Linda Toyota

Linda connects people, ideas and organizations. She thrives in an environment that offers intellectual challenges and opportunities where she is able to discover, develop and present new ideas and concepts to help organizations grow. Linda has been incorporating diversity concepts and strategies throughout her life as she specializes in strategic fundraising, business development, non-profit management, and community engagement.

The importance of diversity stems back to her family heritage. Her U.S. born Japanese parents were evacuated and incarcerated during World War II after Pearl Harbor was bombed. Despite being placed in internment camps, Linda’s father enlisted in the all Japanese American U.S. 442nd regimental combat team. After the war and until his passing a few years ago, Linda’s father always purchased American made products to continue to show his loyalty. This exclusion experienced by her parents has influenced her and made diversity an important pillar for Linda throughout her life.

With more than 20 years experience in the non profit community, Linda has worked with a wide array of non-profit organizations including Holocaust Museum Houston and Houston Technology Center. The thread that ties her professional and volunteer experience together is her belief in people realizing their full potential.

As President of the Asian Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber is a past recipient of the Houston Minority Chamber of the Year Award during Minority Enterprise Development Week that celebrates the achievements of minority-owned businesses and advocates of minority businesses. She was the first Asian woman to chair Leadership Houston and the Mayor’s International Trade and Development Council–Asia/Australia. She is a past recipient of the Top 50 Influential Women by Houston Woman Magazine, one of the Top 25 Women in Houston by The Steed Society and Comerica Bank, and received the Gulf Coast Diversity Council Diversity First award. She was recognized by The Smart Financial Foundation with the 2016 Community Impact award.

She currently serves on the boards of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, Better Business Bureau of Greater Houston and South Texas, Better Business Bureau Education Foundation, Plaza Specialty Hospital and advisory boards of U.S. Global Leadership Coalition Texas Advisory Council and LiftFund. She serves on the 2017 SuperBowl LI Community Council and serves on the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo International Committee.

Linda holds a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Houston and a B.S. in Management. She received her Certificate in Non Profit Executive Management from the University Of Houston Graduate School Of Social Work. Her motto is “anything is possible” and “people support what they help create.”