Houston—Sometimes, when a startup has matured to a certain point, a founder is not considered to be the best person to lead it during the next stage of growth. At Station Houston, a startup-focused organization founded in 2016, new leadership is in place.
Gabriella Rowe, a longtime education executive and former investment banker, has replaced John “JR” Reale as Station Houston’s new CEO. Reale co-founded the organization in 2016, and has served as its chief executive in the years since.
“Two years ago there was not even a concept of something like this,” Rowe says. She describes Station Houston as an organization that can “provide startups care and feeding, and connect them with the investor world to increase their chances of success.”
“We now have the opportunity to scale that, [so it’s] not only something we do for startup entrepreneurs here in Houston, but we do it so well that we attract talent to Houston because they know this is a place that will enable them to be successful,” she says.
Rowe, who has been a Station board member, has been a startup mentor for 18 months. “JR brought me onto the board of Station; it’s the evolution of a relationship,” she says.
Reale remains a director at Station and will run Station Houston Ventures, which has so far invested $1.6 million in five early stage startups. “Gaby has led larger organizations; she brings a different touch and feel with the rest of the community,” Reale says. “I think we’ve built something that’s important for someone like Gaby to come in and take that position.”
Prior to taking the top job at Station, Rowe was head of school at The Village School in Houston, which went through a major expansion as she oversaw curriculum changes such
