SCALING FOR SUCCESS

When Laura Murillo accepted the role of President and CEO of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2007, the organization was at a crossroads. Membership had declined. Revenue was unstable. There was internal uncertainty about whether the chamber would continue operating.

She did not see a struggling institution. She saw scale.“I saw the chamber for what it could be, not for what it was,” she says. Nearly two decades lat-er, the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce stands as one of the most visible and structurally disciplined business organizations in the region. Murillo, along with the support of the Chamber Board & Staff, did not re-position it as a cultural association. They built it as a business platform. Houston’s demographics provide context, but not the strategy. The city is approximately 45 percent Latino. Seventy percent of Latinos in Houston are between 18 and 44 years old. That represents workforce density, consumer growth, and entrepreneurial expansion. Murillo understood that demographic relevance alone would not create influence. Institutional credibility would.

“We’re not your typical Chamber of Commerce,” she says. “We don’t host networking cocktails. We don’t host golf tournaments.”

Instead, the chamber focused on measurable convening power. Today it hosts the largest business luncheon and expo in Houston, drawing approximately 2,000 attendees. Not the largest Hispanic luncheon — the largest business luncheon in the city. Its CEO Breakfast convenes more than 60 chief executives in a structured environment designed for policy dialogue and capital alignment.
Murillo diversified the board across sectors, industries, and decision makers. She also diversified revenue streams, reducing dependency on any single sponsor or corporate block. She rejects operating “in a silo of just Latinos.” Her model integrates corporate America, financial institutions, entrepreneurs, and public officials into one platform.

The chamber’s media presence is another structural differentiator. It produces a weekly CBS-affiliated television segment in English and maintains partnerships with six English-language radio stations. The reported reach is 3.3 million. The purpose is not promotion; it is narrative positioning. Entrepreneurs are introduced to broader markets. Sponsors receive exposure beyond event banners. The chamber inserts Latino business leadership into mainstream economic conversations. Murillo understands that access is not accidental. It must be engineered. Under her leadership, the chamber also strengthened its foundation. A single donor contributed $1 million — the largest gift in the organization’s history. That capital expanded scholarship and leadership programming, reinforcing the chamber’s long-term pipeline strategy.

One of its most structured initiatives is the Young Leaders program, designed for professionals under 40. More than 600 graduates have completed the program. The intent is not mentorship for optics, it is training and business readiness.

Murillo’s leadership framework is simple. “People, passion and persistence.” The simplicity masks discipline. When she arrived in 2007, she was hired as what she describes as a change agent. The board was evaluating whether to close operations. She restructured operations, redefined programming, and professionalized internal systems. Events were redesigned around measurable attendance and sponsor return. Strategic partnerships were negotiated with media outlets and major corporations. The chamber’s reputation shifted from community networking to economic influence.

Her approach also reframed how Hispanic chambers interact with broader business ecosystems. Rather than advocating from the margins, she positioned the organization as a convening authority.

Houston’s growth reinforces that positioning. The region remains one of the most dynamic energy, healthcare, and trade markets in the country. Latino entrepreneurs are increasingly represented in construction, logistics, professional services, and technology. Murillo emphasizes that these founders require access to cap-ital, contracts, and decision-making rooms — not just recognition.

The chamber’s role is to shorten that distance. “We were at a crossroads,” she recalls of her early tenure. “Whether we were going to close our doors.” That moment still informs her operational posture. Stability cannot be assumed. Institutional relevance must be earned annually.

Murillo does not present the chamber as finished. She describes it as infrastructure — an ongoing build. Board diversification continues. Corporate partner-ships evolve. Media exposure expands. Programming is recalibrated based on market demand rather than tradition.

Her work also challenges assumptions about His-panic chambers as niche or secondary institutions. By claiming the largest business luncheon in Houston, she reframed the scale. By securing a seven-figure foundation gift, she reframed philanthropy. By embedding media strategy into chamber operations, she reframed visibility.

Murillo often returns to the idea of integration. Houston’s Latino population is not separate from the city’s economic engine. It is central to it. The chamber’s function is to make that reality visible to corporate boards, procurement teams, and policy makers.

After nearly twenty years, the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is no longer evaluated on survival. It is evaluated on reach, convening authority, and leadership development. The organization has be-come a platform where executives, entrepreneurs, and institutions intersect with measurable purpose.

“People, passion and persistence.” The phrase repeats not as branding, but as operating discipline. Institutions rarely transform through inspiration alone. They transform through structure.

In Houston, that structure now includes 2,000-person convenings, CEO roundtables, national media exposure, governance pipelines, and diversified capital support. What was once at risk of closure has become a central node in one of America’s largest Latino business markets.

Murillo saw the chamber for what it could be. She, along with the support of the Chamber Board & Staff, built it accordingly.

 

As published by Latino Leaders Magazine https://issuu.com/latinoleadersmagazine/docs/latino_leaders_january-february_2026_/107