Virtual Session: Your Next Great Hire: Employer Interest Session

Description

Virtual Employer Interest Session: Your Next Great Hire:
Help Shape the Chamber's Workforce Development Pilot
📅  Tuesday, October 6, 2026  |  🕛  1:00 - 2:00 PM
💻 Virtual via Zoom

The Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce is developing a new workforce development program designed to connect LGBTQ+ and allied talent with Chamber members that are hiring—and we want employers at the table as we build it.

Join us for a virtual Employer Interest Session (EXCLUSIVE FOR CHAMBER MEMBERS) to learn more about the vision for this 2027 pilot and help shape a program that responds to the real hiring and workforce needs of our members.

The pilot will focus on creating meaningful connections between job seekers and employers while helping participating businesses and organizations strengthen their recruitment, hiring and employee-retention practices. Potential components may include employer education, talent-development opportunities, job-readiness support and direct connections to qualified candidates.

During this interactive session, we will:

• Share the goals and initial framework for the workforce development pilot
• Learn more about the positions and skills employers need most
• Discuss barriers employers experience in recruiting and retaining talent
• Explore training and resources that would be most valuable to participating employers
• Gather input on how the Chamber can effectively connect LGBTQ+ and allied job seekers with hiring members
• Share opportunities to participate in the pilot’s founding employer cohort

Business owners, human resources professionals, recruiters, talent-acquisition leaders, hiring managers and other professionals involved in workforce development are encouraged to attend. Chamber members of all sizes and industries are welcome.

Your insight will help us build a practical, employer-informed program that expands access to opportunity, strengthens our regional workforce and delivers meaningful value to Chamber members.

Register today to learn more—and help build the workforce initiative our members and community need.

Speaker

Jacqueline "Jackie" Aguilera (she/her)
Educational Applications Specialist
jagEDsolutions

Our speaker, Jackie Aguilera, is working with the Chamber to help develop and shape our Workforce Development Training pilot and broader workforce development program launching in 2027.

Jacqueline “Jackie” Aguilera is a workforce ecosystem architect with more than four decades of experience designing and leading initiatives that strengthen talent pipelines and economic mobility. 

She has directed cross‑sector projects with chambers, employers, education systems, local government, and community‑based organizations, ensuring training programs are aligned with real employer demand. Jackie’s expertise integrates literacy strategy, data‑informed design, and employer‑validated pathways to improve learner outcomes, skill acquisition, and job placement. 

Her work emphasizes measurable impact and partnership coordination. She currently is the strategic lead for the Chamber’s workforce and leadership project, guiding the development for a unified employer‑driven strategy for talent development and inclusive workforce pathways.

Moderator

Tammi Wallace (she/her)
Co-Founder, President & CEO
Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce

Register now and share your feedback on this important program to support our members.

Building the Next Decade of Impact

As the Chamber enters its next decade, we are looking ahead to new ways to expand opportunity, strengthen our community ecosystem and deliver greater value to our members.

The 2027 workforce development pilot will be an important part of that work—creating stronger connections between LGBTQ+ and allied talent and Chamber members seeking skilled employees. By bringing employers into the development process now, we can build a program grounded in real workforce needs and positioned to make a meaningful, lasting impact.

Together, we can help more people access career opportunities, help employers recruit and retain outstanding talent, and build a stronger workforce for the next decade and beyond.