Celebrating Juneteenth with our First Core Conversation & Curated Calendar of Events

by | Jun 18, 2020 | Front Page, Houston News, Latest News

Many thanks to all who joined the kick-off to our new series, “Core Conversations,” this week! Aimed at raising awareness, understanding, and action for the issues that profoundly impact our community, each Core Conversation will examine a Global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) within our local context, provide space to reflect, challenge our assumptions, and explore potential solutions to society’s wicked problems.

We intentionally kicked off our new “Core Conversations” series this week in honor of Juneteenth — “America’s Second Independence Day” — to shed light on racial discrimination and share ideas on how we can work to reduce inequalities (SDG 10) and promote decent work and economic growth (SDG 8) for all. Most importantly, we hope it moves you to reflect on your own role in your community, learn why black lives matter, and explore what you can do to be the change for racial equity and social justice.

Today’s conversations — inspired by John Lewis’s quote, “If Not Us, Then Who? If Not Now, Then When?” explored how race and racism impact systemic and generational health, social, and economic outcomes; and shared how members from Impact Hub Baltimore, Impact Hub Boston, and Impact Hub New York Metropolitan Area are working to improve those outcomes. Our speakers included Phillip Yates (Attorney, Equiliberty Founder/CEO, The Diversity Fund Co-Founder, Impact Hub Houston Board Chair); Kelvin D. Lyons Jr. (“What’s Good, Bro?” podcast Co-Host); Kerry Bowie (Msaada Partners Managing Partner); Karen Brown Stovell (Forward Ever Executive Director); and Michelle Avalos (Impact Hub Houston Director of Operations).

We were able to record the conversation with Phillip so you can learn about his experiences as a “First Generation Black American” and how that inspires and impacts who he is and what he does: https://youtu.be/AjFiVQrWJIU

In honor of Juneteenth this Friday, you’re invited to continue learning from black perspectives through a variety of virtual talks, performances, workshops and celebrations led by black organizations across the country. We’ve curated a few highlights on our calendar — https://bit.ly/juneteenth2020events — notably:

We are putting our Core Values to the test to reflect, re-examine, and re-imagine who we are and who we want to be as a community, so we can see where we fall short and strategize how we should move forward. We hope you’ll continue to join us on this journey!

If you have topics you’d like us to explore, please let us know on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. And if you’d like to connect with other Impact Hubs around the country, you can find links to them through our map at https://houston.impacthub.net/globalnetwork/.

Be safe and well!
In community and solidarity,
Grace and Michelle
Impact Hub Houston

P.S. Here’s a round-up of links and resources from the event, for your reference:

Initiatives, organizations and resources to learn from, support, and take action on:

Impact Hub Baltimore: https://baltimore.impacthub.net/stories-2/

Impact Hub Boston: https://impacthubboston.net/Boston/boston-region/black-lives-matter/

Impact Hub Houston: https://houston.impacthub.net/on-inclusion-and-equity-let-our-actions-speak-loudly/

Impact Hub New York Metropolitan Area: https://newyork.impacthub.net/

What’s Good, Bro? (WGB?):

 

Many thanks to our peers around the world — including  Impact Hub Zurich, Impact Hub Manila, and all of our Impact Hub fam around the world — for standing beside us in denouncing racism, xenophobia, prejudice and bigotry in all forms!

Welcome Grace Rodriguez to the Impact Hub Houston Team!

by | Feb 12, 2019 | Latest News

From the Houston Chronicle:

Grace Rodriguez, who spent much of her childhood in Houston and would later return as an adult in 2000, has long promoted Houston and its innovators. She strived to change the city’s perception during the six-year run of the “Houston at SXSW” promotional effort; helped Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez create the first Mayor’s Innovation and Technology Advisory Committee during his tenure on the Houston City Council; and worked as a lead organizer for Women In Tech: Houston and TEDxHouston.

 

In 2016, she was one of four founders who started Station Houston and helped grow it to 184 startups, 139 mentors and 351 members. The organization has become a driver for the city’s efforts to become a hub for high-growth, venture capital-attracting technology companies. And Station Houston fit well with her track record of working behind the scenes to found and nurture young organizations. But this time around, Rodriguez will take the next step in her career as the CEO and face of an organization.

 

Impact Hub is a global network with more than 100 hubs in over 50 countries. Roughly 6,400 startups were founded at its hubs between 2012 and 2016. Starting an Impact Hub is a long process that requires approval from the global network. Shiroy Aspandiar and Natasha Azizi co-founded Impact Hub Houston in 2016 and then reached out to Rodriguez this past summer.

 

“Grace has the right mix of mindsets, character, experience,” Aspandiar said, “and also just a true love for helping people that I think would make her a natural fit to be able to lead the helm of an Impact Hub.”

 

Others in Houston’s startup community likewise saw Impact Hub as a natural fit.

 

“She’s had such a focus on all social issues,” said Russ Capper, executive director of Houston Exponential, a nonprofit tasked with marketing and connecting Houston’s various innovation initiatives. “She likes to integrate them deeply into innovation and startups.”

Learn more about Grace, her background working in Houston’s creative, startup and innovation communities, and her crazy path to becoming the new CEO/Executive Director of Impact Hub Houston through her interview on “Working Wisdom” podcast from the C. T. Bauer College of Business: