OUR VISION
We believe Houston can be a role model for how the world solves its most pressing issues.
OUR MISSION
To inspire, connect, and empower diverse changemakers, entrepreneurs, and innovators with mentorship, meaningful content, thought-provoking talks, hands-on learning opportunities, and vibrant community conversations.
To create inclusive and equitable spaces where people can easily plug in, experience belonging, and actively champion each other.
To deepen and strengthen collaborative relationships among stakeholders and build an ecosystem where people work together across industries, cultures, identities, geographies, and generations.
What Drives Us
We believe that you care about Houston and want to help it grow and thrive.
You’re here. You showed up. And your interest in who we are and what we do shows that you want to improve Houston by helping changemakers, social entrepreneurs, small businesses and startups build solutions that create positive impact. Don’t stop here: JOIN US. We know that together, we can deliver that impact at scale.
MEMBERS
SUBSCRIBERS
FOLLOWERS
REACH
Why we need Impact Hub Houston
Houston is one of America’s greatest cities in every respect. We’re home to:
- One of the largest and most diverse populations in the country
- One of the largest ports
- The world’s largest medical center
- One of the largest concentrations of Fortune 1000 company headquarters
- One of the nation’s largest Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas (CMSA) — the Greater Houston region is larger than New Jersey, and almost as large as the state of Massachusetts!
The greatness of Houston means we also face great challenges — just ask our friends at the Kinder Institute and January Advisors. Not all Houstonians can access our myriad resources nor enjoy the same benefits our city offers…and not all face the same social and environmental issues. We must meet people where they in terms of geography, generation, education, mobility, class, culture, life stages and startup stages, and devise ways to foster empathy, understanding, connection and collaboration among our immense community.
To address these issues, we offer:
Inclusive and Equitable Spaces
Impact Hub Houston is building an innovation ecosystem that inspires, connects, and empowers all people working on solutions towards any of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We welcome problem solvers from all areas and at any stage of their entrepreneurial journey — even those who may not have had exposure or effective training in modern technologies and business practices before. With respect to SDGs 5 (Gender Equality), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 10 (Reducing Inequalities), and 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), we especially seek to support changemakers who come from and/or wish to serve historically disadvantaged, overlooked or underserved communities.
Wherever you are on your impact journey, we want to meet you there and help you get to the next level. We can help you connect with peers and mentors, ideate and validate potential solutions, and build sustainable models around your idea so you can forge your own path to economic resilience and wealth, create jobs and opportunities for others, and successfully participate in the innovation economy. If you’re ready to get started, JOIN US!
Authentic and Collaborative Community
Impact Hub Houston engages and connects a vibrant community of entrepreneurial changemakers who are passionate about building a better future and are dedicated to creating positive impact in our city.
We screen Impact Hub Houston members for:
– alignment of purpose and impact orientation
– ability to support other members with respect as true peers
– willingness to contribute to our culture of collaboration and servant leadership
– genuine effort to learn, share ideas and develop social ventures
Intentional Programming and Placemaking
We champion inclusive, impact-driven innovation by providing an integrated platform and thoughtful programming that meets problem solvers where they are, shares entrepreneurial knowledge, connects diverse communities, and bridges resource gaps.
We host collaborative programs and events in our space and at partner venues across Houston in order to inspire and inform innovators with meaningful content, thought-provoking discussions, expert-led talks, hands-on learning opportunities, and facilitated community conversations.
Our recurring programs and special events include:
– Open Project Nights with Sketch City
– F.U.N. Stories with Creative Vida and the French American Chamber of Commerce
– SDG-Themed Expert Roundtables and Hackathons
– Global Entrepreneurship Week
– THIS: The Houston Innovation Summit
– TEDxHouston
The music makers and dreamers of dreams
OUR TEAM
Grace Rodriguez
CEO / Executive Director
Michelle Avalos
Director of Operations
Carlos Sotelo
Young Leaders Council
Dolores Lozano
Young Leaders Council
Jaison Oliver
Young Leaders Council
The fuel to our fire and wind beneath our wings
OUR BOARD
Board Chair: Phillip Yates
Attorney, Law Office of Yates & Associates
Senior Consultant, Houston Area Urban League
Vice Chair: Erik Ibarra
Founder/CEO, ORDRS.io
Board Member, Houston Exponential
Treasurer: Lee Mayfield
CEO
Owlfa LLC
Secretary: Shiroy Aspandiar
Co-Founder, Impact Hub Houston
Co-Founder/COO, Ladder
Brandy Guidry
Director of Business Development
MVG Energy Solutions
Jeff Reichman
Founder, Sketch City
(Non-Voting: Grace Rodriguez)
CEO / Executive Director
(Non-Voting: Michelle Avalos)
Director of Operations
(Emeritus: Jamie Jones)
Executive Director, Duke’s Fuqua Center for Entrepreneurship
The sherpas and shoulders of giants
OUR ADVISORS & MENTORS
Shiroy Aspandiar
Co-Founder / Board Member
Jose Avalos
Founder
Primagen Media
Ana Rojas Bastidas
Orolait
Trevor Best
Syzygy Plasmonics
Ria Bhatnagar
Social Enterprise Strategist
Impact Hub Houston
Jesse Bounds
City of Houston
Heath Butler
Co-Founder
Urban Capital Network
Lauren Caldarera
Development Director
TX/RX Labs
Taylor Chapman
Senior Vice President
Nationswell Council
Abe Chu
Co-Founder/CMO
NextSeed
Dorian Cockrell
Manager – Workforce Operations
Houston-Galveston Area Council
Marcelo Cordini
VP Business Development & Product Strategist
December Labs
Kevin Doffing
Energy Transition
Consulting
Carlos Estrada
Labs Manager
WeWork Labs
Javier Fadul
Director of Innovation
HTX Labs
Emma Fauss
Co-Founder/CEO
Medical Informatics
Juliana Garaizar
Board Member
Angel Capital Association
Paloma Garcia
Co-Founder
Unboxed
Steven Gonzalez
Technology Transfer Strategist
NASA
Lawson Gow
Founder
The Cannon
Phil de la Gueronniere
Founder / CEO
Cortland
Denise Hamilton
Founder / CEO
Watch Her Work
Reda Hicks
Senior Counsel, Panalpina
Joy Hutton
Founder, OnTheGoGlam
Principal, Joy of Consulting
Munir Ibrahim
CFO
Texas Healthcare & Hospice
Erik Ibarra
Board Member, HX
Andrew Karnavas
Founder / CEO
YAWP Records, Just Add Beats
Emily Keeton
M&A Eecutive
Serial Entrepreneur
Chris Knapp
CEO
Collaboration Capital
Paul Kwiatkowski
Co-Founder/CTO
GroupRaise
Lilly Liu
Senior Investment Analyst
Mercury Fund
Maria Maso
Co-Founder
baMa
Lee Mayfield
CEO
Owlfa LLC
Leah Mayo
Founder
FOUND Experience
Erin McClarty
Erin McClarty, PLLC
Roberto Moctezuma
Fractal River
Panos Moutafis
Zenus Biometrics
Diana Murakhovskaya
Co-Founder
Artemis Fund
Marc Nathan
VP, Client Strategy
Egan Nelson LLP
Jon Nordby
Managing Director
MassChallenge
Hesam Panahi
Lecturer
Rice Entrepreneurship Initiative
Jeff Reichman
Founder, Sketch City
Assata Richards
Sankofa Research Institute
Carolyn Rodz
HelloAlice
Marcus Rydberg
Co-Founder / CTO
Luminare
Samira Salman
Founder/CEO
Salman Solutions
Courtenay Siegfried
President
20K Group
Sarma Velamuri
Co-Founder / CEO
Luminare
Kevin Valdez
Co-Founder
GroupRaise