4 Houstonians join Texas Business Hall of Fame

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Four of the six inductees are from Houston. Photos courtesy

The Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation has inducted six new Texans to its prestigious ranks — and four run their businesses from the Bayou City.

John Arnold, Ric Campo, Jeffery D. Hildebrand, and Paul W. Hobby — along with Austin-based Whitney Wolfe Herd and Dallas-based Thomas O. Hicks — will be honored at Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation's 40th Anniversary and Induction Dinner on on November 3.

“The Texas Business Hall of Fame is pleased to announce its six inductees for 2022," says TBHF Chair Amanda Brock in a news release. "Inductees are recognized as trailblazers in business and exemplary leaders who have made significant contributions in their local communities and beyond, through both philanthropic and civic engagement. Although inductees can be nominated by anyone from the general public, they are selected by their peers and determined by a majority vote by Hall of Fame members."

The TBHF honors business leaders across the state by celebrating and telling their stories. The organization also runs the Future Legends Scholar & Veteran Award Program that grants forty $15,000 awards to scholars and veterans who demonstrate entrepreneurship and innovation at 24 universities throughout the Lone Star State. Both the scholars and the six honorees will celebrated this fall.

“The selection process, combined with the organization’s emphasis on both economic and social impact makes this one of the most prestigious business honors in the state,” says TBHF Legend and the 2022 Master of Ceremonies, Richard Fisher.

Here's more information on this year's honorees:

  • Houstonian John Arnold is the founder of Centaurus Capital LP, an energy-focused, family office investment fund. He also created Arnold Ventures, a philanthropic investment firm focused on health care, education, criminal justice, and public finance.
  • Houston-based Camden Property Trust CEO Ric Campo has also sat on the board of directors of several Houston organizations, including Central Houston, Inc., Greater Houston Partnership, Baker Ripley, and The Coalition for the Homeless, and more.
  • Former Dallas Stars and Dallas Rangers, owner Thomas O. Hicks, is the chairman, founder and partner of Hicks Holdings LLC, a family office that owns and manages real estate, corporate assets and investments, including a private equity firm.
  • Jeffery D. Hildebrand, is the executive chairman and founder of Houston-based Hilcorp Energy Company, Harvest Midstream Company, and JDH Capital. He serves on the boards of Central Houston, Inc., the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Houston Police Foundation, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, Chairman of The University of Texas Investment Management Company, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.
  • Houstonian Paul W. Hobby is a founding partner of Genesis Park and GP Capital. He's served as the chairman of the Texas Ethics Commission, the Greater Houston Partnership, the Houston Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas ,and the Texas General Services Commission.
  • Austin-based Whitney Wolfe Herd is the founder and CEO of Bumble Inc., the parent company that operates Badoo, Fruitz, and Bumble, three of the world’s fastest growing data apps worldwide. She led Bumble’s IPO in 2021 as the youngest women CEO to ever take a company public.

The awards dinner, presented by Texas Capital Bank, will be hosted in Houston at Hilton Americas on November 3. The dinner is preceded by a private awards luncheon, sponsored by Deloitte, for the Hall of Fame's 40 2022 Scholar & Veteran Award recipients.

Last year's dinner honored six Texans in November 2021, including Houston investment manager Gerald Smith, chairman and CEO of Smith Graham & Co.

Houstonian Gerald Smith (pictured with wife Anita Webber Smith) is now a Texas biz hall of famer. Photo courtesy of © Alexander's Fine Portrait Design

Houston financial powerhouse among 6 tycoons inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame

In great company

A local business powerhouse has been recognized for his years or work and success. Houston investment manager Gerald Smith, chairman and CEO of Smith Graham & Co., an investment management firm, can now call himself a Hall of Famer.

Recently, Smith was one of six Texas businessmen inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame. He and the five other inductees were honored during a dinner at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas.

More on this local tycoon from his Hall of Fame bio: He's also a board member of New York Life Insurance and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, and chairman of the Texas Southern University Foundation. A graduate of Texas Southern University with a BBA in Finance, in 2012, Mr. Smith received an honorary doctorate degree from his alma mater, where he has established the Gerald B. Smith Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation to help young people of color better compete in today's business environment.

The sole person of color on this year's list, Smith has received numerous awards for his entrepreneurial achievements and community service. Recently, the City of Houston proclaimed Gerald B. Smith and Anita Webber Smith Day for their community and philanthropic giving. He and Anita, have three sons — Marcus, Jackson and Jordan, and one daughter — Joy.

Aside from Smith, this year's inductees into the Texas Business Hall of Fame are:

  • Dallas billionaire Mark Cuban. He is owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks as well as chairman and CEO of AXS TV and one of the investors on ABC's Shark Tank.
  • Austin billionaire John Paul DeJoria, who built his fortune through Paul Mitchell hair care products and high-end tequila. Forbes estimated John Paul Mitchell's 2019 sales at roughly $900 million. In 1989, DeJoria co-founded Patrón, the first ultra-premium tequila. Patrón, now the world's No. 1 ultra-premium tequila, was sold to Bacardi in 2018 for $5.1 billion.
  • Fort Worth private investor John Goff. He was co-founder, vice chairman, and CEO of Crescent Real Estate, which Morgan Stanley bought in 2007 for $6.5 billion. Two years later, he bought back the company in partnership with Barclays Capital. Today, Goff is chairman of Crescent Real Estate as well as Houston-based Contango Oil & Gas. He owns The Ritz-Carlton hotel in Dallas and Fort Worth-based spa company Canyon Ranch
  • Dallas private investor Morton Meyerson. Most notably, he is former chairman and CEO of Plano-based EDS and former chief technology officer at GM.
  • Dallas executive Randall Stephenson. He is former chairman and CEO of Dallas-based tech, media, and telecom giant AT&T.
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This article originally ran on CultureMap.

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10+ can't-miss Houston business and innovation events for August

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School is back in session this month, and a busy slate of Houston business and innovation events follows. This month brings demo days, loads of networking opportunities and a major health symposium. Here’s what not to miss and how to register. Please note: this article may be updated to add more events.

Aug. 4 — CEOs: Build With AI, Exit With a Premium

Join Blue People for this engaging presentation by David Lopez, founder of Summa, at the latest installment of Tech + Tequila Talk. Lopez will discuss AI moves that can multiply a company's value.

This event is Tuesday, Aug. 4, from 5-7 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

Aug. 4 — SEIP Demo Day

The Rice Center for Engineering Leadership will showcase the groundbreaking projects developed by its Summer Engineering Innovation Program at the 2026 Demo Day. Attendees can meet the SEIP participants and partners and hear the teams' final presentations.

This event is Tuesday, Aug. 4, from 6-8 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

Aug. 5 — Summer Venture Studio Preview Day

The Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Lilie) will present its inaugural Summer Venture Studio Preview Day this month. Hear from the student founders selected for Lilie's summer cohort, which features teams ranging from the healthcare and artificial intelligence to advanced manufacturing sectors.

This event is Wednesday, Aug. 5, from 4-6 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

Aug. 11 — Mercury Fund Day at the Ion: How Legacy Software Giants Are Going AI-First

Don’t miss the latest installment of Mercury Fund Day at the Ion, previously known as Software Day. The recurring monthly event features office hours (by application), a keynote and networking opportunities. This month's topic will feature a working conversation with Senior Director of Growth at Twilio Mustafa Ali, Senior Director of Consumer Product at WhatsApp Zafir Khan, and Founder and CEO of utilITise Salim Gheewalla.

This event is Tuesday, Aug. 11, from 3:30-7 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

Aug. 13 — Pints and Prototypes

TMC Innovation Lab will host its Pints & Prototypes networking event this month. Minneapolis-based Medtronic will support this month's event and has invited guest speakers to share their journey in the medtech scene.

This event is Thursday, Aug. 13, from 4-5:30 p.m. at TMC Innovation Factory. Find more information here.

Aug. 14 — Houston Methodist Cancer Symposium

The 14th Annual Houston Methodist Cancer Symposium will bring together Houston Methodist scientists and physicians from a broad spectrum of fields to discuss everything from innovative translational science to clinical updates. The symposium aims to provide education focused on improving patient care, research collaboration and leading medicine.

This event is Friday, Aug. 14, from 7:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m. at Houston Methodist Research Institute. Find more information and register here.

Aug. 14 — Hands-On Workshop: Build Your Own Reusable AI System

Impact Hub Houston and Social Media Breakfast of Houston will host this hands-on workshop on using Smart Card to create a repeatable process users can hand off to AI. Attendees should bring a laptop, an AI tool, and a task that AI could help with. The workshop will focus on working with ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini.

This event is Friday, Aug. 14, from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at the Ion. Register here.

Aug. 17-21 — Foundations of Cancer Therapeutics Crash Course

The Gulf Coast Consortia will host a virtual course focused on the commercialization aspects of moving cancer therapeutics toward the market. Presenters represent The University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, the Greater Houston Partnership, TMC Innovation, the University of Houston, Texas Southern University and other major institutions.

This event begins Monday, Aug. 17, at 10 a.m. Register here.

Aug. 20 — Pickle Lab’s Two-Year Anniversary Celebration

Enjoy an evening of open-play pickleball, beats by a live DJ, giveaways and more at the second anniversary celebration of Pickle Lab in the Ion District. Enjoy a free beverage from Second Draught and food for purchase from the Crunchy’s for the Munchies food truck.

This event takes place Thursday, Aug. 20, from 6-9 p.m. at Pickle Lab at the Ion. Register here.

Aug. 20 — SBA Lender Matchmaking Event

Business owners can meet with multiple lenders in scheduled, one-on-one 15-minute sessions during this speed-dating style SBA event. SBA Houston District Office representatives will also be onsite to provide free business advising.

This event takes place Thursday, Aug. 20, from 8:30 a.m.–noon at SBDC Sam Houston State University – The Woodlands Center. Register here.

Aug. 27 — BiteLabs Digital Health and Innovation Summit

TMC Innovation and BiteLabs will host the Digital Health and Innovation Summit, which aims to connect clinicians, founders and investors. The event will include an AI in biotech panel, a healthcare AI ethics panel, a hiring in digital health panel, and pitches from BiteLabs USA HealthTech, AI, and Innovation Fellowship.

This event takes place Thursday, Aug. 27, from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. at TMC Innovation Factory. Register here.

Houston nonprofit wins Meta grant to study AI glasses for disabilities

Helping Houston

A grant from Meta will help Easter Seals Greater Houston determine whether wearable AI smart glasses improve accessibility for those with disabilities. The local nonprofit is one organization that received a share of $2 million that Meta allocated in late July.

"Meta is proud to select recipients, including the Easter Seals Greater Houston, based on demonstrated impact, scalability, and relevance to areas where hands-free technology can make the biggest difference," Meta executive Beth Murray said in a request for comment. "It was exciting to receive nearly 500 applications from organizations across the country, and now the real innovation begins here in Houston with the Easter Seals project to understand how different local communities can benefit from AI glasses."

Meta launched its AI Glasses Impact Grant program in January with the goal of delivering nearly $2 million in funds to organizations across the country to see how their Meta AI Glasses could improve people's lives. It selected over 30 recipients from more than 500 applicants.

Easter Seals is using the grant to help pay for its BridgingApps Program, "a community-centered pilot studying how three distinct populations — people with low vision, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and those with cognitive aging – can benefit from AI glasses," Meta says. Easter Seals is part of one of the oldest networks in America for disabilities, delivering disability support, veteran training, and other services. The Greater Houston branch was established in 1947.

Meta AI Glasses integrate AI personal assistance with wearable tech for a hands-free connective experience. While many people use their built-in cameras and social media access to create content, the Impact Grant promotes how the technology might assist people with disabilities as well as innovate in industrial and scientific fields.

Data storage and recall could aid people with memory loss, while interpretative AI facial recognition software may let neurodivergent and developmentally delayed people recognize social cues. The pilot program at Easter Seals will explore some of these possibilities.

Two other Texas organizations received grants. The University of North Texas will also explore disability assistance through Meta AI Glasses, in a school environment rather than in the general public space. Austin software company Embarcadero Technologies will use the glasses to build a remote training platform that can simultaneously mentor five junior workers at once.

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This article originally appeared on CultureMap.com.

Houston startup lands $10M to power up electrician staffing platform

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Houston-based Buildforce, which provides a tech-enabled staff platform geared toward electricians and electrical contractors, has raised a $10 million Series A round led by Houston’s Saepio Capital.

Other investors in the round include Blue Heron Capital, Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, S3 Ventures and Chicago Ventures.

Buildforce says the funding will help fuel its national expansion and further development of its technology.

The startup, founded in 2019, connects electricians with electrical contractors for commercial and industrial construction projects. Buildforce’s mobile app helps electricians find and carry out work, and a web app helps electrical contractors find and manage electricians.

“This financing is a major milestone in furthering our mission to help people dedicated to a career in the construction trades lead more secure and fulfilling lives,” co-founder and CEO Moody Heard said in a news release.

Buildforce focuses solely on the electrical trade within the construction sector.

Nick Graziano, principal at Blue Heron, says the shortage of electricians is intensifying as demand for electricians accelerates, driven by data center construction, infrastructure development and energy transition initiatives.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the U.S. will need to hire about 80,000 new electricians per year through 2032 to catch up with demand. According to the National Electrical Contractors Association, the U.S. is grappling with a current shortage of 50,000 electricians.

A 2026 economic report from asset manager BlackRock says the electrical trade is expected to be the single fastest-growing employment category in the U.S. labor market over the next 10 years.

“Buildforce is capitalizing on a clear opportunity in America’s generational infrastructure buildout. We believe their mission to use technology to improve lives in the construction space will allow them to make a positive long-term impact on a large and important labor market,” added Jaan Bains, managing partner at Saepio Capital.

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