talnet
Friday, September 19, 2025 | 8:30 am

Talent Forward: Shaping Houston’s Workforce for a Stronger Tomorrow

Hilton Americas

1600 Lamar Street

Houston, TX 77010

Registration Details Coming Soon

About this Event

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:

  • Kelly Bluhm, Greater Houston Market Leader, AON
  • Dorian Cockrell, Vice President, Global Philanthropy, JPMorgan Chase
  • Deneen DeFiore, Vice President & Chief Information Security Officer, United
  • Jim Fish, President & CEO, WM
  • Lavone Jones, Vice President, Human Resources/Customer Experience, Comcast
  • Mike Lewis, Managing Director & Partner, The Boston Consulting Group
  • Scott Marshall, Senior Group Director | People Team Americas, Worley
  • Holly Price, Associate Partner, McKinsey & Company
  • Victor Reyes, Managing Director, Deloitte Consulting LLP
  • Alveda Williams, Chief Inclusion Officer, Dow

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.

Agenda

Open All

8:30 - 9:00 a.m. | Registration & Networking
Arrive early to connect with colleagues and claim your seat for the morning sessions.
9:05 - 9:15 a.m. | Welcome & President's Remarks
Partnership President and CEO Steve Kean and LaTanya Flix, Senior Vice President of the Inclusive Leadership and Opportunity at the Partnership kick off the day.
9:15 – 10:50 a.m. | Morning Sessions
Ignite Talks: A high-energy, future-focused sessions featuring innovative models from leaders across sectors who are pioneering breakthrough ideas in the Houston region. Speakers will deliver rapid-fire presentations highlighting successful initiatives and bold, actionable strategies designed to spark fresh thinking and inspire collaborative action toward building a more inclusive, future-ready workforce. What Works: Real Stories, Real Impact Through brief, powerful testimonials, local employers, community partners, and talent leaders will share lived experiences that bring workforce strategy to life. These authentic narratives will showcase challenges overcome, lessons learned, and the profound impact on individuals and communities, spotlighting the human side of inclusive talent development.
11:00 – 11:25 a.m. | Charting the Future of Career Navigation with AI
Join us for a first look at Houston’s AI-powered career navigation platform, a bold vision for aligning education, employers, and community to unlock economic opportunity for all Houstonians. This session will showcase a conceptual design for an end-to-end system that personalizes career journeys, connects learners and workers to the skills and jobs of tomorrow, and empowers employers with the talent pipeline they need to thrive.
11:25 – 11:45 a.m. | Networking Break + Industry Pod Discussions
Focused networking conversations with fellow industry talent leaders.
Noon – 1:30 p.m. | Luncheon Program
Leading at the Intersection of Technology, Strategy, and Humanity: Innovating leadership in a rapidly changing world. At this inspiring mid-day session, hear from visionary leaders as they explore what it means to lead with impact in today’s dynamic environment. Discover how employers are navigating evolving workforce expectations, integrating technology with purpose, and advancing organizational cultures where people can thrive. Feature your brand during a high-profile gathering of decision-makers and changemakers in the heart of the event.
Save to Calendar09/19/2025 08:30 AM09/19/2025 09:30 AMTalent Forward: Shaping Houston’s Workforce for a Stronger Tomorrow<h3 class="h3 mid-blue">About this Event</h3> <div class="paragraph"> <p>Houston’s future depends on how we develop and empower all who call this region home.</p> <p><strong>Talent Forward</strong> 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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p><strong>From entry-level to executive, and across every sector, we’ll explore key questions: </strong></p> <ul> <li>How can leaders turn uncertainty into opportunity?</li> <li>What is the right organization and culture to enable performance and success?</li> <li>How do we attract, develop, retain and advance our workforce?</li> </ul> <p><strong>Speakers include:</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>Kelly Bluhm</strong>, Greater Houston Market Leader, AON</li> <li><strong>Dorian Cockrell</strong>, Vice President, Global Philanthropy, JPMorgan Chase</li> <li><strong>Deneen DeFiore</strong>, Vice President &amp; Chief Information Security Officer, United</li> <li><strong>Jim Fish</strong>, President &amp; CEO, WM</li> <li><strong>Lavone Jone</strong>s, Vice President, Human Resources/Customer Experience, Comcast</li> <li><strong>Mike Lewis</strong>, Managing Director &amp; Partner, The Boston Consulting Group</li> <li><strong>Scott Marshall</strong>, Senior Group Director | People Team Americas, Worley</li> <li><strong>Holly Price</strong>, Associate Partner, McKinsey &amp; Company</li> <li><strong>Victor Reyes,</strong> Managing Director, Deloitte Consulting LLP</li> <li><strong>Alveda Williams, </strong>Chief Inclusion Officer, Dow</li> </ul> <p>This summit marks the <strong>evolution of the Partnership’s talent and workforce programming, </strong>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>The day’s content is organized around the themes of work, workforce, and organization and culture.</p> <p><strong>Key themes include:</strong></p> <ul> <li>High-impact, <strong>skills-first talent strategies</strong> that unlock potential</li> <li><strong>Equitable access to opportunity</strong> and solutions to workforce participation barriers and advancement challenges</li> <li>Evolving <strong>employee value propositions</strong> and inclusive workplace cultures</li> <li>Aligning <strong>education, training, and employer needs </strong>through collaboration and data</li> <li>Leveraging <strong>technology and connectivity</strong> to navigate change and forecast future skills</li> </ul> <p>Anchored by the Greater Houston Partnership’s UpSkill Houston and One Houston Together initiatives, and aligned with the <em>Houston Next: Advancing Opportunity</em> strategy, this summit builds on Houston’s commitment to innovation, inclusion, and collective impact.</p> <p>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.</p> <p><strong>Who Should Attend:</strong> Talent Forward<strong> </strong>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.</p> <p>This event is for CHROs, CDOs, Vice Presidents, Directors, Managers, and leaders of Workforce Development, Organizational Development, and Learning and Development.</p> </div> <h5>Amplify your brand</h5>
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Have Questions?

Contact Avery Morgan

amorgan@houston.org
Interested in Sponsorship?

Contact Kerri Clifford

kclifford@houston.org

713-844-3623

Affinity Sponsor
Tote Sponsor