Rise to the Top

In this special episode of the Partnership's Rise to the Top podcast, we're speaking with Amanda McMillian, President and CEO of United Way of Greater Houston, live from the 13th annual Rise to the Top event. Before leading a nonprofit, Amanda served nearly 15 years in the oil and gas industry, where she was named one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Oil & Gas by the National Diversity Council for three consecutive years. 

Host and Partnership Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Katie Pryor talks with Amanda about her career journey, passion for the greater Houston community and how she navigates work and family life. 

Launched in 2021, the Greater Houston Partnership's Rise to the Top podcast aims to amplify the insight of accomplished female leaders in the Houston region.

In this episode of the Partnership's Rise to the Top podcast, we're speaking with Amy Chronis,  Vice Chair of US Energy & Chemicals and Managing Partner for Deloitte Houston. Amy has more than 30 years of experience serving public and private enterprises from emerging businesses to Fortune 500 companies. 

Host and Partnership Chief Development Officer Katie Pryor talks with Amy about her career journey, her passion for the energy industry and how she's making an impact in the Houston community.

Launched in 2021, the Greater Houston Partnership's Rise to the Top podcast aims to amplify the insight of accomplished female leaders in the Houston region. 

In this episode of the Partnership's Rise to the Top podcast, we're speaking with Elizabeth Killinger,  President of Reliant and Executive Vice President of NRG. Elizabeth has been with NRG for more than 20 years and is responsible for directing all aspects of NRG Home, which provides innovative residential power and gas services to millions of customers in the United States and Canada. 

Host and Partnership Chief Development Officer Katie Pryor talks with Elizabeth about her career journey as a Houston native, her family life and how she's charting pathways for future generations.

Launched in 2021, the Greater Houston Partnership's Rise to the Top podcast aims to amplify the insight of accomplished female leaders in the Houston region. 

In this episode of the Partnership's Rise to the Top podcast, we're speaking with Mary Vitek, CEO of Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council. Mary is responsible for one of the largest Girl Scout councils in the nation, which serves approximately 35,000 girls and 15,000 adults across 26 counties in Southeast Texas.

Host and Partnership Chief Development Officer Katie Pryor talks with Mary about her career journey, her family life and what drives her as a community leader.  

Mary also shares some of the challenges young women are facing today.

Launched in 2021, the Greater Houston Partnership's Rise to the Top podcast aims to amplify the insight of accomplished female leaders in the Houston region. 

In this episode of the Partnership's Rise to the Top podcast, we're speaking with Claudia Aguirre, President and CEO of BakerRipley, one of the largest and most recognized nonprofit organizations in the nation. We explore Claudia’s own career journey, her family life and what drives her as a community leader.

Host and Partnership Chief Development Officer Katie Pryor also talks with Claudia about the critical services Houston-based BakerRipley provides in our region and how the organization has grown in recent years. 

Other topics include some of the challenges Houston faces that the nonprofit works to address and what specific moment in Claudia's childhood prepared her for a life of servant leadership. 

Launched in 2021, the Greater Houston Partnership's Rise to the Top podcast aims to amplify the insight of accomplished female leaders in the Houston region. 

In this episode of the Partnership's Rise to the Top podcast, we're talking to Dr. Lesia Crumpton-Young, President of Texas Southern University. We explore TSU’s 90-plus-year journey from junior college to one of the most respected universities in our region and Lesia’s appointment to lead the prestigious institution.

Host and Partnership Chief Development Officer Katie Pryor talks with Lesia about the higher education landscape in Houston, her personal journey in academia and what advice she has for the next generation of female professionals.

Other topics include the evolution of opportunities for Black women and the specific challenges facing the nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). We also learn about some of the Houston places and experiences that are special to Lesia as a newer Houstonian.  

Launched in 2021, the Greater Houston Partnership's Rise to the Top podcast aims to amplify the insight of accomplished female leaders in the Houston region. 

In this episode of the Partnership's Rise to the Top podcast, we talk with Esi Akinosho, Houston office Managing Principal with Ernst & Young. Esi is an accomplished risk executive with more than 30 years in the industry, helping global clients across a diverse range of sectors with their Risk management needs. 

Host and Partnership Chief Development Officer Katie Pryor talks with Esi about her passion for diversity in business and how she's assisted clients across the U.S, Europe and Africa in developing transformative solutions to increase effectiveness. We’re going to talk with Esi about her career journey, her unique upbringing, and working globally while balancing a family life. 

Other topics include Esi's unique upbringing, how she has managed a challenging couple of years, and working globally while balancing a family life. We also learn about some of the Houston places and experiences that are special to Esi and what drives her as a leader. 

Launched in 2021, the Greater Houston Partnership's Rise to the Top podcast aims to amplify the insight of accomplished female leaders in the Houston region. 

In this episode of the Partnership's Rise to the Top podcast, we talk with with Starlee Sykes, Senior Vice President for the Gulf of Mexico and Canada at bp America. Starlee is a well-respected leader in the energy industry with more than 20 years’ experience leading complex teams around the world. She’s also a committed mentor for women and active in the Houston nonprofit scene. 

Host and Partnership Chief Development Officer Katie Pryor talks with Starlee about her career evolution, what it’s like to lead at a critical time in the energy sector and her family life. 

Other topics include the increasing opportunities for women in energy, the transitions taking place in the industry and much more. We also learn about some of the Houston places and experiences that are special to Starlee and what drives her as a leader. 

Launched in 2021, the Greater Houston Partnership's Rise to the Top podcast aims to amplify the insight of accomplished female leaders in the Houston region. 

In this episode of the Partnership's Rise to the Top podcast, we talk with Dr. Brenda Hellyer, Chancellor of San Jacinto College. 

Host and Partnership Chief Development Officer Katie Pryor talks to Brenda about the community college's role in providing affordable educational opportunities for Houston area young people while addressing the workforce needs of the region. The two also discuss Brenda's unique path to leading the institution with more than 30,000 students and five campuses. 

Other topics include working to bridge workforce gaps, the larger role of community colleges and the future of San Jac. We also learn about some of the Houston places and experiences that are special to Brenda and her family. 

Launched in 2021, the Greater Houston Partnership's Rise to the Top podcast aims to amplify the insight of accomplished female leaders in the Houston region. 

In this episode of the Partnership's Rise to the Top podcast, we talk with Dr. Melanie Johnson, President and CEO of the nonprofit Collaborative for Children.  Host and Partnership Chief Development Officer Katie Pryor chats with Melanie about the organization's work to provide relevant early educational opportunity to Houston's children.  The two also discuss Melanie's experience helping lead several local institutions and her passion for education. Other topics include effective mentorship and prioritizing career and family. We also learn about some of the Houston places and experiences that are special to  this extraordinary professional.