Houston’s future depends on how we develop and empower all who call this region home.

Talent Forward brings together business, education, and community leaders to shape a more connected, skilled, and inclusive workforce, one that meets industry demands and provides clear pathways to advancement and prosperity for all Houstonians.

This is more than a talent and workforce summit. It’s a call to action to reimagine how we grow talent, build inclusive workplace cultures, and position Houston as the global leader in talent development and economic mobility.

Through a dynamic mix of strategic conversations, interactive peer sessions, and actionable takeaways, the summit empowers leaders to shape change within their organizations and across the region.

From entry-level to executive, and across every sector, we’ll explore key questions: 

• How can leaders turn uncertainty into opportunity?
• What is the right organization and culture to enable performance and success?
• How do we attract, develop, retain and advance our workforce?

Speakers include:

• Alveda Williams, Chief Inclusion Officer at Dow
• Holly Price, Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company
• Victor Reyes, Managing Director at Deloitte Consulting LLP

This summit marks the evolution of the Partnership’s talent and workforce programming, from our early work convening employee resource groups and diversity champions to our employer-led workforce initiative, UpSkill Houston. It underscores our dedication to the entire talent continuum, from education to employment to advancement.

By focusing on this work, we remain steadfast in our commitment to opportunity, access, and upward mobility for all, recognizing that people and talent are the number one priority for Houston’s business and community leaders.

The day’s content is organized around the themes of work, workforce, and organization and culture. 

Key themes include:

• High-impact, skills-first talent strategies that unlock potential
• Equitable access to opportunity and solutions to workforce participation barriers and advancement challenges
• Evolving employee value propositions and inclusive workplace cultures
• Aligning education, training, and employer needs through collaboration and data
• Leveraging technology and connectivity to navigate change and forecast future skills

Anchored by the Greater Houston Partnership’s UpSkill Houston and One Houston Together initiatives, and aligned with the Houston Next: Advancing Opportunity strategy, this summit builds on Houston’s commitment to innovation, inclusion, and collective impact.

Together, we’ll explore how to create a Houston where every worker or human capital has the opportunity to thrive, and where businesses have the skilled workforce they need to lead.

Who Should Attend: Talent Forward is designed for leaders and practitioners responsible for transformation and direction setting enterprise-wide or at the business unit or department level. All industries and sectors from across the Houston region are encouraged to attend.

This event is for CHROs, CDOs, Vice Presidents, Directors, Managers, and leaders of Workforce Development, Organizational Development, and Learning and Development.