Houston Innovators Podcast InnovationMap

Jon Lambert is the CEO of The Cannon, which just announced its ninth location in the greater Houston area. Jon shares a bit about the history of The Cannon as well as the future growth opportunities — both in and outside of the Bayou City. 

Rushi Patel is the co-founder and COO of Homebase, a software company providing HR tech tools to small businesses across the country. Rushi joins me on the podcast during National Small Business Week to discuss some of the challenges and opportunities of small businesses, as well as how key the city of Houston has been to Homebase’s growth. 

Mitra Miller is the vice president and board member of the Houston Angel Network, the oldest angel network in Texas and one of the most active angel networks in the country. Mitra shares a bit about the organization and how interested investors can get involved, as well as her experience as a judge for this year’s Rice Business Plan Competition.

Jessica Traver Ingram is the co-founder and CEO of IntuiTap, a company that was founded out of the Texas Medical Center’s Biodesign Fellowship Program. Jessica describes the device as a stud finder for the spine, improving upon the way health care providers administer spinal taps. IntuiTap received FDA clearance earlier this year, and Jessica explains what that means for the company’s commercialization journey.

Barbara Burger, a well-known pillar within Houston’s energy innovation ecosystem, previously served as an executive at Chevron for decades and led the company’s venture arm. On the show, shee shares how she spends her time these days helping innovative energy startups. She also recaps her observations of CERAWeek, the “Super Bowl of the energy industry,” which took place last month.

Aziz Gilani is the managing director of Mercury Fund, a Houston venture capital firm that closed its fifth fund last September to the tune of $160 million. Aziz joins the show today to share some trends in both the software and VC worlds, as well as why he’s optimistic about his hometown of Houston and its developing innovation ecosystem.