Office of Business Opportunity

About the Director

As Director of the Office of Business Opportunity, Cylenthia Hoyrd brings a heartfelt passion for public service and community empowerment. A proud native of Birmingham, Alabama, she holds a BA in Psychology (minor in Business Management) from Talladega College and an MPA in Human Services from Northern Illinois University.

Before joining the City of Houston, Cylenthia built a distinguished career in Chicago, leading the largest Head Start program and launching the city’s first WIC immunization initiative, revamping services for 25,000 residents at Chicago Housing Authority, and establishing award-winning senior centers and housing programs for grandparents raising grandchildren for the City of Chicago’s Department on Aging.

Since relocating to Houston, she spearheaded initiatives at the Houston Public Library, including a broadband technology partnership and a college-access center that supported over 1,200 students in its first year.

In 2017 she founded a consulting firm that supports businesses and nonprofits nationwide and later led staff engagement and grant initiatives at Harris Health System. She reached another pinnacle as the Director of the Office of Business Opportunity, overseeing Houston’s Minority, Women, and Small Business Enterprise (MWSBE) program. With over 5,000 certified businesses under her purview, it’s the largest municipal program of its kind in Texas, directly fostering economic growth and equitable opportunity.

Cylenthia also powerfully advocates for crime survivors as the Houston Chapter Coordinator for Crime Survivors Speak.  Adding to her impressive portfolio, she recently co-founded LipStick Leaders, an invaluable network supporting executive women. Her service to others began in college as a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and continues as she persists in pushing for justice and equality for those marginalized by systems of oppression. Deeply rooted in faith and community, Cylenthia volunteers with workforce and prayer ministries, social justice advocacy, and women’s empowerment projects like the LeadHer Tour.

She is also a devoted mother to four daughters, whose own success, strength and joy inspire her daily life.

Driven by integrity, compassion, and a belief that every entrepreneur deserves opportunity, Cylenthia leads the Office with vision and dedication—working tirelessly to break down barriers and elevate small businesses across Houston.

OBO Director Cylenthia Hoyrd

OBO Links

• OBO Home Page
• About the Director
• Advisory Board
• Contract Compliance Commission
• Departments with OBO Offices
• OBO Leadership Team
• Calendar of Events
• Certifications and Designations
• DBE and ACDBE Certifications
• Contract Compliance
• Pay or Play (POP) Program and Forms
• Department Services
• Hire Houston First
• OBO Solutions Center
• External Affairs
• Liftoff Houston
• Turnaround Houston
• Houston Small Business Legal Consultations
• Disparity Study
• Title VI Information
• Reports
• Success Stories
• Documents and Forms
• director.obo@houstontx.gov

Resources

• Government Grants for Small Businesses
• Chambers of Commerce
• Professional and Community Organizations