Houston ACE + Agile HTX Connection Present: Lean Beers

A casual meetup for agile minds — from curious newcomers to seasoned practitioners.

📅 Date & Time

Thursday, September 10, 2026

5:30 PM – 8:00 PM (CDT)

🕒 Event duration: 2 hours

📍 Location @ Improving

10111 Richmond Ave. #100

Houston, TX 77042

🗓️ Agenda

• 5:30 PM – Doors Open

• 6:00 – 6:30 PM – Networking, Eating, and Topic Gathering

• 6:30 – 7:30 PM – Lean Beers Format Discussion

• 7:30 – 8:00 PM – Wrap-Up and Retrospective

💬 What Is Lean Beers?

It’s like Lean Coffee…but with beer, pizza, and real talk. We’ll use sticky notes to propose discussion topics, dot vote to prioritize them, and set 5-minute timers for each. When the timer ends, we vote to continue or move on. It’s fast, flexible, and full of shared learning.

Whether you're into Scrum, Kanban, product ownership, team dynamics, agile leadership—or just want to connect with others—this format brings great minds together in a laid-back, engaging way.

🐾 This Month’s Community Cause

Houston ACE is proud to support **Rescued Pets Movement**, a cause with a personal connection to our chapter and Houston Community Champion Anthony D’Ambrosio.

Attendance is free, and donations are completely optional.

[Learn More and Support Our Fundraiser](https://fundraising.goodstack.io/fundraisers/houston-ace-2026-rescued-pets-movement-f)

🍕 Food & Drinks

Pizza (let us know dietary needs in your RSVP)

Coffee, soda (including caffeine-free options), sparkling water, and of course—beer!

Huge shoutout to our friends at Improving for their legendary cold beverage selection!

🐾 Supporting Rescued Pets Movement

Houston ACE recently joined the Atlassian charity program, giving our community another way to come together and make a local impact.

We selected **Rescued Pets Movement** because its mission is especially personal to our chapter and Houston Community Champion Anthony D’Ambrosio. Since moving to Cypress, Anthony has helped rescue more than 40 dogs, many found abandoned without tags or microchips. While some were reunited with their families, many needed support from local rescue organizations.

With Houston-area shelters overwhelmed, animals can face euthanasia simply because there is nowhere for them to go. Rescued Pets Movement gives these animals a second chance by rescuing, fostering, and transporting them to communities where they have a better opportunity to find loving homes. RPM recently helped find a home for a dog Anthony had been caring for for more than six months, demonstrating firsthand why this work matters.

If you would like to support the cause, please visit our official fundraiser:

Support Rescued Pets Movement: https://fundraising.goodstack.io/fundraisers/houston-ace-2026-rescued-pets-movement-f

Donations are optional and are not required to attend. You can also help by sharing the fundraiser with your network.

🙋‍♀️ FAQs

The building doors are locked, how do I enter?

Please contact one of our hosts/Atlassian Champions and we will come to let you in if you arrive after 6pm (a sign with contact info will be posted in the lobby).

What if I arrive late?

• Totally fine! Traffic happens. Come in when you can—we’ll be glad to see you.

What if I don’t drink caffeine or alcohol?

• No problem! We’ve got plenty of non-caffeinated sodas, fizzy waters, and bottled water.

I’m new to agile—what if the topics are too advanced?

• All levels are welcome! This is a space to ask questions, share ideas, and learn together. No experience required. Ask questions—lots of them! If you’re shy, feel free to pull someone aside for a 1:1 chat.

🎟️ RSVP Now

Bring a friend, bring your curiosity, and get ready to connect, learn, and laugh.

You can also help Houston ACE support Rescued Pets Movement by donating or sharing our fundraiser. Every contribution and share helps give more rescued animals a chance to find a loving home.

Support Our Fundraiser: https://fundraising.goodstack.io/fundraisers/houston-ace-2026-rescued-pets-movement-f