3 Houston innovators to know this week

Who's who

This week's Houston innovators come from industries across the spectrum. Courtesy photos

This week in Houston is chock full of events from The Houston Innovation Summit, but before you get too swept away, check out these three innovators to know this week.

We have a life-long innovator whose passion has taken him from industry to industry, a construction specialist joining a growing Houston startup, and a man who let his personal struggles motivate him to find solutions.

Brad Rossacci, creative director at Accenture's Houston innovation hub

Brad Rossacci, creative director for Accenture's Houston innovation hub, talks neuroscience, design, technology, and the upcoming Digital Fight Club on November 20 on this week's episode of the Houston Innovator's Podcast. Photo courtesy of Accenture

The guest on the Houston Innovators Podcast this week is Brad Rossacci, who's passion exudes from him in person — and podcast too. One of his recent passions? The Digital Fight Club, which is coming to Houston on November 20. The event puts two "fighters" on a stage with a referee to discuss various technology topics — cybersecurity, medicine, etc.

"I really fell in love with the approach [the event] takes," Rossacci says. "It takes this format that allows you to share ideas in a very short-form content kind of way." Read (and listen!) more.

Michael Matthews, industry principal at Data Gumbo

Data Gumbo has named the newest member of its executive team — and the newest industry it's looking to do business in. Photo courtesy of Data Gumbo

Michael Matthews was tapped to lead a brand new market that Houston blockchain startup, Data Gumbo, has announced an expansion into: Construction. The company uses blockchain to make it easier and faster to process industry contracts, payment, and more.

"The construction industry lags far behind other industries in both productivity improvement and technology adoption, resulting in billions of lost value," Matthews says in a news release. "The way companies come together to execute projects remains essentially the same despite technology's improvement and we have to make fundamental, disruptive changes to deliver more value." Read more.

Brigham Buhler, founder of Ways2Well

Through his own patient journey, Brigham Buhler saw a need for Ways2Well to exist. Photo via ways2well.com

Sometimes, it's just too hard to find the answers you seek in health care. The waiting rooms, the parking, the forms — it's all a bit much only to leave empty handed. This was Brigham Buhler's experience, and finally, after months, he learned he had a hormone deficiency. Now, Buhler's company, Ways2Well, allows patients to quickly do a blood test at a lab and receive their results digitally.

"While most virtual health care providers focus on sick care — treating patients experiencing symptoms that indicate sickness — Ways2Well is focused on preventative health care," says Buhler. Read more.

Houston-based Ways2Well puts control back into the hands of patients. Photo via ways2well.com

This Houston virtual health care platform makes it easier to get answers

digital check up

As hard as he tried, Brigham Buhler couldn't achieve the weight-loss and fitness goals he'd set in his mid-20s. Plus, he constantly felt tired and stressed out. On top of that, Brigham's entire immediate family has diabetes, and he was exhibiting the warning signs.

Buhler's nutritionist recommended he get his hormones checked. It wound up taking three months to get an initial appointment with a urologist, who then recommended a comprehensive blood test.

The blood work revealed that he did, indeed, have a hormone deficiency. Subsequent hormone treatment, in addition to taking vitamins and supplements to combat various risk factors, got Buhler's endocrine system back on track.

Born out of that frustrating situation and spurred by his more than 15 years in the medical-device industry, Buhler launched Houston-based Ways2Well in 2018. Propelled by a virtual health care platform, the company envisions a better way to treat patients by challenging the traditional health care model.

Through his own patient journey, Brigham Buhler saw a need for Ways2Well to exist. Photo via ways2well.com

Here's how Ways2Well works.

A patient visits the company's website to schedule a blood analysis at a Houston-area location of Quest Diagnostics. (Each year, Quest Diagnostics serves one-third of American adults and half of U.S. physicians and hospitals.)

Before the lab work, the patient discusses health concerns and wellness goals through a virtual appointment with a Ways2Well nurse practitioner.

Once the blood analysis is done, the nurse practitioner reviews the test results during a virtual appointment. The practitioner pinpoints underlying causes of chronic symptoms and potential risks for major conditions like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Those three ailments are the main drivers of the $3.5 trillion in annual health care costs racked up in the U.S. Ways2Well strives to reverse the symptoms of these and other chronic illnesses.

Finally, the nurse practitioner shares lifestyle or dietary changes that can reduce the likelihood of developing chronic diseases.

"Our online platform allows you to manage your health care journey from the convenience of your home or office, as long as you have access to a computer or phone and internet," Ways2Well says on its website.

Ways2Well charges nothing for a patient's initial 15-minute consultation. The blood analysis costs $299; Buhler says it goes well beyond what primary care doctors normally offer. The review of the blood analysis costs $120. Follow-up appointments cost $60 each. Neither Ways2Well nor ReviveRx accepts health insurance. However, an insurer might reimburse some out-of-pocket expenses.

The Ways2Well clinical team can prescribe medication, hormone therapy, prescription-grade vitamins and supplements, and other remedies through Ways2Well's partner pharmacy, ReviveRX. Ways2Well and ReviveRx occupy offices in the same building.

Typically, health care providers and pharmacies don't collaborate that closely on patient care. "Ways2Well is bridging that gap to offer better treatment to our patients," Buhler says.

Although ReviveRx is a full-service pharmacy, it doesn't operate like retail pharmacies such as Walgreens and CVS. Rather, patients are referred directly to ReviveRx by Ways2Well or Houston health care providers.

Today, Ways2Well focuses on the Houston market. But Buhler says the 12-employee, self-funded startup aims to expand to other Texas markets, such as Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio.

"Because Ways2Well is a virtual health care provider that offers appointments via video conferences and leverages the Quest Diagnostics network for blood analysis, Ways2Well can treat patients from anywhere in Texas," he says. "Ultimately, the goal is to make Ways2Well available nationwide, with a team of clinical experts across the U.S."

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8+ can't-miss Houston business and innovation events for November

where to be

Editor's note: Houston’s innovation calendar is packed this November, with opportunities to connect across climatetech, health care and entrepreneurship. From Greentown Labs’ flagship summit and veteran-led showcases to discussions on medical innovation and startup growth, here's what not to miss and how to register. Please note: this article may be updated to include additional event listings.

Nov. 4 – Greentown Climatetech Summit

Greentown Labs' Climatetech Summit Houston will bring together philanthropists, executives and innovators in the energy transition space. Expect to hear from John Arnold, co-founder and co-chair of Arnold Ventures, and Greentown CEO Georgina Campbell Flatter, who will participate in the day-long event’s keynote fireside chat, along with remarks from Houston Mayor John Whitmire, a course led by TEX-E Executive Director Sandy Guitar and more. Ten Greentown Labs startups will present pitches, and attendees will also be able to meet founders and Greentown members during the afternoon startup showcase.

This event is Tuesday, Nov. 4, from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at Greentown Labs. A networking reception follows from 5-7:30 p.m. at Axelrad Houston. Learn more here.

Nov. 11 – Veterans & Visionaries

Houston Veteran Network will celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit of veterans at its Veterans & Visionaries event. Veteran business owners will have the opportunity to showcase their businesses, connect with investors and participate in speed networking.

This event is Tuesday, Nov. 11, from 2-7 p.m. at the Ion. Find more information here.

Nov. 12 – Energy Drone and Robotics Forum

The Energy Drone + Robotics Coalition will offer a chance for industry leaders, operators and engineers to connect. Attendees will explore real-world uses, hear lessons from successful deployments, and gain practical insights and tools for scaling through various workshops, keynote addresses, Q&As and more.

This event is Wednesday, Nov. 12, from 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at the Ion. A Bots & Brews / Industrial AI Connect Reception will be held at Second Daught from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Find more information here.

Nov. 12 – TMC Envision 2025: Showcasing Healthcare Innovation

Celebrate 10 years of TMC Innovation at Envision, which shines a light on how TMC’s health tech companies are shaping the future. The event will feature talks from TMC’s Devin Dunn, Jason Sakamoto and Tom Luby that will focus on hospital innovation, health care policies, Texas-specific funding and regulatory dynamics and more.

This event is Wednesday, Nov. 12, from 3:30-6:30 p.m. at TMC Innovation Factory. Find more information here.

Nov. 13 — 2025 Houston Innovation Awards

Join InnovationMap at Greentown Labs on Nov. 13 for the fifth annual Houston Innovation Awards. Our annual celebration of all things Houston innovation offers an exclusive opportunity to network with leaders in the innovation ecosystem and culminates in the awards ceremony, where this year's winners across 10 prestigious categories will be unveiled. Individual tickets and corporate 10-packs with reserved seating are still available.

This event is Thursday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. at Greentown Labs. Get your tickets here.

Nov. 13 – Houston Methodist Leadership Speaker series

Head to the Houston Methodist Tech Hub at Ion to hear the latest installment of the Houston Methodist Leadership Speaker Series. The month’s event will feature Dr. Shlomit Schaal, executive vice president and chief physician executive at Houston Methodist. She is also the president and CEO of the Houston Methodist Physician Organization. Schaal will focus on physician group innovation.

This event is Thursday, Nov. 13, from 4:45-6 p.m. at the Ion. Find more information here.

Nov. 18 – Rice Customer-based Strategy Symposium

Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business will present this recurring forum for exchanging innovative ideas on customer-centered strategy planning and execution. The symposium features peer-reviewed research from leading academics with industry trends and insights from executives. Hear from Jones School Dean Peter Rodriguez, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, Laura Lopez, SVP of marketing, communications and public relations at Houston Methodist; Farid Virani, CEO of Prime Communications; and several Rice MBA graduates and executives.

This event is Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, from 7:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the Ion. Learn more here.

Nov. 20 – Houston Startup Speedrun

Wade Pinder, founder of Product Houston, will host the Houston Startup Speedrun. This intensive and fast-paced program is designed to provide early-stage founders and aspiring entrepreneurs with a comprehensive understanding of the “Startup Founder's Journey” and the Houston startup ecosystem. The event is broken up into 10 consecutive 50-minute sessions, including topics such as “Creating a Compelling Business Plan,” “Operations and Scaling” and others.

This event is Thursday, Nov. 20, from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Ion. Find more information here.

Nov. 20 – State of the Texas Medical Center

The Greater Houston Partnership will present the State of the Texas Medical Center. Hear from William F. McKeon, president and CEO of TMC, and GHP president and CEO Steve Kean as they discuss “the tremendous progress happening in health care delivery and life sciences in the world’s largest medical center.”

This event is Thursday, Nov. 20, from 4-6:30 p.m. at Helix Park. Find more information here.

Houston's most promising health tech startups lead innovation news to know

6 finalists compete to be crowned Houston's 2025 Startup of the Year

Cast Your Vote

We're just two weeks away from the 2025 Houston Innovation Awards, and while our expert panel of judges will determine the winners in most categories, one award is up to you.

Voting is now open for our people's choice award: 2025 Startup of the Year. Six exceptional finalists are in the running for the title, and your votes will determine the winner.

From rugged humanoid robots to next-generation sustainable materials, each of these startups is making an impact on the innovation ecosystem in Houston — and beyond.

Read about our Startup of the Year finalists and their missions below, then cast your vote. You can vote once per day through November 12, so make your voice heard.

The winner, along with winners in all other categories, will be revealed live at our event on November 13 at Greentown Labs. Tickets to the 2025 Houston Innovation Awards are available now — get yours today.

Eclipse Energy

Eclipse Energy, previously known as Gold H2, is a climatetech startup converting end-of-life oil fields into low-cost, sustainable hydrogen sources. The company completed its first field trial this summer, which demonstrated subsurface bio-stimulated hydrogen production. Eclipse Energy says Its technology could yield up to 250 billion kilograms of low-carbon hydrogen.

FlowCare

FlowCare is developing a period health platform that integrates smart dispensers, education, and healthcare into one system to make free, high-quality, organic period products more accessible. FlowCare is live at prominent Houston venues, including Discovery Green, Texas Medical Center, The Ion, and, most recently, Space Center Houston, helping make Houston a “period positivity” city.

MyoStep

MyoStep is a next-generation, lightweight, soft exoskeleton developed at University of Houston for children with cerebral palsy. The soft skeleton aims to address motor impairments that impact their ability to participate in physical activities, self-care, and academics, via an affordable, child-friendly solution that empowers mobility and independence.

Persona AI

Persona AI is a humanoid robotics startup that is creating rugged, autonomous robots for skilled, heavy industry work for various "4D" (dull, dirty, dangerous, and declining) jobs. In May, the company announced a memorandum of understanding with HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, HD Hyundai Robotic, and Vazil Company to create and deploy humanoid robots for complex welding tasks in shipyards. The project will deliver prototype humanoids by the end of 2026.

Rheom Materials

Rheom Materials is a next-generation startup developing biobased materials for a more sustainable future. Its two flagship offerings are Shorai, a sustainable leather alternative that is usable for apparel, accessories, car interiors, and more, and Benree, an alternative to plastic without the carbon footprint.

Solidec

Solidec is a chemical manufacturing company developing autonomous generators that extract molecules from water and air and convert them into pure chemicals and fuels that are free of carbon emissions. The technology eliminates the need for transport, storage, and permitting.

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3 Houston innovators to know this week

Who's who

Brad Rossacci, creative director at Accenture's Houston innovation hub