Houston innovation leaders secure SBA funding to start equitability-focused energy lab

collaboration station Houston innovation leaders secure SBA funding to start equitability-focused energy lab Photo via Getty Images A group of Houston’s innovation and energy leaders teamed up to establish an initiative supporting equitability in the energy transition. Impact Hub Houston, a nonprofit incubator and ecosystem builder, partnered with Energy Tech Nexus to establish the Equitable Energy Transition Alliance and Lab to accelerate startup pilots for underserved communities. The initiative announced that it’s won the 2024 U.S. Small Business Administration Growth Accelerator Fund Competition, or GAFC, Stage One award. “We are incredibly honored to be recognized by the SBA alongside our esteemed partners at Energy Tech Nexus,” Grace Rodriguez, co-founder and executive director of Impact Hub Houston, says in a news release. “This award validates our shared commitment to building a robust innovation ecosystem in Houston, especially for solutions that advance the Sustainable Development Goals at the critical intersections of industry, innovation, sustainability, and reducing inequality.” The GAFC award, which honors and supports small business research and development, provides $50,000 prize to its winners. The Houston collaboration aligns with the program’s theme area of Sustainability and Biotechnology. “This award offers us a great opportunity to amplify the innovations of Houston’s clean energy and decarbonization pioneers,” adds Juliana Garaizar, founding partner of the Energy Tech Nexus. “By combining Impact Hub Houston’s entrepreneurial resources with Energy Tech Nexus’ deep industry expertise, we can create a truly transformative force for positive change.” Per the release, Impact Hub Houston and Energy Tech Nexus will use the funding to recruit new partners, strengthen existing alliances, and host impactful events and programs to help sustainable startups access pilots, contracts, and capital to grow. “SBA’s Growth Accelerator Fund Competition Stage One winners join the SBA’s incredible network of entrepreneurial support organizations contributing to America’s innovative startup ecosystem, ensuring the next generation of science and technology-based innovations scale into thriving businesses,” says U.S. SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman. Grace Rodriguez (left) and Juliana Garaizar have partnered up — along with their teams — to collaborate on the Equitable Energy Transition Alliance and Lab. Photos courtesy