The Greater Houston Partnership proudly presents the Houston DiverseCity Summit, an inspiring one-day convening to advance equity and inclusion in the greater Houston region. This gathering of leading professionals will focus on diversity, equity and inclusion as a business imperative and practical ways to advance progress, improve outcomes, and create greater impact. 

Join the Houston region's business leaders and Talent and DEI executives who will share actionable insights to help you meet business outcomes and stakeholder expectations. With expected attendance of 400+, the summit features content for companies and organizations of all sizes.

The Summit offers an opening plenary, breakout discussions, and a luncheon keynote and panel discussion. 

Opening Plenary

Derek R. Avery, Ph.D., C.T. Bauer Chair of Inclusive Leadership, Bauer College of Business, University of Houston 

• Nationally recognized researcher and thought leader will discuss inclusive leadership as a core business discipline

Luncheon Keynote

Gretchen Watkins, President, Shell USA, Inc.  

• Co-chair of Partnership Racial Equity Committee

Luncheon Panel 

Accelerating Progress: Winning Practices to Drive Transformational Impact

Presenters in this power-packed conversation will share winning practices to nurture a culture of inclusion and equity and create long-term value and trust. 

• Mary Miranda, US West DE&I Leader and HR Enablement Leader, EY
• Marty Rodgers, Market Unit Lead - South Region, Accenture
• Shibu Varghese, SHRM-SCP, Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer, MD Anderson

Concurrent Breakout Sessions  

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The Evolution and Future of ERGs: Join Partnership members and a global leader Catalyst to discuss how ERGs will deliver on employee needs, provide a return on investment, and retain business relevance now and in the future. 

Connecting DEI and ESG: Why Inaction is Not an Option: How does a strong DEI strategy that includes inclusive growth, human capital management, and supplier diversity support both environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments and a company’s strategic direction?

Rethinking Talent Retention and Advancement for Underrepresented Groups: Boston Consulting Group (BCG) will present a framework for rethinking support and interventions through a lens of emotional and functional needs rather than demographic needs.

A Blueprint for Belonging: How Can We Create Inclusive Culture? This robust discussion will inspire new ideas about where companies should take bolder action to create inclusive culture, develop inclusive leadership skills, and promote inclusive behavior. 

Measuring DEI Progress and Sustaining Momentum: This session focuses on the need to adopt systematic approaches to DEI and how organizations build trust and use accountability, transparency, and DEI analytics to make informed decisions on workforce planning, operating models, and more.

Breakout session speakers include:

• Marie-Helene Ben Samoun, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group
• Shea Bible, Director, Corporate Engagement, Catalyst 
• Kimberly Blasingame, Director, Talent Acquisition and DE&I, CenterPoint Energy
• Arianne D. Dowdell, Vice President, Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, Houston Methodist Hospital
• Angie Eason, Director, Internal Communications, Houston Region, Comcast
• Victoria Gutierrez, Chief Merchandising Officer, Sysco
• Cynthia Hansen, Executive VP and President, Gas Transmission and Midstream; Co-chair Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee, Enbridge
• Yarmon Kennedy, Chief of Staff, Office of the CEO, Corebridge Financial
• Mitch Mitchell, Senior Vice President, Diversity and Community Partnerships, Sempra 
• Tamara Page, Head of Western Hemisphere, Workforce DE&I, bp
• Stacy Putman, Manager, Advocacy, Leadership & Workforce Development Strategic Technology, INEOS
• Ingrid Robinson, President, HMSDC
• Jessica Shaver, Chief People Officer, Port Houston
• Suzanne Skipper, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group
• Aisha Washington, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, HPE  
• Shweta Kurvey-Mishra, VP, Organizational and Talent Development, WM

Sponsorship opportunities are now available for companies interested in supporting the event. Individual tickets and tables of 10 are now available.