In this episode, Chris Howard sits down with Gaurav Khandelwal, CEO of Velostics and Chairman of ChaiOne, to talk about being a multi-time founder and an instrumental member of the Houston startup ecosystem. Talking points include bootstrapping as a business owner in unlikely places, hiring practices for when top talent isn’t available, and innovating in the logistics industry.

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.