Local leadership

Houston’s tech ecosystem has many women in leadership positions at startup assistance organizations and investment groups. They include:

Allison Lami Sawyer, a Houston partner of the League of Worthwhile Ventures, which is investing in machine learning startups. Allison Thacker, president and chief investment officer of Rice Management Co., which is investing $100 million to transform the former Sears Midtown building into the Ion innovation district.

Amy Henry, co-founder and CEO of startup assistance company Eunike Ventures, which helps entrepreneurs test their technology with exploration and production companies. Ann Tanabe, CEO of BioHouston, an organization working to make Houston a global competitor in life sciences and biotechnology commercialization.

Ayse McCracken, founder of Ignite Healthcare Network, which is working to increase the number of women executives in health care leadership and to shape the industry’s future through innovation.

Barbara Burger, president of Chevron Technology Ventures, the venture capital arm of the oil major.

Brittany Barreto, Houston venture associate

for Austin-based Capital Factory, a startup hub seeking Houston companies for investment or to participate in its accelerator program.

Carolyn Rodz, founder and CEO of Alice, a company that uses artificial intelligence to provide entrepreneurs with customized information and connections.

Diana Murakhovskaya, co-founder of the Artemis Fund, which invests in women-led companies.

Emily Keeton, head of the business incubator program WeWork Labs Texas. Gaby Rowe, CEO of startup hub Station Houston.

Gina Luna, chair of Houston Exponential, which is tasked with promoting and connecting Houston’s various ecosystem players. It also has the HX Venture Fund seeking to attract more venture capital to Houston.

Grace Rodriguez, CEO and executive director

of Impact Hub Houston, which assists people working on solutions toward the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Juliana Garaizar, a Houston lead investor for three Portfolia venture capital funds and a board director for the Angel Capital Association. Kala Marathi, managing director of the Cougar Venture Fund, which is the early stage venture capital fund of the University of Houston’s C.T. Bauer College of Business.

Kelly McCormick, managing director of Red Labs, the University of Houston’s coworking space, startup accelerator and technology entrepreneurship program.

Kerri Smith, managing director of Rice University’s startup accelerator OwlSpark.

Leslie Goldman, co-founder of the Artemis Fund, which invests in women-led

companies.

Maigen Berg, managing director of Cannon Ventures, which is a network of investors and venture studio program.

Samantha Lewis, director of the GOOSE Society of Texas investment group.

Stephanie Campbell, managing director of the Houston Angel Network investment group and co-founder of the Artemis Fund, which invests in women-led companies.