HXTV Podcast Houston Exponential

Houston has always been a pioneer for technology and innovation. But, did you know that we are also a Smart City?

Jesse Bounds explains how street sensors, parking guidance systems, autonomous grocery delivery, smart locking systems and more all contribute toward making us a Smart City. We’re also working to become a Resilient City. And wait ‘til you hear what we’re building for our startups!


Jesse Bounds is Director of Innovation for the City of Houston. Jesse is working with other city leaders to help cultivate an ecosystem of technology and innovation in the nation’s fourth largest city.

Houston Exponential (HX): Innovation Lives Here.

Remember the technology in Money Ball? Well, the Houston Astros have that concept on steroids!

If your company is not constantly innovating, you’re falling behind. Matt Brand explains the Astros’ use of pitch tracking technology, swing tracers, performance analysis and neuroscience to improve player skills and to better anticipate their opponents’ performance. It’s the science of baseball!

Matt Brand is Senior Vice President of Corporate Relations for the Houston Astros. He joined the organization in 2011.

Houston Exponential (HX): Innovation Lives Here.

Digital technology has taken the world by storm—and now it’s improving efficiencies in the oilfield.

Your company has machinery and drilling equipment all over the world, some located eight miles underground or in places so remote that cell service and Internet aren’t available. FlowCommand provides real time data and performance reports no matter WHERE your assets are. Jeff Garoon explains how they do it.

Jeff Garoon is Co-founder and COO of FlowCommand, a manufacturer of lightweight Cloud-connected sensors that allow oil and gas companies to monitor their drilling operations in real time.

Houston Exponential (HX): Innovation Lives Here.

Medical mistakes account for 250,000 deaths each year. Think surgical sponges or instruments left inside the patient, for example. Josh Mecca wants to change that.

M&S Biotics uses data analytics and RFID to automate certain procedures, decrease mistakes in the operating room and achieve better outcomes from surgery.

Josh Mecca is Co-founder and CEO of M&S Biotics. As a kidney transplant patient, Josh discovered medical mistakes that prompted him to develop solutions that decrease surgical risk.

Houston Exponential (HX): Innovation Lives Here.

Would people give more to charity if it involved athletes and sport competitions? Possibly. Certainly, it’s worth a try!

Win-Win works with professional athletes to combine charitable giving with gaming; it’s called “gamified giving” and it makes donations more fun and engaging. Mike T. Brown is excited to become a part of Houston’s innovation ecosystem, so is moving his company from Silicon Valley to H-town. And that’s not all he’s doing!


Mike T. Brown is Founder and CEO of Win-Win, a platform for charitable giving that works with professional athletes to “gamify” giving. A native Houstonian, Brown is moving his company back to Houston to participate in the city’s innovation ecosystem.

Houston Exponential (HX): Innovation Lives Here.

Houston’s innovation ecosystem now has its own women-focused fund that seeks to invest $20 million in woman-led tech startups.

Is your company gaining traction and looking to grow? Our super-collaborative startup community continues to diversity, seeking to include support for all entrepreneurs from silver tech to baby tech.

The Artemis Fund is a female-led and female-focused investment fund in Houston. The group is raising $20 million for investment in women-led startups.

Houston Exponential (HX): Innovation Lives Here.