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August 19, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — Houston has never been short on women who know how to turn vision into velocity. This fall, many of those leaders will share one room when the Houston Business Journal presents its 2026 Women Who Mean Business Awards, and Houston Style Magazine is proud to support a celebration that recognizes achievement while reminding the next generation what leadership can look like.
The luncheon takes place Thursday, October 15, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hilton Americas-Houston, 1600 Lamar Street in Downtown Houston. HBJ has named 76 honorees spanning nine industry categories — Energy, Finance, Healthcare, Hospitality/Restaurants/Retailing, Law, Nonprofit, Professional Services, Real Estate and Construction, and Other — plus its Women to Watch category for leaders with 10 years or less in their industries.
That breadth matters. This class reflects Houston’s wide-ranging leadership landscape: executives, entrepreneurs, educators, attorneys, healthcare leaders, civic professionals, builders, innovators and emerging voices. Among the honorees are Nell Reed of Chevron, Erica Giwa of Legacy Community Health, Hannah McNair of the Houston Texans, Frances Villagran-Glover of Houston City College Southeast, Tammi Wallace of the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce and Anjelika Stephens of Bartlett Cocke General Contractors. Different lanes, one common denominator: impact.
This year’s theme, “Petals & Power,” is an especially fitting Houston combination — elegance with horsepower. HBJ describes the celebration as one recognizing grace, resilience and leadership while honoring women who inspire change and leave lasting marks on Houston’s business community.
The awards also carry growing historical significance. HBJ launched its inaugural Women Who Mean Business awards in 2016. A decade later, the program remains a prominent platform for recognizing women whose accomplishments stretch beyond boardrooms into community service and civic leadership.
One of this year’s defining moments will be the presentation of the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award to Houston City College Chancellor Margaret Ford Fisher, Ed.D. Ford Fisher joined HCC in 1985 and became the institution’s ninth chancellor in 2024. Houston City College says she leads a seven-college organization serving nearly 100,000 students annually across 22 Greater Houston locations. Her career includes two decades as president of HCC Northeast College and leadership of HCC Online College, where she helped establish more than 60 fully online degrees and 70 hybrid programs.
Her recognition gives the event an added layer of meaning: leadership is not simply about reaching the top; it is about widening the staircase for others.
The 2026 honorees will also appear in a special section of HBJ’s October 16 weekly edition. For attendees, however, October 15 is about being present — applauding achievement, building relationships and perhaps meeting the next collaborator, mentor, client or community partner over lunch.
Houston Style Magazine encourages businesses, organizations and professionals to gather their teams and reserve seats while tickets and table packages remain available. HBJ’s current event page includes individual event registration and several table-package opportunities.
Because when Houston celebrates women who build companies, strengthen institutions and move communities forward, everyone gets a clearer view of the city’s future.
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REGISTER / PURCHASE TICKETS: 2026 Women Who Mean Business Awards
MEET THE 2026 HONOREES: HBJ’s Women Who Mean Business Honoree Announcement
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT — DR. MARGARET FORD FISHER:
Houston City College — Lifetime Achievement Award
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Kierra LeeKIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM4096658446