Editor's note:Another week has come and gone, and it's time to round up the top headlines from the past few days. Trending Houston tech and startup news on InnovationMap included 2020 in review roundups, innovators to know, and more.
3 Houston innovators to know this week
This week's roundup of Houston innovators includes Joy M. Hutton of Joy of Consulting, Michael T. Suffredini of Axiom Space, and Kim Raath of Topl. Courtesy photos
In the last weekly roundup of Houston innovators of 2020, I'm introducing you to three innovators across the city — the new local leader of a new Google program, the CEO of a space tech company, and a startup founder with fresh funds.Click here to continue reading.
These are Houston's top social impact innovation stories of 2020
A local church deploying handwashing stations across town was one of this year's top social impact stories on InnovationMap. Photo by Nijalon Dunn
As 2020 comes to a close, InnovationMap is looking back at the year's top stories in Houston innovation. InnovationMap's most read articles regarding social impact innovation include a new incubator program from impactful startups, a church providing handwashing stations for Houston's homeless, and more. Click here to continue reading.
This Houston airport is the best in the U.S. according to the TSA
This is the second consecutive year the airport has won the award. Photo courtesy of Houston Airport System
While this has been a harrowing and surreal year for the airline industry due to the global pandemic, one local mainstay has soared. Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport has been named 2020 Airport of the Year by the Transportation Security Administration.
This is the second consecutive year that IAH has won the TSA's Airport of the Year title. The award recognizes the best of TSA with outstanding team achievements in key operations and mission support functions, according to a press release.
To be selected as top in the U.S., the airport must show measurable improvements, superior performance, notable innovation, and significant operational improvements in support of TSA's mission, per the TSA. Awardees, per the TSA, demonstrate "a clear commitment to improving workforce engagement and morale." (Something we all look for during airport screenings.) Click here to continue reading.
Editor's Picks: Top 10 Houston startup feature stories of the year
Mobile vet business, virtual reality for space, plant-based biotech, and more — all this innovation and more is coming out of Houston startups. Courtesy photos
As 2020 comes to a close, InnovationMap is looking back at the year's top stories in Houston innovation. This past year, InnovationMap featured profiles on dozens of these Houston startups — from blockchain and software companies to startups with solutions in health care and oil and gas. Here are excerpts of 10 that stood out throughout 2020 — be sure to click through to read the full story. Click here to continue reading.
Houston expert: Rethinking priorities at educational institutions
With a new year around the corner, students and parents will soon see school rankings released. But there's so much more to consider than what this data shows. Houston education expert shares his own innovative method. Photo via Getty Images
As a new year approaches, it is common to see various school rankings begin to appear in different studies and within various media outlets. Whether they're ranking colleges, high schools or even pre-k schools, these lists have long impacted the decisions families and students make.
That said, most school rankings are one-dimensional, therefore making them unreliable. The most common factor these classifications take into consideration is the rigor of academics and how they correlate to test scores and admissions. However, students are more than solely an academic statistic – they are artists, athletes and creative thinkers. Click here to continue reading.