10 most-promising energy tech startups named at annual Houston event

top companies

Over 500 people attended the 21st annual Energy Tech Venture Forum hosted by the Rice Alliance. Photo courtesy of Rice

Investors from around the world again identified the most-promising energy tech startups at the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship's annual event.

"The recognition that Houston is the epicenter of energy transition is growing. It's something we are championing as much as possible so that the world can know exactly what we're doing," Paul Cherukuri, chief innovation officer at Rice University says at the 21st annual Energy Tech Venture Forum.

The event took place during the inaugural Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week, and nearly 100 startups from 23 states and seven countries pitched investors Wednesday, September 11, and Thursday, September 12. At the conclusion of the event, the investors decided on 10 companies deemed "most promising" from the presentations.

This year's selected companies are:

Revterra, a Houston-based company innovating within kinetic battery technology to enable faster and cleaner electric vehicle charging.
From Austin, 360 Mining is a modular data center provider for the oil and gas producers.
New York company Andium is a centralized and optimized operations platform for large energy companies.
Elementium Materials, a local Katy-based company, created its battery technology that originated out of MIT.
Splight is a San Mateo, California-based technology platform that provides real-time operational data based on inverter-based resources assets.
Los Angeles-based Mitico, one of the Rice Alliance Clean Energy Accelerator's class 4 participants, provides services and equipment for carbon capture through its granulated metal carbonate sorption technology.
From Cambridge, Massachusetts, Osmoses is changing the way molecular gas separations are performed within the chemical, petrochemical, and energy industries.
Rice Alliance Clean Energy Accelerator class 4 participant CORROLYTICS, based in Houston, has a corrosion detection and monitoring technology. The company also won over the crowd and secured the People's Choice win too.
Ardent, based in New Castle, Delaware, has developed a membrane technology for point-source carbon capture.
New Haven, Connecticut-based Oxylus Energy produces an alternative fuel from converting CO2 into green methanol.

Last year, investors named its selection of most-promising companies at Rice.

"We have a responsibility as a city to lead energy transition," Cherukuri continues. "A lot of the investments we're making at Rice are going to change the world."

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Thirteen of the 42 teams participating in RBPC 2024 walked away with investment funding. Photo courteys of Rice University

Annual Houston student startup competition doles out over $1.5M in cash, investment prizes

winner, winner

For the 24th year, the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship hosted its Rice Business Plan Competition, facilitating over $1.5 million in investment and cash prizes to the top teams.

The 42 startups competing this year, which were announced earlier this year and included teams from around the world, participated in the three-day event that culminated in a reception on Saturday, April 6. The companies were divided into five categories: Energy, Cleantech and Sustainability; Hard Tech; Life Sciences and Healthcare Solutions; Digital Enterprise; Consumer Products and Services.

“We award the competitors $1 million in prizes, prizes that serve as foundational capital to launch their startup,” RBPC Director Catherine Santamaria says at the awards gala. “That’s a large number of prizes, but the biggest thing our startups leave with is a feeling of generosity and community from this room. This community is always ready and willing to help our founders and support our vision for the competition by investing time, money and resources in these student innovators.”

While all participating teams received $950 for being selected, several teams walked away with thousands in funding, cash, and in-kind prizes. Here's which companies won big.

MesaQuantum, Harvard University — $335,000

MesaQuantum is developing accurate and precise chip-scale clocks. While not named a finalist, the company secured the most amount of funding across a few prizes:

$250,000 OWL Investment Prizes
$60,000 nCourage Courageous Women Entrepreneur Investment Prize
$25,000 Jacobs, Intuitive Machines and WRX Companies Rising Stars Space Technology and Commercial Aerospace Cash Prize

Protein Pints, Michigan State University — $251,000

The big winner of the night was Protein Pints, a high-protein, low-sugar, ice cream product from Michigan State University. Not only did the company win first place and the $150,000 GOOSE Capital Investment Grand Prize, as decided by the more than 350 judges, but it won a few other investment prizes, including:

$100,000 The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Texas Angels Investment Prize — Protein Pints, Michigan State University
The Eagle Investors Prize
$1,000 Anbarci Family Company Showcase Prize
Mercury Elevator Pitch Competition Prize (Best in Consumer Products)
An invitation to Entrepreneur Magazine's elevator pitch show

Osphim, RWTH Aachen University —$201,000

Osphim, a data acquisition and monitoring platform from Germany, won these prizes despite not being named a finalist:

$200,000 Goose Capital Investment Prize
$1,000 Anbarci Family Company Showcase Prize
Mercury Elevator Pitch Competition Prize (Best in Digital)

Somnair, Johns Hopkins University — $200,000

Taking second place and a $100,000 from David Anderson, Jon Finger, Anderson Family Fund, Finger Interests, Greg Novak and Tracy Druce was Somnair is a novel non-invasive neurostimulation device for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. The company also won:

$100,000 Houston Angel Network Investment Prize
Mercury Elevator Pitch Competition Prize (Best in Life Science)
An invitation to Texas Medical Center's Accelerator Bootcamp
An invitation to Entrepreneur Magazine's elevator pitch show

Icorium Engineering Company, University of Kansas — $171,000

Icorium Engineering Company — a chemical engineering startup developing technologies to make sustainable, circular economies a reality for refrigerants and other complex chemical mixtures — won fifth place and a $5,000 prize sponsored by Norton Rose Fulbright, EY, Chevron Technology Ventures and Shell Ventures, as well as:

$100,000 OWL Investment Prizes
$40,000 nCourage Courageous Women Entrepreneur Investment Prize
$25,000 from Finger Interests, the Anderson Family Fund at the Greater Houston Community Foundation, Greg Novak and Tracy Druce
$1,000 Anbarci Family Company Showcase Prize
Mercury Elevator Pitch Competition Prize (Best in Energy, Sustainability)
An invitation to Entrepreneur Magazine's elevator pitch show

Informuta, Tulane University — $70,000

Informuta's proprietary technology leverages DNA sequencing to predict if bacteria will respond to different antibiotics or, for the very first time, develop future resistance thus causing treatment failure. The company won fourth place and a $5,000 prize sponsored by Norton Rose Fulbright, EY, Chevron Technology Ventures and Shell Ventures.

$40,000 Pearland EDC Spirit of Entrepreneurship Cash Prize
$25,000 from Finger Interests, the Anderson Family Fund at the Greater Houston Community Foundation, Greg Novak and Tracy Druce

EndoShunt Medical, Harvard University — $55,000

EndoShunt created a rapid, targeted blood flow control device to be use in emergency or trauma settings. The company won sixth place and the $5,000 prize, sponsored by Norton Rose Fulbright, EY, Chevron Technology Ventures and Shell Ventures, as well as:

$25,000 Southwest National Pediatric Device Consortium Pediatric Device Cash Prize
$25,000 from Finger Interests, the Anderson Family Fund at the Greater Houston Community Foundation, Greg Novak and Tracy Druce

Power2Polymers, RWTH Aachen University —$50,000

Tackling the challenge of forever chemicals, Power2Polymers is creating safe alternatives free of forever chemicals. The German company took third place and the $50,000 investment sponsored by Finger Interests, the Anderson Family Fund at the Greater Houston Community Foundation, Greg Novak and Tracy Druce. The company also won the Mercury Elevator Pitch Competition Prize (Best Overall).

D.Sole, Carnegie Mellon University — $30,000

D. Sole won the wild card ticket to the finals and took seventh place. The company is advancing the development of remote patient monitoring in podiatry with foot insoles designed for the early detection and monitoring of diabetic foot complications, such as ulcers and deformities. They also won $30,000 from Finger Interests, the Anderson Family Fund at the Greater Houston Community Foundation, Greg Novak and Tracy Druce.

Other prizes:

$25,000 New Climate Ventures Sustainable Investment Prize went to Oxylus Energy from Yale University
$25,000 Dream Big Ventures Latino Entrepreneur Investment Prize went to Dendritic Health AI from Northwestern University
$25,000 NOV Energy Technology Innovation Cash Prize went to LiQuidium from the University of Houston
$25,000 Urban Capital Network Diversity Investment Prize in Partnership with South Loop Venture Investment Prize went to TouchStone from University of California, Berkeley

Brad Burke has been named associate vice president for industry and new ventures within Rice University's Office of Innovation. Photo by Jeff Fitlow/Rice University

Houston innovation leader named to new role to drive strategy, programming

supporting innovators

A longtime Houston innovation leader has added a new title to his role at Rice University.

Brad Burke, who has served as executive director of the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship for 20 years, has been named associate vice president for industry and new ventures, the university announced this week. He will take on this new role within the Office of Innovation, as well as continue leading the Rice Alliance.

Rice's Office of Innovation, which was established in 2022 with the appointment of Chief Innovation Officer and Vice President for Innovation Paul Cherukuri, exists to support new and innovative initiatives and technologies from the Rice community with mentorship, funding, pilots, and more.

“The Rice Alliance has played a key role over the past two decades in building Rice’s reputation as a leading institution for innovation and entrepreneurship,” Cherukuri says in a news release. “We are thrilled to have Brad Burke join the Office of Innovation to support our faculty and students in commercializing their inventions.”

Burke has played a major role in the collaboration of Houston for the past 20 years leading the Rice Alliance, which coordinates many event programs and accelerators — including the Rice Business Plan Competition, energy and life science forums, the Clean Energy Accelerator, Owl Spark, Blue Launch, and more.

Last year, Burke received the Outstanding Contributions to Advancing Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Higher Education Award at the 2023 Deshpande Symposium for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Higher Education. He also accepted the 2023 Trailblazer Award at the Houston Innovation Awards.

Last fall, Rice University's Office of Innovation established the One Small Step Grant — named for Neil Armstrong's first words spoken from Tranquility Base just several years after JFK's speech at Rice. The program will provide funding to faculty working on "promising projects with commercial potential," according to the website.

The Office of Innovation also grew its team last August with the appointment of Houston materials scientist-turned-entrepreneur Adrian Trömel as its new assistant vice president for strategy and investments.

In 2022, Brad Burke joined the Houston Innovators Podcast to discuss the work he and his team do at Rice Alliance.

This year, seven of the 10 most-promising life science companies are based in Houston. Photo courtesy of Rice Alliance

Houston startups dominate ‘most-promising’ companies announcement at annual event

on the list

Rice University played host this week to the 12th annual Texas Life Science Forum, where life science leaders and startup founders could network, learn and present pitches on their solutions to a wide array of health-related issues.

Hosted by Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship and BioHouston on November 7, the event brought together more than 600 attendees for a series of keynote speakers and panels. This year, 45 early-stage therapeutic, diagnostic, medical device and digital health companies—many of which are based in Houston—also pitched their concepts.

Fort Worth-based AyuVis Research walked away from the event with the two top recognitions: The Michael E. DeBakey Memorial Life Science Award and the People's Choice Award. The company, which has developed a small molecule immunotherapy targeting bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm neonates and other respiratory disorders. The company is raising a $20 million Series A round to support its clinical development and is slated to pitch at IGNITE Health’s Fire Pitch 2023 today, November 9, at the Ion.

Each year the Rice Alliance and BioHouston also name its 10 most promising life science companies, selected by investors—seven out of 10 of which are based in Houston. This year's selection included the following companies, in alphabetical order:

7 Hills Pharma: This Houston-based clinical stage immunotherapy company has developed the concept of allosteric activation of integrins to facilitate cell adhesion and promote immune responses. The concept has uses in preventing infection and cancer, and increasing the effectiveness of oncology drugs and infectious disease vaccines.
Bairitone Health: This Houston-based company is building a scalable diagnostic system for sleep apnea anatomy utilizing home-use wearable, passive Sonar technology and AI techniques.
Diakonos Oncology: Also based in Houston, Diakonos' Dendritic Cell Vaccine was awarded the FDA’s Fast Track designation. The clinical-stage biotech company's immunotherapies have shown early successes for hard-to-reach, aggressive cancers like Glioblastoma Multiforme.
Mongoose Bio: With more than 20 years of research, Mongoose specializes in T cell-based therapies for diverse solid tumors TCR-based therapies in cancer patients. The Houston-based company has developed an immunopeptidome discovery platform for TCR-based therapies in cancer patients.
Nandi Life Sciences: Nandi is developing antibodies for Avastin-resistant ovarian cancer, with
further application in breast, colorectal and lung cancer. The company is based out of Texas Medical Center Innovation.
NKILT Therapeutics: This Houston-based company's seed-stage cell therapy has applications in solid tumors, such as colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, clear cell renal carcinoma, endometrial
cancer and more. It is developing a novel and proprietary Chimeric ILT-Receptor.
NuVision Biotherapies: Based in the United Kingdom, NuVision has developed and proven a treatment for dry eye disease. It's known for its Omnigen and OmniLenz products and is raising a series A to scale, take the business to profitability and exit.
Panakeia Technologies: Also based in the UK, Panakeia has developed an AI-based software that can provide multi-omic biomarkers in minutes. Currently this process takes days or weeks. It's RuO platform can identify 4,500 known multi-omics cancer markers.
Taurus Vascular: A recent spin-out of the Texas Medical Center Innovation Biodesign program, Taurus is developing a novel, catheter-based solution for treating endoleaks, which can be related to aortic aneurysms.
YAP Therapeutics: The only California-based company to make the cut, this preclinical-stage biotech develops genetic medicines that leverage the company’s tissue renewal and regeneration platform to reverse and cure severe diseases, including heart failure, pulmonary diseases, retinal degeneration and hearing loss.

Last year, Bairitone Health took home the DeBakey and People's Choice awards.

The 2023 Houston Innovation Awards revealed its big winners across 13 categories. Photos courtesy

Houston Innovation Awards winners revealed at 2023 event

drum roll, please...

Who are the top innovators and startups in Houston? We just found out for you.

The Houston Innovation Awards honored over 50 finalists categories, naming the 12 winners at the event. The 2023 Trailblazer Award recipient, Brad Burke, managing director of the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, was also honored at the event by inaugural winner, Barbara Burger.

The 2023 judges — who represent various industries and verticals in Houston — scored over 200 submissions. The event, hosted November 8 in partnership with Houston Exponential and emceed by Scott Gale, executive director of Halliburton Labs, revealed the winners.

The event's sponsors included Halliburton Labs, Microsoft, The Ion, Houston Community College, Houston Energy Transition Initiative, NOV, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Uncle Nearest Premium Whisky, 8th Wonder Brewery, and 8th Wonder Cannabis.

Without further adieu, here the winners from the 2023 Houston Innovation Awards.

BIPOC-Owned Business: Milkify

The winner of the BIPOC-Owned Business category, honoring an innovative company founded or co-founded by BIPOC representation, is Milkify, a service that turns breast milk into a shelf-stable powder.

Female-Owned Business: The Postage

The winner of the Female-Owned Business category, honoring an innovative company founded or co-founded by a woman, is The Postage, a comprehensive life planning and succession software platform for families and small businesses.

Hardtech Business: Syzygy Plasmonics

The winner of the Hardtech Business category, honoring an innovative company developing and commercializing a physical technology, is Syzygy Plasmonics, a deep decarbonization company that builds chemical reactors designed to use light instead of combustion to produce valuable chemicals like hydrogen and sustainable fuels.

Digital Solutions Business: RepeatMD

The winner of the Digital Solutions Business category, honoring an innovative company developing and programming a digital solution to a problem in an industry, is RepeatMD, software platform for customer loyalty, eCommerce, and fintech solutions to enhance the patient experience and provide a new source of revenue for the aesthetics and wellness space.

Social Impact Business: ALLY Energy

The winner of the Social Impact Business category, honoring an innovative company providing a solution that would enhance humanity or society in a significant way, is ALLY Energy, helping energy companies and climate startups find, develop, and retain great talent.

Sustainability Business: Fervo Energy

The winner of the Sustainability Business category, honoring an innovative company providing a solution within renewables, climatetech, clean energy, alternative materials, circular economy, and beyond, is Fervo Energy, leveraging proven oil and gas drilling technology to deliver 24/7 carbon-free geothermal energy.

Life Science Business: CellChorus

The winner of the Life Science Business category, honoring an innovative company within the health and medical industries designing a treatment or technology, is CellChorus, using AI to evaluate immune cell function and performance to improve the development and delivery of therapeutics.

Corporate of the Year: Houston Methodist

The winner of the Corporate of the Year category, honoring a corporation that supports startups and/or the Houston innovation community, Houston Methodist, a hospital system and health care innovation leader.

DEI Champion: Calicia Johnson

The winner of the DEI Champion, honoring an individual who is leading impactful diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and progress within Houston and their organization, is Calicia Johnson, chair of Blacks at Microsoft Houston.

Ecosystem Builder: Joey Sanchez

The winner of the Ecosystem Builder category, honoring an individual who has acted as a leader in developing Houston’s startup ecosystem, is Joey Sanchez, founder of Cup of Joey and senior director of ecosystems at the Ion.

Mentor of the Year: Wade Pinder

The winner of the Mentor of the Year category, honoring an individual who dedicates their time and expertise to guide and support to budding entrepreneurs, is Wade Pinder, founder of Product Houston.

People's Choice:

The winner of the People's Choice: Startup of the Year category, selected via an interactive voting portal during the event, is Blue People, helping bring ideas to life through software development expertise.

This week's roundup of Houston innovators includes Kelsey Hultberg of Sunnova, Brad Burke of Rice Alliance, and Yaxin Wang of the Texas Heart Institute. Photos courtesy

3 Houston innovators to know this week

who's who

Editor's note: In this week's roundup of Houston innovators to know, I'm introducing you to three local innovators across industries — from health care to energy tech — recently making headlines in Houston innovation.

Kelsey Hultberg, executive vice president of corporate communications and sustainability of Sunnova Energy International

Kelsey Hultberg, executive vice president of corporate communications and sustainability at Sunnova Energy, joins the Houston Innovators Podcast. Photo courtesy of Sunnova

Several years ago, Kelsey Hultberg decided to make a pivot. Looking for a role with career growth opportunities, the communications professional thought she'd find something at an oil and gas company, but then she met John Berger, founder and CEO of Sunnova, who was looking for someone to stand up their communications team amidst the solar energy company's growth.

"He hooked me," Hultberg shares on the Houston Innovators Podcast. "He said, 'I've got big plans for this company. I see where this energy industry is going, I see that we're prime for a transition, and I want to take this company public.' And I started a few weeks later."

Hultberg has been telling the story for Sunnova — which equips customers with solar and storage technology, providing them with energy independence — ever since, through scaling, new technologies, and its IPO in 2019. Read more.

Houston Innovation Awards names longtime Rice leader as 2023 Trailblazer

Brad Burke has been named the 2023 Trailblazer Award recipient. Photo via alliance.rice.edu

In less than a month, all of Houston's innovation community's movers and shakers will gather to celebrate the Houston Innovation Awards, and the night's first honoree has officially been named.

Brad Burke, managing director of the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, was selected to receive the 2023 Trailblazer Award. The award was established to recognize an individual who has already left a profound impact on Houston's business and innovation ecosystem and is dedicated to continuing to support Houston and its entrepreneurs.

The award, which is selected from a group of internal and external nominations, was decided by a vote of the 2023 awards judges, who represent Houston's business, investment, and entrepreneurial community across industries. Read more.

Yaxin Wang leads the IDEA Lab at the Texas Heart Institute. Photo via texasheart.org

Meet Yaxin Wang, PhD. The research engineer leads the IDEA Lab at the Texas Heart Institute. IDEA stands for Innovative Device & Engineering Applications, an apt description of what Wang and her colleagues do. She’s currently focused intensely on projects that could radically change transplantation for patients in need of an artificial heart or new, healthy lungs.

Specifically, Wang is helping to develop a pediatric left ventricular assist device (NeoVAD) to mechanically pump that part of the heart in infants and small children born with heart defects.

“There aren’t a lot of options for very small kids,” explains Wang. “That’s why we’re working on an implantable LVAD for very young kids.” Read more.

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Play it back: Houston therapeutics co. sees momentum with expanded treatment opportunities

houston innovators podcast Episode 253

It's been a busy summer for Houston-based Coya Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech company that's creating revolutionary treatments for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and ALS.

In July, Coya announced that has expanded its collaboration with Houston Methodist Research Institute, or HMRI. The publicly traded company also announced fresh funding from the Johnson Center for Cellular Therapeutics.

Last month, Coya reported that it has expanded its treatment research to see how GLP-1 drugs — a trending drug for weight loss — can enhance the effects of its proprietary therapeutics. By combining the medicines, Howard Berman, co-founder and CEO of Coya Therapeutics, says he thinks Coya can better treat these complex immune-based diseases.

Berman joined the Houston Innovators Podcast in April of 2023 to discuss taking Coya public and his passion for the company's mission.

"I was interested in what I could do for my dad," Berman says on the Houston Innovators Podcast, explaining how he took the meeting with Dr. Stanley Appel, who then presented him with some of his research. "By slide five my jaw had hit the ground.

"He had shown that he could stop the progression in one of his early trials of ALS," Berman says.

Berman shares more of the Coya Therapeutics story on the podcast, as well as how he sees Houston's potential as an emerging hub for biotech.

"The next number of years as we develop this therapeutic regimen for ALS, we have the potential to transform Houston into something more than it is currently," he says. "Our success will be the city's success."

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.

City of Houston grants $100,000 to 10 innovative arts organizations

civic support

Ten Houston individuals and nonprofits are beneficiaries of grants totaling $100,000 for efforts to furthers cultural tourism and resilience throughout the City of Houston.

The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA) awarded the funds through the Initiative, a competitive grant program administered by Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) and funded by a portion of the city’s Hotel Occupancy Tax.

The application period is open three times annually and grant funding falls into three categories: Art + Neighborhood Cultural Destinations, Art + Disaster Resilience Awareness, and Art + Conference Tourism.

Here is a look at the winners and the projects that will be created with these grants.

Art + Conference Tourism

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
This week, from September 16-19, the museum, in partnership with Houston Freedmen’s Town Conservancy (HFTC) and artist Theaster Gates, hosts Houston’s edition of the renowned Black Artists Retreat (B.A.R). The initiative explores the concept of “Black Land Ownership and Space: Black Stabilization and Determination." The four-day event brings together speakers, panelists, and experts from Houston and across the country to elevate and inspire the brain trust in local Black and BIPOC artists, creatives, and intellectuals. Programming occurs in Houston Freedmen’s Town, POST Houston, and CAMH.

One Sample Cultural Foundation
The organization will use its grant to produce the Ethnography of Afro-Venezuelan Music, a multidisciplinary educational conference that includes videos, music, and dance that exploring the syncretism of African culture and European religious practices in Venezuela through music. This free event will take place twice — at the Institute of Hispanic Culture of Houston on October 10 and at Teatro Bilingüe de Houston on April 13, 2025. The project aims to strengthen ties between the African American and Venezuelan communities and promote a dynamic cultural exchange.

SoulSista Art Foundation
The organization hosts a conference highlighting Houston’s contributions to the new music business at Houston Warehouse Studio on November 11. Free and open to the general public, it will include performances from selected poets and Afrobeats artists who have been recognized over the years in Houston, along with a DJ and food trucks. Donations will be accepted.

Art + Neighborhood Cultural Destinations

DaCamera
The music organization will use its grant for a series of jazz concerts at the historic El Dorado Ballroom in Third Ward. DaCamera at The Eldorado: Rising Jazz Stars features up-and-coming jazz artists from around the country, providing a new opportunity for Houstonians to experience the next generation of outstanding jazz talent. Concerts begin in October and run through May 2025. All performances will be pay-what-you-can.

Dance Afrikana
A curated exhibition, digital dance archive, and a book are planned as part of the organization's Black Dance in Texas multidisciplinary project. Documenting the rich history of Black dance in the state, this project is an extension of the research project by Dance Afrikana’s founder and Scholar-in-Residence for Rice University’s CERCL Program at the African American History Research Center Gregory Campus.

Norma Jo Thomas
The composer's original musical, Carol of the Bells, will have its world premiere on December 14 at the C. Lee Turner Performing Arts Center on the campus of Lone Star College. The holiday offering is part of Thomas' ongoing tradition to bring cultural programming to the community, and is part of an Acres Homes community collaboration.

The Pilot Dance Project

Celebrated Houston-based choreographer Cynthia Garcia presents Loteria, which brings to life the characters of the traditional Mexican board game. In an urban landscape of constant gentrification, often cultural signifiers, customs, and traditions are left behind to show the legacies of cultural communities. The work will be performed at two major cultural events in gentrified neighborhoods that have histories as Mexican and Mexican American neighborhoods, MECA’s Day of the Dead Festival in October and the MD Anderson YMCA’s annual posada in Near Northside in December.

University of Houston Foundation
Seven-time Grammy Award-winner Terence Blanchard will engage communities from Third Ward and downtown Houston in a series of events. In addition to performing a concert, the jazz legend will collaborate with University of Houston and University of Houston-Downtown students. Performance will take place November 7, 8, and 10 at the Wortham Theater Center or at the University of Houston Moores School of Music. A fireside chat and workshop are also part of the visit.

Art + Resilience Awareness

Group Acorde
The organization's Batimento Cardiaco is a new work that depicts Houstonians' mental health before, during, and after a natural disaster occurs. It will premiere at the MATCH October 3 and 4, and feature musicians, two contemporary dance choreographers, and a visual artist who've collaborated on this important work. Sets and costumes are made of recyclable materials. A discussion will follow the performance. Rehearsals streamed on Group Acorde's social media will give audiences a look at the work as it develops.

Lance Flowers
The artists solo exhibit, Take Me As I Am, takes place simultaneously at the Hogan Brown Gallery in Third Ward and Yale University’s Institute for Sacred Music. It's a collection of new 2D works, videography, music, and photography pieces highlighting Third Ward and its community, and all the materials used will be gathered from the Third Ward. It's curated by gallery director Robert Hodge. The Yale portion of this show has received its own funding.

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This article originally ran on CultureMap.

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