New Houston-based streaming service showcases the best of the Bayou City

IVOX AND CHILL

The team behind Houston-based IVOX+ will spotlight local and Texas topics. Photo courtesy of IVOX Media

Fans of Houston and Texas culture and personalities who want to see even more coverage have a new outlet. Local production house IVOX Media has launched IVOX+, a new streaming service available through multiple partner apps and devices.

Boasting original local programming, independent films, classic movies, and music, IVOX+ is available for download for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, as well as Google Play for Android phones and tablets.

For bigger screen options, the service is also available on Roku devices, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox, and on Samsung TVs, smart TVs, and other devices. Subscribers pay $5.99 per month for independent movies, short films, original series, and thousands of movie classics and old school TV shows.

“As an independent streaming service created in Texas, IVOX+ speaks directly to Texas culture, music, sports, and filmmaking,” IVOX founder Louie Comella tells CultureMap. “The independent spirit that is uniquely Texas can be found in many of the IVOX+ original programs which highlight Texas brands, businesses, destinations, and people.”

On tap for original local programming are Beerliners, Distillery Arts, and Food Civilization, which feature Yellow Rose Distilling, Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company, 8th Wonder Brewery, Clutch Distilling, and chef Ryan Pera of Coltivare and Agricole Hospitality.

Meanwhile, sports personality Lauren Leal (ESPN 97.5FM, Channel 2 KPRC, CW39, and AT&T Sportsnet), will host Sports with Balls with co-host Jeff Michael.

Other Houston topics and programs include The Art Car Parade, Chinatown, The Mahatma Gandhi District, and The Navigation Esplanade neighborhood in IVOX+ originals Es La Realidad, Stories from Chinatown, and Reel Humans.

Houston filmmakers featured on IVOX+ include Courtney Glaude, Stan Hillard, Jantel Fontenot, and Bob Willems. Musical artists Zak The Tyrant, Dalton D’Rich, Jono Jono, Rxbyn, and Doug Westscott will be featured in the cinematic music series.

Plans for IVOX+ include linear and live channels over the next year for its media brands, including Comedy Show TV, Food Civilization, and IVOX MUSIC, with curated channels from Houston, Las Vegas, and Palm Springs, California.

The streaming service was born from Comella (a commercial film executive producer), who, along with fellow cinematographer Gracie Henley, experienced the challenges faced by independent artists to get their work seen by an audience, a release notes.

“Considering all the streaming platforms available, there’s still no real entry point for independents to get their work actually seen by a global audience,” said Comella in a statement. “The days of meeting a studio executive to get the big break are long gone. IVOX+ was created to support independent filmmakers, and content creators, as well as be a destination for indie movies, short films, and new artists.”

Other Texas topics, according to a press release, include:

Austin

  • Austin City Limits
  • Kyle Park
  • Deep Eddy Vodka
  • The Continental Club
  • SoCo neighborhood

Dallas

  • The Reverend Horton Heat
  • Ricki Derek
  • Lower Greenville neighborhood
  • Jimmy’s Italian Grocery

San Antonio

  • The Blue Star Brewing Co.
  • The Phantom Rockers
  • Rico’s
  • Rebecca Creek Distillery
  • Sam’s Burger Joint
  • Pearl Brewery
  • The BlueStar First Friday event
  • SouthTown

For more information or to stream the service, visit www.IVOXplus.com.

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This article originally ran on CultureMap.

Houston-based Church Space is launching a new tool to help religious groups reach their congregations virtually. Photo via bookchurchspace.com

Houston organization creates the 'Netflix for churches' in light of social distancing

tune in

Places of worship were not immune from various stay-at-home orders, and many still have not resumed services. But a Houston startup is giving religious institutions an opportunity to reach their congregations — virtually.

Houston-based Church Space allows groups to rent spaces for worship and is described as "the Airbnb for churches." In light of the pandemic, the company is gearing up to launch Church Space TV, a streaming program that allows churches and ministries to stream worship services for free.

"It felt like the perfect opportunity to give churches a way to reach more people during the pandemic," says Day Edwards, founder and CEO of Church Space. "This would create more impact than anything we could possibly offer at this time."

Church Space focuses on weekly worship services to growing churches and one-time community events. The space sharing platform helps churches earn extra income while helping growing congregations by providing them with space to gather and worship.

Now with the coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent stay-at-home orders, many churches have closed, with many growing ministries no longer able to reach congregations in a shared space. Church Space Tv offers churches a new solution by providing a streaming program for worshippers on Roku and Apple TV.

"The true church has no doors, and we must adapt during these uncertain times," says Edwards. "We must rely on a wildly imaginative use of technology to reach more people than ever before."

For Edwards, a second-generation church planter, the inspiration for Church Space comes from her childhood growing up watching her mother, Paster Cherry DeeDee Edwards, transform living rooms into worship rooms for new burgeoning churches.

Now, Edwards continues that legacy with the help of modern technology.

"Many churches already recognize the need to incorporate live streaming into their worship services and have experience doing so through their websites and Facebook pages," says Edwards. "Through Church Space Tv, we want to help them expand their reach beyond their current congregation, network, and community."

Church Space Tv allows churches and ministries to expand their reach with 36. 9 million Roku users and 35. 8 million Apple TV users. According to Edwards, they already have 36 hours of content and counting ready for audiences to view from churches all over the country including ministries from Florida, Atlanta, and California in their catalog.

"It brings communities together by watching with friends and family," says Edwards. "And it brings those who may have to work or those who cannot worship in person with a sense of comfort by being in their home while still feeling part of the church community while expanding their access to a more diverse catalog content from different churches."

Church Space TV is launching Sunday, May 24, on Roku and Apple TV. According to Edwards, she expects this iteration of the Church Space brand to become the "Netflix for churches."

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West Coast innovation organization unveils new location in Houston suburb to boost Texas tech ecosystem

plugging in

Leading innovation platform Plug and Play announced the opening of its new flagship Houston-area location in Sugar Land, which is its fourth location in Texas.

Plug and Play has accelerated over 2,700 startups globally last year with corporate partners that include Dell Technologies, Daikin, Microsoft, LG Chem, Shell, and Mercedes. The company’s portfolio includes PayPal, Dropbox, LendingClub, and Course Hero, with 8 percent of the portfolio valued at over $100 million.

The deal, which facilitated by the Sugar Land Office of Economic Development and Tourism, will bring a new office for the organization to Sugar Land Town Square with leasing and hiring between December and January. The official launch is slated for the first quarter of 2025, and will feature 15 startups announced on Selection Day.

"By expanding to Sugar Land, we’re creating a space where startups can access resources, build partnerships, and scale rapidly,” VP Growth Strategy at Plug and Play Sherif Saadawi says in a news release. “This location will help fuel Texas' innovation ecosystem, providing entrepreneurs with the tools and networks they need to drive real-world impact and contribute to the state’s technological and economic growth."

Plug and Play plans to hire four full-time equivalent employees and accelerate two startup batches per year. The focus will be on “smart cities,” which include energy, health, transportation, and mobility sectors. One Sugar Land City representative will serve as a board member.

“We are excited to welcome Plug and Play to Sugar Land,” Mayor of Sugar Land Joe Zimmerma adds. “This investment will help us connect with corporate contacts and experts in startups and businesses that would take us many years to reach on our own. It allows us to create a presence, attract investments and jobs to the city, and hopefully become a base of operations for some of these high-growth companies.”

The organization originally entered the Houston market in 2019 and now has locations in Bryan/College Station, Frisco, and Cedar Park in Texas.

Uniquely Houston event to convene innovation experts across aerospace, energy, and medicine

guest column

Every year, Houston's legacy industries — energy, medicine, and aerospace — come together to share innovative ideas and collaborate on future opportunities.

For the eighteenth year in a row, the annual Pumps & Pipes event will showcase and explore convergence innovation and common technology themes across Houston’s three major industries. The hosting organization, also called Pumps & Pipes, was established in 2007 in Houston and is dedicated to fostering collaboration amongst the city's three major industries.

With NASA in its backyard, the world’s largest medical center, and a reputation as the “Energy Capital of the World,” Houston is uniquely positioned to lead in cross-industry convergence innovation and is reflected in the theme of this year’s event – Blueprint Houston: Converge and Innovate.

Here's what you can expect to explore at the event, which will take place this year on December 9 at TMC Helix Park. Tickets are available online.

The state of Texas’ aerospace investments

How are the recent strategic investments in aerospace by the State of Texas transforming the space economy and driving growth in adjacent industries? What is the case for cultivating a more dynamic and vibrant aerospace R&D environment?

These are the key questions explored in the opening session of Pumps & Pipes, moderated by David Alexander (Director, Rice Space Institute). Joining the discussion are distinguished leaders Norman Garza, Jr., Executive Director of the Texas Space Commission (TSC); as well as two members of the TSC board of directors: Sarah “Sassie” Duggelby, CEO/Co-Founder of Venus Aerospace; and Kathryn Lueders, GM at Starbase, SpaceX.

This panel will spotlight Texas’ critical role in shaping the future of aerospace, with a focus on its cross-sector impact, from space exploration to innovation in energy and health care. We’ll explore how the state’s investments are fueling research and development, creating economic opportunities, and fostering a more interconnected, high-tech ecosystem for the future.

Real-world applications of robotics and synthetic biology

Explore the groundbreaking intersection of syntheticbiology and robotics as they reshape industries from aerospace to energy to health care. Experts from academia and industry — Rob Ambrose of Texas A&M University, Shankar Nadarajah of ExxonMobil, Shalini Yadav of the Rice Synthetic Biology Institute, and Moji Karimi of Cemvita — will discuss the real-world applications and future possibilities of these two fields, including innovative uses of robotics and drones to monitor emissions from deep-sea oil rigs, and synthetic microbes that convert carbon dioxide into valuable chemical products.

Discover how synthetic biology and robotics are paving the way for a more sustainable, autonomous, efficient, and interconnected future.

The total artificial heart – a uniquely Houston story

Heart failure affects millions globally, yet only a small fraction of patients receive life-saving heart transplants. The Total Artificial Heart (TAH), developed by BiVACOR, offers a revolutionary solution for patients with severe heart failure who are ineligible for a transplant.

Luminary leader, Dr. Billy Cohn, will discuss the groundbreaking BiVACOR TAH, a device that fully replaces the function of the heart using a magnetically levitated rotary pump. This innovative approach is part of an FDA-approved first-in-human study, aiming to evaluate its use as a bridge-to-transplant for patients awaiting heart transplants.

Moderated by Dr. Alan Lumsden (Chair Dept. of CV Surgery at Houston Methodist Hospital), join Dr. Cohn as he shares insights, and the story-behind, this pioneering technology and its potential to reshape the future of heart failure treatment, offering new hope to thousands of patients in need.

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Stuart Corr is the director of Innovation Systems Engineering at Houston Methodist and executive director of Pumps & Pipes.

Houston schools shine on annual ranking of top institutions for 2025

best in class

Several Houston elementary and middle schools are at the top of the class when it comes to educating and preparing the next generation for a successful life and career, according to U.S. News & World Report's just-released list of 2025 Elementary and Middle Schools Rankings.

One such school – T.H. Rogers School in Houston ISD – is the No. 8 best middle school in Texas for 2025.

U.S. News ranked over 79,000 public schools on the state and district level using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Schools were analyzed based on their students' proficiencies in mathematics and reading/language arts on state assessments, and tie-breakers were decided based on student-teacher ratios.

Texas' best middle schools for 2025

Three Houston middle schools achieved spots among the top 10 best Texas middle schools for 2025, according to U.S. News.

T.H. Rogers School has a total enrollment of 1,063 students, with 87 percent of the student population scoring "at or above the proficient level" in mathematics, and 90 percent proficiency in reading. The school has a student-teacher ratio of 17:1, with 62 full-time teachers.

T.H. Rogers School also topped the district-wide list as the No. 1 best middle school in HISD.

Houston Gateway Academy - Coral Campus also ranked among the statewide top 10, coming in at No. 9 with a total enrollment of 914 students. U.S. News says 82 percent of HGA students are proficient in math, and 80 percent are proficient in reading.

"Houston Gateway Academy - Coral Campus did better in math and better in reading in this metric compared with students across the state," U.S. News said in the school's profile. "In Texas, 51 percent of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 41 percent tested at or above that level for math."

Right behind HGA to round out the top 10 best Texas middle schools is Houston ISD's Briarmeadow Charter School. This middle school has 600 students, 69 percent of which are proficient in math and 74 percent are proficient reading.

Briarmeadow's student-teacher ratio is 16:1, which is better than the district-wide student-teacher ratio, and it employs 38 full-time teachers.

U.S. News also ranked Briarmeadow as the second best middle school in Houston ISD.

Six additional Houston-area schools ranked among the top 25 best middle schools in Texas, including:

  • No. 18 – Cornerstone Academy, Spring Branch ISD
  • No. 19 – Mandarin Immersion Magnet School, Houston ISD
  • No. 21 – Smith Middle School, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD
  • No. 22 – Seven Lakes Junior High, Katy ISD
  • No. 23 – Houston Gateway Academy
  • No. 25 – Beckendorff Junior High, Katy ISD

The best elementary schools in Texas

Jesus A. Kawas Elementary school in Laredo was crowned the No. 1 elementary school in Texas for 2025, while two Houston-area schools made it into the top 10.Tomball ISD's Creekside Forest Elementary in The Woodlands is the No. 7 best elementary school statewide, boasting 656 students, 42 full-time teachers, and one full-time counselor. Students at this school, which U.S. News designates is situated in a "fringe rural setting," scored 90 percent efficiency in math and 94 percent efficiency in reading.Following one spot behind Creekside Forest in the statewide ranking is Sugar Land's Commonwealth Elementary School in Fort Bend ISD, coming in at No. 8. Commonwealth has a student population of 954 with 55 full-time teachers, and two full-time counselors. The school's student-teacher ratio is 17:1, and 90 percent of students are proficient in math, and 94 percent in reading.U.S. News says student success at Commonwealth is significantly higher than the rest of Fort Bend ISD."In Fort Bend Independent School District, 59 percent of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 47 percent tested at or above that level for math," U.S. News said in Commonwealth's profile. "Commonwealth Elementary [also] did better in math and better in reading in this metric compared with students across the state."Other Houston-area schools that were ranked among the 25 best in Texas are:
  • No. 13 – Bess Campbell Elementary, Sugar Land, Lamar CISD
  • No. 20 – West University Elementary, Houston ISD
  • No. 23 – T.H. Rogers School, Houston ISD
  • No. 25 – Griffin Elementary, Katy ISD

"The 2025 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings offer parents a way to evaluate how schools are providing a high-quality education and preparing students for future success," said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., the managing editor for Education at U.S. News. "The data empowers families and communities to advocate for their children’s education. Research continues to indicate that how students perform academically at these early grade levels is a big factor in their success in high school and beyond."

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This article originally ran on CultureMap.

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