Executive Director, Houston Lemonade Day
Lemonade DayHouston, TX
Organization Overview Entrepreneurs believe they can achieve their dreams through hard work, responsibility, and wise stewardship of their resources. Today's youth share that optimism but often lack the life skills, mentorship, and real-world experience to succeed. Lemonade Day is a national nonprofit with a mission to prepare youth for life through fun, proactive, and experiential entrepreneurship education. Since 2007, Lemonade Day has introduced over 1.5 million young people to the real-world experience of starting and running their own businesses — lemonade stands — where they learn to set goals, make plans, work the plan, and achieve their dreams. Youth are encouraged to spend some, save some, and share some with causes they care about. Licensed in over 90 chapters across North America, encompassing more than 200 communities , Lemonade Day operates through partnerships with schools, youth-serving organizations, and local coalitions. The organization's annual operating budget is just over $2 million , supported by philanthropic donations, sponsorships, and earned revenue from licensed program materials. Position Overview Lemonade Day is seeking a Houston Executive Director , the organization's flagship market and a national model for youth entrepreneurship programming. This role is responsible for driving local strategy, execution, and sustainability while expanding access, strengthening partnerships, and ensuring a high-quality experience for youth, families, and community stakeholders. Key Responsibilities Community Leadership & Program Execution Lead Lemonade Day Houston as the organization's flagship market, taking full ownership of local strategy, execution, and results while ensuring alignment with national standards and priorities. Drive sustained growth in youth participation, partner engagement, and community reach, with an emphasis on scale, quality, and long-term sustainability in a mature market. Design, implement, and continuously improve the infrastructure required to operate a high-performing flagship program, including systems for logistics, partnerships, volunteers, data tracking, and program delivery. Build and steward strong relationships with schools, youth-serving organizations, civic leaders, corporate partners, and community stakeholders, positioning Lemonade Day as a premier youth entrepreneurship program in Houston. Plan, oversee, and execute a comprehensive, year-round program calendar, including: Youth engagement events, registration drives, and educational workshops Partner activations and community-facing experiences that promote entrepreneurship A citywide Lemonade Day event that delivers a best-in-class experience and sets the standard nationally Recruit, onboard, train, and support local staff, contractors, volunteers, mentors, and program partners, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and excellence. Lead local marketing and community outreach efforts in partnership with the communications team, leveraging earned media, social media, events, and grassroots promotion to increase visibility and participation. Fundraising, Partnerships & Financial Stewardship Own and execute the local fundraising strategy for Lemonade Day Houston, with support from the National Fundraising team including the Grants Manager, securing diversified revenue through corporate sponsorships, foundation support, individual donors, and community-based fundraising Cultivate and steward long-term relationships with funders and sponsors, ensuring strong engagement, clear communication, and meaningful impact reporting. Develop and manage the local program budget, ensuring responsible stewardship of resources and alignment with programmatic and fundraising goals. Collaborate with national partners and stakeholders to meet or exceed funding targets, grant deliverables, and organizational benchmarks. Representation & Strategic Influence Serve as the primary ambassador for Lemonade Day Houston, representing the organization with credibility, professionalism, and enthusiasm at community events, meetings, and media opportunities. Contribute to the evolution of Lemonade Day nationally by piloting best practices, sharing insights, and helping shape scalable models for other large and emerging markets. Communicate progress, challenges, and impact clearly to internal and external stakeholders, ensuring transparency, accountability, and alignment around goals. Qualifications Education & Experience Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in nonprofit management, business, education, public administration, or a related field preferred. Minimum 7–10 years of progressive leadership experience in nonprofit, education, youth development, community-based organizations, or mission-driven enterprises. Demonstrated experience leading complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives with responsibility for program growth, partnerships, budgeting, and outcomes. Proven success in fundraising and revenue generation , including corporate sponsorships, foundations, individual donors, and community-based fundraising. Experience building and managing teams, contractors, or large volunteer networks, with a track record of accountability, performance management, and culture-building. Strong understanding of nonprofit operations, including budgeting, compliance, grant management, reporting, and stakeholder communications. Experience operating in a large, diverse metropolitan market strongly preferred, with familiarity navigating civic, corporate, and nonprofit ecosystems. Skills & Attributes Exceptional communicator and relationship builder who can earn trust across diverse stakeholders, represent Lemonade Day with confidence, and mobilize partners, volunteers, and community leaders around a shared mission. Highly organized and execution-driven, with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously while maintaining strong attention to detail and follow-through. Able to balance operational rigor with creative community engagement to continue to make Lemonade Day a household name in Houston. Entrepreneurial, self-directed, and resourceful, with a strong bias toward action and a willingness to build, test, and scale a local market operation in a dynamic, startup-like environment. Mission-aligned and growth-minded, energized by helping young people develop entrepreneurial skills and by turning challenges into opportunities for impact. Technically proficient and comfortable adopting tools, including Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Canva, Salesforce, and Zoom, with the ability to learn new systems quickly and use them effectively to drive results. Physical Requirements Ability to travel locally throughout the Houston metropolitan area for meetings, partner engagements, and program-related events. Ability to stand, walk, and sit for extended periods during meetings, events, and community outreach activities. Occasional lifting of materials and supplies, up to 25 pounds (e.g., event materials, boxes, and promotional items). Ability to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings and weekends, to support program delivery, fundraising activities, and community events. Schedule & Work Environment Hybrid, full-time role based in Houston. The position offers the option to work remotely on Mondays and Fridays , providing flexibility while maintaining strong in-person collaboration . While much of the work is office-based, the Executive Director must be able to navigate the community and attend meetings, events, and partner engagements in person, requiring regular local travel throughout the Houston area. The role requires regular use of standard office equipment and technology, including computers, phones, and collaboration platforms. Compensation & Benefits This is a full-time, exempt position offering competitive compensation commensurate with experience. Lemonade Day provides a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the well-being and success of our team, which may include health benefits, paid time off, holidays, and professional development opportunities. In addition, this role offers the opportunity to lead a high-impact flagship market, work within a supportive national organization, and grow alongside a mission-driven team committed to preparing youth for life through entrepreneurship. Ready to Make an Impact? Take the lead in shaping the future of youth entrepreneurship in Houston. If you're driven, passionate, and ready to build something extraordinary, we want to hear from you! Please include a cover letter, explaining why you're the perfect fit for this role and how you can make Lemonade Day a success in Houston. P4L DBA LEMONADE DAY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. THIS JOB DESCRIPTION DOES NOT CREATE EITHER AN EXPRESS OR IMPLIED CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT OF ANY SPECIFIC DURATION. ALL EMPLOYMENT WITH P4L DBA LEMONADE DAY IS “AT-WILL” MEANING THAT EMPLOYMENT WITH P4L DBA LEMONADE DAY MAY BE TERMINATED AT ANY TIME, WITH OR WITHOUT NOTICE, FOR ANY REASON OR NO REASON, BY EITHER P4L DBA LEMONADE DAY OR THE EMPLOYEE. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES MAY EVOLVE BASED ON ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS.
Posted 1 week ago