Houston House returned to Austin for the South by Southwest Conference for its third year, bringing a new group of panelists and industry experts together to deliver a full day of thought-provoking content for over 750 attendees. Houston-based industry leaders and innovators discussed the startup journey, how they’re challenging the status quo in their respective industries to improve products or services, and more. If you were unable to join the Partnership at SXSW, check out our recap of the conversations below.    Demystifying the Startup Journey  Houston House kicked off its day of programming by dispelling the mystique surrounding the startup journey and answering questions about hiring, funding, and finding the right product-market fit. Panelists discussed in-depth how to find and attract the right talent, including cost-effective strategies and solutions for cash-strapped founders, and what they wished they had done differently during their various rounds of funding.  Panelists:  Ted Gutierrez, Co-Founder and CEO, SecurityGate.io  Gaurav Khandelwal, Founder and CEO, Velostics  Simone May, Co-Founder and CTO, Clutch  Moderator: Natalie Harms, Editor, Innovation Map    The Future is Female: Triumphs of Women in Tech  It’s no secret that female founders face a unique set of challenges compared to their male counterparts, especially when funding their next business venture. The panel discussed funding challenges, how they challenge stereotypes in male-dominated industries, and overcoming the feelings of guilt and inadequacy that plague women in business.  “The insecurity women feel that ‘we're not good enough' needs to go. Men don't experience that.” - Lydia Davies, Founder & CEO of TEAMATES  Panelists:  Lydia Davies, Founder and CEO, TEAMATES  Taci Pereira, CEO, Systemic Bio  Janice Tran, Co-Founder and CEO, Kanin Energy  Moderator: Carrie Colbert, Founding and General Partner, Curate Capital    Building a Tech Unicorn  Every tech startup hopes to become the next unicorn, but not everyone makes the cut. Featuring an in-depth conversation with Solugen’s co-founder and CEO, Gaurab Chakrabarti, the panel covered his background growing up in Houston, the surprising marketing campaign that put Solugen on the map, and the journey leading to it becoming a tech unicorn.  Gaurab Chakrabarti, Co-Founder and CEO, Solugen  Moderator: Payal Patel, Principal, Softeq Ventures and Director, Softeq Venture Studio    Click to expand People packed the room at Houston House to hear from Solugen CEO Gaurab Chakrabarti.   Unlocking the Power of AI: Insights & Innovations  Technology and innovation converged in this panel discussing recent developments in artificial intelligence and what the future of business will look like as it becomes more widespread and advanced, including the policies and legislation that may become necessary as AI becomes more intelligent. From song lyrics written in the style of Taylor Swift to how the health care industry is utilizing this technology to better serve its patients, it is clear that we are just beginning to scratch the surface of AI’s capabilities.  “The Ion [in Houston] is going to bring innovation, elevate clean tech energy, and push health care to the next level. That’s why we want to be involved and that’s why you should too.” - Murat Uralkan, Director of Innovation at Houston Methodist Panelists:  Sidd Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO, Nesh  Rob Meadows, Founder and CEO, AI Foundation  Murat Uralkan, Director of Innovation, Houston Methodist  Moderator: Dave Mathews, Principal Venture Capitalist and CTO Advisor, Softeq    Connecting Industries, Empowering Innovation  Ever wondered what it looks like when the brightest minds in different industries come together? The nexus of innovation and collaboration across industries in Houston took center stage in this discussion of how industry leaders can continue to break down traditional barriers and create advancements in everything from biotech to the energy transition.  Panelists:  Barbara Belvisi, Founder and CEO, Interstellar Lab  Moji Karimi, Co-Founder and CEO, Cemvita Factory  Nic Radford, Founder, President, and CEO, Nauticus Robotics  Moderator: Brad Rossacci, Creative Director, Accenture  The Houston House program at SXSW 2023 will be available to stream on-demand soon.  Learn more about Houston’s innovation ecosystem. 

Houston’s role as a leader in the global energy transition will be showcased next week during CERAWeek, the world’s premiere energy conference. The weeklong conference takes place every year in Houston, attracting leaders from around the world in the energy and technology industries, as well as government officials, policymakers and experts.  This year’s theme, Navigating a Turbulent World: Energy, Climate and Security, “will examine how a new era of global uncertainty and change is reshaping challenges and opportunities for the energy transition.” Several panels and activities during the conference will spotlight why the region is positioned to lead the global energy transition by exploring how it’s leveraging a diverse workforce, a thriving innovation ecosystem and existing energy infrastructure to accelerate global solutions for an energy abundant, low-carbon future.  This year, the Partnership’s Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI) has organized HETI House at Innovation Agora, which serves as the center of technology and innovation programming at the conference. HETI House will feature some of Houston’s leading cleantech incubators, accelerators, startups and industry leaders to demonstrate the innovation and collaboration occurring across key players in the region. Here are eight Houston-focused events to check out March 6 – 10 at Hilton Americas and the George R. Brown Convention Center. See registration details to attend CERAWeek. March 6 Gulf Coast Hydrogen Hub  With an existing ecosystem of infrastructure, producers, and consumers, the Gulf Coast has ambitions to become a global hydrogen hub. This panel, featuring Brett Perlman, CEO of Center for Houston’s Future, and leaders from Chevron and Ørsted, will discuss how the “Energy Capital of the World” plans to lead the low-carbon future. March 7  Port Hydrogen Infrastructure: A key niche? This panel, which features Port Houston’s Chief Port Infrastructure Officer Rich Byrnes, will explore how the adoption of hydrogen will impact ports and the infrastructure necessary to fuel ships in a net-zero world.  Global Energy Innovation Hubs: Where to grow your start-up program Houston has quickly proven this is the city where startups choose to scale their green businesses. Since opening in 2021, Greentown Labs’ flagship location in Houston has been a catalyst for attracting cleantech startups to the area. The incubator is home to 75+ startups, with 60 of those established during Greentown’s first year in Houston. Juliana Garaizar, Chief Development and Investment Officer and Head of Greentown Labs Houston, will join Ricky Sakai, Senior VP of Investment and Business Development at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and others to discuss lessons learned and how global energy innovation hubs move forward. March 8 Cities Leading the Energy Transition - World Energy Cities Partnership Mayors Cities are at the forefront for tackling the climate and energy challenges. Mayor Sylvester Turner and mayors from Esbjerg, Denmark; Perth, Australia; and Calgary, Alberta, Canada will describe their visions toward more sustainable energy for their communities. HETI Energy Ventures Pitch Competition More than 15 startups and entrepreneurs with businesses providing cleaner and more sustainable energy while also meeting global energy needs reliably and affordably will present at the annual HETI Energy Ventures Pitch Competition at CERAWeek Innovation Agora. They will compete for non-dilutive cash prizes and awards from TEX-E/Greentown Labs, SLB, and HX Ventures. Chevron will consider all finalists for inclusion in their Chevron Technology Ventures Catalyst program. March 9 Energy Transition Hubs: How cities are leading the charge Houston and other municipalities are creating blueprints for a more sustainable future and transforming communities by accelerating energy transition policies and infrastructure. Perlman will join the discussion to demonstrate how Houston is transforming into an energy transition hub. Future of Coastal Living and Energy Infrastructure Houston’s energy infrastructure sits along the Gulf Coast, making it vulnerable to extreme weather risks. City of Houston’s Chief Resilience and Sustainability Officer Priya Zachariah will join other leaders to discuss the risks coastal communities face and how they can adapt and evolve to protect infrastructure and residents.    March 10 Building the Innovative City of the Future HETI Chair and Artemis Energy Partners CEO Bobby Tudor and Mayor Sylvester Turner will close out the weeklong conference discussing how Houston is building the innovative city of the future. See Houston’s strategic blueprint for leading the energy transition and learn more about the Partnership’s efforts.