Center For Houstons Future Inc

THE CENTER INSPIRES LEADERS TO IDENTIFY MATTERS OF THE HIGHEST IMPORTANCE TO THE LONG-TERM FUTURE OF THE GREATER HOUSTON REGION & TO COLLABORATE IN ADDRESSING THOSE CHALLENGES

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES (PLANNING, RESEARCH AND ACTION): CENTER FOR HOUSTON'S FUTURE LOOKS OVER THE HORIZON AT GLOBAL, NATIONAL AND LOCAL TRENDS THAT WILL SHAPE OUR FUTURE, AND BRING BUSINESS, GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER TO ENGAGE IN FACT-BASED STRATEGIC PLANNING, COLLABORATION, CONSENSUS-BUILDING AND ACTION ON ISSUES OF GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THE HOUSTON REGION. IN 2022, THE CENTER UNDERTOOK STRATEGIC WORK IN THE FOLLOWING THREE AREAS: ENERGY, ENERGY TRANSITION AND CLIMATE: THE CENTER'S ENERGY TRANSITION AND CLIMATE CHANGE WORK SEEKS TO ENSURE THAT HOUSTON, THE WORLD'S "ENERGY CAPITAL," MAINTAINS ITS GLOBAL LEADERSHIP ROLE THROUGHOUT THE ENERGY TRANSITION. THE CENTER HAS BEEN A PIONEER IN RECOGNIZING THAT THE HOUSTON REGION CAN AND SHOULD BECOME THE GLOBAL LOW-CARBON ENERGY CAPITAL. TO THAT END, WE HAVE UNDERTAKEN RESEARCH, CONFERENCES, WEBCASTS, PROJECTS, MEDIA INTERVIEWS AND THOUGHT LEADERSHIP, AND EXTENSIVE WORK WITH MANY PARTNERS TO CATALYZE THIS VISION. AS A RESULT, WE IDENTIFIED MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE ENERGY TRANSITION TO BUILD ON HOUSTON'S INFRASTRUCTURE BASE, EXPERTISE OF ENERGY COMPANIES, SKILLED WORKFORCE, RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES AND NASCENT ENERGY INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM. WE ARE COLLABORATING WITH THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP ON ITS HOUSTON ENERGY TRANSITION INITIATIVE, WHICH INCLUDES FOUR KEY FOCUS AREAS, AND THE CENTER IS LEADING ONE OF THEM, FOCUSED ON CLEAN HYDROGEN. IN 2022, WE PUBLISHED THREE MAJOR WHITE PAPERS INCLUDING CUTTING EDGE CLEAN-ENERGY RESEARCH THROUGH A PROJECT SPONSORED BY BILL GATES' BREAKTHROUGH ENERGY; AND WE ENGAGED IN THOUGHT LEADERSHIP VIA WEBCASTS, TRADITIONAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA, AND SPEECHES AND PANEL APPEARANCES. KEY 2022 HIGHLIGHTS ARE DISCUSSED BELOW: - ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES FOCUSING ON CLEAN HYDROGEN: CLEAN HYDROGEN IS ONE OF THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF OUR LOW-CARBON FUTURE. TO MAKE HOUSTON A GLOBAL LEADER, WE CREATED A STEERING COMMITTEE WITH 32 NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES AND A WORKING COMMITTEE OF OVER 100 SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS FROM 70 COMPANIES, RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS AND GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS. WITH MCKINSEY AND COMPANY, WE RELEASED A 60-PAGE RESEARCH REPORT, HOUSTON AS THE EPICENTER OF A GLOBAL CLEAN HYDROGEN HUB, SHOWING HOW WE CAN LEVERAGE OUR STRONG BASE OF REGIONAL AND STATE ASSETS TO CREATE A GLOBAL CLEAN HYDROGEN HUB. WE HAD MORE THAN 45 HYDROGEN-RELATED MEDIA APPEARANCES, INCLUDING MORE THAN 20 IN SUPPORT OF THE REPORT. - BUILDING A HYDROGEN ECOSYSTEM: WE SIGNED TWO INTERNATIONAL MEMORANDA OF UNDERSTANDING, ONE WITH THE JAPAN HYDROGEN FORUM, A CONSORTIUM OF 15 JAPANESE COMPANIES INTERESTED IN HYDROGEN DEVELOPMENT AND ONE WITH THE DANISH GOVERNMENT AT AN EVENT ON CAPITOL HILL IN WASHINGTON DC WITH THE DANISH PRIME MINISTER. IN ADDITION, WE WORKED TO LAUNCH ADDITIONAL HYDROGEN PROJECTS INCLUDING ELECTROLYSIS MANUFACTURING; BILATERAL PARTNERSHIPS; GREEN SHIPPING CORRIDOR; EXPORT COALITIONS WITH EUROPEAN INTERESTS; AND CARBON INTENSITY STANDARDS. - ENERGY MANUFACTURING WHITE PAPER: WITH THE CONSULTING FIRM PARTNERS IN PERFORMANCE, WE RELEASED HOUSTON'S FUTURE AS A GLOBAL CENTER FOR CLEAN HYDROGEN MANUFACTURING, RECYCLING, AND ELECTROLYSIS, A REPORT DETAILING HOUSTON'S STRATEGIC ADVANTAGES FOR MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT CRITICAL FOR CLEAN HYDROGEN PRODUCTION. - CLIMATE AND ENERGY EDUCATION: IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHILDREN'S MUSEUM HOUSTON, WE LAUNCHED DRIVING THE FUTURE, AN AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 3-8 TO LEARN ABOUT ACHIEVING A LOW-CARBON FUTURE. KIDS IN CHARGE, OUR WONDER WEEK PROGRAM AT THE MUSEUM, FEATURED HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES AND DEMONSTRATIONS. - COMMUNITY OUTREACH: WE HOSTED TWO MAJOR ENERGY CONFERENCES, ONE WITH THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP AND THE OTHER WITH THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM. (WE ARE A PARTNER IN THE TRANSITIONING INDUSTRIAL CLUSTERS TOWARD NET ZERO INITIATIVE, LAUNCHED BY WEF, EPRI AND ACCENTURE. - MAJOR FEDERAL GRANT APPLICATION: THE CENTER, ALONG WITH PARTNER GTI ENERGY, DEVELOPED A VISION FOR AND CREATED THE CONSORTIUM THAT CAME TOGETHER TO CREATE THE HYVELOCITY HUB. THE HUB, COMPRISED OF LEADING ENERGY COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING FOUNDING MEMBERS UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, AIR LIQUIDE AND CHEVRON, WAS SET TO APPLY IN 2023 FOR U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY REGIONAL CLEAN HYDROGEN HUB FUNDING TO ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF CLEAN HYDROGEN PROJECTS IN TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA. WE CREATED A CONCEPT PAPER IN SUPPORT OF THE GRANT PROPOSAL, UNDERPINNED BY A VISION OF SUPPORTING A JUST AND EQUITABLE ENERGY TRANSITION THAT ALIGNS COMMUNITY NEEDS WITH CLEAN ENERGY, GROWS THE LOCAL ECONOMY AND CREATE JOBS IN DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. HEALTH AND HEALTH EQUITY: BUILDING ON OUR FOUNDATIONAL 2020 HEALTH CARE REPORT, THE CENTER EXPANDED ITS HEALTH CARE AND HEALTH EQUITY WORK BY EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION BETWEEN LEADERS IN HEALTH CARE, BUSINESS, AND SOCIAL SERVICES TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND ECONOMIC WELL-BEING IN GREATER HOUSTON. WE CONTINUED TO IDENTIFY COMMUNITY HEALTH ISSUES, PURSUED FUNDING TO SUPPORT HEALTH EQUITY INITIATIVES, AND CONDUCTED ONGOING RESEARCH AND COALITION BUILDING. 2022 HIGHLIGHTS: - MATERNAL HEALTH: WE RELEASED, SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH IMPACTING MATERNAL HEALTH AND THE OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES, A RESEARCH REPORT THAT PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF MATERNAL HEALTH IN OUR REGION AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT. THE REPORT WAS COVERED BY LOCAL MEDIA. FINDINGS FROM THIS REPORT INCLUDE: - HOUSTON'S MATERNAL HEALTH OUTCOMES ARE WORSE THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, WHILE THE US HAS HIGHER MATERNAL MORTALITY RATES THAN OTHER DEVELOPED NATIONS DESPITE SPENDING A GREATER PERCENTAGE OF GDP ON HEALTHCARE. - KEY CHALLENGES INCLUDE A LACK OF COORDINATION AND SUSTAINABLE FUNDING TO ADDRESS SOCIAL NEEDS THAT DRIVE 80% OF OUTCOMES. - THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY CAN ACT TO IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH, WHICH WILL BOTH IMPROVE THE REGION'S OVERALL HEALTH AND BOOST WORKFORCE PRODUCTIVITY. - COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: WE FOLLOWED OUR MATERNAL HEALTH REPORT WITH A ROUNDTABLE ON BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT TO IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH OUTCOMES AND FORMED AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF CROSS-SECTOR LEADERS TO WORK ON AN ACTION PLAN. WE FACILITATED A UH SCHOOL OF NURSING WORKSHOP WITH HOSPITAL CEOS AND CNOS ON WORKFORCE BURNOUT AND SHORTAGES. AND WE HOSTED ROUNDTABLES TO INFORM OUR 2022 HEALTH CARE REPORT, INCLUDING ONE FOCUSED ON LOCAL HEALTH CARE TRENDS AND OPPORTUNITIES, AND A SECOND EXPLORING HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION AND LIFE SCIENCES INNOVATIONS. - 2022 HEALTH CARE REPORT: THE CENTER RELEASED AN UPDATE TO OUR GROUNDBREAKING 2020 RESEARCH AND ECONOMIC MODELING, HOUSTON'S ECONOMIC FUTURE: HEALTH CARE 2022 - HOW EQUITY, WORKFORCE, AND INNOVATION AFFECT OUR REGION. THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE HEALTH AND ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF COVID-19 IN OUR REGION INCLUDING THE STRAIN ON THE HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE, THE EXACERBATION OF HEALTH INEQUITIES, EXPANDING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, AND THE SIGNIFICANT ROLE OF LIFE SCIENCES AND HEALTH TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION. IN THIS REPORT, WE ALSO PRESENT REFINED AND UPDATED ECONOMIC MODELING OF KEY SCENARIOS. WE RELEASED THIS REPORT AT AN EVENT WITH PANELISTS REPRESENTING KEY TOPIC AREAS OF THE REPORT. IMMIGRATION: OUR IMMIGRATION WORK CONTINUED TO FOCUS ON GUIDING BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS TO DEVELOP GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW IMMIGRATION IS INTEGRAL TO THE REGION'S ECONOMY. IN 2022, BUILT ON PAST RESEARCH AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. 2022 HIGHLIGHTS: - WORKSHOPS/CONFERENCES: WE CO-SPONSORED A TOWN HALL MEETING ON LABOR SHORTAGES. WE EMBEDDED IMMIGRATION AS A TOPIC IN OUR LEADERSHIP FORUM, PROVIDING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR PARTICIPANTS TO ENGAGE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH A LOCAL BUSINESS LEADER AND A NUMBER OF "DREAMERS" CURRENTLY EMPLOYED BY HIS COMPANY. AND WE HELD A SUMMER SALON BREAKFAST FEATURING ALI NOORANI, FORMER CEO OF NATIONAL IMMIGRANT FORUM AND NOW A HEWLETT FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE. - PARTNERSHIPS: WE CONTINUED TO BROADEN OUR LIST OF PARTNERS AND COLLABORATORS. WE RE-ENERGIZED OUR WORK WITH THEDREAM.US, WHICH RUNS THE LARGEST SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM IN THE COUNTRY FOR DREAMERS. WE DEVELOPED COLLABORATIONS WITH THE GEORGE W. BUSH INSTITUTE, THE BIPARTISAN POLICY CENTER, AND FWD.US, WHILE CONTINUING OUR WORK WITH THE BAKER INSTITUTE, RATIONAL MIDDLE, AND NEW AMERICAN ECONOMY. WE PARTICIPATE IN REGULAR PHONE CALLS WITH GROUPS TO AMPLIFY AND SPREAD RESEARCH AND INFORMATION. WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP'S IMMIGRATION COMMITTEE.

BUSINESS/CIVIC LEADERSHIP FORUM: OUR BUSINESS/CIVIC LEADERSHIP FORUM, CENTRAL TO OUR MISSION AND TO OUR STRATEGY SINCE OUR FOUNDING, ENCOURAGES STRONG CIVIC LEADERSHIP BY PROVIDING BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS WITH THE TOOLS TO BECOME INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY. THE PROGRAM BRINGS TOGETHER DIVERSE BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS, INFORMS THEM ABOUT REGIONAL ISSUES AND INSPIRES THEM TO GET MORE INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY. THE PROGRAM, WITH MORE THAN 1,300 ALUMNI, AS CREATED A NETWORK OF COMMUNITY LEADERS INTERESTED IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND OUR ALUMNI HAVE RUN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE, SERVED ON NON-PROFIT BOARDS, AND LAUNCHED COMMUNITY PROJECTS, AMONG OTHER INITIATIVES. IN 2022, WE USED A HYBRID FORMAT FOR THE FORUM TO KEEP BENEFITS GAINED IN VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING DURING COVID, WHILE ADDING BACK IMPORTANT IN-PERSON NETWORKING. WE HAD 56 PARTICIPANTS IN 2022, WHICH WAS NEAR CAPACITY, AND THE PROGRAM CONSISTED OF SEVEN EPISODIC MEETINGS WITH AN OVERALL THEME OF "CREATING SYSTEMIC CHANGE IN THE HOUSTON REGION." WE FEATURED HIGH-CALIBER SPEAKERS FROM ACROSS CORPORATE, NONPROFIT AND POLITICAL ARENAS, INCLUDING: - STEPHEN KLINEBERG, FOUNDING CHAIR, RICE UNIVERSITY'S KINDER INSTITUTE OF URBAN RESEARCH - WILLIAM HARRIS, PRESIDENT AND CEO, SPACE CENTER HOUSTON - BOB HARVEY, PRESIDENT AND CEO, GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP - TORAL SHAH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OFFICER, HOUSTON FOOD BANK - JANE STRICKER, SVP ENERGY TRANSITION AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HOUSTON ENERGY TRANSITION INITIATIVE - PAMELA CRUZ, RESEARCH ANALYST, CENTER FOR THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO, RICE UNIVERSITY'S BAKER INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY - JUDSON ROBINSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO, HOUSTON AREA URBAN LEAGUE - CLAUDIA AGUIRRE, PRESIDENT AND CEO, BAKER RIPLEY CLASS MEETINGS INCLUDED DISCUSSIONS ABOUT EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC, RACIAL INJUSTICE, THE ECONOMY, AND OTHER ISSUES. THE COHORTS SHOWED PARTICULAR INTEREST IN AND COMPLETED PROJECTS AROUND THE FOLLOWING TOPICS: EDUCATION; INFRASTRUCTURE; FLOODING; DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION; HOUSING; LABOR AND UNEMPLOYMENT; ENERGY TRANSITION, HEALTHCARE, AND IMMIGRATION. THE CENTER HAS ALSO EXPANDED THE REACH AND IMPACT OF THE LEADERSHIP FORUM WITH NEW ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING: - ALUMNI COMMITTEE: THE PURPOSE OF THE ALUMNI COMMITTEE, WHICH CONSISTS OF 30+ LEADERSHIP FORUM ALUMNI, IS TO BROADEN ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT BY EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES TO OFFER NETWORKING, ACCESS TO SUBSTANTIVE EVENTS, INTERACTION WITH A BROAD RANGE OF LEADERS, AND TO HELP ADVANCE THE ALUMNI'S CIVIC INTERESTS. - ALUMNI-DRIVEN PROGRAMMING: THIS INCLUDES OUR ANNUAL ALUMNI REUNION, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP COLLABORATIVE, HOUSTON 2036 TASKFORCE ON EQUITY AND OTHER PROGRAMS AND EVENTS THAT ALIGN WITH THE CENTER'S STRATEGIC INITIATIVES. - CHF BOARD SERVICE: A DESIGNATED SEAT ON THE CENTER'S BOARD IS PROVIDED TO THE CO-CHAIRS OF THE ALUMNI COMMITTEE. EACH CO-CHAIR SERVES A TWO-YEAR ON THE CENTER'S BOARD.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHICH INCLUDES THOUGHT LEADERSHIP, IS THE CENTER'S THIRD AREA OF FOCUS. WE PUT ON EVENTS OR PROGRAMMING THAT ALIGN WITH OUR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES, OR THOSE FEATURING NATIONALLY OR LOCALLY RECOGNIZED SPEAKERS ON TOPICS OF BROAD INTEREST AND RELEVANCE TO OUR REGION'S FUTURE. 2022 HIGHLIGHTS: - FUTURE OF GLOBAL ENERGY CONFERENCE: WE CO-HOSTED THE FUTURE OF GLOBAL ENERGY WITH GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP. NEARLY 2,000 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THIS THREE-DAY CONFERENCE. HEARING INSIGHTS FROM LEADERS IN INDUSTRY, ACADEMIA, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT HIGHLIGHT THE REGION'S ROLE IN THE GLOBAL ENERGY TRANSITION. THEY ALSO PARTICIPATED IN BEHIND-THE-SCENES TOURS OF SOME OF HOUSTON'S MOST EXCITING HUBS OF INNOVATION. - WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM: WE COHOSTED AN INTERNATIONAL IN-PERSON EVENT WITH THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM. AS DETAILED EARLIER, THE CENTER FOR HOUSTON'S FUTURE JOINED WEF'S DECARBONIZATION INITIATIVE VIA OUR CLEAN HYDROGEN EFFORT. IN TURN, WEF HELD A GLOBAL INDUSTRIAL CLUSTERS MEETING ON TECHNOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIPS IN HOUSTON. THE CENTER HOSTED A KICK-OFF EVENT FOR SOME 100 GLOBAL ATTENDEES AT OUR OFFICES. HOUSTON MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER WAS THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER. THE CENTER ALSO SPOKE ON SEVERAL PANELS DURING THE MEETING. - COCKTAILS & CONVERSATIONS: OUR SIGNATURE FALL EVENT FEATURED A DOZEN VISIONARY LEADERS, INCLUDING A TWO-TIME PULITZER PRIZE WINNING JOURNALIST, A TWO-TIME EMMY WINNING BROADCASTER, A JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION NOMINATED CHEF, REPRESENTATIVES FROM TWO MAJOR FOUNDATIONS, A RICE UNIVERSITY INITIATIVE RUN BY A MCARTHUR FOUNDATION FELLOW AND OTHERS SHAPING OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE, IN A HISTORIC HOUSTON HOME. MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN INFORMAL AND INSPIRING DISCUSSIONS OF GREEN SPACE, HOUSTON GRAND OPERA, DIGITAL MEDIA, EDUCATION, PHILANTHROPY, AND MORE. - THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: WE PROVIDED HIGH QUALITY WEBCASTS, FEATURING RICE UNIVERSITY'S DANIEL COHAN MODERATED BY CHRONICLE OPINIONS EDITOR RAJ MANKAD; A PANEL OF EXPERTS ON CLIMATE INVESTMENT RISKS, HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL'S RAWI ABDELAL, AND HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL'S DAVID GERGEN. IN ADDITION, WE HAD MORE THAN 55 MEDIA MENTIONS/APPEARANCES, AND PARTICIPATED IN WELL OVER 40 PANELS, CONFERENCES AND EVENTS.