EO Houston is where ambitious founders go to scale smarter

Don't Go It Alone

EO Houston/Facebook

Scaling a business from early traction into true growth is one of the most exciting — and punishing — chapters of entrepreneurship. Houston founders know this better than most. Our city is built on ambition: fast-moving industries, talent from around the world, and opportunities that expand as large as the Texas sky.

But as many entrepreneurs eventually learn, scaling isn’t simply “more of what worked.” It requires new systems, new thinking, and often, a new version of the founder. Even the most capable founders eventually face decisions, pressures, and turning points that only other entrepreneurs can truly understand.

Entrepreneurs’ Organization, a global peer-to-peer network of more than 18,000 business owners across 220 chapters in 75+ countries, exists for exactly this stage. One of the largest chapters in the organization, EO Houston brings that global community to life locally, offering founders the connection, learning, and accountability needed to grow sustainably and to grow up as leaders.

A community where founders learn at the highest level
The real value of EO emerges in the lived experiences of other entrepreneurs. When Houston-area founders talk about the moments growth nearly broke their companies, a universal theme appears: you can’t do it alone.

EO Houston member Robert De Los Santos of Sky High Party Rentals learned this the hard way when rapid post-COVID growth made expansion feel limitless — until it wasn’t.

“After COVID, we doubled every year and assumed inventory was the limit. In 2023 we overbought, only to realize demand had peaked. That taught us a hard truth: growth in one city has ceilings. Expanding into Austin and Dallas — the Texas Triangle — gave us new markets to put our inventory to work while we figured out how to penetrate Houston better. The challenge shifted from a strategy of ‘buy more units for demand’ to learning how to tackle the challenges of ‘leading across cities.’”

Founders often enter EO exhausted from trying to maintain control as things grow more complex. Many discover, like Jarred King of Summit Firms, that scaling requires the difficult shift from doing everything to building the team that can.

“We grew quickly because of my network, relationships, and hustle… but I was doing all the work,” King says. “I realized at that point you have to delegate — not just busy work, but important decisions to your key team, as well as set up really effective SOPs.”

“The uncomfortable truth is that you are no longer the best person for most jobs in your company," agrees Darren Randle of Houston Tents & Events. "Your inability to delegate or hire people smarter than you in key leadership and management level roles will become the single biggest drag on the entire business. You have to accept that your original 'hustle' is now a scalability risk."

Making hard decisions, such as walking away from customers or contracts, can feel like less of a sting when you know others have also been faced with tough choices. Aaron Gillaspie of West U's My Salon Suite recalls, “You can’t be everything to everyone, it’s ok to say no, and just understand some customers aren’t the right fit. It’s a two way street and both must win.”

Perspective is perhaps the most important reality check that members find at EO.

“Bigger volume will not make problems go away — you just got to get used to walking the tightrope," says Roger Pombrol of Emerald Standard. "Develop a system for good balance and do not freak out. Scared is no way to live your life. It’s ok if you fall. Your family will still love you. Money is just money. Love is love. The world tries to make you conflate them, but don’t."

Actionable insights from entrepreneurs who’ve already scaled
Conversations like these are happening every month inside EO Forum Meeting. Each EO chapter is divided into several small Forums. These confidential, committed group of 7–10 entrepreneurs who meet to share the real five percent of what they’re experiencing. It’s not advice, but experience — shared candidly, respectfully, and with the kind of vulnerability that leads to breakthroughs.

What makes Forum so impactful is the honesty it draws out. Entrepreneurs are often surrounded by employees, partners, and even family members who rely on them for answers, but seldom do they have a group where vulnerability is not only welcomed, but expected.

Learning experiences that match your ambition
EO supports that growth far beyond peer groups. Through the organization’s global partnerships with institutions like Harvard, Oxford, and INSEAD, Houston members gain access to executive-level learning experiences designed specifically for entrepreneurs.

These programs help founders step out of the day-to-day and think strategically about competitive advantage, innovation, and organizational leadership. Paired with ongoing learning through EO Jumpstart, Nano Learning, and its global library of member-created content, founders stay informed, challenged, and ahead of emerging trends.

And through global communities — ranging from EO Women and EO Under 35 to industry-specific groups — Houston members tap into expertise that spans continents and sectors. Whether someone is navigating M&A, exploring international expansion, or integrating new technologies, the right perspectives are always within reach.

What truly distinguishes EO Houston, however, is its culture. Houston’s entrepreneurial landscape is uniquely diverse and resilient, filled with founders who are hungry to build, innovate, and elevate the city’s business community. EO Houston amplifies that spirit, creating relationships that are as supportive as they are strategic. Many members describe the chapter not simply as a network, but as a catalyst for becoming better leaders, better thinkers, and — just as importantly — better human beings.

Your next level starts here
For entrepreneurs who are ready to scale—beyond their first million, beyond their current comfort zone, and toward a future that requires sharper leadership and stronger community—EO Houston offers an unmatched platform. It is a place where ambitious founders grow faster, think bigger, and gain the confidence to take bold next steps.

If you’re ready to elevate your business and your leadership alongside people who understand the journey, EO Houston is ready to welcome you. Your next level starts with the peers who can help you reach it. Learn more and become a member here.

Team building enhances an already strong, successful team, allowing colleagues to deepen bonds and get to know each other on a personal level. Photo via Getty Images

Houston expert shares tips on implementing team building to promote productivity

GUEST COLUMN

Filling positions within an organization can be a challenge. However, finding the right people – who work together well to elevate the business – is an even bigger challenge.

When everyone is the right fit and comes together to accomplish quality work, there is increased profitability, engagement and productivity. Team building enhances an already strong, successful team, allowing colleagues to deepen bonds and get to know each other on a personal level.

Though team building can uplift a functioning team, it is not the cure for dysfunction. If the team is not communicating, experiences poor performance or has personality conflicts, among other issues, team building is not the prescription. These kinds of foundational challenges must be addressed before team building activities can serve to elevate the team.

Team building is effectively used to improve the performance of the team and create a more positive, productive work environment for already working teams.

To effectively reap all the benefits of team building for functional groups, managers or directors should include a wide range of activities, create a space for honest communication, and focus on the well-being of the employees.

Team building activities for everyone

When choosing the activities for the team, it should be tailored to meet a specific goal. This could be as simple as getting to know each other better on a personal level or creative/interactive teamwork. To secure interest from team members, ask the group what activities work best for their unique dynamic and abilities. Leadership must ensure the team-building activity is inclusive of everyone, and asking will boost morale, collaboration and wholehearted participation.

Team-building activities should have elements of fun built in that apply to the group’s roles within the organization, but this creativity should not mean added work. For instance, collaborative problem-solving activities can instruct the team on how to effectively work together when given the opportunity to understand one another’s strengths and weaknesses and how they can achieve their goals as a unit. This moment is not the time to insert a project and call it a team-building activity.

Create a space for open and honest conversations

Debriefs after team-building activities are important. These sessions allow leadership to know if their goals were clearly communicated, and it allows employees to express what they felt worked, what did not work, what was learned, and how the activity can be applied in daily work interactions.

Discussing the activity helps give space for communication breakdowns that may have occurred within the team and encourages them to learn how to better communicate with each other. Practicing how to be an active listener and how to give constructive feedback will benefit the group long-term to reduce misunderstandings and conflict within the workplace. When employees feel valued and supported during these conversations, they are more likely to be engaged with their peers and the overall organizational goals.

Spotlight the significance of well-being

Many businesses have been doing more work with fewer employees due to the tight labor market. Savvy business leaders will communicate the importance of unplugging for team building activities, which can help underscore its significance and the engaging activity. Some team building activities could even incorporate stress reduction, such as yoga or meditation.

Strong working teams will likely appreciate employers showing empathy and concern regarding their mental health and welcome a chance to unplug with colleagues. When team-building activities incorporate a well-being component, it can help team members develop a better understanding of one another to aid in the achievement of common goals. Team members who are given the opportunity to disconnect from their demanding work life can return to work rejuvenated and invigorated.

Team building is a successful approach to reinforce positive relationships within the company, making a space for genuine bonding and connection. Business leaders should work to find inclusive activities to boost team morale, create a more enjoyable workplace, build bridges for better communication and increase employee engagement. Including team-building activities that cater to everyone, create conversations and focus on employee well-being will elevate the team dynamic and the overall company performance.

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Karen Leal is performance specialist with Houston-based Insperity, a provider of human resources offering a suite of scalable HR solutions available in the marketplace.
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Texas still ranks as No. 1 in U.S. for inbound moves, but growth dips

by the numbers

Texas continues to be the country’s No. 1 magnet for newcomers from other states, giving a boost to the state’s economy. However, Texas’ appeal weakened in 2024 compared with the previous year, due in large part to spiking home prices.

An analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data by self-storage platform StorageCafe shows Texas saw net interstate migration of 76,000 people in 2024. Texas’ net interstate migration dropped nearly 50 percent from 2023, according to the analysis. Net migration refers to the number of incoming residents minus the number of outgoing residents.

California remained the top source of newcomers for Texas, sending nearly 77,000 residents to the Lone Star State in 2024, the analysis says. Florida ranked second, followed by New York, Colorado and Illinois.

“These trends reveal Texas’ continued pull from both high-cost coastal markets and other large Sun Belt states, resulting in a mix of affordability-driven and job-driven relocation,” StorageCafe says.

Putting a damper on the influx of new residents: a roughly 124 percent surge in Texas home prices over the past decade, according to StorageCafe.

“While the state remains significantly more affordable than California, its top feeder state, the once-wide pricing gap has narrowed,” says StorageCafe. “For many movers, Texas is still a relative bargain, but no longer an undisputed one.”

Nonetheless, Texas keeps attracting young, highly educated people, which bodes well for the state’s long-term economic outlook, StorageCafe says. More than half of new arrivals to Texas in 2024 held at least a bachelor’s degree, and the age of newcomers averaged 32.

Where are most of these young, highly educated newcomers settling?

Lloyd Potter, former Texas state demographer, tells StorageCafe that population growth in Texas is happening most rapidly in suburban “ring counties” at the expense of slowing growth in urban cores. Ring counties are on the outskirts of major metro areas.

“Many people are moving from urban cores to suburban rings seeking lower costs, newer housing, better schools, and more space,” Potter says. “Typically, a move to a suburban county will be within commuting or hybrid‑commuting distance of major metro economies.”

Artemis II makes historic call to space station with help from Houston Mission Control

History in the making

Still aglow from their triumphant lunar flyby, the Artemis II astronauts made more history Tuesday, April 7: calling their friends aboard the International Space Station hundreds of thousands of miles away as they headed home from the moon.

It was the first moonship-to-spaceship radio linkup ever. NASA's Apollo crews had no off-the-planet company back in the 1960s and 1970s, the last time humanity set sail for deep space.

"We have been waiting for this like you can’t imagine,” Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman called out.

For Christina Koch on Artemis II and Jessica Meir aboard the space station, it marked a joyous space reunion despite being 230,000 miles (370,000 kilometers) apart. The two teamed up for the world's first all-female spacewalk in 2019 outside the orbiting lab.

Koch told her “astro-sister” that she'd hoped to meet up with her again in space “but I never thought it would be like this — it's amazing.”

“I'm so happy that we are back in space together,” Meir replied, “even if we are a few miles apart.”

Houston's Mission Control arranged the cosmic chitchat between the four lunar travelers and the space station's three NASA and one French residents.

Koch described being awe-struck by not just the beauty of Earth, “but how much blackness there was around it.”

“It just made it even more special. It truly emphasized how alike we are, how the same thing keeps every single person on planet Earth alive,” she told the space station crew. “The specialness and preciousness of that really is emphasized” when viewing the home planet from the moon.

By late Tuesday afternoon, the Artemis II astronauts had beamed back more than 50 gigabytes' worth of pictures and other data from the previous day's lunar rendezvous, which set a new distance record for humanity. The highlight: an Earthset photo reminiscent of Apollo 8's Earthrise shot from 1968.

"While they are inspirational and, I think, allow all of us to really feel a little bit of what they were feeling, there's also a lot of science hidden inside of those images," said Mission Control's lead lunar scientist Kelsey Young. “The conversations and the science lessons learned are just beginning."

During a debriefing with Young, the astronauts recounted how they spotted a cascade of pinpricks of light on the lunar surface from impacting cosmic debris. The flashes lasted mere milliseconds and coincided by chance with Monday evening's total solar eclipse.

Young said it was too soon to know whether the crew witnessed an actual meteor shower or more random, run-of-the-mill micrometeoroid hits. Either way, there were “audible screams of delight” in the science operations center, she said.

Koch described being awe-struck by not just the beauty of Earth, “but how much blackness there was around it.”

“It just made it even more special. It truly emphasized how alike we are, how the same thing keeps every single person on planet Earth alive,” she told the space station crew. “The specialness and preciousness of that really is emphasized” when viewing the home planet from the moon.

The first lunar explorers since Apollo 17 in 1972, Wiseman and his crew are aiming for a splashdown off the San Diego coast on Friday to wrap up the nearly 10-day test flight. The recovery ship USS John P. Murtha left port Tuesday for the target zone.

It sets the stage for next year's Artemis III, a lunar lander docking demo in orbit around Earth. Artemis IV will follow in 2028 with two astronauts attempting to land near the lunar south pole.

As for the Orion capsule’s pesky potty, Mission Control assured the astronauts that no maintenance was required Tuesday. The toilet has been on-and-off limits to the crew ever since last week’s launch, prompting them to rely on a backup bag-and-funnel system for urinating.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told the crew following the lunar flyby Monday night: “We definitely have to fix some of the plumbing” ahead of the next Artemis mission. Engineers suspect a clogged filter in the overboard flushing system.

Aside from the toilet and other relatively minor matters, the mission has gone well, Isaacman noted at a news conference Tuesday, “but I'll breathe easier when we get through reentry and everybody's under chutes and in the water.”

AI-powered Houston startup helps restaurants boost customer loyalty

order up

It’s no secret that restaurant trends move fast and margins run thin. And with the proliferation of platforms like Uber Eats, DoorDash and Easy Cater, customer loyalty is fleeting.

The solution?

How about an AI-powered restaurant technology platform that helps restaurant brands cut back on third-party platforms in favor of driving direct discovery, conversion and loyalty?

Enter Saivory. Founded in 2025 by Stephen Klein, a software investor, and Fajita Pete’s restaurateur Hugh Guill, the Houston-based startup aims to help eateries better understand and activate guest behavior across digital channels as AI increasingly reshapes how consumers discover and engage with brands.

In less than a year, Saivory has partnered with Shipley Do-Nuts and Fajita Pete’s to bring AI-powered ordering to life.

“With Saivory, we were able to answer the question of, ‘what if the ordering process could be reduced to a single step, where customers simply tell us what they want and AI takes care of the rest?’” Klein tells InnovationMap.

The Houston-based startup made such an immediate impact that it was selected as a semi-finalist during Start-Up Alley at MURTEC, the restaurant industry’s leading technology conference, which took place last month in Las Vegas.

“Houston is a great hub for technology innovation, and we were proud to represent the city at MURTEC this year,” says Klein. “We didn’t win, but we were able to talk about some of the work that we have existing in the market for clients right now and a little bit about what we’re working on in the future.”

In the current restaurant technology ecosystem, the third-party aggregators own the customer attention that brings volume to restaurants, while also taking big commissions and having control over the end relationships with the customer.

That can often make it difficult for restaurants to grow loyalty and repeat business from customers. Saivory aims to level the playing field for restaurants, helping them stay more connected to their customers.

Take Saivory’s recent application with Shipley’s Do-Nuts, for example.

Saivory powered the donut giant’s AI-ordering and launched Shipley's website and mobile app to support its over 300 locations in Texas alone.

Shipley’s new AI-powered assistant helps users create personalized order recommendations based on individual or group preferences. And unlike standard chatbox features, the new assistant makes custom recommendations based on multiple customer factors, including budgetary habits, individual flavor preferences and order size. It can also be used for large catering orders.

“They're seeing more traffic to the site and they're seeing when customers use our AI-enabled flows,” Klein says. “And they're seeing higher basket sizes, bigger tickets, by about 25 percent.”

Klein says Saivory’s technology helps strengthen first-party digital relationships, reduce friction and cart abandonment, improve average order value, and delivers personalized, efficient experiences.

“It’s a win-win: the customer gets the right order quickly, while the restaurant gets a bigger margin,” he adds.

Additionally, the technology makes it easier for restaurants to share rewards, loyalty and discounts, ultimately growing more direct traffic and making restaurants less reliant on third-party delivery apps.

Next up for Saivory is adding new components to its platform to enhance the relationship between restaurant and customer, as well as technology around making it easier for restaurants to get found on Google.

“A lot of people are still searching for the best donuts near me,” Klein says. “Or what’s the best Mexican food near me? Customers will increasingly move to AI, where they’re going to ask where they should eat dinner and expect it to just order them dinner. They will eventually expect the technology to know how to do that. So that’s what we’re driving at.”

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