Last week's Houston Tech Rodeo celebrated Houston's development as an innovation ecosystem. One major component of the Bayou City's innovation growth is the amount of venture capital activity happening in Houston.

At a panel on Monday, InnovationMap hosted a discussion between three local investors about whether or not the VC model is broke, if Houston is too far behind the coasts, and even the effect of coronavirus on investment.

At PwC’s Global Crisis Centre, we deal with crises every day. But as the COVID-19 outbreak has worsened, the volume of calls fielded by our teams has noticeably increased. By the end of February, the phones were ringing off the hook. Business leaders are concerned, and rightly so, for the welfare of their people and their organizations.

Image: Photograph by Tempura

“More than half of BIO’s member companies that are working on a coronavirus vaccine appear to be small businesses, which are highly dependent on raising venture funding. That’s risky enough already, but if it appears the government’s going to impose an artificial price cap if they discover a vaccine, companies like this could be discouraged from entering the race.”

Image: https://www.ipwatchdog.com

The coronavirus outbreak is first and foremost a human tragedy, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. It is also having a growing impact on the global economy. This article is intended to provide business leaders with a perspective on the evolving situation and implications for their companies. The outbreak is moving quickly, and some of the perspectives in this article may fall rapidly out of date. This article reflects our perspective as of March 9, 2020. We will update it regularly as the outbreak evolves.

Image: https://www.mckinsey.com

Ever since the coronavirus began spreading in her home state of Washington, Azia Jenkins has spent hours cleaning her workplace: a 2017 Jeep Patriot. Jenkins, who escorts children for supervised visits on behalf of Child Protective Services, fears that her vehicle is becoming a petri dish, putting herself, the children she supervises, and her own two daughters at risk. Her new cleansing ritual, which she performs before and after dropping off any children, involves wiping down the compact SUV’s handles, seats, and steering wheel with Clorox wipes. She’s also trying to teach her children how important it is to wash their hands as much as they can.

Image: https://time.com - From Video

BioBuzz and Workforce Genetics Founder, Chris Frew, Joins BioTalk to discuss building two organizations, talent acquisition, and his role in the BioHealth Capital Region ←Sub title

Chris is the Founder and CEO of Workforce Genetics, LLC (WGx), and BioBuzz Media to foster highly engaging experiences that connect people and companies across biohealth ecosystems. His insights into talent attraction, employer branding, and marketing have helped top companies to tackle their most pressing challenges in the new talent economy. Previously as Vice President at Breezio, a leading innovator in cloud-based online communities, he lead the development of the new Internship Network of Maryland (inMD) platform that was approved by Gov. Hogan in 2017. As Vice President of Tech USA’s Scientific Division Chris founded and ran a national staffing division operating at $23M annually when he left in 2015. Chris is passionate about impacting others, especially his family and his team, and helping to foster a strong community within the BioHealth Capital Region. He is a Maryland native and a graduate of Towson University. Learn more at https://www.workforcegenetics.com/ and http://biobuzz.io/

With the growing threat of coronavirus hitting the United States full force, the prospect of having to work from home is becoming increasingly likely for a wide swath of workers. If that occurs, normal work patterns, modes of communication, and team dynamics will be disrupted. The increasing uncertainty and anxiety about the personal dangers from the epidemic and its impact on the economy will make the challenge of adjusting to these work changes even greater.

“More than half of BIO’s member companies that are working on a coronavirus vaccine appear to be small businesses, which are highly dependent on raising venture funding. That’s risky enough already, but if it appears the government’s going to impose an artificial price cap if they discover a vaccine, companies like this could be discouraged from entering the race.”

Landing a job at Microsoft without a college degree is within reach — even if your name isn't Bill Gates.

That's because, for many entry-level positions, Microsoft doesn't require that candidates hold a college degree, instead encouraging anyone who believes they're a good fit to apply.

Microsoft executives spoke to Business Insider about the reasons for that practice. They said the decision not to require certain credentials for entry-level jobs allows Microsoft to recruit from a broader talent base, and ultimately builds a more diverse workforce at the company.

Image: https://www.businessinsider.com

There are a lot of public high schools in the US. 

To find the best one in each state, school-ranking website Niche rated high schools according to several factors, including SAT and ACT scores, reading and math proficiency, graduation rate, AP enrollment, and diversity.

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, scored higher than any other school, making it the No. 1 public high school in the country out of 19,314 schools.

If you’ve been on the web to learn more about the latest pandemic, chances are you’ve stumbled upon at least one or two coronavirus dashboards. These are the landing pages for interactive maps and visuals that show where the virus has spread, as well as numbers on the latest in infection rates and deaths, breakdowns of what countries are suffering from new cases and what regions are likely seeing new outbreaks, and much more.

Image: UPCODE ACADEMY

As the novel coronavirus races around the globe, a growing number of conference organizers are cancelling, postponing, or virtualizing their medical meetings, biotech gatherings, and scientific summits.

Every new entrepreneur who has not spent years in corporate life has the advantage of an unbiased look at business opportunities, but at the same time has the disadvantage of missing critical business experiences that can cost them dearly in their first startup venture. In my experience, building a successful business is more difficult than building an innovative solution.

Image: https://blog.startupprofessionals.com

Women invest less than men. This is not an opinion, it is a fact. According to data from the Angel Capital Association (ACA), just 22% of angel investors in the U.S. are women. In Europe, the situation is even more dire, with women amounting to just 14% of angel investors in the U.K. and 5% in France, the data shows.

Image: Female entrepreneurs meet, WeTech Berlin. Photo: Orel Cohen

Some of most valuable skills that managers look for in employees are often difficult to define, let alone evaluate or quantify: self-discipline, self-awareness, creative problem-solving, empathy, learning agility, adaptiveness, flexibility, positivity, rational judgment, generosity, and kindness, among others. How can you tell if your future employees have these skills? And if your current team is lacking them, how do you teach them? Recent research in neuroscience suggests that you might look to the library for solutions; reading literary fiction helps people develop empathy, theory of mind, and critical thinking.

A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft, currently on its way to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the CRS-20 mission, is carrying a variety of scientific research projects as well as usual food and other supplies for the astronauts. The hardware going to the ISS this weekend includes a number of research projects in biotechnology that could improve the lives of patients here on Earth.

Image: Expedition 62 Flight Engineer Jessica Meir works with research hardware to support the OsteoOmics-02 bone investigation. NASA

With more than 378 confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. and more than 15 associated deaths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is actively monitoring, and trying to contain, the transmission of the disease, called COVID-19. 

In some cases, depending on risk level, the CDC may ask individuals or families to self-quarantine or remain in isolation. Here's a look at what that means and tips for implementing such measures.

Warren Buffett is renowned for making witty and insightful comments that many investors turn to for guidance.

The 89-year-old investor and Berkshire Hathaway CEO offered several gems about Apple, bitcoin, coronavirus, the Democratic presidential race, his death, and other topics during a recent CNBC interview.

The race is on to identify an effective vaccine for the COVID-19 virus. Once discovered, the next challenge will be manufacturing and distributing it around the world.

My research group has developed a novel method to stabilize live viruses and other biological medicines in a rapidly dissolving film that does not require refrigeration and can be given by mouth.

Image: Not your grandmother’s vaccine. Maria Croyle, CC BY-ND

Everyone loves an exciting success story.

Take rewardStyle. This eminently recognizable tech startup, which provides influencers with a platform to monetize their social media presence, first opened shop in a small Dallas studio apartment in 2011. Today, it’s grown into a company with 250 employees across the globe and an international presence.

Image: Dallas Startup Week, considered one of the region's don't-miss events for entrepreneurs and innovators, draws an engaged crowd. (Photo: Rebeca Nava-Posadas)