Sujatha Kumar is the founder and CEO of Dsider, a Houston-based software startup that’s using data to help energy companies decarbonize their operations. Sujatha shares the potential impact of software on the energy transition and the goals she has for her early stage business.

Eric Rubenstein is founding managing partner of New Climate Ventures,

A Houston-based venture capital firm focused on investing in sustainable businesses and energy transition companies. Eric shares details on the fund and some of his portfolio companies he’s most excited about as well as Houston’s role within climate tech, as well as Houston's "multifaceted role" in the energy transition.

Alessio Lorusso is the founder and CEO of Roboze, an Italian 3D printing company that opened its American headquarters in Houston. Alessio joins the show today to discuss how he’s looking to hire following a multimillion dollar fundraise and how the pandemic and the instability in the global supply chain has had an accelerating effect on Roboze. He also shares how he believes Houston has a huge potential to be a major global 3D printing hub.

Miguel Calatayud is CEO of iwi, a Houston-based food and nutritional supplement company that has created a sustainable suite of products from innovative algae farming in the deserts of Texas and New Mexico. Iwi recently raised funding supported by Houston-based GP Capital Partners and is ready to roll out a new game changing supplement and take its products worldwide.

Veronica Wu, founder of First Bight Ventures, has decades of tech and investor experience and recently made the move from Silicon Valley to Houston too launch her new VC firm and to focus specifically on early stage startups within the synthetic biology space. Veronica shares why now is the time for synbio investing and why Houston, with its health and energy sectors, is the place to do it.

Winston Wright is the Houston General Manager for Alto, a Dallas-based ridesharing company that’s taking on Uber and Lyft. Houston was the second market for the company, which recently raised $45 million in venture capital and is now available in Miami, LA, and DC. Winston joins me today to discuss how he envisions expanding the brand across Houston and what’s in store for Alto, including a 100% electric fleet by 2023.

Joey Sanchez is senior director of ecosystems at The Ion Houston. Joey has recently joined the Ion, which is a 300,000-square foot space in Midtown dedicated to connecting entrepreneurs, corporations, and academic communities in the name of innovation. A lifelong Houstonian, Joey joins the show today to share a bit about what to expect from the ion this year and why he’s incredibly optimistic about the city’s tech and innovation ecosystem.

Katie Mehnert is the CEO and founder of ALLY Energy, a Houston tech startup focused on advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion within the energy industry. Between the great resignation, the pandemic and climate change, the energy sector is in a perfect storm of sorts. Today on the show, Katie explains how ALLY Energy is poised to prepare the workforce for the future amidst these challenges.

On this episode of the podcast, host Natalie Harms is looking back on some of her favorite podcast episodes of 2021 — featuring guests from startup founders, venture capital investors, health care leaders, startup development organization professionals, and so much more.

Enrique Gomez is an entrepreneur in residence at the Texas Medical Center Innovation Institute’s Accelerator for cancer therapeutics. Enrique, whose career spans the continent, has worked for decades in later stage biopharmaceuticals. Now, at TMC he’s focused on finding early-stage cancer therapeutic companies and innovators that represent the future of health care. On the show, Enrique and I discuss the challenges the industry faces and how Houston is emerging as a hub for oncology innovation.