An investment in the Partnership is an investment in the greater Houston region. Members at all levels play a vital role in supporting the Partnership’s mission and receive premier benefits at all seven membership levels.
Thank you to our Executive Partners for your long-term support of the Greater Houston Partnership.
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How does the Greater Houston Partnership work achieve its mission and strengthen Houston’s business community and the regional economy?
Houston truly is a great global city, an outstanding center of commerce that offers an incredible quality of life. In this ever-changing world, it is critical that Houston maintains its position as one of the top global metros. To meet this call, the Partnership’s work is driven by our strategic plan, Houston Next which aims to advance Houston as a great global city.
Houston Next is focused on accelerating Houston’s progress across three areas of impact that improves our position among the great global cities.
When looking at the leading cities of the world, it is clear that they share three common characteristics:
A more equitable and inclusive Houston not only strengthens our community, but also positions the region to be more economically competitive as a global city. As we work to bolster the region across the Houston Next focus areas, it is critical that we view our efforts through the lens of racial equity and ensure all of our actions advance bold solutions to strengthen Houston as a diverse, inclusive and equitable city.
The Partnership delivers on its mission by convening Houston’s top business and civic leaders who are committed to making Houston greater. With this continued collaboration, the Partnership will make the biggest impacts in addressing regional challenges and creating meaningful impact and business opportunity.
Leveraging Houston’s diverse industry mix and talented workforce, the Partnership works to attract leading global companies to Houston, create jobs and grow the region’s GDP. The economic development team also works to connect foreign companies and entities with members of the Houston business community for investment and trade opportunities. Fueled by member expertise, the Partnership develops and supports strategic initiatives that further the region’s economic competitiveness and promotes Houston as a great global city through industry and trade committees.
The Partnership serves as the primary business advocate for the greater Houston region by convening civic-minded business leaders, subject-matter experts, elected officials and community organizations.
A highly skilled workforce strengthens our region’s businesses and economy while ensuring our residents have the opportunity to share in the region’s economic prosperity. The Partnership’s employer-led initiatives – UpSkill Houston and Houston Back on Track – are opportunities for members to engage with employers, educators and community-based leaders who are committed to working together to strengthen the pipeline of skilled workers that employers need and to create opportunity for all Houstonians. The Partnership’s regional workforce development team works with its members and employers to implement skills-based hiring practices and develops programs and practices to equip residents with the skills and credentials they will need to navigate and be successful in a dynamic and changing regional economy.
Since 1940, the Partnership’s research team has presented unvarnished information about the Houston region, making it the go-to source for authoritative data and analytics. Companies can harness the Partnership’s regional facts and insights on the Houston economy to develop business strategies that aid growth.
In 2020, the Partnership launched One Houston Together, our commitment to leverage the power of the business community to reduce inequities. One Houston Together priorities include accelerating the growth of underrepresented businesses and increasing racial equity in the corporate talent pipeline and executive leadership. The Partnership serves as a convener and facilitator and works alongside the business community to advance progress on equity and inclusion in our region and accelerate progress on a set of key regional indicators.
Partnership members make up a significant portion of the region’s workforce. When members engage in the Partnership’s impact work and harness our business insights, resources and programming, Houston’s business community becomes stronger The member engagement team helps members find their unique place to make an impact at the Partnership and is the gateway to get involved. The member engagement team also provides members with unparalleled programming through events, Business Resource Groups, Councils and more.
Whether you have called Houston home for many years or are new to our community, you know that Houston is a city of the future, a region made up of doers and innovative leaders who solve the problems that matter.
The Greater Houston Partnership brings the business community together with one goal in mind – advancing Houston as a great global city, ensuring it is a city we enjoy living in and are proud to call home. Through the dedicated resources and expertise of our members, the Partnership sets the pace for Houston’s forward trajectory by promoting the region, advocating for sound public policy and convening and engaging leaders to address challenges facing the region while creating meaningful connections that drive business opportunity.
Strengthening education systems that inspire the diverse leaders of tomorrow, supporting infrastructure investment that enhances the quality of life for all Houstonians and bolstering key industries that spark innovation are just a few of the ways the Partnership is working on behalf of the business community to build a better Houston.
This work is only achievable when individuals, businesses and community partners come together to ignite the changes that makes our region stronger for all that live, work and do business here. We welcome anyone who is prepared to work together to make great things happen for Houston.
If you are a member, we are grateful for your investment in the greater Houston region and the Partnership’s mission. If you are just getting to know the Partnership, we invite you to join the dynamic and diverse community of businesses and organizations committed to driving growth and opportunity in Houston.
I look forward to our work together this year and in the years ahead.
Bob Harvey
President and CEO
The arrival of COVID-19 in Houston in March marked a seismic shift in how this region would conduct business through the remainder of 2020. The temporary shutdown of many industries, along with efforts to maintain the health and safety of on-site employees and maneuver through federal relief programs, required guidance and support for companies. The Partnership acted quickly to provide members and other companies in our region regular updates, direction and vital resources. The organization has also worked closely with elected officials and health officials at the state, county and city level, as well as leaders from the Texas Medical Center and local independent school districts to help coordinate response efforts.
Work Safe Company Program: First announced on March 25 and later updated and expanded, the Partnership developed principles designed to support a healthy and safe work environment for employers. To encourage companies to adhere to these principles, a corresponding pledge was developed for leadership to sign, signifying to their employees, customers and the public that they would follow the principles. To date, more than 180 Houston area companies, from small businesses with just a few employees to multinational corporations, have committed to being Work Safe Companies.Responding to the need for a centralized hub containing federal, state and local recovery resources, the Partnership created the Business Recovery Center in April to provide links to key programs and guides on applying for assistance.
To aid companies planning to reopen or expand their operations, the Partnership shared several resources to help businesses develop plans to protect the health of their employees and customers, minimizing the risk of transmission of the COVID-19 virus.
Each of the Partnership’s Public Policy Advisory Committees provided ongoing engagement on their industries’ unique challenges, learning and policy solutions during the pandemic.
Employers in the Houston region shed a total of 350,200 jobs early in the pandemic, adding back 202,500 jobs through mid-January 2021, or about 58% of those lost. The majority of the job losses have been in sectors such as restaurants and hospitality, construction, professional services and manufacturing.
In times of uncertainty, information is key. The Partnership began providing regular virtual updates on the economy and the impact of COVID-19 shortly after the pandemic began. Senior Vice President of Research Patrick Jankowski continued these updates monthly through the remainder of the year, providing up-to-date information and analysis on the trajectory of the national and local economies. These virtual events were augmented by a new Partnership podcast, Bayou Business Download, as well as written updates.
The Partnership’s COVID-19 Houston Business Forum was a digital series providing the latest information and analysis in the first few months of the crisis. The presentations with local experts and business leaders covered topics including managing COVID-19 cases in the workplace, ensuring safe public transportation and making sense of new federal regulations. Partnership President and CEO Bob Harvey also provided regular updates for members on the impact of the virus.
The Partnership’s Small Biz Insider digital program, which includes a podcast and video series, switched gears during the pandemic to help provide key guidance and advice to small businesses in the region facing challenges.
Houston is a city of tremendous opportunity. It’s a city where no idea is too big to realize and no challenge too difficult to address with the right focus and leadership. Houston’s growth and prosperity have accelerated rapidly in recent years, but that positive trajectory is far from guaranteed.
To succeed as a global metro, it is critical that Houstonians focus our efforts on three key areas:
As we pursue these goals, it is critical to view our efforts through the lens of racial equity, advancing bold solutions to strengthen Houston as a diverse, inclusive and equitable city.
These are noble aspirations, but not easy to pursue or sustain. That’s why great cities need exceptional civic leaders to guide success.
Houston Next empowers the region’s business leaders, through the Greater Houston Partnership, to accelerate Houston’s progress across these areas of impact to ensure Houston continues to advance as a great global city.
In implementing the Houston Next strategy, the Partnership is focused on continuously improving Houston’s position among the great global cities.
The Partnership thanks the 37 Houston Next investors who have pledged their support to our strategic efforts. Learn More.
Initiatives convene leaders on key issues impacting the greater Houston community to support the Partnership’s strategic priorities. Initiatives are often led by board-level members and bring together key stakeholders representing business, academia, government and others to address specific challenges impacting the business community.
While participation in initiatives is by invitation only, there are several ways that members can get involved and stay abreast of outcomes driven by Partnership initiatives.
Led by board-level Steering Committee, Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI) positions the Houston region to be more economically competitive by supporting the region’s move towards a more resilient, efficient and sustainable energy future, building on Houston’s strengths to pave the way for a 21st century net-zero emissions world.
HETI will leverage Houston’s energy leadership to accelerate global solutions for a low-carbon future by:
Member expertise will be leveraged through HETI Working Groups, established by the HETI Steering Committee. Initial focuses will be on CCUS, Hydrogen and Industry Decarbonization. The HETI Steering Committee will also work alongside the chairs of Energy 2.0 and Energy and Sustainability Advisory Committee to execute on the initiative.
The Greater Houston HUB creates sustainable partnerships between industry and universities to strengthen Houston’s higher education ecosystem and address the region’s talent needs. HUB members comprised of area higher education institution (HEI) presidents and executive business leaders, work to grow and strengthen our region’s talent pipeline while facilitating collaboration between industry and higher education institutions.
HUB is working to develop Houston as a center of academic excellence by:
One Houston TogetherLed by a board-level committee, One Houston Together is the Partnership’s commitment to leverage the power of the business community to reduce inequities. Progress through One Houston Together depends on collective action by the business community to drive change in two priority areas: increase racial equity in the corporate talent pipeline and executive leadership and accelerate the growth of underrepresented businesses.
UpSkill HoustonMobilizing the collective action of business, education and community leaders to develop a skilled workforce and create good pathways to opportunity for all.
Houston Back on TrackAddressing specific short- and mid-term workforce gaps employers are facing in a tight labor market and by preparing individuals displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic to navigate and re-enter the post-pandemic labor market.
Learn more about getting involved in these initiatives by reaching out to our Member Engagement team at member.engagement@houston.org.
The Partnership is the principal business organization and the largest regional chamber of commerce in greater Houston. The roots of the Partnership date back to 1840. Over these more than 180 years, the Partnership has served as a gathering place for community-minded business leaders and contributes to Houston’s long-term growth by serving in four key roles:
