Ion District

ENRG HTX - September 2026
2026-09-18 08:30 - 10:00 (America/Chicago) | Ion – Conference Room 028, 4201 Main St., Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/enrg-htx-september-2026-tickets-1992148129683
ENRG (Entrepreneurial Networking Resource Group) is a community for entrepreneurs with 10-250 employees running on EOS or EOS Curious.

ENRG (pronounced energy) is here to stay in Houston!
Erick Garcia, Lesa A Skipper and Craig Ceccanti are teaming up to build the Houston ENRG Chapter and we could not be more excited to invite entrepreneurs running on EOS or EOS Curious to this collaborative room! Join us on September 18th at 8:30am at the Ion District (Downstairs 028) for the first meeting!
What is ENRG?
The vision is to establish an ENRG (Entrepreneurial Networking Resource Group) in Houston for entrepreneurs with 10-250 employees. This is a free EOS Worldwide aligned community for entrepreneurs led by one EOS Implementer and one Integrator.
Each monthly meeting includes:
– Practical training on an EOS tools
– Peer-to-peer issue solving
– Valuable networking
– Content that helps move the needle on your business
– Exposure to Subject Matter Experts
No sales pitches here though, we’re here to help all tides rise!
This is WHERE entrepreneurs find the WHOs and the HOWs to move their business forward.

Ion Networking with Cup of Joey
2026-09-18 08:30 - 10:30, 2026-09-25 08:30 - 10:30, 2026-10-02 08:30 - 10:30, 2026-10-09 08:30 - 10:30, 2026-10-16 08:30 - 10:30, 2026-10-23 08:30 - 10:30, 2026-10-30 08:30 - 10:30, 2026-11-06 08:30 - 10:30 and 5 more dates | 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/

NASA Tech Talks
2026-09-24 18:00 - 19:00, 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

Houston Linux User Group
2026-09-24 18:00 - 20:00 | Ion – Conference Room 029 – 030, 4201 Main St, Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Are you interested or already invested in the Linux Operating System?
Join us at the Houston Linux User Group, one of the oldest user groups involved with the Linux Operating System. We discuss new trends in operating system usage, software development, and current technological trends, as well as provide one-on-one training or class-based instruction. Learn about how to get more out of your computer or how to leverage any of the Linux-based computational platforms.
All are welcome to attend, regardless of whether you’re a seasoned Linux professional intent on networking or a new Linux user struggling with installation or the command line.
This monthly meeting includes all of the standard Houston Linux User Group meeting activities, which include meet-and-greet, presentations of personal projects, multi-meeting classes, as well as organizational and coordinating announcements.
Visit our website at: https://www.houstonlinux.org/
Visit our calendar and the agenda of each week’s meeting at: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/embed?src=houstonlinuxusergroup@gmail.com
Join us on social media.
Discord: https://discord.gg/MPzYfeJz
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/houstonlinuxusergroup/

NASA Office Hours
2026-09-25 10:00 - 12:00 | Ion, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77002, United States
NASA is bringing its expertise to Houston’s innovation hub! Every other Friday, join us for NASA’s office hours, designed to bridge the gap between Houston’s innovators, entrepreneurs, and startups with NASA’s elite experts, capabilities, and technology.

License the Future: Discover how to utilize NASA-developed technologies and intellectual property for your own projects.
Partner for Growth: Explore how to grow your own goals and NASA’s mission together by leveraging unique human spaceflight capabilities and expertise from NASA Johnson Space Center.
Build the Sector: Help us grow Houston’s commercial space ecosystem.

Come with a vision, leave with a partnership.
Just come walk up and say hello, or sign up in advance here.

Biketoberfest + Ion Block Party
2026-10-01 16:00 - 19:00 | Ion Plaza, 4201 Main St., Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Join us for Biketoberfest with networking, biking and pints on the plaza!

Celebrate fall in Houston with a ride and happy hour at Houston’s HQ for innovation, the Ion. This ride through Midtown and the Museum District will start and end at the Ion’s taproom, Second Draught. Grab your bike and join the ride, or just come hang out on the plaza!

This event is free to attend, but registration is required at the link below. Any option to donate when registering is available, and the proceeds go back to local non-profits redM, BikeHouston, and HTX4Ukraine.
Check back soon to register!

Upstream: Digital Tech Meetup at Second Draught
2026-10-08 17:30 - 20:00, 2026-11-12 17:30 - 20:00, 2026-12-10 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.

Mercury Fund Day at the Ion
2026-10-13 15:30 - 19:00 | Ion – Forum Stairs, 4201 Main St., Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Welcome to “Mercury Fund Day at the Ion” – a program series hosted by the Ion and Mercury, where software founders can connect with mentorship at Houston’s HQ for innovation.
What is it: Mercury Fund Day, previously known as Software Day, is a monthly series driving the support, inspiration, and connections needed to help startups on their path to rapid, sustainable growth. Each month, Mercury Fund Day will include office hours (by application), a keynote session, and networking.
Each month will include a new speaker and topic covering the latest trends and breakthroughs in software technology and practical advice for founders. From AI to blockchain and guidance on fundraising, explore topics that are relevant for your company’s journey.

Afterward, join us for a networking happy hour at Second Draught, brought to you by Gunderson Dettmer, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs, investors, and industry professionals, forging connections that could shape the future of your venture.
Apply for Office Hours:
Prior to the fireside chat, a select group of early-stage software startups will participate in office hours. Over the course of 2-hours, first-time entrepreneurs looking for guidance or seasoned founders needing help tackling tough challenges will have access to a group of curated mentors from the Mercury network and gain insights and guidance tailored to their needs. Startups are invited to apply to participate here.

“Mercury Fund Day at the Ion” isn’t just an event – it’s a catalyst for growth and collaboration. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of Houston’s thriving tech ecosystem. Join us as we bring together leading mentors, promising startups, and like-minded Houstonians focused on transformative software innovations.

Buying and Selling Businesses
2026-10-14 17:30 - 19:00 | Ion – Conference Room 029 – 030, 4201 Main St, Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Join Lenny Saizan, owner of Murphy Business & Financial – Southwest Houston, Managing Director of Urban Capital Network, and creator of the Legacy Maximizer exit strategy, for a practical, real-world discussion on selling and buying businesses.
Selling or acquiring a business is one of the most significant financial decisions most entrepreneurs will ever make, yet many owners and buyers go through the process for the first time without a clear roadmap. This session breaks down the transaction process from both sides of the table and highlights how thoughtful planning, proper valuation, and coordinated advice can materially impact outcomes.
For business owners, the discussion centers on how to maximize enterprise value, prepare for a future exit, and align business decisions with personal wealth, tax, and legacy goals. For buyers, the session explores entrepreneurship through acquisition, including how buying an existing business can reduce risk, generate immediate cash flow, and serve as a growth strategy for current operators.
Drawing on his experience as a business broker, investment advisor, and financial professional, Lenny connects the technical aspects of M&A with broader exit planning and wealth strategy considerations, helping attendees understand not just how transactions work, but how they fit into a bigger financial picture.
Topics include:

Current market conditions and buyer demand
When to prepare to sell or buy
Key drivers of business value
How businesses are valued in the real world
Recasting and normalizing financial statements
Overview of the sales and acquisition process
The role of advisors and the deal team
Tax, insurance, and planning considerations before and after a transaction

This session is ideal for business owners considering a sale now or in the future, prospective buyers exploring acquisition, and professionals who support small business owners through growth and transition.
Presenter

Lenny Saizan is the owner and lead broker of Murphy Business & Financial – Southwest Houston, where he advises business owners on exit planning, value maximization, and business sales, and supports buyers pursuing acquisitions and franchises. He is also the co-founder and Managing Director of Urban Capital Network, an investment firm focused on expanding access to private investment opportunities.
Earlier in his career, Lenny spent two decades in engineering, automation, and oil and gas, leading teams across operational controls, financial controls, and audit. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Louisiana State University and an MBA from Tulane University. His credentials include Certified Mergers & Acquisition Professional, Six Sigma Green Belt, and Project Management Professional. In 2025, he was recognized as Deal Maker of The Year at Houston Dealmakers conference.

ENRG HTX - October 2026
2026-10-16 08:30 - 10:00 | Ion – Conference Room 028, 4201 Main St., Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/enrg-htx-october-2026-tickets-1992150124650?aff=oddtdtcreator
ENRG (Entrepreneurial Networking Resource Group) is a community for entrepreneurs with 10-250 employees running on EOS or EOS Curious.

ENRG (pronounced energy) is here to stay in Houston!
Erick Garcia, Lesa A Skipper and Craig Ceccanti are teaming up to build the Houston ENRG Chapter and we could not be more excited to invite entrepreneurs running on EOS or EOS Curious to this collaborative room! Join us on October 16th at 8:30am at the Ion District (Downstairs 028) for the first meeting!
What is ENRG?
The vision is to establish an ENRG (Entrepreneurial Networking Resource Group) in Houston for entrepreneurs with 10-250 employees. This is a free EOS Worldwide aligned community for entrepreneurs led by one EOS Implementer and one Integrator.
Each monthly meeting includes:
– Practical training on an EOS tools
– Peer-to-peer issue solving
– Valuable networking
– Content that helps move the needle on your business
– Exposure to Subject Matter Experts
No sales pitches here though, we’re here to help all tides rise!
This is WHERE entrepreneurs find the WHOs and the HOWs to move their business forward.

Angel Investing 101
2026-10-20 17:30 - 18:30, 2026-11-17 17:30 - 18:30 | 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.

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.

ENRG HTX - November 2026
2026-11-20 08:30 - 10:00 | Ion – Conference Room 028, 4201 Main St., Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/enrg-htx-november-2026-tickets-1992151890933?aff=oddtdtcreator
ENRG (Entrepreneurial Networking Resource Group) is a community for entrepreneurs with 10-250 employees running on EOS or EOS Curious.

ENRG (pronounced energy) is here to stay in Houston!
Erick Garcia, Lesa A Skipper and Craig Ceccanti are teaming up to build the Houston ENRG Chapter and we could not be more excited to invite entrepreneurs running on EOS or EOS Curious to this collaborative room! Join us on November 20th at 8:30am at the Ion District (Downstairs 028) for the first meeting!
What is ENRG?
The vision is to establish an ENRG (Entrepreneurial Networking Resource Group) in Houston for entrepreneurs with 10-250 employees. This is a free EOS Worldwide aligned community for entrepreneurs led by one EOS Implementer and one Integrator.
Each monthly meeting includes:
– Practical training on an EOS tools
– Peer-to-peer issue solving
– Valuable networking
– Content that helps move the needle on your business
– Exposure to Subject Matter Experts
No sales pitches here though, we’re here to help all tides rise!
This is WHERE entrepreneurs find the WHOs and the HOWs to move their business forward.

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.
