Calling all future coders — here's a new spot to tap into your new career. Image via Getty Images

Tech Elevator, a national coding education provider, opened its latest campus last month in the Houston area.

The new facility, located within Industrious Westchase, at 2101 CityWestBlvd, will teach students through its well-known coding bootcamps, as well as provide locally focused career placement support and a co-working space.

The company has named Brian Candido, who has more than 10 years experience in career services, as Market Leader for Tech Elevator Houston. He'll oversee campus operations, admissions, student and alumni engagement, event coordination and business development at the new site.

“Houston is known as the energy capital of the world, but its tech ecosystem is far more diverse than that," Candido said in a statement. "From space technology to biotech and everything in between, Houston has a thriving tech scene that is making waves on the national and international stage.”

The Houston campus will host one of its first events, Women, Wine and Web Design, on May 3. Laptops with Chrome or Firefox are required. Click here for more information.

Tech Elevator's immersive online bootcamps are offered in 14-week, full-time, part-time, in-person and National Live Remote sessions. The Houston campus is the company's ninth location in the U.S., with others located in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Washington D.C.; Columbus, Ohio; Jersey City, New Jersey; and Wilmington, North Carolina.

Anthony Hughes, co-Founder and CEO, said the company is expanding to Houston after seeing an increased local interest in Tech Elevator's bootcamps.

“We’re expanding our footprint into Houston to meet that growing demand and we look forward to making a big impact with local individuals, local companies and communities,” Hughes said in a statement.

The company has placed close to 3,000 students in technology jobs, and claims a graduation rate of 93 percent and a job placement rate of 88 percent, according to a release. It is now accepting student applications for its 2023 coding bootcamp cohorts.

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Houston femtech co. debuts new lactation and wellness pods

mom pod

Houston-based femtech company Work&, previously known as Work&Mother, has introduced new products in recent months aimed at supporting working mothers and the overall health of all employees.

The company's new Lactation Pod and Hybrid Pod serve as dual-use lactation and wellness spaces to meet employer demand, the company shared in a news release. The compact pods offer flexible design options that can serve permanent offices and nearly all commercial spaces.

They feature a fully compliant lactation station while also offering wellness functionalities that can support meditation, mental health, telehealth and prayer. In line with Work&'s other spaces, the pods utilize the Work& scheduling platform, which prioritizes lactation bookings to help employers comply with the PUMP Act.

“This isn’t about perks,” Jules Lairson, Work& co-founder and COO, said in the release. “It’s about meeting people where they are—with dignity and intentional design. That includes the mother returning to work, the employee managing anxiety, and everyone in between.”

According to the company, several Fortune 500 companies are already using the pods, and Work& has plans to grow the products' reach.

Earlier this year, Work& introduced its first employee wellness space at MetroNational’s Memorial City Plazas, representing Work&'s shift to offer an array of holistic health and wellness solutions for landlords and tenants.

The company, founded in 2017 by Lairson and CEO Abbey Donnell, was initially focused on outfitting commercial buildings with lactation accommodations for working parents. While Work& still offers these services through its Work&Mother branch, the addition of its Work&Wellbeing arm allowed the company to also address the broader wellness needs of all employees.

The company rebranded as Work& earlier this year.

Rice biotech studio secures investment from Modi Ventures, adds founder to board

fresh funding

RBL LLC, which supports commercialization for ventures formed at the Rice University Biotech Launch Pad, has secured an investment from Houston-based Modi Ventures.

Additionally, RBL announced that it has named Sahir Ali, founder and general partner of Modi Ventures, to its board of directors.

Modi Ventures invests in biotech companies that are working to advance diagnostics, engineered therapeutics and AI-driven drug discovery. The firm has $134 million under management after closing an oversubscribed round this summer.

RBL launched in 2024 and is based out of Houston’s Texas Medical Center Helix Park. William McKeon, president and CEO of the TMC, previously called the launch of RBL a “critical step forward” for Houston’s life sciences ecosystem.

“RBL is dedicated to building companies focused on pioneering and intelligent bioelectronic therapeutics,” Ali said in a LinkedIn post. “This partnership strengthens the Houston biotech ecosystem and accelerates the transition of groundbreaking lab discoveries into impactful therapies.”

Ali will join board members like managing partner Paul Wotton, Rice bioengineering professor Omid Veiseh, scientist and partner at KdT Ventures Rima Chakrabarti, Rice alum John Jaggers, CEO of Arbor Biotechnologies Devyn Smith, and veteran executive in the life sciences sector James Watson.

Ali has led transformative work and built companies across AI, cloud computing and precision medicine. Ali also serves on the board of directors of the Drug Information Association, which helps to collaborate in drug, device and diagnostics developments.

“This investment by Modi Ventures will be instrumental to RBL’s growth as it reinforces confidence in our venture creation model and accelerates our ability to develop successful biotech startups,” Wotton said in the announcement. "Sahir’s addition to the board will also amplify this collaboration with Modi. His strategic counsel and deep understanding of field-defining technologies will be invaluable as we continue to grow and deliver on our mission.”