2020 Economic Outlook Conference

Join more than 700 business leaders at The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce's 34th Annual Economic Outlook Conference on Friday, February 21, 2020, from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center.

This year’s conference, themed “Innovative Solutions in a Diverse Community,” will feature a community, national and economy update, a CEO panel focused on technology and innovation, and keynotes highlighting the projected growth of the economy in Montgomery County and beyond.

Tickets are on sale now at woodlandschamber.org/EOC for $199 and Chamber members receive a discounted price of $169.

Nationally known as an education thought leader and higher education policy expert, Dr. Renu Khator is currently serving as Chancellor and President of the University of Houston System/University of Houston where she oversees a four-university system that serves nearly 74,000 students, has an annual budget that exceeds $1.8 billion and has a $6 billion-plus impact on the Greater Houston area’s economy each year.

Throughout her nearly 35-year career, Dr. Khator has directed the transformation of complex global organizations responsible for fulfilling critical and challenging missions worldwide in the health, technology, and energy industry.

Before joining the University of Houston System in early 2008, Dr. Khator held a variety of increasingly responsible executive positions within higher education, including Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs at University of South Florida and Dean, College of Arts and Sciences at University of South Florida.

A champion of public universities, Dr. Khator has served on several leading national associations and advisory boards, including serving as the former Chair of the American Council on Education, the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities.

A native of India, Dr. Khator earned her Bachelor degree from Kanpur University and her Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy from Purdue University.

A self-described problem-solver on a tireless chase for success, Clint Brinkley is widely-known as a selfmade man who understands that nothing good in business – or life, for that matter – comes without sharp determination and a thirst to excel.

As the CEO of Your Business Solutions, an industryleading Managed Service Provider (MSP) and Cyber Security firm he founded in 2004, Clint knows that, for some, success comes in the form of forging the path for your own venture, learning from the mistakes of your predecessors, and building a business all your own. Through collaboration, observation, and taking several notes on what not to do, Clint developed Your Business Solutions in 2004. Now, Your Business Solutions is expanding from its headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas into multiple cities and proudly serves dozens of clients across the continental United States.

Tony Nash is the founder and CEO of Complete Intelligence. Using advanced AI, Complete Intelligence provides highly accurate cost and revenue forecasts fuelled by billions of enterprise and public data points.

Previously, Tony built and led the global research business for The Economist (EIU) and the Asia consulting business for IHS (now IHS Markit). He has also been a social entrepreneur, media entrepreneur, writer and consultant.

Tony is a frequent public speaker and leader of closed-door dialogues with business and government leaders on markets, economics, risk and technology. He is a contributor to leading global media (BBC, CNBC, Bloomberg, etc) and has served as an advisor to government and think tanks in Tokyo, Singapore, Beijing, Washington DC and others.

Dr. Ashok Gowda is a founder and CEO of the Houston-based medical technology developer and manufacturer, Biotex, Inc. To date, under his direction, the company has raised over $20 million in nondilutive funding, successfully licensed numerous earlystage technologies, spun out three separate companies (Visualase, Inc., Base Pair Biotechnologies, Inc., E-SAFE Medical, Inc.), all of which successfully raised private capital.

At Biotex, Gowda oversees internal development programs as well as partnering activities, where the company works with other entrepreneurs and start-ups to develop and bring novel medical technologies to market.

Previously, Gowda co-founded and served as chief operating officer at Visualase, Inc., which was acquired by Medtronic for up to $105M in late 2014.

Gabriella “Gaby” Rowe is the executive director of The Ion, a 300,000-square-foot structure designed to bring the area’s entrepreneurial, corporate and academic communities together into collaborative spaces and programs. The Ion supports businesses at all stages of the innovation lifecycle and provides resources for Houstonians seeking to participate in the innovation economy. The innovation space is also a place where academic and corporate partners are integrated into a robust environment of educational events, demonstrations, hack-a-thons and programming. Prior to becoming the executive director of The Ion, Gaby was CEO of Station Houston, the city’s largest hub for startup technology acceleration, corporate innovation and entrepreneurship. She took Station Houston to the next level as a dominant global innovation hub and as Rice University’s partner for content and programming in the development of Houston’s much-anticipated innovation district.

Kevin Brady is the third Texan in history to chair the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. A national economic voice for Republicans, he led the first reform of the tax code in more than three decades which has catapulted America to the most competitive economy in the world.

As chairman he negotiated for Speaker Paul Ryan an end to the 40-year ban on selling U.S. crude oil overseas which has led to America’s energy independence. His initiatives which are now law, include the first reform of the IRS in two decades and recently the SECURE Act, which is the most sweeping overhaul of America’s retirement system in a decade.

A longtime leader in free trade, he helped lead the successful passage of 13 U.S. trade agreements including the recent modern trade agreement with Mexico and Canada which passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support and is projected to create 176,000 new jobs in America.

In health care he led the repeal of four Affordable Care Act taxes—including the unpopular individual mandate—totaling over $600 billion in savings to America’s families and businesses.

Prior to his election to Congress representing the 8th District of Texas, Kevin worked as a chamber of commerce executive for 18 years and served six years in the Texas House of Representatives.

Gil Staley has been with The Woodlands Area Economic Development Partnership for over 15 years and serves as CEO. He is responsible for directing recruitment of new businesses as well as directing the business retention and expansion program. Gil also oversees the operational aspects of the EDP while maintaining the financial integrity of the organization.

Prior to joining the EDP, he was the District Sales Manager in Houston for Delta Air Lines. In this role, he was responsible for marketing, corporate sales and community affairs for Central and South Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Gil was with Delta for over 26 years.

Gil is a 2009 Center for Houston’s Future Business/Civic Leadership Forum graduate, as well as a 2006 Leadership Montgomery County graduate and a 2013 Hometown Hero. He serves on numerous community boards including Montgomery County Food Bank, The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce, Conroe North Houston Regional Airport Board of Directors, Small Business Development Center, Gulf Coast Economic Development District and Gulf Coast Workforce Board.

Jesse Thompson, who joined the Bank in 2010, performs research and analysis on issues affecting the Houston and Gulf Coast economy. In particular, he studies issues surrounding area hydrocarbon industries.

He also collects information for the Dallas Fed’s Beige Book summary of current economic conditions. He is author of the monthly Energy Indicators, the Houston Economic Indicators, and contributes to the quarterly publication Southwest Economy.

Thompson earned an MA in economics, with emphasis on empirical microeconomics, and BA in philosophy and economics from the University of Houston.

7:30 AM: Registration

8 AM: Welcome

8:20 AM: National Update

9 AM: Community Update

10 AM: Economy Update

11 AM: Innovation Panel

NOON: Keynote Luncheon