Guest Spotlight: Kim Padgett Reports on the HTC’s “Celebration of Entrepreneurs”

Our Guest Spotlight for today is Kim Padgett of The Padgett Group, a Houston-based public relations and marketing firm. Kim brings us a first-hand perspective of the Houston Technology Center’s recent gala.
Wow, what a night! Black tie galas aren’t just for community charities anymore. Houston’s business stars were out and shining brightly at the Houston Technology Center (HTC) third annual gala, “A Celebration of Entrepreneurs,” May 11 at the River Oaks Country Club.
The energy in the room was again more than we imagined. Following an informal reception with the crème of the crop from Houston’s leading business entrepreneurs, the evening kicked off with a lively video of where HTC has been and where the organization is going in 2006 and beyond.
While guests dined on River Oak’s finest dishes, they enjoyed lively conversations with their “host” entrepreneurs – one of more than 40 Houston-area entrepreneurs recognized for their contributions to the Houston business, retail, science and technology community, in an “entrepreneur in the round” discussion format. These leaders shared their successes, failures and stories of how they got where they are today with their table guests.
The highlight of the evening was honoring long-time Houston energy entrepreneurs L.E. Simmons and Matthew R. Simmons for their distinguished accomplishments and contributions. It was quite a tribute to the Simmons’ brothers and family as the video told the story of their legacy of entrepreneurism, which soon became a tribute to their father, who passed away just a day prior to the gala. The entire room was moved by the brothers’ emotional acknowledgment of their father’s influence in their successes.
Matthew R. Simmons is chairman of Simmons & Company International, a specialized energy investment banking firm. The firm has completed approximately 600 investment banking projects for its worldwide energy clients at a combined dollar value in excess of $65 billion.
L.E. Simmons is the founder and president of SCF Partners, a private equity firm that manages a $1 billion portfolio of energy service companies. The investment limited partners of SCF are primarily endowments, including Stanford University, Duke University, Rice University, The University of Texas, Northwestern University, University of Notre Dame, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and private families.
After the event is announced in January, this HTC event sells out early each year. The annual event raises more than $220,000 that contributes to the HTC’s mission as a business accelerator, assisting Houston-based emerging technology companies within several key sectors: Energy, Information Technology, Life Sciences, Nanotechnology and NASA-originated technologies.
Prior honorees have included Dr. John and Anne Mendelsohn and Walter Johnson.
Honored entrepreneurs included: Lloyd Bentsen III, Cindy Boyd, Alex Brennan-Martin, Rod Canion, Russ Capper, John D. Chaney, Nancy Chang, Ph.D., Ernest H. Cockrell, Lee Cook, Bob Crawmer, George DeMontrond, Shel Erikson, Douglas Erwin, Lupe Fraga, Vijay Goradia, Bernard Harris, M.D., John Hess, Ned Holmes, Roger Israni, Walter Johnson, Deane Kanaly, Wally Klemp, William V. Larkin, Jr., Martin Lindenberg, M.D., MBA, Javier Loya, Paula Manning, Gene McCubbin, Jim McIngvale, Phil Morabito, Dennis Murphree, Don Nigbor, Roger Ramsey, Ashok Rao, Arthur T. Sands, M.D., Ph.D., L.E.Simmons, Matt Simmons, Gerald Smith, Michael Stevens, Ron Stone, Peter S. Wareing, Chris Wasden, Harold Wiesenthal, Wallace S. Wilson, and Beth Wolff.
BMC Software stepped up as the Trailblazer Sponsor for the third year and was joined by Visionary Sponsors: Barbara & Paul Frison, Holthouse Foundation for Kids, Houston Business Journal, Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP, Phonoscope, SCF Partners, Shell Technology Ventures, and Simmons & Company International.
Pioneer Sponsors included: Amegy Bank of Texas, Baker Botts L.L.P., Bank of Texas, N.A., Benchmark Electronics, Inc., Blue Lance, Inc., Booz Allen Hamilton, CapTECH LLC, Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Cockrell, Compass Bank, Cooper Cameron, Doug Erwin, Ernst & Young, Frost Bank, Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P., G&A Partners, Gardere Wynne Sewell, LLP, Haynes and Boone, LLP, Houston Technology Center, ieSmartSystems, L.L.C., Kanaly Trust Company, Lexicon Genetics, Locke Liddell & Sapp LLP, Oracle Corporation, Palmetto Partners, Pierpont Communications, Inc., PKF Texas, Regions Bank, Rod & Cam Canion, SCF Partners, Sterling Bank, Stratos, Symantec Corporation, The BusinessMakers Radio Show, Thompson & Knight LLP, Vinmar International, and Vinson & Elkins LLP.
In-Kind Sponsors included: Chas. P. Young Co., Gotham Image Works, Merrill Corporation, Phonoscope, and Tribe Design.