Forging The Future with Chris Howard
Join Chris Howard, Founder and CEO of Softeq, as he interviews knowledgeable leaders in the innovation spectrum, including CEOs, CTOs, R&D professionals, and start-up founders. Real conversations, technology, and processes of bringing new ideas to market.
76
Discovering in the Next Energy Transition Solut...
Neal Dikeman, Partner at Energy Transition Ventures, joins the pod to talk about how he got into cleantech investing and where we’re headed as we bridge the gap between fossil fuels and the future. Working between Silicon Valley and Houston, Neal is...
30 min
77
Spotlight on Latino Founders in Tech with Jesse...
Jesse Martinez, Founder of LSA Global and the Latinx Startup Alliance, four-time startup founder, and Venture Partner at Vamos and Resolve, brings his impressive resume to the pod to talk about his passion for investing in Latinx founders in tech....
32 min
78
Empowering Houston’s Tech Ecosystem with Mitra ...
This week, Mitra Miller shares her remarkable journey in the tech industry, offering insights into her experiences as a woman navigating the field. Mitra is a managing member of Mill River Advisors and a board member at the Houston Angel Network. She...
32 min
79
Exclusive Interviews with Innovators and Invest...
In this exciting mashup from TechCrunch Disrupt, one of the largest tech events in the world, Chris interviews leaders in the investing space. Hussein Yahfoufi talks Chat GPT for business growth, Ray Fuentes on democratizing private equity investment,...
22 min
80
Putting the Moon Back into Innovation Orbit wit...
Stephen “Steve” Altemus, President and CEO of Intuitive Machines, joins the show to talk about space- investing in it, building new technology for it, and traveling through it. Sound waves might not be traveling through space, but Steve and his...
42 min
81
Unleashing Innovation and Wisdom at TechCrunch ...
Forging the Future is on the road in San Francisco this week for TechCrunch Disrupt. In this information-packed episode, Chris interviews two VCs from Oklahoma, Nathaniel Harding and Michael Basch, and another investor that's recently relocated from...
41 min
82
Stepping into the Venture Colosseum with Zach C...
Zach Coelius, Managing Partner at Coelius Capital, joins the pod from TechCrunch Disrupt 2023, an annual tech conference held in San Francisco. As an entrepreneur turned early stage investor, Zach understands the non-stop stress of entrepreneurship...
21 min
83
How Plasmonics Changes the Clean Energy Landsca...
Trevor Best, CEO and Co-Founder of Syzygy Plasmonics, brings his energy expertise to the pod this week to talk about the science and strategy behind his startup. Alongside his co-founder Dr. Suman Khatiwada, Trevor is making a new form of chemical...
30 min
84
Redefining Innovation for Today’s Entrepreneurs...
Ashok Rao, Board Director of GOOSE Capital and multi-time startup chairman, brings his financial and capital expertise to the show to talk about the “entrepreneurship virus” and his opinions on innovation. As someone who has been at the forefront...
25 min
85
Transforming Students into Young Professionals ...
Allie Danziger, CEO & Co-Founder of Ampersand Professionals, brings her unique entrepreneurial experience to the pod to talk about shortening the skills gap between education and employment. As someone who benefitted from early opportunities at...
33 min
86
The Recipe for a Thriving Startup Ecosystem wit...
This week, Chris talks with Natara Holloway Branch about how she went from accounting in the NFL to being the CEO of Houston Exponential, which supports startups and founders to make entrepreneurship more accessible for Houstonians. They also touch on...
32 min
87
Big Problem Solving and Hypergrowth Startups wi...
This week, Chris welcomes Jon Nordby Head of Ecosystem and Community at MassChallenge. After working in a variety of positions in Houston, Jon saw the need for a thriving startup ecosystem in the city. He worked for Houston Exponential and Startup...
39 min
88
Revolutionizing Decarbonization at Venture Hous...
HX Venture Fund takes over this episode as Managing Director Sandy Guitar and Venture Partner Aleece Hobson talk about their revolutionary fund of funds and the impact it’s having on the Houston tech ecosystem. Alongside their everyday work with...
30 min
89
Propelling the University Innovation Equation w...
Chris welcomes Paul Cherukuri, Professor, Chief Innovation Officer, and Vice President of Innovation at Rice University. Paul has integrated his experience and education in science and technology at Rice, spearheading the university’s...
28 min
90
Revolutionizing the Wearable Tech Industry with...
Erik Korem, Sports Scientist and Founder of AIM7, joins the pod to talk about finding valuable recommendations and results from wearable devices like Apple Watches. With a passion for sports technology and a desire to make data analysis accessible for...
30 min
91
Finding Your Indestructible Startup Founder wit...
Sunny Zhang, Founding Partner at Born Global Ventures, Marketing Professor, and Founder of TrueLeap, joins the pod to talk about the many professional hats she wears and how they help her contribute meaningfully at her venture studio. As a part of an...
37 min
92
Bridging the Gap for Female Founders with Artem...
Diana Murakhovskaya, Co-Founder and General Partner at the Artemis Fund, joins the pod to talk about supporting women-led startups at her female-founded venture fund. Born in Ukraine and raised in New York, moving to Houston and starting Artemis Fund...
26 min
93
Fueling Innovation in Houston’s Thriving Ecosys...
David Gow, CEO of Gow Media and SportsMap Tech Acquisition Group, joins the pod to talk about telling the stories of Houston at CultureMap, SportsMap, and InnovationMap. With a background in sports radio and a passion for embracing Texas’ local...
37 min
94
Debunking the Success of Spray & Pray Investing...
Ben Narasin, Founder and General Partner at Tenacity Venture Capital, joins the pod this week to talk about his journey from young entrepreneur to seasoned investor. Instead of a spray and pray investment approach, Ben takes pride in Tenacity’s...
31 min
95
Discovering the Next Generation of Robotic Engi...
Forging the Future goes on the road to the FIRST Robotics Competition to meet 3 robotics professionals pioneering the industry and giving back to the next generation. Logan Farrell of Rugged Robotics, Greg Needel of Rev Robotics, and Andy Baker of...
46 min
96
Walt Disney Imagineering Magic Comes to FIRST R...
Greg Johnson and Mark Mesko, Imagineers at Walt Disney Imagineering, attend the FIRST Robotics Competition and talk about the important link between FIRST kids and future Imagineers. Combining creativity, technology, and collaboration, Greg and Mark...
14 min
97
Flying Helicopters on Mars with NASA’s Dave Lavery
Dave Lavery, Program Executive for Solar System Exploration at NASA, takes listeners out of this world and on a journey across the surface of Mars. Dave is responsible for building one of the first flying robots on Mars, the Ingenuity Helicopter,...
27 min
98
Fueling the Future of STEM with FIRST's Barbara...
Chris sits down with Barbara Gomez de Navarro who brought FIRST to Mexico and interviews competitors at the FIRST world tournament for this special episode. Barbara shares her and her family’s story bringing FIRST to Mexico, which provided...
38 min
99
Revolutionizing STEM Learning for Kids with FIR...
Dean Kamen, Inventor and Founder of FIRST, brings his STEM knowledge to the pod to talk about getting kids engaged in science, technology, engineering, and math. In a society that encourages and emphasizes sports and the arts, Dean wants to make sure...
29 min
100
Revolutionizing Therapy for ALS and Alzheimer’s...
Chris interviews the leaders of Coya Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical company based in Houston revolutionizing the push for effective neurodegenerative disease therapies. Coya went public with only five team members after working with world-renowned...
27 min