Ion District

Ion Prototyping Lab Office Hours
2024-04-12 10:00 - 14:00, 2024-04-19 10:00 - 14:00, 2024-04-26 10:00 - 14:00, 2024-05-03 10:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | Ion Prototyping Lab, 4201 Main St., Suite 170, Houston, TX, 77002, United States
What is the Ion Prototyping Lab (IPL)?
The Ion Prototyping Lab is where your ideas meet the designers, engineers, and fabricators that can make them a reality. Located at The Ion, the intersection of Houston’s culture, creativity, and innovation. Our 6,500-square-foot site offers access to equipment, engineers, and technical training–a must for every inventor, innovator, and creator.
The Ion Prototyping Lab Office Hours offer entrepreneurs a chance to engage an expert one-on-one and explore options for building or producing their devices. Everyone from seasoned entrepreneurs to educators or “just a person with an idea” is welcome. Walk-ins are served on a first-come, first-served basis.
The initial discussion is at no cost, but subsequent meetings may require a consultation fee.
For more information about the IPL – be sure to check out their website and sign up for their newsletter to stay connected! The IPL offers various classes/workshops throughout the month – be sure to check out their calendar to register.
Interested in signing up for a membership? Click here

Houston Robotics Group at Ion Prototyping Lab
2024-04-13 14:00 - 17:00, 2024-04-20 14:00 - 17:00, 2024-04-27 14:00 - 17:00 | Ion Prototyping Lab, 4201 Main St., Suite 170, Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Innovate, Collaborate, and Learn: Weekly Meetings at Ion Prototyping Lab!
Join the Houston Robotics Group for an exciting exploration of a diverse range of projects! Whether you’re interested in software development, AI/Deep Learning, electronics, mechanics, drones, or automation, our group offers a welcoming and supportive community to pursue your passions.
Should you require assistance with your projects, fear not! The Houston Robotics Group is composed of highly skilled experts in various domains, including Arduino, Raspberry Pi, motor controls, 3D printing & design, coding, electronics, board assembly, and debugging.
Additionally, we’re well-versed in Jetson Nano, Deep Learning, and various cutting-edge technologies. Our passion for robotics and related fields drives us to continuously push boundaries and explore new possibilities together.
Join the Houston Robotics Group today and immerse yourself in a community of like-minded individuals dedicated to the world of robotics and beyond!

Ion Prototyping Lab Office Hours
2024-04-16 13:00 - 17:00, 2024-04-23 13:00 - 17:00, 2024-04-30 13:00 - 17:00 | Ion Prototyping Lab, 4201 Main St., Suite 170, Houston, TX, 77002, United States
What is the Ion Prototyping Lab (IPL)?
The Ion Prototyping Lab is where your ideas meet the designers, engineers, and fabricators that can make them a reality. Located at The Ion, the intersection of Houston’s culture, creativity, and innovation. Our 6,500-square-foot site offers access to equipment, engineers, and technical training–a must for every inventor, innovator, and creator.
The Ion Prototyping Lab Office Hours offer entrepreneurs a chance to engage an expert one-on-one and explore options for building or producing their devices. Everyone from seasoned entrepreneurs to educators or “just a person with an idea” is welcome. Walk-ins are served on a first-come, first-served basis.
The initial discussion is free, but subsequent meetings may require a consultation fee.
For more information about the IPL – be sure to check out their website and sign up for their newsletter to stay connected! The IPL offers various classes/workshops throughout the month – be sure to check out their calendar to register.
Interested in signing up for a membership? Click here

How to Start a Startup
2024-04-16 17:00 - 19:00 | Ion – Forum Stairs, 4201 Main St., Houston, TX, 77002, United States
You have an idea…now what? Before you start looking for funding, it’s important to ensure that your idea is both viable and valuable — if it doesn’t have a sound model and a market willing to pay for it, investors won’t be interested anyway.
Target Audience:

Startups and Entrepreneurs: early-stage entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs testing ideas for a pivot
Community Members: people with an idea for a startup but unsure what to do next, small business owners
Corporate Innovators: intrapreneurs, decision-makers tasked with creating and leading sustainable change
Academic Partners: students or faculty with an idea for a startup

About the Speakers:
Heath Butler, Mercury Fund
Heath focuses on B2B SaaS and B2B2C Marketplace investments in future-of-work and fin-tech themes. Heath also manages the organization’s venture studio and network platform, including corporate, service provider, and startup community relationships.
Prior to joining Mercury, Heath co-founded Gestalt Theory Venture Partners, a venture studio and angel investing group. Prior to Gestalt, Heath held leadership roles as a seasoned go-to-market and corporate development executive at Insperity (NYSE: NSP), the nation’s leading HR outsourcing services provider. Prior to Insperity, Heath led business development for EnergyWorkspace.com, founded a fin-tech startup, and developed his foundational management skills at UPS.
Outside of Mercury, Heath is an active angel investor and advocates for democratizing access to private equity opportunities for all investors. He is an active start-up mentor, including the Houston innovation community, and a regular speaker/mentor within The Ion. Heath enjoys traveling with family and likes to read, golf, cycle, and is an avid poker player.
Tré Baker, Techstars Tulsa
Tré Baker is the Managing Director of the Build in Tulsa Techstars Accelerator. He is a serial entrepreneur, investor, non-profit founder, and author of In The Black 2050: A Model for Black Economic Leadership in the 21st Century.
Born and raised in Louisville, KY, Tré is a Vanderbilt University and Harvard Business School graduate. His corporate experience includes various roles at Brown-Forman and renewable energy commercialization at GE Energy.
As an entrepreneur, he has founded/operated several companies in consulting, e-commerce, cpg, entertainment, biofuels, and blockchain. As an angel investor, Tréhas built a portfolio of over 80 startups and counting.

Perfecting Your Pitch
2024-04-17 17:30 - 18:30 | Ion – Conference Room 028, 4201 Main St., Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur, a visionary startup owner, or a tech aficionado, this event is tailor-made for you. Join us and discover the indispensable value of a compelling pitch deck.
About the Speakers
Dr. Doug Franklin
“Dr. Doug” is the CEO and Co-Founder of DeckLaunch and the COO of Fresh Tech Solutionz. He has fifteen years of management, marketing, and operations experience, including opportunities with iconic firms such as Coca-Cola, ExxonMobil, and RJ Reynolds. Dr. Franklin is also a leading scholar that has presented at more than a dozen conferences and has published in peer-reviewed journals such as The Leadership Quarterly and The Journal of the Texas Alliance of Black School Educators. Dr. Franklin graduated with a Doctoral Degree in Ethical Leadership from the University of St. Thomas Houston and currently teaches Quantitative and Mixed Research Methods at UST.
Derrell Noris
With more than ten years dedicated to developing business operations and software development, Noris is currently the Co-Founder and CTO of Deck Launch and the CEO of Fresh Tech Solutionz. Both successful startups provide services to growing businesses looking to mobilize their outreach further.
Nicholas Mbaezue-Daniel Jr.
Nick is the founder of Egis Project Management LLC, a project management firm dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses for projects in the industries of Construction, Technology, and Business Enterprise. He also serves as Director of Project Management for Fresh Tech Solutionz and as Chief Operations Officer at DeckLaunch LLC. Nicholas considers himself a servant of entrepreneurship because he sees entrepreneurship as a major vehicle to uplift the community.

Houston VR Meetup at Ion Prototyping Lab
2024-04-18 19:30 - 21:00 | Ion Prototyping Lab, 4201 Main St., Suite 170, Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Are you captivated by the endless possibilities of Virtual Reality?
Join us at the Ion Prototyping Lab for a monthly Houston VR meetup. Join a diverse community for an engaging session of hardware trials, captivating demos, and engaging discussions, all revolving around the latest trends and advancements in Virtual and Augmented Reality.
All are welcome to attend, regardless of whether you’re a seasoned VR enthusiast, a budding developer, or simply curious about the realm of Virtual Reality.
This month’s meeting includes informative presentations that will delve into the realm of both current and forthcoming VR and AR hardware and software, providing attendees with valuable insights into the evolving landscape of these technologies.
Mark your calendars and become part of the virtual revolution. We look forward to seeing you at the next Houston VR meetup!

Cup of Joey
2024-04-19 08:30 - 10:30, 2024-04-26 08:30 - 10:30, 2024-05-03 08:30 - 10:30 | Ion – Forum Stairs, 4201 Main St., Houston, TX, 77002, United States
What is the purpose of Cup of Joey? It is to create a connected culture of coffee shop-open networking across our region. Every Friday morning, you’ll have the opportunity to meet new and expand your current networks, talk about tech, inspire innovation, and create community.
So, what is the difference between a cup of joe and a Cup of Joe-Y? It is the WHY. It’s not what you do. It is why you do it!
At the Ion, these are questions that we want to explore with the tech and innovation community. So, show up, be friendly, and make new connections. Know your why, and we will get to the future together.
The future is only a cup away.

SCORE Office Hours
2024-04-19 10:00 - 11:30, 2024-04-26 10:00 - 11:30 | Ion – Academic Flex Space, 4201 Main St., Houston, TX, 77002, United States
SCORE is the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors. Office Hours with SCORE take place each Friday morning. Additional partners will be on-site the second Friday of each month (excluding holidays)
Resource tables include:
The Small Business Administration
SCORE
Small Business Development Center

Houston Methodist Office Hours
2024-04-19 10:00 - 12:00 | Ion – Lower Level, 4201 Main St., Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Meet the Houston Methodist Center for Innovation team on select Friday mornings for 1-1 Office Hours.
Do you have an idea for an innovative healthcare solution? Do you work on technology in another industry that could be applicable to healthcare? Do you want to learn more about how hospital systems work with innovators? Come meet with us!
NOTE: Due to limited availability, please sign up for only one session. Each time slot is assigned, so please respect your specific timed session. If you are on the waitlist, we will inform you before the session if a spot is available.

Thank you for your understanding.

Ion Family STEAM Day: Let's Build a Robot!
2024-04-20 10:00 - 13:00 | Ion – Forum Stairs, 4201 Main St., Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Join us for a hands-on learning experience about electronics and robots and gain insight into the professional skills and concepts needed to excel in an engineering career. Students will learn about the components in electronics that make them work and use toothbrush parts to create their own mini-robot with the STEAM on Demand platform!
This event will be tailored for 9-14-year-olds and their families for a fun STEM experience! We look forward to building and learning with you!
*This workshop includes many small parts that are choking hazards for young children; we do not recommend this project for children under five.*

Greater Houston Business Procurement Breakfast
2024-04-23 07:30 - 11:00 | Ion, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Hear from Representatives of some of Houston’s major Hospitals and Healthcare Networks as they discuss upcoming Projects, Community Initiatives and related Business Opportunities. No pre-registration required – drop your business card at the registration table and enjoy!
Breakfast Served: 7:30AM- 9:00AM
Opening Announcements: Hensel Phelps Construction Company – Southwest Airlines Project at Hobby Airport
Hospitals and Healthcare Networks Represented:

Baylor College of Medicine
Harris Health System
Houston Methodist Hospital
Memorial Hermann Hospital
Texas Children’s Hospital
The University of Texas Health – Houston
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Join Us!

Tech-on-Tap: A Data Centric Happy Hour - Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Cloud
2024-04-23 17:00 - 20:00 | Ion – Forum Stairs, 4201 Main St., Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Transwestern Technology Properties Group presents panelists from Digital Realty, Rackspace, Overwatch, Netrality, Enzu, and Calian.

Panel One – Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Cloud / Virtual Data Center Services (Enzu, Rackspace and Calian)
Panel Two – The Physical Data Center World (Digital, Netrality and Overwatch)

Register today!

IPL Presents: eCon Computer Aided Engineering Lunch & Learn
2024-04-24 12:00 - 13:00 | Ion Prototyping Lab, 4201 Main St., Suite 170, Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Join us at the Ion Prototyping Lab for an exclusive Lunch & Learn hosted by eCon Engineering.
Dive into the world of computer-aided engineering (CAE), simulation, and virtual prototyping. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting, this event is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the essential concepts and tools transforming the engineering landscape.
Discover how CAE and virtual prototyping can streamline your design process, reduce development costs, and accelerate time-to-market. Learn about the latest simulation technologies that allow for more accurate and efficient testing of designs before physical prototypes are built.
Lunch will be provided for those who register. Reserve your spot now!

VC Deep Dives
2024-04-25 13:00 - 15:00
Please Note: This is an Invite-Only Workshop for Startups
These small-group deep-dive sessions are geared toward venture-backed startups looking to scale quickly. Once you complete this three-part series, you’ll leave feeling empowered on your journey to raise capital and grow your startup. Hosted by Andrew Nicholson, Managing Director at Goose Capital and an Adjunct Professor at Rice Business, the series will begin with the due diligence process, sharing what VCs look for and how to prepare. Then you’ll cover the venture capital portfolio with an in-depth look at how the game works (stages, valuations, risks, and uncertainty). All of this sets you up for the final session, where you’ll discuss types, terms, and implications of securing your funding. April 25th marks the final session in this pilot series.
Interested in attending the next series:
If you’re interested in being considered for the next series, please click here and complete the following form.

NASA Tech Talks
2024-04-25 18:00 - 19:30 | Ion, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77002, United States
We want HOU! Join us to discover NASA’s toughest tech challenges and apply your skills and expertise to solve them.

Featured Program: Nutrition as Fuel for Human Space Flight
History books are rife with examples of how nutrition either made, or broke, exploration missions on Earth. As we write the future of space exploration, nutrition will be even more critical in ensuring crew health and safety and ultimately mission success. NASA’s Nutritional Biochemistry Laboratory supports both operational and research protocols to help ensure astronaut health before, during, and after flight. Ground-analog research includes head-down tilt bed rest studies, studies of crews wintering over in Antarctica, and an ongoing year-long Mars surface simulation study: the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) mission. The Nutritional Biochemistry Laboratory’s flight research has yielded findings on effects of spaceflight on vitamins, minerals, and hormones.

They have documented dietary effects on bone health, and effects of oral contraceptive use on venous thromboembolism (i.e., blood clot) risk. A key line of research has documented that ocular changes affecting some astronauts is genetically predisposed, and more specifically, genetic differences which affect B vitamin requirements appears to increase the risk of these ocular changes. An experiment being conducted on the ISS right now is testing a B vitamin countermeasure. As humans move beyond low-Earth orbit nutrition will be even more important for the maintenance of crew health and ultimately for mission success. Uniting the many disciplines which comprise the human system with the engineering of spacecraft will be a significant challenge, but daring to leave the planet demands this collaboration.

About the Speakers:

Scott M. Smith leads the Nutritional Biochemistry Laboratory at NASA Johnson Space Center. This group is charged with keeping crews healthy with respect to nutrition, including using nutrition to optimize astronaut health and safety. This work includes ground-based and spaceflight research to understand how nutrition can mitigate the risks of spaceflight.

Smith has ongoing spaceflight research projects on the International Space Station. His past projects have been flown on the space station, space shuttle, and the Russian space station Mir. Smith has also led several ground-based research projects to better understand astronaut health in space, including studies of vitamin D in crews in Antarctica, studies of crews living on the bottom of the ocean, and studying subjects spending months in bed or a year in an enclosed habitat.

Smith is a member of the American Society for Nutrition, the American Physiological Society, and the International Academy of Astronautics. He holds a B.S. in Biology and a Ph.D. in Nutrition, both from the Pennsylvania State University

Montgomery B. Goforth has over 30 years of experience as both an Engineer and Manager in various highly technical space and defense-related efforts. He joined NASA in 1990 as part of the Mission Operations Directorate, working on planning systems and automated procedure execution tools for the International Space Station (ISS). He became Deputy Project Manager for the Portable Computer System, the laptop used for command and control of the ISS, in 1996. He became Chief of the Branch responsible for all laptops onboard the ISS and the Space Shuttle.

In 2002, he moved to the ISS Avionics and Software Office as Manager of the Flight Software Development Office and later served as Chief Engineer. In 2005, he spent several months at NASA Headquarters working in the Robotics Lunar Exploration Program. In 2006, he joined the Constellation Program as Chief of Avionics and Software Test and Verification and became Chief of the Software and Avionics Integration Office in 2007. In this role, he was responsible for leading a large nationwide Systems Engineering & Integration (SE&I) organization which provided program-level coordination, oversight, integration, and management of the system-of-systems avionics and software, including the coordination of integrated modeling and simulation and test activities across the Constellation program and the technical integration of Constellation’s Command, Control, Communications, and Information (C3I) architecture.
In 2011, he joined the Avionic Systems Division to support their Strategic Planning and Partnership efforts. In 2015, he moved on to Engineering Directorate Staff to support Strategic Pursuits and Partnerships. In this role, he put together a framework to focus better Engineering’s efforts toward Human Spaceflight technology and systems development consistent with JSC and Agency goals for exploration. This framework guides Engineering’s internal investments and external partnerships supporting Lunar and Mars Exploration.

Mr. Goforth was born in East Texas, raised in Southern California and Arizona, and graduated from Rice University (BSME 1982, MSME 1987). Before coming to Johnson Space Center, he was employed by a small defense contractor specializing in anti-submarine warfare.

Sewn Goods Office Hours at Ion Prototyping Lab
2024-04-26 11:00 - 13:00 | Ion Prototyping Lab, 4201 Main St., Suite 170, Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Do you have a new product idea you want to bring to life but don’t know where to start?
IPL+HTX Sewn Goods Office Hours are here to help!
Ion Prototyping Lab is partnering with HTX Sewn Goods team to turn your idea into a tangible prototype. During office hours, you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss cutting, sourcing, material, construction, and production options. Plus, you’ll leave with a clear understanding of the prototyping process and the next steps you need to take to bring your product to market.

NASA VR: From Columbia to Now
2024-04-26 18:30 - 20:30 | Ion Prototyping Lab, 4201 Main St., Suite 170, Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Join us for an enlightening panel discussion featuring four esteemed NASA scientists who have been at the forefront of integrating virtual reality (VR) technology into space innovation over the past 43 years. Our panelists will share their unique insights and experiences, covering a range of topics, including the early adaptations of VR in the 1980s, significant milestones achieved in VR technology, and the latest advancements that are shaping the future of space exploration.
Attendees will have the opportunity to understand how VR contributes to simulating extraterrestrial environments, enhancing mission planning, and facilitating complex space operations with interactive demos.
The event is sponsored by Ion Prototyping Lab and the Houston Chapter of the National organization, VR/AR Association.

InterfaceRice 2024: EntrepreNeuro
2024-04-30 16:00 - 18:00 | Ion – Forum Stairs, 4201 Main St., Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Altruistic Outcomes in Venture Capitalism
As part of InterfaceRice 2024, the Rice Neuroengineering Initiative presents a 60-minute panel thought-provoking discussion on the intersection of value-driven investing and altruism in the realm of technology and medical devices. Leading investors will gather to explore the pivotal role they play in shaping the future of healthcare. The discourse will delve into the increasing recognition of the societal impact of innovations in neurotechnology, emphasizing the need for investors to align their values with the transformative potential of these advancements. Panelists will address the ethical implications of bio/neurotechnological interventions, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing patient welfare and ensuring accessibility to groundbreaking medical devices. Each of these panelists practices altruism-based investing to derive financial success and contribute to the betterment of global health outcomes, fostering a symbiotic relationship between profit and social responsibility.
Speakers

Paul Cherukuri, Rice University, Vice President for Innovation and Chief Innovation Officer
Amy Kruse, Satori Neuro, General Partner & Chief Investment Officer
Jordi Parramon, Nexus Neurotech Ventures, General Partner and Co-Founder

Meeting of the Minds
As part of InterfaceRice 2024, the Rice Neuroengineering Initiative presents an innovative collaboration between the Houston-based arts organization Musiqua and the NSF IUCRC BRAIN Lab of Dr. Jose Contreras-Vidal at the University of Houston. Together, they have been presenting a work entitled “Meeting of the Minds” that sheds new light on creativity and the neuroscience of movement through live use of EEG data from dancers and musicians in live performances. Drs. Anthony Brandy and Jose Contreras-Vidal will be on hand to discuss this work and showcase a performance for attendees.
Speakers

Anthony Brandt, Rice University, Professor
Jose Contreras-Vidal, University of Houston, IUCRC BRAIN Center, Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor, Director, NSF IUCRC BRAIN Center

For information about the InterfaceRice 2024 Conference, click here.

Ion Block Party + 2nd Annual Crawfish Cookoff
2024-05-02 17:00 - 20:00 | Ion Plaza, 4201 Main St., Houston, TX, 77002, United States
UPDATE: DELAYING START TIME TO 5:00 PM
We’ve got over 600 pounds of crawfish and teams already cooking up something delicious. However, in typical Houston fashion, the small chance of rain up north has turned into downpours city-wide and unpredictable plans for the evening.
Since we’ve got the little mudbugs already here, we’ll continue with the Crawfish Cookoff! We’re moving the eating indoors to keep us out of the rain…but we will delay the start time until 5:00 pm to account for the weather. We invite you to join us, if you can make it to the Ion safely. Please exercise caution and your best judgment.
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Join us every first Thursday of the month on the plaza for live music and local brews provided by Second Draught.
This special edition of Block Party is our 2nd Annual Crawfish Cookoff, showcasing Ion businesses.
Prepare for an epic battle as Ion businesses show off their culinary talents in a sizzling showdown to claim the title of the Best Tasting Crawfish! Who will emerge victorious in this tasty turf war? You be the judge!
Every guest who registers and checks in will receive one free drink ticket that can be redeemed at Second Draught.

Competing teams:

Transwestern
Late August
The Lymbar
Ion x Rice Alliance
Ara Partners
Eleox
Microsoft
Liongard
Per Scholas

SCORE Office Hours
2024-05-03 10:00 - 11:30 | Ion – Academic Flex Space, 4201 Main St., Houston, TX, 77002, United States
SCORE is the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors. Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 11 million entrepreneurs start, grow or successfully exit a business. SCORE’s 10,000 volunteers provide free, expert mentoring, resources and education in all 50 U.S. states and territories.
Office Hours with SCORE take place each Friday morning. Additional partners will be on-site the second Friday of each month (excluding holidays)
