Houston OBO Insights to Opportunity Newsletter - Winter 2024

INSIGHTS TO

O P P O R T U N I T Y

MEET THE BUYER PROCUREMENT FORUM 2023

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The 15th annual Meet the Buyer Procurement Forum saw the largest audience in the Office of Business Opportunity’s history. This year’s event had 923 people registered, 426 small businesses in attendance, and 160 exhibitors at 57 exhibitor booths. Read more on page five.

A message from the director

“Let’s celebrate our enduring foundations that have withstood the test of time.”

Marsha E. Murray, Office of Business Opportunity Director

Greetings,

As we look back at the past year, Houston has been a hub of activity, resilience, and community engagement In this issue of Insights to Opportunity, we revisit some significant events that helped shape our city: Turnaround Houston Job Fair, H-Town Rewards Shop Local Program, and Meet the Buyer Procurement Forum.

Since its inception, Turnaround Houston Job Fairs have garnered more than 6,700 participants in its goal to serve as the vital bridge between job seekers and opportunities, fostering resilience and progress in our city H-Town Rewards is an innovative mobile application that is designed to boost economic development for small businesses in select under-resourced Houston communities while rewarding residents who choose to shop locally For more than ten years, Meet the Buyer has served as a platform for small businesses to understand governmental procurement processes

These events exemplified our city’s determination to empower its workforce and foster economic growth As we acknowledge OBO’s 40th anniversary and continue to build our city, let’s celebrate our enduring foundations that have withstood the test of time and look forward to a future where Houston thrives, adapts, and remains a beacon of progress

Meet the Insights to Opportunities Staff

Marsha E. Murray, Director

Cylenthia Hoyrd, Assistant Director

Norma Meadows, Chief of Staff

Brandon Jones, ExternalAffairs Manager/Editor

Andrea Sidlauskas, Communications Specialist/Writer

Turnaround Houston Job Fair

Dec. 12, 2023

The Winter Turnaround Houston Job and Readiness Fair took place on Dec 12, 2023 at the Sunnyside Multi-Service Center. The event, in partnership with CM Carolyn Evans-Shabazz and Workforce Solutions, registered 797 job seekers, 41 hiring employers, and four resource organizations.

Turnaround Houston is a community based initiative created by Mayor Sylvester Turner in 2016 and is designed to help Houstonians turn their lives around by providing them with vital resources that can assist in eliminating the barriers to employment they face.

The goals and objectives of the initiative are to help improve the lives of citizens and by addressing their job training, education, and employment needs.

Following the event, 21 individuals indicated that they received a job offer, and six were invited for a follow-up interview.

Program Announcement

H-Town Rewards

City of Houston announces shop local program

The Office of Business Opportunity launched the pilot of the H-Town Rewards program on Nov. 15, 2023. This six-month shop local program was designed to spur economic development for local small businesses, focusing on businesses in select historically under-resourced neighborhoods in Houston.

This innovative economic incentive mobile app allows Houston-area residents the opportunity to earn rewards while shopping and dining at local small businesses across the Houston Metropolitan area

The City of Houston will fully fund the rewards redeemed as a part of the H-Town Rewards Program, and there is absolutely no cost for businesses to participate! As an added incentive for businesses to enroll in the program either as a Participating Business or a Redeeming Business, the app, developed and powered by Colu Technologies, also provides a platform to market their products and services.

The H-Town Rewards mobile app is available for download by Houston area residents and businesses on Apple’s App Store and on Android’s Google Play. It is FREE of charge to both users, who would like to collect rewards, and business owners, who would like to promote their businesses on the app. All that is required of users to begin collecting H-Points is to link either a credit or debit card to their account.

Each H-Town Point = $1. Earned rewards are easily redeemable on purchases at local Redeeming Businesses.

For more information or to apply to become a redeeming business, visit

https://www.houstontx.gov/obo/shop-local.html.

Program Highlight

Meet the Buyer Procurement Forum

The 2023 event recorded the largest showing in OBO history

The 15th annual Meet the Buyer Procurement Forum took place

Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, which was attended by a crowd of more than 600. Meet the Buyer is one of the largest events that the Office of Business Opportunity (OBO) offers. It spans over more than a decade in service to certified firms every December, and each year, small business owners, resource organizations and contracting agents gather for the ultimate opportunity to connect small businesses with City of Houston procurement agents, as well as other governmental agencies and prime contractors

area. It consists of various workshops, educational materials, networking opportunities and an exhibitor fair which are dedicated to helping small businesses understand procurement processes, obtain information on the latest City projects, and access resources provided by business support organizations.

Although the event is in its 15th year, the 2023 edition of Meet the Buyer, coordinated by OBO Business Development Manager Dr. Porscha Jackson, featured new panels and activities, including a workshop detailing how to access Amazon opportunities and an interactive networking activity which encouraged participants to fully engage with each other.

Meet the Buyer is an essential key to the development and growth of small businesses in the Houston

Meet the Buyer also included brand-new onthe-spot certification appointments, in which members from OBO’s certification team were available to assist participants in completing their applications.

The event included some familiar features, such as the opportunity for small business owners to showcase their business to attendees during the opening networking session and one-on-one conversations with City prime contractors and procurement agents Participants were walked through the procurement process step-by-step and had the opportunity to attend other dynamic workshops where they could ask questions and obtain information about the latest City projects and other opportunities across the region

Over the past 15 years, thousands of businesses have participated in this event, and many valuable connections

have been forged throughout the years

Meet the Buyer continues to create a positive impact on the lives of Houstonians by increasing opportunities for small businesses, especially those that have been historically disenfranchised As opportunities to conduct business with the City continue to grow, so does this event

The event recording and workshops are available on OBO’s YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/houstontxobo. For more information on Meet the Buyer, visit http://houstontxgov/obo/meetthebuyer.html.

Meet the External Affairs Team

As the head of the External Affairs team, Brandon Jones has always incorporated Public Relations and Communication into his work He started his career as a television news reporter before moving up to the role of a news anchor His varied experience in news reporting gave him a unique grasp of shaping and controlling public opinion and perception This skill played a big part in him landing the role of press secretary for the Texas Army National Guard

As Communications Manager at the Austin Police Department, Brandon played an integral role in advising the Chief of Police on crafting an impactful brand and tailored messaging strategies. In this position, he provided the department with valuable counsel across all aspects of establishing an identity and developing communications that resonated with residents Whether exploring new avenues for community outreach, strengthening existing public relations efforts, or devising effe‐ctive means of sharing crucial safety alerts, his guidance supported the department's aim of building trust and serving citizens through transparent engagement Brandon strives to motivate others towards diligence and achievement through maintaining an optimistic mindset and boundless enthusiasm. The tireless work ethic modeled by his grandmother and mother continually drive Brandon to persevere. In his spare time, he finds pleasure in preparing meals, delving into nonfiction works, and attending various gatherings within his community Brandon is a graduate of Oakland University He's currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Mass Communication from Texas Tech University

Meet Dr PJ – Porscha Jackson, PhD – a powerhouse in Houston’s small business ecosystem! As the Business Development Manager at the City of Houston Office of Business Opportunity (OBO), she is a go-to mentor, helping entrepreneurs navigate the business labyrinth and representing OBO with flair at community events Beyond her city role, Dr PJ is an author, penning "Pursuing Legacy" and contributing her brilliance to academic texts and anthologies With a heart for the underdog, she's not just a professional rockstar but a community champion, fighting for inclusivity and brighter futures.

Jesse Rubio is the current Workforce Development Coordinator at OBO who helps build up Houston’s workforce to enhance the talent pool available in order to grow the City’s economy One way this is done is by hosting job and readiness fairs for the citizens of Houston Jesse holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas San Antonio He began his career in the finance industry before moving to the public sector with the City of San Antonio, working in the Neighborhood and Housing Department as a Management Analyst. Jesse is a native San Antonian who enjoys watching and playing basketball and football. His hobbies include going to the gym, taking his dog, Benito, for walks, and hanging out with friends for game nights

Meet the External Affairs Team

Selma (Nellie) Piña is the business development coordinator for the City of Houston Office of Business Opportunity Solutions Center (OBOSC) that provides and operates no-cost business assistance to start-up companies, helps businesses navigate the city permitting and licensing process, provides referrals for educational and financial resources, as well as assists in certification for Minority, Women, Small and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (MWSDBE) and Persons with Disabilities Business Enterprises to do business with the city and procurement partners OBO's motto is: Educate Connect Grow Nellie's professional background includes legal assistance on medical records mgmt and treatment specialist for two top Houston personal injury law firms, Galindo Law Firm and Sewell Law Firm She has been a business owner as a sole-proprietor in both Houston, TX and Miami, FL in the hair salon industry, and internationally while living in the Middle East in the education industry as a language instructor, where she also authored a second grade English book series with Highlights for Children Magazine for Preiss Murphy Publishers, an American publishing company in Amman, Jordan that publishes school books for the Middle East North Africa region (MENA) Nellie graduated from DeVry University Houston with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Cum Laude Honors degree that concentrates in Small Business Management & Entrepreneurship in 2010 She also attended DeVry University campuses in Miami and Miramar, FL for 25 years She was raised a Native-Houstonian in Pasadena southeast area, and graduated from Sam Rayburn High School in 1993

Jessica DelGreco lived in Jupiter, Florida before moving to Columbus, Ohio She graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science with a specialization in Democracy and Law During college, she was employed with the Ohio State library system and did essay revisions and tutoring for fellow Ohio State students Before relocating to Houston, she worked for a nonprofit in Delaware, Ohio that served individuals with mental health and substance abuse concerns by providing services within the jails and prisons and developing and managing research backed programs She was also responsible for community outreach and the development of new partnerships.

At the Office of Business Opportunity, she is responsible for managing the Liftoff Houston Start Up Business Plan Competition, and the Turnaround Entrepreneurship Program (TEP) Liftoff Houston offers a variety of workshops to assist start up business owners gain the knowledge and tools to launch their business At the end of the program, those who submit a business plan and meet all program requirements, have a chance to win the prize of $10,000 Like Liftoff Houston, Turnaround Entrepreneurship Program provides start up business knowledge and credit building to participants, although participants of this program must have a criminal background history In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time with her dogs.

Andrea Sidlauskas is the Communications Specialist for the Office of Business Opportunity Originally from Green Bay, WI, Andrea graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a BA in Journalism and Spanish before earning her MS in Sports Management from American Military University Before working for the City of Houston, Andrea worked as a sports reporter and then served six years of active duty in the Air Force

As part of her current role, Andrea writes communication materials such as speaking points, newsletter articles, and press releases She also creates marketing materials including flyers, brochures, and branded content while managing OBO’s social media platforms. In her free time, Andrea enjoys spending time with her two dogs, watching sports, and being active