Acclaimed Community Advocate and Entrepreneur Fiona Dawson to Lead Texas Competes as Program Director
Press Contact: Naveen Farrani, press@texascompetes.org
Austin, Texas – June 9, 2026 - Texas Competes announced today that Fiona Dawson, acclaimed community advocate and entrepreneur, will be leading Texas Competes as the new Program Director.
Dawson is currently the Senior Director of Partnerships for the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, and she will continue in that full-time role while also serving as Program Director of Texas Competes at Equality Texas.
Fiona is deeply embedded in the business community every day, maintaining active relationships with employers, chambers of commerce, economic development leaders, entrepreneurs, and corporate partners across Texas. Her Chamber role creates ongoing opportunities to engage businesses where they already gather, while her work with Equality Texas allows her to focus specifically on growing and strengthening the Texas Competes coalition.
Together, these complementary roles create a powerful bridge between the business community and LGBTQIA+ advocacy, allowing both Texas Competes and the chamber to expand their respective reach, deepen member engagement, and strengthen credibility as leading business voices for equality in Texas.
Dawson brings more than 25 years of experience in LGBTQIA2S+ advocacy, coalition-building, and community engagement. Through roles with the Human Rights Campaign, Out & Equal, and the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, she has built relationships across corporate, nonprofit, and civic sectors.
Statement from Fiona Dawson, Program Director for Texas Competes:
“As an entrepreneur, business leader, and advocate, I understand both the opportunities and challenges facing Texas employers in today's environment. My experience engaging business leaders, building coalitions, and communicating across differences uniquely positions me to help Texas Competes strengthen its statewide network and remain a leading business voice for LGBTQIA+ inclusion and economic competitiveness in Texas.”
Statement from Brad Pritchett, CEO of Equality Texas:
"Texas Competes underscores the importance of businesses leaning into support for the LGBTQIA+ community and pro-business policies that protect and uplift all employees. Fiona Dawson has spent years working within the LGBTQIA+ movement, in addition to building relationships with businesses and business leaders, underscoring why equality is good for their bottom line and for Texas as a whole. We are excited to have her experience and her voice at Texas Competes."
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Texas Competes, a program of Equality Texas, is a coalition of more than 1,500 employers, chambers of commerce, convention and visitors bureaus, and industry associations making the economic case for Texas to be welcoming to LGBTQIA+ people.
Equality Texas is the largest statewide organization working to secure full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Texans through political action, education, community organizing, and collaboration.
Founded in 1997, the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce is the oldest LGBTQ+ chamber in Texas, representing hundreds of LGBTQIA+ and allied businesses, nonprofits, and corporate partners. Through advocacy, education, and connection, the Chamber works to advance economic opportunity and workplace inclusion across Central Texas.
