HOUSTON (January 5, 2023) – The Greater Houston Partnership is collaborating with a national mentorship organization to launch a first-of-its-kind regional mentorship initiative. Ahead of the launch this month, 10 companies have committed to providing professional mentors for the program, while more than a half-dozen universities will offer the mentorship opportunity to their students. 

The initiative, dubbed PartnerUp Houston, is designed to proactively address the equity and skills gaps in the region, increase the workforce readiness of Houston’s college graduates, and strengthen the talent pipeline of the local economy. 

“Since 2017, the Partnership has facilitated collaboration between higher education leaders and the business community to strengthen the region’s talent pipeline and ensure more opportunity for Houstonians,” said Partnership Chair Thad Hill, who serves as President and CEO of Calpine. “We believe a robust, regional mentorship program like PartnerUp will help accelerate career outcomes for students and help Houston area employers identify and cultivate great talent.”  

Companies including Calpine, Boston Consulting Group, and HP have signed on to provide professional mentors to the PartnerUp Houston program. Area universities offering the mentorship opportunity to their students include Houston Christian University, Prairie View A&M University, Rice University, Sam Houston State University, Texas Southern University, University of Houston, University of Houston Downtown, and University of St. Thomas. Area companies interested in joining PartnerUp to provide professional mentors, as well as individuals interested in becoming a career mentor, are encouraged to visit this page to learn more. 

PartnerUp Houston is a collaborative venture between the Greater Houston Partnership and Mentor Collective, the preferred partner for large-scale peer and alumni mentorship solutions and Lumina Foundation Impact Investment. Since 2016, Mentor Collective has facilitated more than 250,000 successful mentorship matches and has had a proven impact on student retention, career-decision self-efficacy, and sense of belonging.

“The United States increasingly lags behind the developed world in economic mobility. Proactively bridging these equity and skills gaps requires local employers and post-secondary institutions to collaborate on initiatives that allow students to acquire professional experiences and skills.” said Jackson Boyar, Co-Founder and CEO of Mentor Collective. “Institutions enrolling and graduating a diverse class with strong employment outcomes are those implementing holistic student support, including career mentorship. Mentor Collective is proud to play a role in the PartnerUp Houston initiative and offer the technology needed to scale high-impact practices that drive student and economic success.”

Companies and individuals can continue to sign on for mentorship through January 20, for the spring semester. 

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Greater Houston Partnership
The Greater Houston Partnership works to make Houston one of the best places to live, work and build a business. As the economic development organization for the region, the Partnership champions growth across 12 counties by bringing together business and civic-minded leaders who are dedicated to the area’s long-term success. Representing 950+ member organizations and approximately one-fifth of the region’s workforce, the Partnership is the place companies come together to make an impact. Learn more at Houston.org.

Mentor Collective
Mentor Collective—the leading provider of high-impact, large-scale mentorship solutions in higher education—is a collective of institutions and thought leaders dedicated to closing the equity gap through mentorship. Founded in 2014, Mentor Collective has delivered 800+ unique mentorship programs, established 180+ institutional partnerships, and formed over 250,000 mentoring relationships through expert-led services, and technology. As an impact-first investment of the Lumina Foundation, Mentor Collective partners with forward-thinking institutions that are committed to equity, inclusion, and relationship-centered education. Download the EdTech For Equity white paper to learn more. 

Contact: 
A.J. Mistretta
amistretta@houston.org  
504-450-3516

Samantha Emelock
Content Marketing Manager
Samanthaemelock@mentorcollective.org
978-778-8489