Harris County DEEO Highlights Small Business Opportunities at IACCGH Luncheon

Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones and officials from the Department of Economic Equity & Opportunity (DEEO) detailed new avenues for small and diverse businesses at the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston's Small Business Series luncheon, held at the Ballroom at Tanglewood and co-sponsored by Wallis Bank and the CenterPoint Energy Foundation.

Briones underscored the county's scale, noting it is larger than 26 U.S. states and has more people in unincorporated areas than the city of Houston. She reaffirmed the county's commitment to its Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) program, saying, "Harris County is not backing down... we're on the right side of justice and the right side of history." She also highlighted that one in four residents was born abroad, emphasizing the county's focus on partnerships over "zero-sum games."

DEEO Executive Director Tiko Reynolds-Hausman and her team outlined concrete support. Assistant Director Elizabeth Balderama described tax abatements that can cut property taxes by up to 50 percent for a decade, plus foreign trade zone assistance and industrial revenue bonds. Adrien Balden discussed MWBE goal setting, compliance monitoring, and capacity-building workshops. Communications Director Amber Rangel spotlighted Harris Hub, which offers technical help and a $5,000 grant, and the Harris County Opportunity Fund, which provides loans up to $250,000.

County Purchasing Agent Kimberly Williams pointed to the scale of opportunity: roughly $5 billion in projects across more than 70 departments. "If you do it, we need it," she said, urging businesses to register, check weekly opportunities, and request debriefs if they are not selected. DEEO was created in 2021 after a disparity study found that less than 9 percent of county contracts went to minority- and women-owned firms.

Wallis Bank's Sugar Land President Aziz Rahim opened the event, noting the bank's 16-location footprint and its focus on SBA and conventional lending. IACCGH Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia closed by encouraging attendees to connect directly with DEEO representatives, before the room moved into networking.