Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/564353
t m c » p u l s e | s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 5 24 24 More or less, I've gotten a mini-MBA this summer. I feel so much more confident with the lessons I've learned through OwlSpark. […] The people they introduce you to and the lectures they hold are amazing—you can't pay money for this kind of exper- tise and exposure. — ANDERSON TA Founder of Open Factory This summer, the two accelerators cozied up and shared space in TMCx, the Texas Medical Center's 100,000-square-foot facility dedicated to supporting life science startup companies in Houston. Over the course of their 12 weeks together, it became clear that this was more than temporary lodging—it quickly became a second home. "Were it not for the space at TMCx, this summer's program would have been completely different," said Smith. "This has been a privilege, and an incredible value-add to our programs, to have the TMCx serve as our headquarters. OwlSpark and Red Labs resided separately last year, and it was a lot trickier to have joint sessions and field trips together. Co-working in TMCx has allowed us to collaborate more easily together—and honestly, we had a lot of fun with it." "There's something really inspiring about having a space that's so well designed," added Panahi. "I've had teams telling me that they never want to leave this space—not in terms of the program itself ending, but they are literally at TMCx all day and all night long because they just enjoy being here so much." As the student entrepreneurs embedded them- selves in the TMCx ecosystem, they worked alongside the 22 startups in the Texas Medical Center accelera- tor's first class. "We were delighted to host OwlSpark and Red Labs in our home," said William F. McKeon, executive vice president and chief strategy and operating officer of the Texas Medical Center. "It's pretty powerful to have that academic mindset and mind power behind these startups, and it was important to move them into a space where they felt supported. We're looking to lower that barrier for entrepreneurs to actually make sustainable companies that we hope plant themselves here in our community. This place feels more like Palo Alto every day." After the Bayou Startup Showcase's last pitches, the real action kicked into high gear. Standing at attention behind their booths, business cards splayed across tables and informational packets in hand, the founders were positioned to make some compelling connections—and take their ideas to the next level. "More or less, I've gotten a mini-MBA this sum- mer," said Anderson Ta, founder of Open Factory, a company developing fabrication technologies for the current market of 3D printers. "I feel so much more confident with the lessons I've learned through OwlSpark. Now I can go out and execute my idea for a company and a business. The people they introduce you to and the lectures they hold are amazing—you can't pay money for this kind of expertise and exposure. "For me, the Bayou Startup Showcase is my one opportunity to get the attention of the Houston startup ecosystem," he added. "This is a platform where, if you're really interested in what you're doing, then this is the right venue to go out and get in touch with the people that can actually help you. There's a big, big network here, thankfully, because it's a big world out there."