HIWI happened organically in the summer of 2004. Dave Thompson and Randy Twaddle were
sitting around discussing why they love Houston and why the city has a bad reputation and they
came up with the phrase “Houston. It’s Worth It.” Dave and Randy put up a website where other
Houstonians could express why Houston was worth it in their own words. The website continues
to provide opportunities for Houstonians to voice their passion for a city that is so routinely
misunderstood by outsiders. The HIWI campaign has been covered by newspapers across the
country, including the Houston Chronicle, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Boston
Globe. Each has run stories about the campaign, calling “Houston. It’s Worth It.” the city’s new
“unofficial slogan.”
