Podcast to stream: David Pruner of TEX-E

Collaboration is the name of the game for David Pruner, executive director of the Texas Entrepreneurship Exchange for Energy, known as TEX-E, a nonprofit housed out of Greentown Labs that was established to support energy transition innovation at Texas universities.

TEX-E launched in 2022 in collaboration with Greentown Labs, MIT’s Martin Trust Center for Entrepreneurship, and five university partners — Rice University, Texas A&M University, Prairie View A&M University, University of Houston, and The University of Texas at Austin.

Pruner was officially named to his role earlier this year, but he's been working behind the scenes for months now getting to know the organization and already expanding its opportunities from students across the state at the five institutions.

"In the end, we have five different family members who need to be coordinated differently," Pruner says on the Houston Innovators Podcast. "There's plenty of bright students at each of these schools, and there's plenty of innovation going on, it's whether it can grow, prosper, and be sustainable."

Know before you go: 2024 H-Town Roundup (Energy Innovator's Version)

The 2024 H-Town Roundup is this week, and you can learn more about the event here. The top day to attend for energy innovators would be Thursday, February 29, at Greentown Labs. Here's an overview of the agenda.

• 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM: Workshop: Navigating the Valley of Death for Industrial Bio Startups
• 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM: 30 Minute Tour
• 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM: Panel: Capturing Tomorrow: Innovations in Carbon Capture Technologies
• 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM Fireside Chat
• 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Panel: How Industrial Biology is Providing Humanity with a Sustainable Future
• 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Greentown Transition on Tap

Events not to miss

Put these Houston-area energy-related events on your calendar.

• The Future of Energy Across the Americas: Helping Lawyers Predict and Adapt — the 2024 Houston Energy Conference — is February 27 to March 1. Register.
• CERAWeek 2024 is Monday, March 18, to Friday, March 22, in the George R. Brown Convention Center. Register.