In this episode, Chris Howard sits down with Heath Butler, Partner at Mercury Fund and host of the “Grow Slow to Grow Fast” podcast, to discuss Houston’s unique venture ecosystem and how investors evaluate startup success. Additional talking points include the type of founders Mercury invests in, Houston’s growing number of tech investment options, and where Mercury has set its sights with machine learning and AI.

Compaq co-founder and former CEO Rod Canion joins the pod again this week to look forward through his departure from Compaq and towards a future of forging the tech ecosystem in Houston and beyond. Since leaving Compaq in 1991, Rod has been an inspiration for Houston founders and a prolific member of numerous groups, boards and organizations that have helped Texas become a thriving place for tech. Talking points include transitioning from founder to board member, creating opportunities with GOOSE Capital and the Houston Technology Center, and the importance of startup ecosystem persistence.

Compaq’s legendary Co-founder and former CEO Rod Canion joins the pod this week to talk about how an uncertain career risk led to one of the fastest growing tech companies of the 1980s. Rod discusses the company’s earliest days in part 1 of this insightful interview, including Compaq’s rapid growth from $100 million in sales in its first year and to its $1 billion milestone by year 5. Talking points include raising $10 million in venture and achieving $100 million in sales, finding compatibility with IBM software, and securing Compaq’s continued success after Canion’s exit in 1991.

In this episode, Chris Howard sits down with Tamara Shaw, former Chief Transformation Officer at C1, to discuss the evolving role of Chief Transformation Officers (CTOs) and the challenges of integrating company culture during acquisitions. Talking points include managing offshore and global initiatives, the necessity of operational technology investments, and Tamara’s advice for aspiring future Transformation Officers.

A new generation of geothermal energy is here, and guest Cindy Taff, CEO of Sage Geosystems, is at the forefront of energy innovation. Sage Geosystems has developed proprietary geothermal technologies targeting lower surface temperatures which could reduce the cost of geothermal electricity production and increase adoption of geothermal around the world. Talking points include transitioning from a career in oil to alternative energy, working with Meta on geothermal energy storage, and notable innovations in the energy space worth keeping an eye on.

This week’s guest has a lot of irons in the fire; meet Justin Segal, Co-Founder of Stemmons Enterprise, President at Boxer Property, and Co-Founder of Relay Human Cloud, who joins host Chris Howard to talk about workplace culture, from job hopping to AI usage. In each of his roles, Justin oversees strategy and provides important workplace solutions without compromising culture and collaboration. Talking points include empowering employees with AI instead of replacing them, retaining employees even in remote work environments, and the 10 principles that Justin uses every day.

Forging the Future goes out of this world and into the great beyond in today’s episode, guest starring Guy de Carufel, Founder and CEO of Cognitive Space. Based in Houston, Cognitive Space brings an AI-SaaS solution for intelligent satellite automation to empower and enable the use of space. Talking points include space utilization as a national security concern, competitive pressure from China to enhance space tech, and the unique role AI automations can play in bettering space exploration.

Embedded World 2024’s Best in Show winner, Beacon EmbeddedWorks, brings VP of Products Russ Stebner to the show this week. Beacon EmbeddedWorks is a full-service provider of embedded products for regulated markets like medical and aerospace, providing in-house manufacturing and support for innovative System on Modules (SoMs). Talking points include custom solutions for assistive technology, challenges for designing for aerospace projects, and unique innovations in wearable technology from at-home to on the front lines.