SXSW Pt 3: Ecosystem Builders Mashup

Timecoded Guide:

[00:00] Podcast begins - SXSW Pt 3: Ecosystem Builders Mashup

[00:45] Forging Houston’s medtech future with Murat Uralkan

[02:50] Preventing operating room accidents at Houston Methodist

[08:28] Five years of Houston entrepreneurs with Natalie Harms

[14:28] #MarComm for local startup stories with InnovationMap

[19:01] MarTech for future Texas startups with Paul O’Brien

[21:34] Going beyond a simple venture studio process through Media Tech Ventures 

Interview 1: Murat Uralkan, Houston Methodist

Is there a favorite medtech innovation that you've seen in the last year or two that you're passionate about?

Being involved in the medtech space offers the opportunity to meet complex challenges with innovative solutions, but a particular category of technology that has kept Murat busy is computer vision. Using computer vision for operational and safety monitoring opens up the opportunity for the basic and mundane tasks of patient care to be easily and safely automated. When a computer can provide the data about a patient’s room, for example, medical providers can spend more time focused on the patient instead of the paperwork.

“If you’re a provider, if you’re a doctor, you're great at taking care of patients, not documenting. I’ll take that burden off you, that's what we're doing in there. We also think that's going to be one of the transformative efforts within our computer vision umbrella.” — Murat Uralkan

Interview 2: Natalie Harms, InnovationMap

How would you describe the growth in Houston over the past five years?

Five years ago, InnovationMap forged their own future of startup and business coverage in Houston. Natalie, Founding Editor and a major contributor to their coverage, explains that the playing field for Houston startups may have been sparse, but the stories of entrepreneurs in Houston were plentiful. Today, Houston has carved out a space for their innovative business owners and startup founders, and Natalie believes that the talent, funding, and opportunities exist in Houston already for a tech ecosystem to flourish more than ever before. 

“My struggle on day one of InnovationMap is still the struggle that I have today: there's just so many opportunities for stories. What I'm trying to do is be the door to these stories in Houston and give a platform to some of these companies and businesses.” — Natalie Harms

Interview 3: Paul O’Brien, Media Tech Ventures

What is Media Tech Ventures’ selection process like for startups in Houston? 

Paul’s team at Media Tech Ventures pride themselves on their non-traditional approach to startup programs. Instead of being in the development business, Paul explains that Media Tech is firmly in the education side of things with their 13-week program. Part of that is that there is no traditional selection process. Instead, startups are not denied or accepted based on if they can or can’t succeed, or even if they fulfill any sort of niche. Anyone can be a part of this incubator, because gaining media industry knowledge is the ultimate goal. 

“We don't pick who can and can't learn how to be an entrepreneur. We don't discern what startup might or might not succeed, we take on everybody. Whoever has an idea in the media business is welcome to join us, and not just entrepreneurs, but we do the same with mentors.” — Paul O’Brien