Ion District

Angel Investing 101
2026-10-20 17:30 - 18:30, 2026-11-17 17:30 - 18:30, 2026-12-15 17:30 - 18:30 (America/Chicago) | Ion – Conference Room 029 – 030, 4201 Main St, Houston, TX, 77002, United States
In a world where only the very wealthy, well connected, and major institutions have access to premium investment opportunities, which have created massive wealth for a small portion of the population, the Innovation Center for Urban Entrepreneurship team believes the key to closing income and wealth gaps globally is to democratize access to opportunities across the investment ecosystem.
Join the Innovation Center for Urban Entrepreneurship team for an evening of learning, discussion and possibilities as we explore the basics of angel investing and the role it plays in bringing new products and services to market and the impact it has on wealth and job creation.. At this event, you’ll learn the key components to successfully navigate the critical-path of investing in private, early-stage companies.
This session is ideal for the following investment related stakeholders:

Prospective Angel Investors who want to learn more about the world of Angel Investing
Investment Advisors (RIA/FA) who are looking for alternative investments for their clients
Entrepreneurs who want to learn more about what Angels are looking for in their deals
Entrepreneurs who want to meet/network with Angel Investors

Ion District Investor Activation Program:
The Houston Ion District Investor Activation Program along with Urban Capital Network is helping build an equitable climatetech industry capable of rapid deployment by addressing a fundamental challenge: the region’s lack of funding for early-stage climatetech startups, and especially for those led by underrepresented founders.
This program from Greentown Labs and the Ion brings early-stage investors from Greater Houston—a region playing a pivotal role in the energy transition—into the fold, offering education on climatetech investing, channeling a pool of capital to young startups, and catalyzing a thriving climatetech investment ecosystem that prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion.
If you would like to join the program, please fill out this form, and if you have additional questions, please contact Juliana Bernal Martinez at jbernal@greentownlabs.com.

NASA Tech Talks
2026-10-22 18:00 - 19:00 | 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.In these presentations, occurring the fourth Thursdays of the month, Mr. Montgomery Goforth and other aerospace subject matter experts will discuss the technology development challenges faced by NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the surrounding Aerospace community in our ongoing efforts as the hub of human spaceflight. Presentations will focus on the ways in which these challenges, and the associated opportunities, can be leveraged by Houston’s innovation community.Join us after the talk for drinks and networking at Second Draught!Past NASA Tech Talks have included: Montgomery B. Goforth discussing NASA Intellectual Property suitable for commercialization by small/start-up companies; Jared Daum discussing Orion’s parachutes and risk identification and mitigation that are showstoppers for the spaceflight parachute industry; Kevin Kobylka discussing current Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) capabilities and needs; and Nick Skytland, Chief Technologist at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) and Director of the Business Development and Technology Integration Office. Future NASA Tech Talks will include: dual-use (space/terrestrial) technologies in the areas of:

Avionics / Communication / Sensors
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for ultra-long lived wireless sensors
Power Storage and Distribution
Autonomous & Robotics Systems
Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) Systems
Virtual/Augmented Reality in Human Spaceflight Training & Execution
Human Health & Performance / Human Systems Research

About the Speakers
Montgomery B. Goforth has more than 40 years of experience as both Engineer and Manager in a variety of highly technical space and defense-related efforts. After working for a small defense contractor specializing in anti-submarine warfare, he joined NASA’s Johnson Space Center in 1990. He has held leadership positions in multiple JSC Directorates and Program Offices. In his current role as Assistant Director of the JSC Engineering Directorate, he has established a framework to better focus Engineering’s efforts towards Human Spaceflight technology and systems development consistent with JSC and Agency goals for exploration. He has used this framework to guide 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).
NASA Tech Talks topics include dual-use (space/terrestrial) technologies and focus areas in:

Avionics / Communication / Sensors
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for ultra-long-lived wireless sensors
Power Storage and Distribution
Autonomous & Robotics Systems
Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) Systems
Virtual/Augmented Reality in Human Spaceflight Training & Execution
Human Health & Performance / Human Systems Research
NASA Intellectual Property suitable for commercialization by small/start-up companies
Orion’s parachutes and risk identification and mitigation strategies
Leveraging Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for ultra-long-lived wireless sensors

Ion Networking with Cup of Joey
2026-10-23 08:30 - 10:30, 2026-10-30 08:30 - 10:30, 2026-11-06 08:30 - 10:30, 2026-11-13 08:30 - 10:30, 2026-11-20 08:30 - 10:30, 2026-11-27 08:30 - 10:30, 2026-12-04 08:30 - 10:30, 2026-12-11 08:30 - 10:30 and 1 more date | Ion – Lobby, 4201 Main St., Houston, 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.
Register Here: https://www.cupofjoey.org/

Upstream: Digital Tech Meetup at Second Draught
2026-11-12 17:30 - 20:00, 2026-12-10 17:30 - 20:00, 2027-01-14 17:30 - 20:00, 2027-02-11 17:30 - 20:00, 2027-03-11 17:30 - 20:00, 2027-04-08 17:30 - 20:00 | Second Draught, 4201 Main St. Suite 130, Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Register here: https://luma.com/timbergrove
Upstream: Digital Tech Meetup – Monthly Social 🍻
No stage. No slides. No panels.
Just upstream operators, engineers, founders, and digital leaders getting together over beer and pizza.
This is the informal side of the Upstream Digital Tech community. A casual, vendor-light happy hour for people navigating digital change in oil and gas and wanting real conversations.
It’s not a presentation. It’s not a pitch night.
It’s a room full of people who are actually doing the work.
A place to:
• Meet others working at the intersection of upstream and technology
• Trade field stories, lessons learned, and hard truths
• Talk AI, IoT, data, automation, and deployment realities
• Build real relationships without a formal agenda
Whether you’re deploying technology, evaluating it, building it, or leading teams through it, you’ll fit right in.
Come as you are.
Bring a friend.
Stay as long as you like.
📍 Second Draught @ The Ion District, Midtown Houston
🗓️ Second Thursday of every month | ⏰ 5:30 PM
👉 Reserve your spot. Space is limited.

How to Start a Startup
2026-11-18 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.
Join us after the session, hosted by Heath Butler, for a networking happy hour!
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 startup in the Houston innovation community, a mentor, 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.

Holiday Block Party in the Ion District
2026-12-03 16:00 - 19:00 | Ion, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Celebrate the season of innovation and community at the Ion District Holiday Block Party! Join us for an evening filled with holiday cheer, local bites, drinks, music and meaningful connection across Houston’s innovation ecosystem. Enjoy an evening of fun, food and festive surprises as we toast to another incredible year.
Free and open to the public. RSVP required.

Plant Science 2027
2027-03-25 09:00 - 2027-03-26 18:00 | Industrious, 4201 Main St, Houston, TX, 77002
Register here: https://vartusconferences.com/plant-science/register
We are delighted to invite you to join us at our upcoming World Congress on Plant Science, Biotechnology & Sustainability, scheduled to take place from March 25–26, 2027, in London, UK. Centered around the theme “Innovating for a Greener Future: Research, Technology & Sustainable Solutions for Planetary Health,” this prestigious international congress will bring together leading scientists, researchers, academicians, industry professionals, policymakers, innovators, and emerging scholars from across the globe to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities in plant science, biotechnology, and environmental sustainability. As the world faces increasing demands for food security, climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable resource management, the congress aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and accelerate scientific innovations that contribute to a healthier and more sustainable future. The event will serve as a dynamic platform for exchanging groundbreaking research findings, sharing technological advancements, and discussing strategies to translate scientific discoveries into real-world solutions.
