Grace Rodriguez

Grace helps do-gooders do greater. For more than two decades, she has shaped

programs, spread ideas, and spurred action as a founder, leader, advisor and

advocate for numerous initiatives and organizations, directly reaching over

267,000 people in the past decade alone. After co-founding Station Houston and

launching The Houston Innovation Summit (THIS) to rally Houston’s innovation

ecosystem and support local startups, Grace saw the need for more diverse

representation and resources to help uplift women and minority entrepreneurs. To

address that, she went on to co-found Impact Hub Houston, a locally rooted

501c3 nonprofit organization that provides inclusive platforms, intentional

programs, and an international community dedicated to empowering

changemakers and helping diverse entrepreneurs develop transformative

solutions with scalable impact. Impact Hub Houston works alongside 100+ Impact

Hubs in 56+ countries around the world, recognized by the United Nations as the

world’s largest network for accelerating entrepreneurial solutions towards

measurable impact for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Grace has real-world experience in design thinking, systems strategy, and

facilitating transformational change, which she puts to work supporting Greater

Houston’s diverse communities. During Hurricane Harvey, Grace organized

volunteers to help disseminate accurate and timely information across Houston,

and connected Sketch City’s tech volunteers with resources to help over 28,000

people across the city get informed, rescued, sheltered, fed, and supplied

“She has energized over 800 high-profile, international attendees as TED’ TEDActive Conference Creative Director; and spotlighted Houston’s creative community to 17,000+ participants over the nine years of ‘Houston@SXSW.’”

Grace serves on the boards of the Houston Downtown Management District,
Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston (MATCH), and Writers in the Schools
(WITS). She is a mentor for accelerator programs like MassChallenge, Rice
University Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (LILIE), UH Red Labs,
and Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship; and is the lead organizer for Women In
Tech: Houston (WIT:H) and TEDxHouston. Finally, Grace is a thought partner and
active member in: Nationswell; Kauffman SHIP National Resource Providers and
Ecosystem Developers community; Aspen Network for Development
Entrepreneurs (ANDE); Page 30 Coalition; City of Houston Women and Minority
Business Task Force (BEAMW); and the Houston Exponential Startup
Development Organization (SD) Roundtable.

First Day January 5, 2020

Second DayJanuary 6, 2020

Third DayJanuary 8, 2020

Fourth DayJanuary 9, 2020

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