Grace Rodriguez
CEO & Executive Director
Impact Hub Houston
Houston, TX USA
“The one thing that can make or break a person’s venture is how passionate they are about the problem, not how passionate they are about the solution.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationGrace Rodriguez
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
I initially thought I wanted to become a cardiothoracic surgeon after watching a surgery demonstration.
I got into Columbia University as a pre-med student but ended up leaving during my sophomore year because I felt burnt out.
After taking some time to travel and figure out what I wanted to do, I moved back to New York and transferred to Parsons School of Design to pursue fashion design.
I felt like I didn’t have the resources to become successful in fashion, so I pivoted to working in marketing.
I was working on Wall Street when I started feeling burnt out again, so I took some time off, moved to Houston, Texas, and tried out a variety of different jobs and industries.
I eventually started my own marketing agency, which led to me connecting with Mercury Fund and becoming a co-founder of Station Houston, where I helped tech entrepreneurs launch and scale start-ups.
From Station Houston, I moved on to Impact Hub Houston where, as CEO and executive director, I’m able to create more impact and emphasize things that are important to me, like diversity and inclusion.
In addition to my work with Impact Hub Houston, I’m also a board member for Downtown Houston and the City of Houston Office of Business Opportunity.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Career
CEO & Executive Director
I lead a nonprofit that empowers changemakers by providing inclusive platforms and intentional programs.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Business
Entrepreneurship
Working with Others
Day to Day
I mentor founders and emerging leaders from marginalized and racialized communities, develop ecosystems to support diverse entrepreneurs and impact innovators, and build partnerships that support our organization and our vision to catalyze equitable and impactful solutions for a just and sustainable world.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for everyone
Pursue what piques your curiosity, engage with local community organizations, and build productive relationships with business and government leaders. Seek to learn from every experience and opportunity you have. Save college for when you know exactly what you want to learn and receive from that experience so that your money is well-spent and you derive real value from your investment in it.
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Society in General:
"You have to go to college to be successful."
Challenges I Overcame
School Stress
Interviewed By
Wide Open Range
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