Innovation leader wants Houston’s diverse population to have the same access to entrepreneurial success

It’s not enough to Grace Rodriguez that Houston’s been recognized as the most diverse city in the nation. She wants Houston’s innovation ecosystem to have inclusion and opportunities for all.

One of the originals founders of Station Houston, Rodriguez saw that, while Station and others at the time were making huge moves for helping entrepreneurs, there were some that weren’t having the same experience.

“Houston is so diverse, and there are so many entrepreneurs that weren’t getting access to the same resources,” she says on this week’s episode of the Houston Innovators Podcast.

Rodriguez founded Houston’s chapter of Impact Hub, a global organization that helps to accelerate nonprofits and startups working to advance the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, last year. The organization now works with other entities, like The Cannon Houston, to provide useful and inclusive programming for the entirety of the city’s innovation world.

Recently, organization hosted Houston’s first Climathon — a hackathon for climate change solutions — and is currently working on programming for the city’s upcoming The Houston Innovation Summit, or THIS. The week-long event takes place November 18 to November 24 and engages and activates organizations across the city — such as Bunker Labs, The Cannon, Houston Exponential, and more.

With the growth of startup development organizations and new accelerator programs entering the market, Rodriguez wants now for each organization to come together — like they will be doing for THIS.

“Now I think the conversation needs to be, ‘How can all of us play well together?'” Rodriguez says.

On the podcast, Rodriguez discusses her career, the impact of Impact Hub, and more details about THIS. Check it out below and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.