Upcoming Events

Switch to Calendar View

• Laura Esparza, A3: Art Alliance Austin

  • When
    September 02, 2026
  •  
    7:00 AM - 8:30 AM
  • Location
    Chez Zee, 5406 Balcones Dr, Austin TX 78731

  Register

  

  Laura Esparza, Executive Director, A3: Art Alliance Austin

  About the Program:

  A3 sustains Austin’s arts ecosystem. Because we become a better community when we come together through the arts. And, this year, Fiesta is back!

  About the Speaker:

  Laura Esparza has devoted more than 40 years to the development of diverse communities through the arts with her skills and experience as a professional arts administrator, facility planner and organizational consultant. Her work has taken her throughout the country, having founded programs and facilities in Bellingham, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, San Antonio, Phoenix, Redwood City, San Jose and Austin.

  For 17 years, she served as the Division Manager of the City’s 11 Museums and Cultural Centers which she ran for the City of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department. She successfully completed and opened three new cultural facilities, the Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC), the Asian American Resource Center and Oakwood Cemetery Chapel.

  She assisted with the completion of four additional projects including the reconstruction of the People’s Renaissance Market, the renovation of the Susannah Dickinson House, the renovation of the Carver Genealogy Center, and phase one of the restoration of the Ney Museum. In addition, she supervised the operations of the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, the Dougherty Arts Center, the Old Bakery and Emporium and the O. Henry Museum.

  
  

  Agenda:
  

  6:45am - Coffee & Networking

  7:10am - Breakfast Buffet

  7:25am - Introductions & Announcements

  7:50am - Speaker Introduction

  8:20am - Q&A

  8:30am - Leave inspired or curious!

  
  

  Show details
• Liz Schoenfeld, LifeWorks Austin

  • When
    September 09, 2026
  •  
    7:00 AM - 8:30 AM
  • Location
    Chez Zee, 5406 Balcones Dr, Austin TX 78731

  Register

  Dr. Liz Schoenfeld, Chief Executive Officer, LifeWorks Austin

  About the Program:

  More than Housing: How LifeWorks is Solving Youth Homelessness

  Youth homelessness in Austin is growing, public resources are shifting, and the need for effective solutions has never been greater. LifeWorks CEO Liz Schoenfeld will share how the organization is responding—with new housing, innovative partnerships, and approaches that reach well beyond four walls. Drawing on her own journey from researcher to CEO, Liz will explore what LifeWorks has learned about the importance of relationships, what it really takes to help young people achieve lasting housing stability, and some of the most promising work happening in Central Texas today.

  About the Speaker:

  Liz Schoenfeld, Ph.D., is the Chief Executive Officer of LifeWorks, an Austin nonprofit committed to solving youth homelessness. LifeWorks serves nearly 2,500 young people and families each year through an integrated continuum of housing, mental health, education, and workforce services. Dr. Schoenfeld earned her Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin and joined LifeWorks in 2012, previously serving as Chief Research & Evaluation Officer.

  Throughout her tenure, she has championed the use of data, evidence, and innovation to improve outcomes for young people. As CEO, Dr. Schoenfeld has led efforts to expand housing opportunities while advancing broader systems change. LifeWorks is currently developing The Works at Tillery, a 120-unit supportive housing community for youth and young families exiting homelessness. In partnership with the City of Austin, she co-chaired Austin’s Dismantling the Foster Care to Homelessness Pipeline Task Force and is spearheading a statewide effort to pair federal Foster Youth to Independence housing vouchers with state-funded supportive services.

  Dr. Schoenfeld is an alumna of Leadership Austin’s Emerge and Essential programs, a 2024 McBee Fellow, and a 2023 Austin Under 40 Award recipient. She has served on local, statewide, and national boards and currently serves on the National Network for Youth’s Policy Advisory Committee.

  
  

  Agenda:
  

  6:45am - Coffee & Networking

  7:10am - Breakfast Buffet

  7:25am - Introductions & Announcements

  7:50am - Speaker Introduction

  8:20am - Q&A

  8:30am - Leave inspired or curious!

  
  

  Show details
• Andres Ramos, Texas Space Commission

  • When
    September 16, 2026
  •  
    7:00 AM - 8:30 AM
  • Location
    Chez Zee, 5406 Balcones Dr, Austin TX 78731

  Register

  Andres Ramos, Communications Director, Texas Space Commission

  About the Program:

  More info coming soon!

  About the Speaker:

  Andres M. Ramos serves as the Director of Communications for the Texas Space Commission, where he leads communications strategy, brand management, design, marketing, and stakeholder engagement for the agency.

  A U.S. Army infantry officer and former public schoolteacher and nonprofit executive, Andres has dedicated his career to advancing public service by equipping executive teams with the tools to drive and communicate organizational impact. His work spans space, education, defense, and community organizing, with a focus on translating complex ideas into clear, actionable strategies that strengthen public trust and collaboration.

  Originally from Los Angeles, CA, Andres is passionate about using communications as a force for opportunity and is motivated by working alongside others who want to make an impact on the world around them.

  
  

  Agenda:
  

  6:45am - Coffee & Networking

  7:10am - Breakfast Buffet

  7:25am - Introductions & Announcements

  7:50am - Speaker Introduction

  8:20am - Q&A

  8:30am - Leave inspired or curious!

  
  

  Show details