YMCA of Greater Houston Named HBJ Fire Inno Blaze Award Winner

This year, Houston Inno introduced its first-ever Fire Awards, featuring companies from several industries within the city.

The inaugural awards focus on many innovations bolstered by the ongoing pandemic, such as supply chain and food startups, as well as companies that are literally printing biological organs. The thing they share in common is a drive to make everything from health care to showcasing minority businesses better than they ever have been.

The 25 Houston-based companies on this list, selected from nominations and input from Inno’s editorial team, have had breakout years in 2021. Our selections are based largely on major milestones, including funding rounds, acquisitions, product launches and social impact, and we expect big things from these companies for the rest of 2022.

Follow the links below for the skinny on this year’s Fire Awards winners, broken down by category:

• 2022 Fire Awards: 7 top health care and life sciences innovators
• 2022 Fire Awards: 6 top technology and software innovators
• 2022 Fire Awards: 4 top energy innovators
• 2022 Fire Awards: 4 top nonprofit innovators
• 2022 Fire Awards: 4 top diversity innovators

The YMCA of Greater Houston was named the Blazer Award winner for Nonprofit Innovators

YMCA of Greater Houston: Blazer Award for Nonprofit Innovators

When the Covid-19 pandemic took hold of Houston, the YMCA of Greater Houston saw a $50 million revenue loss for 2020. But still, the organization persevered and transformed its model to become more impactful. That brought forth one of the Y’s most innovative programs: the Impact Membership, which encourages members to advocate for the most vulnerable in the Houston community. The following year, billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott gifted the YMCA of Greater Houston $18 million, the largest donation in the organization’s history. That gift laid the groundwork for the organization to accelerate innovation, expand outreach programs, and advance equity work. In the past year, the Y has moved its overall brand awareness from 3% to 11% and continues to work toward increasing awareness.

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