejano Tech Summit 2022 will bring together Latino tech founders, investors, tech and non-technical Latino employees working in tech for two days of keynotes, conversations, workshops, and networking with the goal of providing the tools and resources to help support more Latinos in tech. Presented by LSA Global & Latino Startup Alliance who’s mission is to create the foundation to foster and support the Latinx tech ecosystem in the Houston area and the State of Texas with global reach.

The event is Friday, October 14, to Saturday, October 15, at the Ion. Click here to register.

October 14-16 — Incubate Galveston + the Ion Hackathon 2022

A hackathon is a social design sprint that brings together the community to work in teams creating innovative solutions. Basically, it’s a party, and a 48-hour race between teams competing to develop solutions to problem-sets for cash prizes. Participants will work in small teams that have a collection of experts, entrepreneurs, students, and community members to tackle the below identified challenges:

  • Increase food access in urban core neighborhoods
  • Create opportunities for green initiatives, including environmental education, coastal resilience, and conservation
  • Propose home refurbishment programs and housing
  • Develop capacity for education and workforce skills development
  • Solve the plastic pollution issue in Galveston: Plastic trash in the water supply, on the beaches, and in the waterways of Galveston and surround areas affects the community in many ways (e.g., beaches look dirty, the plastic has chemicals harmful to health, and microplastics get into the environment and remain there for long periods of time. How can we solve this problem, removing and reducing waste and its downstream impacts, and make our community safer and cleaner? The plastic pollution problem can be address in the way of innovative preventive steps, innovation treatments, and public education, etc.
  • Offer creative solutions to other challenges

The event is Friday, October 14, to Sunday, October 16, at the Marmo Plaza. Click here to register.

October 19 — How to Build an App without Code, Part 1: Info Session (In-Person & Online)

Join Heather Wilson, a UX Researcher, Service Designer and Google Design Sprint Facilitator, as she teaches you how to build an app without code!

Benefits of building an app without code:

  • building a custom app could take months to a year to develop
  • coding could present problems when your mobile strategy is pivoting
  • allows for customization and the ability to make changes as needed
  • high costs can be associated with building am app
The event is Wednesday, October 19, at 6 pm, online. Click here to register.

October 20 — 2022-2023 UH Energy Symposium Series

Rising electricity prices, increasing concerns about grid reliability, and achieving carbon-free electricity in the U.S. by 2035 have refocused attention on the role of nuclear in the energy transition. This comes after a decade of low investments, accumulating nuclear waste, an aging fleet of reactors, public opposition, and regulatory mandates that stalled nuclear’s growth and led to declines in production. Meanwhile, the nuclear industry has maintained its safety record, made remarkable progress in fusion and advanced nuclear reactors, and improved operating safety and efficiency.

The first topic of the 2022-2023 Energy Symposium Series, The Future of Nuclear in the Energy Transition, will address if and how headways in advanced nuclear reactors, fusion, and waste management can overcome the challenges of economic feasibility, efficient and safe waste disposal, and build public and regulatory support for the increased deployment of nuclear energy in the U.S. We are excited to bring our panel discussion of Critical Issues in Energy back on campus this year.

The event is Thursday, October 20, at 6 pm, at Hilton University of Houston - Conrad N. Hilton Ballroom . Click here to register.

October 26 — GRIT Awards and Best Energy Workplaces

Join ALLY Energy on October 26, 2022, to honor this year's winners of the 6th annual GRIT Awards and Best Energy Workplaces. New this year: lifetime achievement award winners. Click here to learn more about them.

The event is Wednesday, October 26, from 9 am to 1 pm, at The Bell Tower on 34th Street . Click here to register.

October 26-27 — Fuze

Fuze is bringing together the builders and innovators in energy tech. Shutting down 5 blocks in downtown Houston for two days and covering three content tracks, the event is focused on discovering breakthroughs in energy technology.

The event is Wednesday, October 26, to Thursday, October 27, at 8th Wonder Brewery. Click here to register.

October 27 — Aerospace Investment & Engagement

Join the Houston Angel Network as they discuss the current and future state of aerospace innovation and investment, followed by pitches.

The event is Thursday, October 27, at 8 am to 1 pm at the Ion. Click here to register.

October 27 — Space-Related Technology Development and the Houston Innovation Community

In these presentations, Mr. Montgomery Goforth and other aerospace subject matter experts will discuss the technology development challenges faced by NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the surrounding Aerospace community in our ongoing efforts as the hub of human spaceflight. Presentations will focus on the ways in which these challenges, and the associated opportunities, can be leveraged by Houston’s innovation community.

The event is Thursday, October 27, at 4 pm at the Ion. Click here to register.

October 29 — TEDxHOUSTON COUNTDOWN

In the spirit of TED Countdown — a movement to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis — TEDxHouston is hosting its first in-person Countdown event to spotlight innovators, advocates, and artists at the forefront of energy, sustainability, built environment, and environmental justice. Over 300 attendees and participants will enjoy cultural exhibits throughout POST with works aimed to evoke responses to our changing climate from designers and artists including Mel Chin, Luis Berrios Negron, and architect Juan Jose Castellon. The day will conclude with a celebration in POST’s “X” Atrium that is free and open to the public.

The event is Saturday, October 29, at 10:40 am at the Post Houston. Click here to register.

Here's your one-stop shop for innovation events in Houston this month. Photo via Getty Images

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

where to be

This month, Houstonians have yet another good batch of in-person and online innovation events, and you and your tech network need to know about them.

Here's a roundup of virtual events not to miss this month — like demo days, workshops, conventions, and more.

Note: This post might be updated to add more events.

October 5 — Perfecting Your Pitch

"Zoom in" for The Ion's event, Perfecting your Pitch. DeckLaunch and Fresh Tech Solutionz will discuss the importance and value of your pitch deck when reaching your target audience.

The event is on Tuesday, October 5, at 1 pm. It's free and happening online. Click here to register.

October 5-6 — re:3D SBIR Workshop

The purpose of this workshop is to train and equip participants to identify a federal opportunity and apply for an SBIR/STTR.

The event is on Tuesday, October 5, and Wednesday, October 6, beginning at noon. It's free and happening online. Click here to register.

October 6 — Email Marketing: A How To

Join The Cannon's HubSpot for Startups' partners for a fast-paced session covering the key elements of Email Marketing! In this workshop, we'll go over HubSpot's playbook for creating a winning email marketing strategy, generating traffic to your website and converting traffic into leads, and leveraging automation to nurture leads- Email marketing best practices and common mistakes to avoid.

The event is on Wednesday, October 6, at 1 pm. It's free and happening online. Click here to register.

October 12-14 — Ignite Healthcare Network's 2021 Fire Pitch: Semi-Finals

Fire Pitch 2021 is Ignite Healthcare Network's 5th annual mini-accelerator program created to encourage innovation in emerging women-led digital health and med-tech companies. The program provides women-led healthcare startups with the unique opportunity to engage with potential customers and investors to assess their solutions and advise them on what they need to build successful businesses.

The summit is Tuesday, October 12, to Thursday, October 14. Click here to register.

October 13 — State of the City Address

This signature event, hosted and produced by Houston First Corporation is an opportunity for community and business leaders to reflect upon the year's challenges and celebrate the city's successes as they hear directly from Houston's CEO.

The event is on Wednesday, October 13, at 11:30 am. Tickets start at $150 and the event is hosted at Hilton Americas-Houston. Click here to register.

October 25 — Climathon 2021 Kick-Off

Impact Hub Houston kicks off Climathon 2021! Come learn about this year's challenges, connect with the teams, and get ready for the week. Impact Hub envisions a more prosperous, inclusive, climate-resilient economy, where finance flows to green projects and activities, and where motivated people are empowered with the skills and capacity they need to take action.

The event is on Monday, October 25, at noon. It's free and happening online. Click here to register.

October 25-29 - InnovateEnergy Week 2021

Today's energy companies are working with more emerging technology than ever before, with new projects and technology announced daily.

To enable the growth of these technologies and focus on the impact they are having with the digitalization of energy projects, we are bringing together 4 major Summits to Houston for innovation & emerging tech leaders to attend in one place at one time, including;
  • 5th Annual Energy Drone & Robotics Summit
  • 3rd Annual Industrial XR Summit-
  • Energy EdgeTECH & Industrial Digital Twin Summit
  • MethaneTECH Forum

The events run Monday, October 25, through Friday, October 29, at the Woodlands Waterway Marriott Convention Center. Click here to register.

October 25-26 — Frontiers of Brain Science and Medicine - The Welch Foundation conference

The Welch Foundation's 64th conference, titled "Frontiers of Brain Science and Medicine," will explore the brain and the new technologies driving fresh insights into this still little-understood organ. The conference is divided into four sessions over two days, featuring presentations from some of the top global researchers in brain science.

The conference is Monday, October 25, through Tuesday, October 26. It's free and happening online. Click here to register.

October 25-26 — Ken Kennedy AI and Data Science Conference

Join the virtual Ken Kennedy AI and Data Science Conference, which will feature invited keynote speakers, technical program, sponsors, student poster presentations, and an outdoor networking reception. This year, expect an exciting lineup of speakers from NASA, IBM, AWS, Human Rights Data Analysis Group, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Rice University.

The conference is Monday, October 25, through Tuesday, October 26. It's free and happening online. Click here to register.

Wednesday, October 27, will offer an in-person add-on day to the conference with a technical workshop highlighting deep learning and high-performance computing with Alex Smola, VP of AWS, and Anshumali Shrivastava with Rice University. Workshop registration comes with a small fee. Click here to register.

October 26 — Digital Fight Club: Houston 2021 (Virtual Edition)

Tired of boring Zoom calls? Digital Fight Club is turning the virtual event world on it's head with the first Digital Fight Club, Virtual Edition. Just like IRL, two experts in their fields go up against each other in front of a raucous virtual audience.

The event is Tuesday, October 26, at 6:30 pm. Click here to register.

October 26-27 — Houston DiverseCity Summit

The Houston DiverseCity Summit will inspire action to advance equity and inclusion in the greater Houston region. The Summit offers content for companies and organizations of all sizes with a focus on best practices, peer connection, and first-rate resources to help you mature your diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategies.

The summit is Tuesday, October 26 (in person), and Wednesday, October 27 (online). Click here to register.

October 27 — Energy Tech Night

Each Energy Tech Night offers insights from energy digitalization experts and rapid-fire pitches from the cutting edge in startups offering solutions for the energy challenges of today and tomorrow. After the rapid fire pitches, there is a panel of industry leaders having an open discussion on important topics. Presenters include: LiquidFrameworks, Soft Serve, Simetry, eLynx, Inside Petroleum, and GeoNote.

The event is on Wednesday, October 27, at 6 pm. Tickets start at $50 and the event is hosted at The Heights Theater. Click here to register.

October 27 — Houston Startup Showcase Semifinals

The Ion's four semifinalists will come together on the virtual stage and compete for a chance to move on to the finals. Watch the four startups pitch their company and see who the judges will select to move on to the final round and have the opportunity to compete for the prize package.

Presenting Companies:

The event is on Wednesday, October 27, at 6 pm. It's free and happening online. Click here to register.

October 27 — The Ion's Industry Day

The Ion District Team and General Contractor, Gilbane welcomes MWDBE firms to learn more about potential opportunities. The area has $15 million in upcoming construction opportunities. There will be a discussion of The District Garage Construction, Vendor opportunities, Q&A Session, and a Tour of The Ion District.

The event is on Wednesday, October 27, at 4 pm. It's free and happening at The Ion. Click here to register.

October 28 — The 2021 MassChallenge U.S. Showcase and Awards

The 2021 MassChallenge U.S. Showcase and Awards is a celebration of creativity and innovation coming from the minds of entrepreneurs building game changing businesses that will impact the way we live, work, and play. Check this year's Boston, Rhode Island, Houston & Austin cohorts at the event.

The event is on Thursday, October 28, at 3 pm. It's free and happening online. Click here to register.

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New Houston venture studio emerges to target early-stage hardtech, energy transition startups

funding the future

The way Doug Lee looks at it, there are two areas within the energy transition attracting capital. With his new venture studio, he hopes to target an often overlooked area that's critical for driving forward net-zero goals.

Lee describes investment activity taking place in the digital and software world — early stage technology that's looking to make the industry smarter. But, on the other end of the spectrum, investment activity can be found on massive infrastructure projects.

While both areas need funding, Lee has started his new venture studio, Flathead Forge, to target early-stage hardtech technologies.

“We are really getting at the early stage companies that are trying to develop technologies at the intersection of legacy industries that we believe can become more sustainable and the energy transition — where we are going. It’s not an ‘if’ or ‘or’ — we believe these things intersect,” he tells EnergyCapital.

Specifically, Lee's expertise is within the water and industrial gas space. For around 15 years, he's made investments in this area, which he describes as crucial to the energy transition.

“Almost every energy transition technology that you can point to has some critical dependency on water or gas,” he says. “We believe that if we don’t solve for those things, the other projects won’t survive.”

Lee, and his brother, Dave, are evolving their family office to adopt a venture studio model. They also sold off Azoto Energy, a Canadian oilfield nitrogen cryogenic services business, in December.

“We ourselves are going through a transition like our energy is going through a transition,” he says. “We are transitioning into a single family office into a venture studio. By doing so, we want to focus all of our access and resources into this focus.”

At this point, Flathead Forge has seven portfolio companies and around 15 corporations they are working with to identify their needs and potential opportunities. Lee says he's gearing up to secure a $100 million fund.

Flathead also has 40 advisers and mentors, which Lee calls sherpas — a nod to the Flathead Valley region in Montana, which inspired the firm's name.

“We’re going to help you carry up, we’re going to tie ourselves to the same rope as you, and if you fall off the mountain, we’re falling off with you,” Lee says of his hands-on approach, which he says sets Flathead apart from other studios.

Another thing that's differentiating Flathead Forge from its competition — it's dedication to giving back.

“We’ve set aside a quarter of our carried interest for scholarships and grants,” Lee says.

The funds will go to scholarships for future engineers interested in the energy transition, as well as grants for researchers studying high-potential technologies.

“We’re putting our own money where our mouth is,” Lee says of his thesis for Flathead Forge.

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This article originally ran on EnergyCapital.

Houston-based lunar mission's rocky landing and what it means for America's return to the moon

houston, we have a problem

A private U.S. lunar lander tipped over at touchdown and ended up on its side near the moon’s south pole, hampering communications, company officials said Friday.

Intuitive Machines initially believed its six-footed lander, Odysseus, was upright after Thursday's touchdown. But CEO Steve Altemus said Friday the craft “caught a foot in the surface," falling onto its side and, quite possibly, leaning against a rock. He said it was coming in too fast and may have snapped a leg.

“So far, we have quite a bit of operational capability even though we’re tipped over," he told reporters.

But some antennas were pointed toward the surface, limiting flight controllers' ability to get data down, Altemus said. The antennas were stationed high on the 14-foot (4.3-meter) lander to facilitate communications at the hilly, cratered and shadowed south polar region.

Odysseus — the first U.S. lander in more than 50 years — is thought to be within a few miles (kilometers) of its intended landing site near the Malapert A crater, less than 200 miles (300 kilometers) from the south pole. NASA, the main customer, wanted to get as close as possible to the pole to scout out the area before astronauts show up later this decade.

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will attempt to pinpoint the lander's location, as it flies overhead this weekend.

With Thursday’s touchdown, Intuitive Machines became the first private business to pull off a moon landing, a feat previously achieved by only five countries. Japan was the latest country to score a landing, but its lander also ended up on its side last month.

Odysseus' mission was sponsored in large part by NASA, whose experiments were on board. NASA paid $118 million for the delivery under a program meant to jump-start the lunar economy.

One of the NASA experiments was pressed into service when the lander's navigation system did not kick in. Intuitive Machines caught the problem in advance when it tried to use its lasers to improve the lander's orbit. Otherwise, flight controllers would not have discovered the failure until it was too late, just five minutes before touchdown.

“Serendipity is absolutely the right word,” mission director Tim Crain said.

It turns out that a switch was not flipped before flight, preventing the system's activation in space.

Launched last week from Florida, Odysseus took an extra lap around the moon Thursday to allow time for the last-minute switch to NASA's laser system, which saved the day, officials noted.

Another experiment, a cube with four cameras, was supposed to pop off 30 seconds before touchdown to capture pictures of Odysseus’ landing. But Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s EagleCam was deliberately powered off during the final descent because of the navigation switch and stayed attached to the lander.

Embry-Riddle's Troy Henderson said his team will try to release EagleCam in the coming days, so it can photograph the lander from roughly 26 feet (8 meters) away.

"Getting that final picture of the lander on the surface is still an incredibly important task for us,” Henderson told The Associated Press.

Intuitive Machines anticipates just another week of operations on the moon for the solar-powered lander — nine or 10 days at most — before lunar nightfall hits.

The company was the second business to aim for the moon under NASA's commercial lunar services program. Last month, Pittsburgh's Astrobotic Technology gave it a shot, but a fuel leak on the lander cut the mission short and the craft ended up crashing back to Earth.

Until Thursday, the U.S. had not landed on the moon since Apollo 17's Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt closed out NASA's famed moon-landing program in December 1972. NASA's new effort to return astronauts to the moon is named Artemis after Apollo's mythological twin sister. The first Artemis crew landing is planned for 2026 at the earliest.

3 female Houston innovators to know this week

who's who

Editor's note: Welcome to another Monday edition of Innovators to Know. Today I'm introducing you to three Houstonians to read up about — three individuals behind recent innovation and startup news stories in Houston as reported by InnovationMap. Learn more about them and their recent news below by clicking on each article.

Emma Konet, co-founder and CTO of Tierra Climate

Emma Konet, co-founder and CTO of Tierra Climate, joins the Houston Innovators Podcast. Photo via LinkedIn

If the energy transition is going to be successful, the energy storage space needs to be equipped to support both the increased volume of energy needed and new energies. And Emma Konet and her software company, Tierra Climate, are targeting one part of the equation: the market.

"To me, it's very clear that we need to build a lot of energy storage in order to transition the grid," Konet says on the Houston Innovators Podcast. "The problems that I saw were really on the market side of things." Read more.

Cindy Taff, CEO of Sage Geosystems

Houston-based Sage Geosystems announced the first close of $17 million round led by Chesapeake Energy Corp. Photo courtesy of Sage

A Houston geothermal startup has announced the close of its series A round of funding.

Houston-based Sage Geosystems announced the first close of $17 million round led by Chesapeake Energy Corp. The proceeds aim to fund its first commercial geopressured geothermal system facility, which will be built in Texas in Q4 of 2024. According to the company, the facility will be the first of its kind.

“The first close of our Series A funding and our commercial facility are significant milestones in our mission to make geopressured geothermal system technologies a reality,” Cindy Taff, CEO of Sage Geosystems, says. Read more.

Clemmie Martin, chief of staff at The Cannon

With seven locations across the Houston area, The Cannon's digital technology allows its members a streamlined connection. Photo courtesy of The Cannon

After collaborating over the years, The Cannon has acquired a Houston startup's digital platform technology to become a "physical-digital hybrid" community.

Village Insights, a Houston startup, worked with The Cannon to create and launch its digital community platform Cannon Connect. Now, The Cannon has officially acquired the business. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“The integration of a world-class onsite member experience and Cannon Connect’s superior virtual resource network creates a seamless, streamlined environment for member organizations,” Clemmie Martin, The Cannon’s newly appointed chief of staff, says in the release. “Cannon Connect and this acquisition have paved new pathways to access and success for all.” Read more.