Newsletter: Houston MOTIA April 2021 Highlights

Dear Friends of the Mayor’s Office of Trade and International Affairs (MOTIA),

April has brought welcome news: not only is the weather warmer, but more than a quarter of Houston residents are fully vaccinated and nearly half of adults have had at least one dose. We encourage everyone who can to get vaccinated and continue to take necessary health precautions.

The month of April also enabled us to continue to give back to the community. Following the success of last year's Iftar event, MOTIA hosted a free community dinner pick-up and virtual program for nearly 3000 residents to celebrate the spirit of Ramadan in collaboration with five of Houston's sister city associations and numerous partner organizations. Thank you to everyone that volunteered and contributed.

Houston celebrated Earth Day, and with it the one-year anniversary of the release of Houston’s first-ever Climate Action Plan. On Earth Day we also continued moving forward the energy transition with the official opening of Houston's newest and largest green-tech innovation center, Greentown Labs - Houston. With attention on our climate initiatives, Mayor Sylvester Turner and Houston representatives participated in a transatlantic conversation with the Consulate General of Germany in Houston and the City of Leipzig on the role of cities taking climate action in the lead up to the White House Leaders' Climate Summit.

We also have much to look forward to in May. We will celebrate Africa Day and the important contributions of the many African diaspora and businesses in Houston. And, as part of World Trade Month, we partnered with several organizations to build a series of events to showcase Houston's international strength in connecting businesses to all corners of the world.

Sincerely,

MOTIA is excited to announce the launch of a new initiative to provide training to empower small and medium Houston businesses (SMEs) to build an export capacity. This live five-part webinar training was created in partnership with the University of Houston Texas Gulf Coast Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and will be broadcasted throughout May as part of the global “World Trade Month”. The training will be provided by James Foley, author of the book, “The Global Entrepreneur, Taking Your Business International”. The program will feature remarks from the U.S. Commercial Service, Houston District Export Council, the Export-Import Bank, and the U.S. Small Business Administration. Each of these organizations provide essential resources to assist SME’s reach the global marketplace.

Once the full training is completed, the recordings will be available for all on MOTIA's and SBDC’s websites and will serve as a valuable resource for Houston businesses looking to export.

On April 17, the Houston Iftar provided free dinners to a record breaking 3,000 Houstonians! This event persisted through the pandemic, through a socially distanced drive-through dinner pick-up in the afternoon followed by a virtual community program in the evening, featuring Mayor Sylvester Turner and participation from community leaders and members. Thank you to our Abu Dhabi, Baku, Basra, Istanbul, and Karachi Sister City Associations, the Houston Consular Corps, Islamic Society of Greater Houston and all collaborating organizations and volunteers for their hard work and dedication.

"The Houston Iftar has become a tradition that we share with our Muslim community, and one that showcases the diversity of our city during the holy month of Ramadan. People from all backgrounds and faith traditions are welcome to join the Muslim community in this occasion of reflection, personal sacrifice, and unity." - Mayor Sylvester Turner. Watch the virtual program here and view the event photos here.

In partnership with the World Affairs Council of Houston, MOTIA welcomed a conversation with Borge Brende, President of the World Economic Forum, for a discussion on the global economy as it emerges from the on-going COVID crisis. The World Economic Forum may be best known for hosting the DAVOS conference, and since 1971 the Forum has engaged the foremost political, business, cultural, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. With our global reach and impact, Houston will continue to play a large role in this global dialogue. We thank Borge Brende and Bobby Tudor for an engaging discussion.

MOTIA Director Christopher Olson accepted a $25,000 donation on behalf of Mayor Sylvester Turner from the Japan Business Association of Houston (JBAH) and the JBA Houston Foundation for the Houston Harris County Winter Storm Relief Fund. Recognizing the dire hardships created by the extreme winter weather event in February, the Houston Harris County Winter Storm Relief Fund is helping the region’s most vulnerable residents during this critical time of need across the City of Houston and Harris County. We sincerely appreciate this donation and the strong ties between Houston and Japan.

Mayor Turner joined the C40 and partner cities in Canada and the U.S. for a discussion with cities that are leading the way on global climate action as we approach COP26 in November. This event featured the findings of C40’s latest research showcasing some of the results of the impact of COVID economic stimulus funding in Canada, comments by C40 President and UN Special Envoy for Climate Ambition Michael R. Bloomberg, the Canadian Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and the Mayors of Houston, Montreal, Pittsburgh, and Edmonton. The discussion highlighted how Cities are working to address the dual challenges of COVID recovery and climate action, and how the two can work hand in hand to build a more sustainable and resilient city. Missed the event? It can be viewed here.

International Trade Month | May
In honor of International Trade Month, MOTIA will be offering programming throughout the month of May. Learn more about Houston's Trade Month events.

MOTIA & SBDC: Readiness to Export
May 6 | Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Mayor of Houston & Steve Lawrence, Executive Director, Texas Gulf Coast SBDC

MOTIA & SBDC: Where to Export
May 11 | Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Showcasing: U.S. Department of Commercial Service

MOTIA & SBDC: How to Enter Foreign Markets and Selecting Partners
May 13 | Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Showcasing: Don Wisenbaker, Chair, Houston District Export Council

MOTIA & SBDC: Leveraging Resources for Export Success
May 20 | Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Showcasing: Eric Miller, Regional Director, Export Import Bank of the U.S.

MOTIA, OBO & SBA: Start/ Increase International Sales and Get Valuable Information on Countries and Industries of Interest
May 25 | 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

MOTIA & GHP: Business Beyond Borders “Go Beyond: Mexico & Houston Business & Tourism Ties”
May 26 | 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

MOTIA - Africa Business Forum
May 27 | 9:00- 12:00 p.m.
Broadcast on social media

MOTIA & SBDC: Putting It All Together – Creating Your Export Plan
May 27 | Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Showcasing: Alale Allal, Export Finance Director, Office of International Trade
U.S. Small Business Administration