10 years in: Houston entrepreneur reflects on lessons learned

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. The truth is that entrepreneurship is hard. It requires grit, humility, persistence, and the courage to rise above challenges. But it’s also one of the most rewarding ventures you can take on. Photo via Getty Images

Just as the job market is soaring, so is the state of entrepreneurship in America. And increasingly, people are launching their businesses in Houston.

As InnovationMap reported, our city is a top startup ecosystem, now ranked among the top 50 in the world. One of the fastest-growing sectors is climate tech. According to a recent analysis, the global climate tech market is expected to reach a massive $162 billion by 2033.

All those big numbers boil down to individual, hardworking people with high hopes, big dreams, and a willingness to take risks. Maybe that includes you.

This month, my company reached a milestone. We’ve been around for a decade, which means we’ve beaten the odds. An estimated two-thirds of businesses fail within 10 years. This has been nothing short of a chaotic, exhilarating, and sometimes unforgiving journey. I've been blessed and cursed, from hurricanes to a pandemic, losing my vision to filming documentaries, serving in the US Department of Energy during two administrations to an epic ringing of the closing bell on Wall Street. The successes have been sweet, but the lessons learned are the real treasure.

Here are my five biggest takeaways from a decade in the trenches of entrepreneurship.

Master your market

A deep understanding of the market is crucial to achieve success. By delving into the intricacies of how it operates, identifying gaps you can fill, and engaging with individuals and companies eager to see those gaps addressed, you lay the foundation for a viable and impactful venture. Building credibility and establishing a network over the long term opens doors. I experienced this firsthand in the oil and gas, where my market knowledge and 15 years of experience allowed me to create a business that champions the energy workforce of the future.

However, markets are constantly evolving, and even more so today than ever. It’s hard to bring things to market, so master the market, and listen to the voice of the customer to stay ahead.

Takeaway:

Embrace the power of market mastery and credibility to pave the path to success.

Grit is everything

When I think of resilience, one image stands out—the "man in the arena." (Or I should say the woman!). It's a metaphor often cited, and for good reason. What are you even doing if you're not stepping into the ring, getting your hands dirty, and taking the punches? Grit is what keeps you moving when the odds are against you. Change is inevitable; challenges will come. But grit? That’s what pushes you to stand back up and keep going. If you’re an entrepreneur, there’s no room for half-hearted effort. You're either in the ring or watching from the sidelines.

Takeaway:

The ability to endure setbacks and adapt separates those who thrive from those who fold.

You need more than you think

A hard truth I’ve learned the painful way. When I first started Pink Petro, a mentor of mine and now very successful entrepreneur turned investor told me to “Don’t take capital until you need it.” His advice helped me keep a large percentage of ownership in my company, however I learned that you will always need more time, money, and resources than anticipated. As a solo founder, it is easy to underestimate the financial and emotional cost of building something from scratch, alone. Whether it’s product development, marketing, an acquisition or hiring top talent, it all takes capital.

Takeaway:

Plan. Then, double that plan. Odds are, you’ll need it.

Ask without fear

Whether seeking investment, resources or support, learning to ask for what you need is a game-changer. This one didn’t come naturally to me—I had to lean in and push past the stubbornness of “never needing anyone’s help”. Here’s the truth: most people are afraid to ask. But asking is often what gets you one step closer to your goals. Whether it’s a pitch to an investor or a favor from a mentor, the worst someone can say is “no.” And in business, a "no" is just a chance to refine your pitch for the next opportunity.

Takeaway:

Advocating for your needs isn’t selfish—it’s essential.

The sharks are in the water

Building something meaningful attracts all kinds of attention. Over the years, I’ve dealt with doubters, copycats, and even former allies. At first, it stung. But then I realized something important -- sharks will always show up if you’re making waves. It’s a sign you’re on the right path. The key is to stay focused on your vision and not get distracted

by the noise.

Takeaway:

If you have skeptics and imitators, take it as validation that what you’re doing matters.

Bonus lesson: Put your mask on

This one is personal. Here’s the thing—if you’re running on empty, you’re no good to your business, team, or yourself. That’s when I learned the importance of self-care. It’s not selfish—it’s survival.

Takeaway:

Take care of yourself first. Your business depends on it.

Looking back, ten years feels like a lifetime. The truth is that entrepreneurship is hard. It requires grit, humility, persistence, and the courage to rise above challenges. But it’s also one of the most rewarding ventures you can take on.

If you’re out there building something, keep going. Step into the ring. Learn from every fall. Trust yourself, and never stop moving forward—you might surprise yourself with how far you can go.

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Katie Mehnert is founder and CEO of ALLY Energy, formerly Pink Petro and serves on the National Petroleum Council.

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How is technology affecting the energy sector? These experts weigh in. Getty Images

Overheard: Houston energy experts share how tech and startups are affecting the industry

eavesdropping in houston

Last week, Houston-based Pink Petro hosted its annual conference — but, quite like other events across the country, it took a very digital approach.

Energy 2.0, formerly called HerWorld, was always going to be streamed from two locations — Denver and Houston — but the conference, which took place from March 9 to 11, likely had more digital attendees than previous years thanks to the rising threat of COVID19, or the coronavirus.

The digital shift was pretty on par with the conversation of the "unconference," as its called. The last panel of March 10 was how tech was rattling the energy industry. Three panelists discussed the effect of technology on the industry, climate change, startups, and more. Here are some of the panelists best points made during this event.

“Technology isn’t new to the energy sector. The energy sector is used to adopting and adapting to new technologies. What we are talking about now is digital technology, and what’s happening there — we are not familiar with that.”

— Geeta Thakorlal, president at Worley Digital. It's not innovation that's unfamiliar to energy companies, but the digital aspect, which includes introducing new tech from outside the industry. "When you talk about adoption and use of digital technology, it means different things to different people," she adds.

"We’re taking a look at technology, but also addressing the people [aspect] — looking at what people are doing with technology and how the social issues are impacted by technology."

— Jennifer Hohman, CIO and vice president, at Seadrill. The conversation started with a broad scope on how the energy industry is approaching technology, and Hohman cites climate change and sex trafficking — two issues the industry has been affecting.

“As society is changing, we start to worry about people’s safety — that’s very natural in our industry, but moving that into what about social issues or even renewables."

— David Reid, CMO of National Oilwell Varco. Reid adds that the energy industry is aware of its role in the world and has a people-centric approach to technology, including being aware of how it affects the people involved in the energy company's supply chain. "I think it all ties together."

“Technology is constantly going to move fast — we have to continue to face that.”

— Hohman says on the energy industry adapting to technology, adding that tech allows for more collaboration — something energy companies should be doing, even if it means collaborating with a competitor.

"What the tech sector has done is actually helped energy industry because they challenged all these norms — diversity of thought, fail and fail fast — you don't use that language in the energy sector."

— Thakorlal says, explaining that influences from the tech sector have been crucial. Ultimately, big tech companies are looking to small startups for innovation, and energy companies will be doing more of that as well. "The tech companies have had to learn it's not they who has got the solutions, and the energy sector has learned that too."

“We’ve got a world that wants a change, and does not know and understand what we’ve done.”

— Reid says on the topic of the energy industry's role in the future of the sector. "What's missing is the potential of our industry to make a difference."

“The biggest barrier to advancing technology is fear — people not really understanding. Fear is a choice.”

— Thakorlal says, adding that fear is a choice companies can make — but shouldn't. Instead, they should maintain their business while simultaneously adopting tech that will be key in the future. "We say in our organization that if you talk about energy transition or digital transformation in our sector, it's not an 'either/or' it's an 'and.' We have to keep doing what we are doing and transition that to what we want the future to be."

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Houston team develops low-cost device to treat infants with life-threatening birth defect

infant innovation

A team of engineers and pediatric surgeons led by Rice University’s Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies has developed a cost-effective treatment for infants born with gastroschisis, a congenital condition in which intestines and other organs are developed outside of the body.

The condition can be life-threatening in economically disadvantaged regions without access to equipment.

The Rice-developed device, known as SimpleSilo, is “simple, low-cost and locally manufacturable,” according to the university. It consists of a saline bag, oxygen tubing and a commercially available heat sealer, while mimicking the function of commercial silo bags, which are used in high-income countries to protect exposed organs and gently return them into the abdominal cavity gradually.

Generally, a single-use bag can cost between $200 and $300. The alternatives that exist lack structure and require surgical sewing. This is where the SimpleSilo comes in.

“We focused on keeping the design as simple and functional as possible, while still being affordable,” Vanshika Jhonsa said in a news release. “Our hope is that health care providers around the world can adapt the SimpleSilo to their local supplies and specific needs.”

The study was published in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery, and Jhonsa, its first author, also won the 2023 American Pediatric Surgical Association Innovation Award for the project. She is a recent Rice alumna and is currently a medical student at UTHealth Houston.

Bindi Naik-Mathuria, a pediatric surgeon at UTMB Health, served as the corresponding author of the study. Rice undergraduates Shreya Jindal and Shriya Shah, along with Mary Seifu Tirfie, a current Rice360 Global Health Fellow, also worked on the project.

In laboratory tests, the device demonstrated a fluid leakage rate of just 0.02 milliliters per hour, which is comparable to commercial silo bags, and it withstood repeated disinfection while maintaining its structure. In a simulated in vitro test using cow intestines and a mock abdominal wall, SimpleSilo achieved a 50 percent reduction of the intestines into the simulated cavity over three days, also matching the performance of commercial silo bags. The team plans to conduct a formal clinical trial in East Africa.

“Gastroschisis has one of the biggest survival gaps from high-resource settings to low-resource settings, but it doesn’t have to be this way,” Meaghan Bond, lecturer and senior design engineer at Rice360, added in the news release. “We believe the SimpleSilo can help close the survival gap by making treatment accessible and affordable, even in resource-limited settings.”

Texas among 5 hardest working states and more innovation news to know

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Editor's note: As we look back at the top Houston innovation news for the first half of September, reports show that Texas is one of the hardest working states, while local startup activity has slowed down. Plus, exciting medical innovation advancements. Here are the most-read InnovationMap stories from September 1-14.

1. Texas is the 4th hardest working state in America, report finds

Texas is home to some of the hardest workers. Photo via Getty Images

It's no secret that Texans are hardworking people. To align with the recent Labor Day holiday, a new WalletHub study asserts that the Lone Star State is one of the five most hardworking states in America for 2025. The report ranked Texas the fourth most hardworking state this year, indicating that its residents are working harder than ever after the state fell into seventh place in 2024. Continue reading.

2. UH receives $1M grant to advance research on rare pediatric disorder

The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation has granted $1.1M to the University of Houston to support research on Usher Syndrome. Photo courtesy University of Houston.

The University of Houston has received a two-year, $1.1 million gift from the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation to advance research on a rare genetic disorder that can lead to both deafness and blindness in children, known as Usher Syndrome. The current grant will support the research of UH biomedical engineering professors Muna Naash and Muayyad Al-Ubaidi, who work in the Laboratory for Retinal Molecular and Cellular Biology and Gene Therapy in the Cullen College of Engineering. Continue reading.

3. Houston's surge in new startups cools since pandemic peak, study shows

Startup applications in Houston have dipped since their 2021 peak, even as national entrepreneurship hits record highs, according to a new report from The Kaplan Group. Photo via Getty Images.

Startup activity in the Houston metro area has dipped since its pandemic peak, according to a new study. Dating back to 2005, the volume of applications to form new businesses in the Houston area hit its highest level in 2021 (151,804). Since then, though, the application volume has fallen, according to the study, conducted by business debt collection agency The Kaplan Group. Continue reading.

4. 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

A new business accelerator at Houston’s Texas Medical Center has 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. Continue reading.

5. 10 Houston billionaires make Forbes' list of richest Americans in 2025

Pictured: Nancy and Richard Kinder, the richest Houstonian, according to the Forbes 400. Photo by Michelle Watson/Catchlight Group

America's wealthiest billionaires are $1.2 trillion richer in 2025, bringing their collective worth to a staggering $6.6 trillion. And Houston's own Richard Kinder has become the richest billionaire in the city, according to the new Forbes 400. The Kinder Morgan chairman is the 11th richest Texas resident and ranks as the 108th richest American. Kinder also dethroned Tilman Fertitta to claim the title as the wealthiest Houstonian. The annual Forbes 400 list is a definitive ranking of the wealthiest Americans, using interviews, financial data, and documentation provided by billionaires and their companies. Continue reading.

Oxy's $1.3B Texas carbon capture facility on track to​ launch this year

gearing up

Houston-based Occidental Petroleum is gearing up to start removing CO2 from the atmosphere at its $1.3 billion direct air capture (DAC) project in the Midland-Odessa area.

Vicki Hollub, president and CEO of Occidental, said during the company’s recent second-quarter earnings call that the Stratos project — being developed by carbon capture and sequestration subsidiary 1PointFive — is on track to begin capturing CO2 later this year.

“We are immensely proud of the achievements to date and the exceptional record of safety performance as we advance towards commercial startup,” Hollub said of Stratos.

Carbon dioxide captured by Stratos will be stored underground or be used for enhanced oil recovery.

Oxy says Stratos is the world’s largest DAC facility. It’s designed to pull 500,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the air and either store it underground or use it for enhanced oil recovery. Enhanced oil recovery extracts oil from unproductive reservoirs.

Most of the carbon credits that’ll be generated by Stratos through 2030 have already been sold to organizations such as Airbus, AT&T, All Nippon Airways, Amazon, the Houston Astros, the Houston Texans, JPMorgan, Microsoft, Palo Alto Networks and TD Bank.

The infrastructure business of investment manager BlackRock has pumped $550 million into Stratos through a joint venture with 1PointFive.

As it gears up to kick off operations at Stratos, Occidental is also in talks with XRG, the energy investment arm of the United Arab Emirates-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., to form a joint venture for the development of a DAC facility in South Texas. Occidental has been awarded up to $650 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to build the South Texas DAC hub.

The South Texas project, to be located on the storied King Ranch, will be close to industrial facilities and energy infrastructure along the Gulf Coast. Initially, the roughly 165-square-mile site is expected to capture 500,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, with the potential to store up to 3 billion metric tons of CO2 per year.

“We believe that carbon capture and DAC, in particular, will be instrumental in shaping the future energy landscape,” Hollub said.

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This article originally appeared on our sister site, EnergyCapitalHTX.com.

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