Alohomora Houston 🪄

Unlock Houston's hidden gems & stay in the loop with our weekly highlights.

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Aubrie Smith & Jorge Ortiz
July 18, 2024

Hey Houston! Hopefully everyone is slowly getting back into their normal routine after last week. We’ve got another great line up this week to help keep you in the loop.

Thank you so much for being a part of In the Loop Houston! If you’re new or this email was forwarded to you, make sure to join our growing community and stay in the loop. Loving our content? Share it with your friends and spread the word!

Small Beer

We are thrilled to introduce our partner in crime, Small Beer! For the big thinkers of Houston, Small Beer reinvigorates the lost tradition of lower-alcohol beer. Why low alcohol? Because sometimes you need to have a cold one or two and still need to get things done. Trust us they are fantastic! Next time you want a cold one without the punch pick one up. Embrace innovation, savor quality, and toast to big ideas with Small Beer—Small Beer for big plans.

Houston-Sized Happenings

Food for Thought

Give Freely, Give Often, and Never Keep Score

At In the Loop, we're a curious bunch, often engrossed in fascinating conversations. This week, a hot topic among friends and fellow entrepreneurs was the most important advice for building relationships. In both business and life, relationships are everything. Nothing happens without human interaction—at least until Elon replaces us with AI.

So, after a few rounds of Small Beers, what did we conclude? Give freely, give often, and never keep score. Why? Because without help and collaboration, we wouldn't be here writing to you, nor would the computer we're typing on exist. Humanity thrives on people lending a hand to propel each other forward. Whether you are cultivating a loving relationship with a significant other or building an organization with a co-founder, giving without expecting anything in return is crucial. It doesn't matter if you've been taking out the trash for four days straight or developing KPIs—never keep score, and keep giving.

It was astonishing how many stories emerged once we embraced this idea. Life and business seem to flourish when giving is at their core.

Some of you might be thinking, "But what if I get taken advantage of? What if I'm just running myself ragged for others? Isn't this a bit too kumbaya?" It might seem that way, and yes, you might get taken advantage of occasionally. But if you're worried about that, you're missing the point. The key is never keeping score.

So, Houston, rise and shine today. Give freely, give often, and remember that the score doesn't matter.

Upcoming Events - for business

Upcoming Events - for pleasure

Top Picks of The Week

Tweet of the Week: Shaan Puri and Sam Parr discuss their take on corporate slang that doesn’t exist, but should! Our personal favorite is "alohomora”.

Product of the Week: Check out The Airshield, built to help runners train without any air resistance!

ETH Zurich Airshield

Foodie Spot of the Week: If you are in the mood for Italian this weekend, try out Amore Houston! They have a variety of delicious options including this white truffle inspired pasta dish!

White truffle pasta

Stories that Inspire: “The Untold Truth of Nintendo”

In "The Untold Truth of Nintendo," explore the surprising journey of a company that began with playing cards and ventured into instant rice and even a taxi service before revolutionizing gaming. Discover how Nintendo's unyielding innovation gave the world beloved icons like Mario and groundbreaking consoles that continually redefine entertainment. This isn't just a story of games; it's a masterclass in vision, creativity, and resilience. Dive into the captivating evolution of Nintendo and see how it became a global gaming titan.

Hot Reads of the Week

The Company Allowing Fans To Buy Stock In Their Favorite Athletes

A few weeks ago, I was introduced to a new business called Vestible. The company’s core idea is not necessarily new — an investment platform that allows fans to buy stock in their favorite athletes — but they have received a lot of media attention, and there appears to be a large number of people who are rooting for them to succeed.

huddleup.substack.com/p/the-company-allowing-fans-to-buy?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=17922&post_id=146649138&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=8n4op&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

Cart.com Secures $105 Million in Debt Refinancing from BlackRock

Cart.com Secures $105 Million in Debt Refinancing from BlackRock. Commerce & Logistics Unicorn Further Strengthens Balance Sheet as It Continues to Scale.

cart.com/newsroom/cart-com-secures-105-million-in-debt-refinancing-from-blackrock

Westlake Chemical hires new CEO to succeed Albert Chao after decades leading family’s company.

www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2024/07/15/westlake-chemical-jean-marc-gilson-ceo-albert-chao.html

Former Disney Princess's Home Side Hustle Earns $250k a Year | Entrepreneur

Victoria Carroll was an actor and filmmaker before she started a voiceover side hustle on Fiverr in 2018. Read more about her side hustle journey and earnings.

www.entrepreneur.com/starting-a-business/former-disney-princesss-home-side-hustle-earns-250k-a-year/477185

Octagos Health secures $43m in Series B to enhance AI-driven cardiac care

Octagos Health, a trailblazer in AI-driven cardiac device monitoring, has successfully raised over $43 million in a Series B funding round. The investment was spearheaded by Morgan Stanley Expansion

business-news-today.com/octagos-health-secures-43m-in-series-b-to-enhance-ai-driven-cardiac-care

Google reportedly in talks to acquire cloud security company Wiz for $23B | TechCrunch

Google’s parent company Alphabet might be on the verge of making its biggest acquisition ever. The Wall Street Journal reports that Alphabet is in

techcrunch.com/2024/07/14/google-reportedly-in-talks-to-acquire-cloud-security-company-wiz-for-23b/?utm_source=tldrfounders

Here’s the full list of 28 US AI startups that have raised $100M or more in 2024 | TechCrunch

AI startups continue to dominate the venture capital funding landscape. Here are the all the megarounds so far in 2024.

techcrunch.com/2024/07/13/heres-the-full-list-of-28-us-ai-startups-that-have-raised-100m-or-more-in-2024/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Stay cool, Houston! (figuratively and literally 🥵)