2026 Dinner and Conversation
Presented by Jeff Liao & Ying Chen Family Foundation
Sponsorship Opportunities
Join the Center for Houston’s Future for our signature fall event, Dinner and Conversation, presented by the Jeff Liao & Ying Chen Family Foundation, an evening of civic leadership, community engagement, and thought-provoking dialogue.
We are proud to present the Eugene H. Vaughan Civic Leadership Award to Donna Cole, a distinguished business leader, civic champion, and Spring 2005 alum of the Center’s Business/Civic Leadership Forum. Named in honor of our founder, this award recognizes individuals whose leadership, service, and vision have made a lasting impact on the Houston region.
Donna is the founder of Cole Chemical & Distributing, Inc. and has built a nationally recognized company while dedicating decades of service to Houston through board leadership, international engagement, and philanthropy. Her work advancing economic development, strengthening global partnerships, and mentoring future leaders reflects the values at the heart of the Center’s mission.
Emerging Pathways for Healthy Aging: A Discussion on GLPs, Vaccines and Antivirals, and Dementia Prevention
Advances across medicine and neuroscience are opening new possibilities for how we age and how we might preserve brain health for longer. From GLP-1 medications to vaccines and antivirals, researchers are exploring a growing range of approaches that may hold promise for reducing dementia risk, supporting cognitive health and extending healthy years of life.
This conversation will examine both the promise and the unanswered questions surrounding these emerging strategies. Panelists will explore what the science is beginning to show, where the evidence remains incomplete, and how potential benefits should be considered alongside questions of risk and responsible use.
Bringing together perspectives from neuroscience, infectious disease, psychology and clinical medicine, the discussion will look at what it will take to translate promising research into effective prevention and care, and what these advances could mean for the future of healthy aging.
Meet Our Panel
- Philip Blum, MDInfusion Medical Director, Mischer Neuroscience, Memorial Hermann Health System
- Jordan E. Lake, MD, MScProfessor, Distinguished Professor in Internal Medicine Research, UTHealth/McGovern Medical School
- Erin Standen, PhDAssistant Professor, Psychological Sciences, Rice University
- Thomas A. Blackwell, MDVice Dean of Graduate Medical Education and Clinical Affairs, UTMB
- Moderated by Amy DittmarProvost & EVP, Rice University
Event Co-Chairs
Host Committee
Our 2026 Sponsors
Jeff Liao & Ying Chen Family Foundation
Donna Cole and Friends
Nancy Allen, Eddie Allen, and Chinhui Juhn/Eagle Global Advisors
Karen and Roland Garcia
Kathy & Marty Goossen and Theresa & Peter Chang
Memorial Hermann Health System