ALF Houston

Celebrating Houston's Trailblazers
2026-03-26 17:30 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | SheSpace, 2799 Katy Freeway #Suite 250, Houston, TX 77007, Houston, TX, 77007, US
ALF is hosting a Happy Hour to Celebrate Senior Fellows Maria Moncada-Alaoui and Amy Perez, hosted by Senior Fellow Stephanie Tsuru!

In honor of International Women’s Month, join ALF for an inspiring evening spotlighting two extraordinary leaders who are forging unique paths.
At Celebrating Houston’s Trailblazers, we will spotlight two trailblazing Senior Fellows forging new paths:

Maria Moncada-Alaoui, Class 63, a senior executive who has built her entire career in the automotive industry—navigating, leading, and thriving in a field where women remain underrepresented.
Amy Perez, Class 64, the newly appointed CFO of one of Houston’s major sports stadiums, stepping into a high-impact financial leadership role at the center of one of the city’s most visible institutions.

These remarkable leaders will be featured in an engaging fireside chat moderated by Senior Fellow Stephanie Tsuru, Class 55 and co-founder of SheSpace, the women-centered coworking community she launched five years ago. The conversation will explore career inflection points, influence, and what it takes to lead under often challenging circumstances.
Following the program, guests will enjoy light bites and libations while connecting with fellow ALF Senior Fellows and community leaders. This evening is designed to celebrate and connect leaders!
While this event honors women and the spirit of International Women’s Month, it is open to everyone. We welcome men and women alike to join us in celebrating leadership and community.
Come ready to be inspired—and to build community with Houston’s changemakers.

Mobilizing Houston
2026-04-13 08:00 - 17:30 (America/Chicago) | The Ismaili Center, 2323 Allen Parkway, Houston, TX 77019, Houston, TX, 77019, US
A two-day immersive forum equipping leaders with the skills and relationships to lead through complexity and mobilize action.

Mobilizing Houston is a two-day immersive forum designed for leaders who are ready to move beyond conversation and into coordinated action. Attendace to both dates of the Forum is required. Day 1 is Monday, April 13 and Day 2 is Monday, April 20.
Over the course of two days, you will engage in facilitated, highly interactive experiences that explore Houston’s challenges across education access, workforce development, and economic mobility. Through data, dialogue, and experiential learning, you’ll deepen your understanding of the complexity shaping our region, and your role within it.
This forum is designed to help you:

Strengthen the working relationships that make collective action possible
Develop a shared language for navigating complexity
Explore adaptive tools and frameworks you can apply within your teams, coalitions, and systems

Together, we will build the relational foundation and practical capacity needed to mobilize toward shared purpose, not just during the convening, but in the months and years that follow.
Mobilizing Houston invites you to show up with curiosity, courage, and a commitment to advancing coordinated action for the future of the Houston Gulf Coast Region.

ALF Ismaili Center Tour
2026-04-22 14:00 - 2026-05-28 14:45, 2026-04-23 13:00 - 2026-05-28 13:45 (America/Chicago) | The Ismaili Center, 2323 Allen Parkway, Houston, TX 77019, Houston, TX, 77019, US
An opportunity for Bridge Houston Practitioners to get a guided tour of the Ismaili Center joined by some ALF Senior Fellows.

The very knowledgable Ismaili Center tour guides will provide information on the Ismaili Center’s architecture, symbolism and the Ismaili faith.

Asian Leaders Lunch
2026-05-05 11:30 - 13:30 (America/Chicago) | BoyarMiller Law Office, 2925 Richmond Avenue, Houston, TX 77098, Houston, TX, 77098, US
Come celebrate in honor of AAPI Month and Nory’s birthday, followed by a special announcement!

Come celebrate AAPI Month — and Nory’s birthday — with your ALF community on Tuesday, May 5th!
Lunch is from 12:00 to 1:30!
Join us for a special lunch co-hosted by Senior Fellows Donna Cole, Nancy Li, and Soner Tarim in partnership with Bill Boyar as we gather to celebrate Asian leaders in our community and the strength of the ALF network.
The lunch will be followed by a special announcement — so special, in fact, that Nory is sharing it on her birthday.
In lieu of gifts, please consider making a gift to ALF’s Annual Giving Campaign (not required to attend).
We hope you’ll join us for an afternoon of connection, celebration, and community.

American Leadership Forum 2026 Fellows Opening Reception
2026-05-06 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | 1801 Main St 11th floor, 1801 Main Street #11th floor, Houston, TX 77002, Houston, TX, 77002, US
ALF Opening Reception for 2026 Fellows Classes

We are excited to formally welcome the Fellows of Classes 66 and 67 of the American Leadership Forum to the beginning of what we hope will be a most memorable year!
Join us for your Opening Reception on the evening of Wednesday, May 6th, at 6 pm on the 11th floor of 1801 Main Street to meet the outstanding leaders of the Houston community in your class and cohort year, as well as the ALF facilitators, board, and staff.
Appetizers and drinks will be served, information will be shared about the upcoming orientation retreat, and you will have time to meet with your class and facilitators.
Please use our parking garage at no cost. Use the second or third parking garage entrance on Fannin Street. If the gate isn’t up, you will pull a ticket to enter (but will not need it to exit). Once parked, take the elevator down to the courtyard, and the entrace to the building is on the other side of the courtyard. Check-in is located in the buildling lobby. You will then be directed to take the elevators to the 11th floor.

*This event is for ALF Fellows, Board and Staff. There will be other events in the future where you are welcome to bring family or friends.

Coffee Tasting: Class Connector Appreciation!
2026-05-27 08:00 - 09:30 (America/Chicago) | 1801 Main St, 1801 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002, Houston, TX, 77002, US
Celebrate your hard work for the ALF Annual Giving Campaign with a coffee tasting at the ALF office!

ALF and AGC co-chair and Senior Fellow Frank Danna, class 65, are celebrating our amazing Class Connectors and all their hard work with an exclusive coffee tasting event.
Frank will provide a selection of coffee blends from his own coffee roasting company and Class Connectors will help ALF select one to be our “Get Up and Lead” ALF coffee blend!
Join us to check-in, taste some coffee and connect with one another. The event will take place at the ALF Leadership Hub at 1801 Main Street.
The parking garage entrance is located on Fannin Street. Bring your parking ticket inside with you for validation.
You’ll take the elevator/stairs to the first floor of the parking garage and walk across the courtyard to enter the lobby. In the lobby you will check in with the front desk, citing ALF and then Sarah WIndham as your contact, alerting someone from the team to come down and bring you up to the office.

Bridging Data to Impact: Creating Change in Education and Workforce Policy
2026-06-01 11:30 - 13:30 (America/Chicago) | Amegy Tower, 1717 West Loop South, Houston, TX 77027, Houston, TX, 77027, US
Join us to explore how data insights can influence education and workforce policies for real change.

More than 60% of jobs in Texas require a postsecondary credential, yet only about 1 in 3 Texas high school graduates earn one within six years of graduation.
Join the American Leadership Forum and its partnering organizations for a conversation with David Leebron, former President of Rice University, and members of his team at Texas 2036 — a nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to improving lives and expanding opportunities for all Texas through its bicentennial and beyond.
David will be joined by John Hryhorchuk, Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, and Mary Lynn Pruneda, Director of Education and Workforce Policy, for a discussion on one of Texas’s most pressing challenges: building the educated workforce the state’s economy demands.
The Texas 2036 team will share key research insights on education and workforce policy and what it will take to close that gap, in a conversation moderated by ALF Senior Fellow Y. Ping Sun. This lunch is generously underwritten by ALF Senior Fellow Donna Cole of Cole Chemical.
This event is presented in partnership with United Way, Leadership Houston, Center for Houston’s Future, Cole Chemical, and the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce.

Stronger Together: The State of Social Cohesion in Houston
2026-06-05 08:00 - 10:00 (America/Chicago) | Houston Texans YMCA, 5202 Griggs Road, Houston, TX 77021, Houston, TX, 77021, US
A data-informed conversation exploring new findings from the Kinder Institute on belonging, connection, and trust across Houston.

What does it really mean for a city to feel connected?
Join the American Leadership Forum, The YMCA Houston, The Kinder Institute for Urban Research, and the Houston Food Bank for a timely and important conversation grounded in new research from the Kinder Institute on social cohesion in Houston. Their latest findings explore how trust, belonging, and relationships shape not only how we experience our communities—but how we thrive within them.
At a time when many cities are experiencing increasing fragmentation, this conversation invites us to pause, reflect, and ask:How connected are we, really—and what will it take to strengthen that connection across Houston?
Together, we’ll explore:

What the latest data reveals about belonging, trust, and social ties in our region
Where Houston is strong—and where there are gaps
How social cohesion impacts well-being, opportunity, and community resilience
What role leaders across sectors can play in building stronger, more connected communities

This won’t be a lecture. In true ALF fashion, this will be a dialogue—bringing together diverse voices and perspectives to deepen understanding and spark new ways of thinking and leading.
If you care about the future of Houston—and the strength of the relationships that hold it together—we invite you to be part of this conversation hosted by the YMCA Houston and catered by the Houston Food Bank.
Who Should Attend:Anyone committed to strengthening connection, trust, and belonging in Houston.
Why This Matters:The data is clear: the quality of our relationships shapes the future of our city. This conversation is an opportunity to learn, reflect, and consider how we each contribute to the social fabric of Houston.

To read the study, follow this link: https://kinder.rice.edu/urbanedge/tight-knit-neighbors-better-lives-how-strong-community-ties-can-help-houstonians-feel

Annual Check on Your Buddy Day
2026-06-17 08:30 - 11:00 (America/Chicago) | Amegy Building, ALF Leadership Hub, 1801 Main Street Suite 910, Houston, TX 77002, Houston, TX, 77002, US
This day is all about taking a moment to reconnect with your ALF buddy in whatever way works best for you.

Come by the ALF office at 1801 Main street to grab a coffee and a pastry with your buddy! Drop in with your buddy any time from 8:30-11:00am.

Enter the parking garage on Fannin, taking a ticket from the kiosk. Bring your ticket in with you and we can validate your parking. Exit the parking garage and cross the courtyard to get to the front desk. Check in and tag Sarah WIndham as your contact and we will come down and get you!

ALF's New Branded Coffee Reveal
2026-09-03 08:00 - 09:00 (America/Chicago) | 1801 Main St, 1801 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002, Houston, TX, 77002, US
Join us as we reveal the winning flavor of our branded coffee!

FELLOW & SENIOR FELLOW ONLY EVENT !
This summer Senior Fellow Frank Danna, Class 65, has led ALF on a journey through the world of coffee. The ALF staff and Class Connectors have tasted, considered, and voted. Now we’re ready to reveal our very own signature blend – the ALF Wake Up and Lead Roast! The flavor stays a secret until we pour the first cup together. Come be part of the reveal.

Frank will be guiding us through a mindful tasting of the new roast, highlighting the ways the flavor changes and develops from the first piping hot pour through the cooling and settling in to it’s final flavor.

Start your day in the ALF Way, connecting with your community and with your senses!

Pastries provided!

Parking Information:
Enter the parking garage on Fannin, taking a ticket from the kiosk. Bring your ticket in with you and we can validate your parking. Exit the parking garage and cross the courtyard to get to the front desk. Check in and tag Sarah WIndham as your contact and we will come down and get you!

Kaizen Leadership: The Power of 1% Better Every Day
2026-09-16 11:30 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | The Council on Recovery, 303 Jackson Hill Street, Houston, TX 77007, Houston, TX, 77007, US
An interactive Kaizen workshop for leaders committed to getting 1% better every day; practical tools to strengthen teams and culture.

FELLOW AND SENIOR FELLOW EVENT ONLY!

Organizations improve when people improve.
The strongest cultures, highest-performing teams, and most successful organizations are built by leaders who commit to getting just a little better every day. They communicate with greater clarity. They make better decisions. They build stronger relationships. They create environments where people can do their best work.
This interactive workshop uses the principles of Kaizen, continuous improvement, to help leaders unlock greater potential in themselves and the people they lead. Participants leave with practical tools they can immediately apply to strengthen leadership, improve team performance, and create lasting momentum.
What Participants Will Experience
Participants will learn how to:

Develop the mindset of high-performing leaders.
Build habits that create consistency and trust.
Strengthen communication and accountability.
Lead with greater confidence during change and uncertainty.
Help individuals and teams reach higher levels of performance.
Turn daily actions into long-term organizational success.

Elevating Your Leadership Matters Now, More Than Ever
Every organization has goals. Achieving them depends on people.
When leaders invest in their own growth, they create a ripple effect throughout the organization. Teams become more engaged. Collaboration improves. Accountability becomes part of the culture. Performance rises because people are growing, not simply working harder.
Participants leave with greater self-awareness, practical leadership tools, and a renewed commitment to becoming 1% better every day. As leaders grow, teams become stronger, cultures become healthier, and organizations become better equipped to achieve extraordinary results.
Who Should Attend
Executive leaders, leadership teams, boards, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and organizations committed to developing people as their greatest competitive advantage.

Self-Leadership: Leadership Starts with You
2026-09-30 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Chicago) | 1801 Main St, 1801 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002, Houston, TX, 77002, US
Continue the leadership training you began in your Fellowship with Senior Fellow Lindsay Lewis (Class 64), Senior Vice President at YMCA

In this interactive session, Lindsay Lewis, Senior Vice President at the YMCA of Greater Houston and author of Take Your Next Step, invites participants to pause from leading others and invest in leading themselves. Through research, personal stories, reflection, and practical exercises, participants will deepen their self-awareness, clarify their core values, and strengthen their emotional intelligence. Lindsay will guide participants through practical exercises designed to strengthen self-leadership before leading others.

Participants will leave the session with a greater understanding of themselves, practical tools to lead with authenticity and intention, and one clear next step they can immediately apply in their leadership and life.

About Lindsay:
Lindsay Lewis is the Senior Vice President of Programs, Evaluation, and Membership for the YMCA of Greater Houston, where she leads association-wide strategy for membership, programs, evaluation, and member experience across more than 20 YMCA centers. With more than 20 years of YMCA leadership experience, she is passionate about developing leaders, strengthening organizations, and helping people navigate change with confidence.
Lindsay holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Concordia University. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), a Certified John Maxwell Team Speaker, Trainer, and Coach, and a Senior Fellow with the American Leadership Forum.
She is the author of Take Your Next Step: A Proven Framework for Navigating Personal and Professional Change, where she combines research, leadership experience, and personal stories to help individuals grow in self-awareness and lead with greater authenticity and purpose.
Lindsay lives in Katy, Texas, with her husband, Aaron, and their son, Bradley.

Immigration & Workforce: What's at Stake for Houston
2026-10-14 16:00 - 18:30 (America/Chicago) | Amegy Tower, 1717 West Loop South, Houston, TX 77027, Houston, TX, 77027, US
A panel on how immigration policy is shaping Houston's education and workforce — and what we can do about it. Moderated by Linda Lorelle.

A Bridge Houston Collaborative Conversation
As immigration policy continues to shift at the federal level, Houston employers, educators, and workforce leaders are grappling with real questions: How are these changes affecting our talent pipeline? What does it mean for the students and workers already in our systems? And how should our institutions respond?
Join us for a candid conversation sponsored by Senior Fellow Stan Marek (Class 28) and moderated by Senior Fellow Linda Lorelle (Class 62), Co-Founder, Civil Dialogues.
Panelists will bring legal, data and solutions based perspectives on immigration workforce development and education to explore the impact of immigration changes on Houston’s workforce and education pipeline.
Panelists:

Steve Stephens (Senior Fellow Class 22) – CEO, Amegy Bank
Ruth N. López Turley (Senior Fellow Class 59) – Director, Kinder Institute for Urban Research
Kristin Etter – Director of Policy and Legal Services, Texas Immigration Law Council
Loren Steffy – Managing Director, 30 Point Strategies

Joseph Jaworski Leadership Awards Dinner
2026-10-29 18:00 - 20:00 UTC | The Revaire, 7122 Old Katy Rd, Houston, TX, 77024, United States
This year, we honor the power of courageous leadership.
Courage to listen. Courage to act. Courage to lead with heart—especially when it matters most.
We are honored to invite you to support the 2026 Joseph Jaworski Leadership Awards Event, taking place on Thursday, October 29 at 6:00 PM at The Revaire.
We are proud to center our celebration on the theme of Courage in Action—capturing and elevating stories from Senior Fellows across our network whose leadership reflects the power of courage to shape organizations, communities, and lives. We are incredibly excited to recognize three extraordinary leaders whose work exemplifies this spirit of courageous leadership:
• Bill Boyar, (Class XXVIII) recipient of the Joseph Jaworski Leadership Award, for his enduring leadership and impact across our community.
• Nancy Li-Tarim, (Class XXVIII) and Dr. Soner Tarim, (Class XXX) recipients of the Joseph Jaworski Public Servant Award, for their commitment to service and transformative contributions to the public good.
The Jaworski Leadership Awards Event is a powerful gathering of cross-sector leaders committed to advancing a stronger, more connected Houston. By becoming a sponsor, you are also investing in our mission to join and strengthen diverse leaders to serve the common good.
We invite you to stand with us for this inspiring evening— amplifying stories of courage and helping shape the future of leadership in our region.
