Day 1 — Feb. 17 (Saturday)
- Morning departure from Tampa for Houston
- Arrival in Houston at lunch
- Meet a local guide for a city highlights tour uncovering the gems of Houston and understanding the how and why of Texas history, from its earliest days to Houston’s status as a business hub.
- Visit the ION Building, a new hub connecting established companies, startup businesses, restaurants and coworking spaces. We’ll discuss and experience first-hand the way Houston’s economy has transformed and evolved over the past decades.
- Classic Texas BBQ Dinner
Day 2 — Feb. 18 (Sunday)
- We’ll head south of town to NASA’s Johnson Space Center which offers an up-close and interactive experience of our country’s space program, diving into the technology and ingenuity that made the program happen.
- Then we’ll continue to Galveston, TX along the coast, to learn about the oil industry at the Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig Museum and the history of railroads and how it transformed business at the Galveston Railroad Museum.
- In the evening we’ll dine and have fun at the Pleasure Pier amusement park before heading back to Houston
Day 3 — Feb. 19 (Monday)
- In the morning we’ll make a visit the Printing Museum, an interactive museum combining art and science. It focuses on the evolution of graphic design, from printed material to digital.
- Drive to Austin.
- Overview City tour of Austin from a fantastic local tour guide, sharing their insights into how the city’s developed into a entrepreneurial and tech mecca.
- Dinner at a local Austin restaurant with live music
- Evening: view the famous Congress Street Bridge Bats at sunset as they exit their home under a bridge!
Day 4 — Feb. 20 (Tuesday)
- Tour of the University of Texas and special business meetings with the Energy Institute at UT. We’ll connect with local academics and students to share their insights into the research and work they do across technology, business and design.
- In the afternoon we’ll take meetings with tech companies in downtown Austin, learning from real workers about the ins and outs of working for a fast-growing tech company.
- In the evening we’ll explore Congress Street’s vibrant life, filled with shops, cafes and live music venues.
- Evening dinner & live music and/or optional dancing!
Day 5 — Feb. 21 (Wednesday)
- Visit the vast and interactive Texas State History Museum and Texas State Capitol Building
- later afternoon return flight home to Tampa
