Nafees Alam is Chief Executive Officer of DRG Concepts, one of the Southwest's and United States' premier restaurant development and operations companies. Alam has led the company into steady and solid growth of brands and locations. As CEO, Alam directs a high-caliber DRG Concepts corporate and restaurant team in delivering top quality culinary and dining to guests every day, with innovations in the ways that cuisine and commerce connect. 

DRG Concepts is the only independent restaurant operating company in Dallas with multiple successful brands: Dallas Fish Market, Dallas Chop House, Wild Salsa, Chop House Burger and Oven & Cellar—all with locations throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. 

Testaments to Alam's fine management skills are the fiscal success and continuing critical and consumer praise and acclaim for DRG Concepts brands: Dallas Fish Market, Dallas Chop House, Wild Salsa and Chop House Burger. Each of the brands has received accolades from food critics and guests alike for the consistency in flavor, freshness and top-caliber service. Accolades include strong reviews from Texas Monthly, Bon Appétit, The Dallas Morning News, D Magazine, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Gayot, Deltasky, The Daily Meal, and more. The DRG Concepts restaurant brands continue to receive Reader's Choice acclaim, as well. 
Alam is a Distinguished Alumnus graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington's College of Business. He also received his MBA in Entrepreneurship from SMU Cox School of Business in 2014, earned while leading DRG Concepts. He received the Early Career Achievement Award from UTA's College of Business, and has also been named Graduate Student to Watch by SMU Cox School of Business TODAY. 
The National Restaurant Association honored Alam with the Faces of Diversity American Dream 2015 award for his entrepreneurship and success in the restaurant industry, with pioneering impact on the revitalization of Downtown Dallas. Alam's expertise in the restaurant business is featured as an exemplary and guiding case history in the acclaimed National Restaurant Association ProStart program and curriculum for high school culinary students published in 2017. 
Dallas Business Journal also recognized Alam in 2016 as a 40 Under 40 honoree for his business leadership and extensive community service work. He has also been recognized by FSR Magazine as a 2017 Rising Star for his restaurant industry leadership. In November 2017, Alam was named Distinguished Alumnus by the University of Texas at Arlington, accompanying the honor he had already received from UTA's College of Business.

Alam serves on the board of directors for the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association, and is also a board member of The Bridge of North Texas Homeless Recovery Center. He also serves in corporate volunteer leadership and advisory positions for North Texas Food Bank, and for Vogel Alcove, providing relief and services for homeless children. With Alam's direction, the DRG brands are also actively involved in charitable support and community fundraising in hyper-local programs for each individual restaurant location within the company. 

An advocate for talent development among students in business, hospitality and culinary arts, Nafees has spearheaded various scholarship programs from DRG Concepts, including an annual scholarship for students in UTA's College of Business. 

Alam resides in Las Colinas with his wife Nadia Khan.

Judy has a unique background to bring to any business challenge. Trained in Accounting, HR and Business Management, her approach is to evaluate systems, people and processes. Results oriented, bottom line focused, and efficient, she will move systematically through an evaluation to determine a plan that will achieve the business goals. Self-insured health care design and management expertise, employment compliance and litigation management, streamlining and simplifying processes, right people aligned with business goals are key areas of focus. Award recipient - HR Excellence for Strategic Leadership.

Jake Bailey currently manages portfolio companies in the energy industries for Crestline Investors. As the CFO he gives strategic direction by developing various financial projections based on different scenarios, assumptions, and sensitivities. Prior to Crestline, Jake spent 10 years in various accounting and finance roles, primarily in the energy space. He has a BBA in Accounting and BS in Psychology from the University of Georgia, an MBA from the University of Texas at Arlington and earned the FP&A credential in 2014. In his spare time, he enjoys travelling and playing golf.

Greg Barron is the founder, president and CEO of The Barron Companies, Inc., an integral services firm with offices in Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth and Arlington, Texas. Comprised of The G.L. Barron Company, Inc., Barron-Stark-Swift Consulting Engineers, LP, and GenVest Capital Partners, LP, the Barron Companies provide integral services for real estate investment, acquisition, development, construction and engineering in the public and private sectors. Barron serves on the Board of Directors of First Financial Banks of Weatherford and Fort Worth, Texas, American Electric of Hawaii and Beckenhauer Companies, Inc. of Nebraska. He also serves as the president of the College of Business' Advisory Council at UTA. Barron holds a bachelor of business administration with specialization in finance from UTA's College of Business. He also holds a degree from Dallas Baptist University and is a graduate of Harvard Business School's Owner President Manager (OPM) program. In 2012, he became an alumnus of London Business School after completing the requirements of the Corporate Finance Program through the Executive Education department in London.

In 2009, Barron was honored to speak at the Commencement Ceremonies of the College of Business and in 2010 was selected as a Distinguished Alumnus by UTA and was the U.S. Speaker for the 40th OPM graduating class at Harvard Business School. His companies have achieved state and national best design-build project awards through numerous national associations.

Mark Borge received a bachelor of business administration with a focus in finance from the University of Texas at Arlington. Since then he has been an entrepreneur, accounting and sales professional working with Minuteman Press, Swifty Printing/Redstone Visual Impressions, Borge Properties, LLC, and as Principal and Cofounder of his current role with Best Facility Services. He is a part of The Entrepreneurs Organization, Dallas Building Owner Managers Association and the United States Green Building Council. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Entrepreneurs Organization – Fort Worth Chapter and the Social Enterprise Advisory Board of Catholic Charities of Fort Worth. Mark is also a contributing writer for Holeshot Magazine and is trained in trading stocks.

Caio Braga is a consummate International Trade professional with more than 20 years of experience spanning Import & Export practices, Trade and Development, Risk Mitigation, Trade Finance and International Logistics. Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Caio is an individual with a truly international background with exposure to multiple countries and cultures.

Currently, Caio is a U.S. based Business Development Director for Stenn International, a London based Cross Border Trade Finance firm providing Supply Chain Finance facilities for U.S. companies sourcing from emerging markets.
Caio is greatly involved in the D/FW business community as an International Trade advisory board member for the Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter of the Global Chamber as well as participating in several local chapters of the following groups: ACG (Association for Corporate Growth), The Finance Forum, Commercial Finance Association and Dallas Association for Finance Professionals.
Caio resides in Fort Wort with his wife and two children.

John Brookby is assistant vice president of planning, marketing and leasing within the Commercial Development Department of the world’s fourth busiest airport: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. In this position, he is responsible for directing and managing revenue-generating development of airport real estate.

Brookby is broadly experienced in aviation and real estate development with a background in architecture, construction, financial modeling, and project management. He has extensive knowledge of master planning, commercial building design and construction, real estate financial analysis, and development processes. As a multidisciplinary professional, Brookby has a Master of Science degree in real estate from The University of Texas at Arlington, where he has also been an instructor in real estate courses, and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Rice University. He is a licensed architect in the state of Texas, an active member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and Greater Dallas Planning Council, an Accredited Airport Executive with the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), and a LEED Accredited Professional.

Before DFW Airport, Brookby was a commercial development manager at TownSite Company in Fort Worth, a project manager with RTKL Associates, Inc. in Dallas, and an architect with Carter Burgess, Inc., in Fort Worth. His experience includes leadership in several significant commercial and mixed-use projects. He also has a Private Pilot license and a lifelong interest in aviation.

Austin Brooks is an Account Manager at TEKsystems specializing in network infrastructure and end-user support and focusing on institutions of higher education. He holds a BBA with specialization in management from West Texas A&M University and an MBA from Baylor University. His passions in business revolve around solving complex problems and making positive changes in organizational cultural.

Lauren is a Vice President of Data Management and Analytics at CHRISTUS Health, focusing on data warehousing, big data solutions, data platform and governance. She has over 19 years of experience in development and leadership of strategic initiatives comprised of data integration, distribution services, databases, and data applications to deliver high-caliber commercial systems. Her experience spans multiple industries including aerospace, telecommunications, financials, travel and healthcare. Her most recent experience is working with emerging analytics technologies in big data, which includes Data Lake, Data Bus, and Business Intelligence to deliver advanced analytics capabilities. She holds a bachelor's degree in management information systems and an MBA.

Marijana currently serves as Vice President of Customer Relations at Swift Pace Solutions. Prior to joining Swift Pace Solutions, she worked as an Advanced Certified Personal and Executive Coach in Clent Coaching, LLC. Marijana is entrepreneurial by nature, with passions for people development, process improvement and community involvement. Her coaching style is values- and strengths-based, goals- and results-driven. Serving as a high-performance consultant in the corporate setting, she also especially enjoyed discovering potential in others and helping those individuals grow to their potential.
Marijana has lived and worked in Croatia, Italy, England, the state of California and now in Texas.

Rob Comer is a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington where he was a Goolsby Leadership Academy Scholar. He is a Supervisor in the Bodily Injury Claims department at GEICO. Rob graduate in 2012 from UTA's College of Business with a bachelor of science in economics and immediately launched his career. At GEICO, he has moved quickly up the chain of leadership holding 5 positions since his inception with the company and has lead regional initiatives to increase associate engagement and improve customer service. In 2013, Rob served on the strategic steering committee for the College of Business at UTA and now works to develop business strategy at GEICO in addition to guiding a team of liability specialists. In 2015, Rob graduated from UTA's College of Business with a master of arts in economics.

Andrew Feghali is the president and founder of Aeroblaze Laboratory—a test laboratory specializing in flammability testing for aerospace materials. While completing his MBA, Andrew realized that there was an opportunity for a flammability test lab in the DFW area. Founded in 2015, Aeroblaze has quickly become a known name in the aerospace industry across the globe. Andrew credits this fast growth to the company's focus on client needs—low prices, fast turn-around time and convenient online access. Before opening his own business, Andrew worked at Parker Hannifin Stratoflex. Andrew received his bachelor degree in mechanical engineering and holds an MBA, both from UTA.

Born and raised in southern California, JT Fisher earned his undergraduate degree from Embry Riddle University, where he trained to become a professional pilot. Flying became relegated to a hobby as his career took him into aerospace, aviation, and air transportation management for more than 20 years. He worked in finance and operations roles at companies such as McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing), American Airlines, Lufthansa German Airlines, and Delta Air Lines.
While working in the Corporate Development group at American Airlines, he completed his MBA at the University of Texas at Arlington. His professional capstone in the aviation sector was to head the restructuring office for the successful bankruptcy reorganization of Delta Air Lines. Subsequently, Fisher served as CFO of telecommunications provider Charter Communications, and later as CFO of Austin Industries, Inc., in Dallas. He also served on the board of directors of Austin Industries and Limelight Networks, Inc. Fisher currently serves as the CEO of Vergent Communications and is a board member of the College of Business Advisory Council at UTA.

Richard Fleming is the founder and CEO of State Tax Group, LLC, a boutique state and local tax advisory and consulting firm located in Dallas (Addison) Texas since 2005.

Through Richard Fleming’s leadership, the firm has recovered $25.3 million dollars for their clients through sales tax refund recovery projects, audit defense services, tax amnesty agreements, tax research, property tax reviews and appeals, as well as through various consulting service projects. Simply put, State Tax Group helps CEOs and business owners to increase their bottom line through state and local tax savings. By creating dollar savings, clients view State Tax Group as their trusted tax advisor.

Richard has over 23 years of experience in the state and local tax arena. He is an appointed member of the Texas State Comptroller's "Taxpayer Advisory Group" which meets to discuss proposed rules and tax laws before they are published in the Texas Register. Richard and State Tax Group were featured in the Texas Business Report by the Texas Association of Business in the April, 2013 issue. The Texas Business Report is a monthly publication of the Texas Association of Business and Chambers of Commerce, an organization that creates and fosters a business-friendly climate in Texas and throughout the country.

Travis Franklin graduated from UT Austin with majors in Finance and Real Estate and has been in the real estate industry for over 20 years and now runs his own independent real estate brokerage. He is an avid golfer, enjoys traveling with his wife, DeeDee, and is passionate about music, playing guitar and singing at 70+ shows a year with the Jessica Brooks Band. Travis strongly believes in helping everyone around him succeed at a higher level.

Darien George has been in the executive search business since 2001 and leads Mackenzie Eason's Talent Consulting and Executive Search divisions. His focus for every engagement is to understand a company's culture, core values, vision and long-term goals and provide it with solutions that are a synergistic match with the organization. He is the founder of Mackenzie Eason & Associates and serves as the Managing Partner, successfully consulting with organizations on their Talent Suite, and executing searches at the C-Suite level, from Vice President to Chief Executive Officer and Chairman. Darien focuses on consulting with clients on Organizational Development, Talent Management and Talent Acquisition processes. He is experienced and an expert in Talent and Human Capital consulting, having graduated from the Talent Management Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Darien left the larger firms to create Mackenzie Eason & Associates in 2003 and began developing his unique approach to executive search services--incorporating talent management, technology, psychology, and science and research to the search process. Darien is a frequent industry expert media contributor and speaker at universities. He is actively involved in charity work with community nonprofit organizations and currently serves on six boards with the majority involving under-served children. He is the former Chair of the Board of Adjustment-Residential for the city of Fort Worth. He sits on the board of the Sports Advisory Council for the City of Fort Worth, supports the Center for Transforming Lives, The Leg Up program, and is President of Berkeley Place neighborhood. Darien completed Leadership Fort Worth in 2014-2015. In 2017, his work success and community activities earned him recognition from the Fort Worth Business Press as a top 40-under-40 area executive. His search specialties are: CEO, CMO, President, Vice President, Executive Director, Director, and Division Director.

Darien resides in his hometown of Fort Worth with his wife, Laurie, two sons and a daughter.

Dr. Paul D. Hain is the Market President for North Texas at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. Previously, he served in executive roles at Children's Medical Center of Dallas and Vanderbilt's Children's Hospital, as well as Associate Professor of Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He has lectured nationally, and his work is published in multiple journals. Dr. Hain received his MD from the Vanderbilt School of Medicine and completed his pediatrics residency at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. Prior to that, Dr. Hain received his BS in Engineering from Rice University and subsequently worked as a corrosion engineer in Alaska.

Brian Happel is the chief executive officer of Fort Worth for BBVA Compass, bringing more than 30 years of banking and knowledge of the Fort Worth and overall Tarrant County markets. He was previously president of the Fort Worth market, and was promoted to CEO in early 2015. Happel's new role is part of the bank's broader reorganization that combines BBVA Compass' retail, wealth management and commercial lines of business into one unit. Happel leads the Commercial/Real Estate Banking Team for Tarrant County, which includes the business development of prospective customers for BBVA Compass with revenues from $5 million to $1.5 billion. His team provides customized business services such as credit, deposits, treasury management, international, leasing and investments needs for clients throughout Tarrant County. In addition, he has overall responsibility for the retail and wealth management teams for the Fort Worth market.

Before joining the corporate banking world, Happel was a professional football player with the Washington Redskins, Baltimore Colts, New York Jets, Washington Federals, San Antonio Gunslingers and Green Bay Packers from 1983 through 1987. He holds a bachelor of business administration with specialization in management from UTA's College of Business. Active in the community, Happel serves with Downtown Fort Worth, Inc., as a board member on the Executive Committee, chairman of the Audit Committee and chairman of the Finance Committee; is a member of the UTA College of Business Advisory Council; and is a member of the Fort Worth Executive Roundtable.

Ryan Harrington is a founding member and the president and chief executive officer of Trinity Healthcare. With more than 1,000 employees across 17 locations, Trinity Healthcare specializes in the operation and management of nursing homes and hospice services. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, the company provides a broad range of services to residents and patients by engaging licensed administrators, registered nurses, social workers, licensed therapists, physicians, pharmacists and dietitians to care for residents and patients.

Harrington was previously the chief financial officer of another senior housing operator with 14 properties located across Texas and New Mexico. He was also previously a senior manager in the Transaction Advisory Services Practice of Ernst & Young. While at Ernst & Young, he provided financial due diligence and audit services for private and public companies. In addition to leading Trinity Healthcare, Harrington also serves on the Board of Directors for another senior housing operator with more than 30 locations, and for a dental practice servicing the long-term care market.

He is a Certified Public Accountant and received both B.B.A. and Master of Professional Accounting degrees from The University of Texas at Austin.

Throughout his 20+ year career with the Department of Commerce, Kenneth Haynes has facilitated numerous international business deals for small to medium sized U.S. companies by introducing them to the services provided by the International Trade Administration, a segment of the U.S. Department of Commerce. With direct access to U.S. Embassies across the globe, Kenneth's day-to-day activities include providing top notch international business solutions, as well as advocating for the interest of U.S. business abroad. He has served as National Team Leader for the U. S. Department of Commerce' Global Diversity Initiative.

Kenneth has received numerous awards and letters of commendation from the United States Secretary of Commerce, U.S. Members of Congress, as well as the U.S. Director General of the International Trade Administration, for his tireless and continuous support of American business interest globally. He is presently a Foundation Board member with the Arlington Chamber of Commerce; a Leadership Arlington graduate, and a member of Who's Who of International Trade Professionals, as well as a Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP).

Peter Healey is vice president of account management at Buxton, where he serves as a client adviser to high-profile retail, health care, restaurant and consumer packaged goods clients. He is responsible for building long-term strategic partnerships with clients and ensuring that all aspects of client management are executed effectively.

Healey brings account management experience from a variety of industries to Buxton, including athletic apparel and e-commerce. He has a bachelor of arts degree in history and political science from Texas Christian University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Arlington.

As I was growing up, I watched the everyday people around me often struggling to be heard. I remember as a teenager sitting with my sister in court for her criminal charges. She wanted to explain the circumstances, to have someone listen. But we sat and looked silently at the floor. I watched as people there were treated indifferently, as if they didn't matter at all, including my sister. We were nobodies and I felt powerless. I decided right then that I would change that—I would become a voice for the voiceless—and decided to go to law school.
At the time I decided to go to law school, I didn't know any lawyers—had never even met any lawyers (we surely couldn't afford one). I just knew that it would give me at least the opportunity to stand up for the rights of regular citizens. I have spent the last twenty-nine years representing people who have been harmed or wronged. It is amazing how many times, while waiting on a jury verdict, my client has turned to me and said "Susan, regardless of how this turns out, you told my story and I got my day in court. I was heard and I thank you." Each time has been a great gift to me. In each case, I learn not only about my client, but about myself. Sometimes I am frustrated with the process, but I have great faith in our jury system and am grateful for the chance to be a part of it. Everyone matters.

Beverly D. Johnson is the Managing Partner of PJS Services, LLC, a firm that focuses on tax planning and wealth management strategies for small and medium size business owners and empowering, educating and advising women on their 'You'nique financial needs. She has over 20 years' experience as a business leader in the areas of finance, marketing, supply management, and manufacturing operations, and worked as a consultant in Fortune 500 companies, as well as major franchises. Additionally, she has spent over seven years as an educator, teaching corporate finance, personal finance, marketing, and leadership in colleges and universities to underserved communities and to corporate partners.
She is originally from Illinois and spent over sixteen years (active and reserve) as an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. She served in Virginia, Missouri, Europe and the Hawaiian Islands. She was one of the first African American Women to graduate from the ABET accredited program at the U.S. Military Academy with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Systems. She holds an M.S. in Engineering Management from Missouri University of Science and Technology, an Executive MBA from Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, and a Master's Degree in Personal Financial Planning with a certification in Charitable Planning from Texas Tech University. Additionally, she is completing a doctoral degree at Texas Tech University in Personal Financial Planning where her research objectives are focused on the financial well-being of active duty military, veterans, and women.

Beverly serves on the Advisory Board for Financial Literacy and Personal Finance at the University of Texas at Arlington and as a Congressional Military Liaison to the U.S. Military Academy, where she helps lead, motivate, inspire, and guide high school youth interested in attending West Point. She serves as the chairperson for West Point LEADS (Leadership Ethics and Diversity in Stem)/STEM CEO, an annual program that partners the U.S. Military Academy with high schools to teach middle school and high school students about STEM careers, ethics and leadership, and entrepreneurship. She has authored a book of poetry entitled, "Written Amongst the Tears" and is the mother of two adult sons, Cole and Randy. Cole is a sales associate at Sewell Automotive and Randy currently attends the U.S. Military Academy.

Larry Kemp is a 1980 graduate of UTA's College of Business. He began his professional career at IBM and became part of the Financial Management Team responsible for marketing and offering $1-million-dollar finance options to qualified IBM clients.

Being a fourth-generation businessman, Larry followed his natural entrepreneurial instinct, and in 1998 took over his family's small commercial cleaning business that was founded by his father in 1972.

Under Larry's leadership, KEMP & SONS General Services has grown revenues over 18 fold. KEMP & SONS General Services has a strong presence in the North Texas area and is gaining momentum in the state.

The company has been recognized by Harvard Business School in both 2013 and 2015; and appeared in Forbes, CNN Money, and Inc. Magazine. KEMP & SONS General Services has received numerous awards on a local, regional and national level.

Larry, who established Kemp Leadership Academy for so-called, "at risk youth,” operates a program that sponsors four major events connecting youth with entrepreneurs. Larry has a YouTube channel, "Kemp Executive Coaching," geared toward inspiring and encouraging aspiring entrepreneurs, small business and minority business owners throughout the country.

Larry is a supporter and advocate for small and minority owned businesses, their issues, and concerns as he serves on various task forces and committees that promote entrepreneurship and economic development.

Larry and his wife, Reggi Sturns-Kemp, reside in Fort Worth. Larry is the proud father of two, and the grandfather of five.

Maksym Kohanyuk has been in the Ministry and non-profit sector for the past twenty years, working from a copy editor to a senior vice president of Latin American and U.S. Ministries. He received an equivalent of B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University in Donetsk Region, Ukraine, as well as an MBA from the University of Texas at Arlington. His areas of expertise are operational analysis and process improvement in the non-profit sector.

Lisa Lankes has her own marketing consulting firm and works with several clients as their Fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). After 23 years at Justin Brands, she left in March of 2017 as their CMO and decided to take the experience and learnings of her time there and offer that value proposition to other companies.
The Fractional CMO offers CMO-level involvement at a company without having to incur the costs of a full-time, expensive executive. More important than the cost considerations, it provides a broad-based perspective around best practices in marketing execution and enables a more sustained relationship than project-based consulting. A Fractional CMO assures that the vision is informed and supported by objective market-based perspectives and the company "story" and business objectives are compelling, both driving a measurable execution of strategic plans and priorities.

Lisa grew up in Fort Worth and it has been her home for most of her life. She lived in Germany and Nashville for a time and has traveled extensively but is always glad to land back in her hometown. She has a daughter and son-in-law who live in Nashville where both are pursuing their dreams to write and sing music. She has served on the Executive board of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Near Southside board and served on the Economic Development committee and chaired the Women Influencing Business committee for the Fort Worth Chamber. She served on the board and was board president for the Ft. Worth Pregnancy Center. She currently lives in a home that is almost 100 years old just south of downtown Ft. Worth with her 3 dogs—Vickery, Lucy and Ethel—all rescues. She is a proud 1984 graduate of UTA's College of Business with a bachelor of business administration specializing in systems analysis.

John LaRue is an Account Manager with TEKsystems, a technology services organization in Fort Worth. He has more than 5 years of experience in the information technology market and previously worked as a technical consultant. His role at TEKsystems is specifically focused in Application Services. John supports clients in several different industries which include state and local government, government integrators, higher education and energy (oil & gas). He is passionate about positive change within individuals and organizations.

Though she started her studies in her hometown of Medellin, Colombia, Maria Mejia had a fascination with international trade that took her to Dallas in 1999 for a six-month internship and then on to the University of Texas at Arlington in 2000. Her education, as well as her career, have kept her in the United States ever since. But as CFO for drill bit manufacturer Ulterra, she finds herself at a company that is ever more eager to tap the international side of her expertise.

Mary Miller is a CPA professional with 12+ years of accounting experience including Big 4 public accounting, SEC financial reporting, and internal management financial reporting and accounting. Her experience also includes carve out financial statement preparation and business unit divestments. She joined Novartis in July 2012 where she is currently the Associate Director Accounting & Reporting for the Alcon US division. Prior to joining Novartis, she worked at Ernst & Young and Ensco. Mary holds a Bachelor of Arts from Trinity University and a Master of Science in Accountancy from University of Notre Dame.

Bridget Moon joined the U.S. Small Business Administration in 1996, currently holding a position of Economic Development Specialist and Veterans Business Development Officer in the SBA Dallas/Fort Worth District Office. Her responsibilities include building and maintaining collaborative partnerships with small business stakeholders such as economic development practitioners, civic and community organizations, chambers of commerce, business associations, and educational institutions. Prior to working for the District Office, she has held several positions under the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Disaster Assistance - Processing & Disbursement Center. This included her involvement in direct recovery efforts in the field, Public Information Officer, and Supervisory Loan Officer for home and business underwriting.

Bridget has a passion for small business ownership and demonstrates this through her presentations at various venues. Currently Bridget is a small business owner and has been since the age of 18. Her businesses have ranged from real estate investments to fabrication. As she says, "She gets it, being a small business owner, all that it entails." As a result, Bridget has counseled and prepared business plans, ranging from start-ups to existing businesses needing anything from market analysis to expansion.

Bridget holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management from Ball State University. The Entrepreneurship Program at Ball State University has consistently ranked among the nation's elite including: top 4 in U.S. News & World Report, #1 Public University for Entrepreneurship, #1 Regional Entrepreneurship Program in Entrepreneur magazine.

Clement enjoys counseling business leaders, employees and other stakeholders on legal matters affecting the day-to-day operation of their respective organizations. It is a role he relishes given that he spent majority of his legal career as in-house counsel in the law departments of a government agency, privately held corporations and a publicly traded corporation.

In his most recent in-house position, Clement served as the Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer of a publicly traded IT consulting company, where he was charged with helping the company create the right structure for its compliance program, taking into account the size, business and risk profile of the company. The role included chairing the company's compliance committee, creating a comprehensive compliance program for managing and directing enterprise compliance activities and carrying out or overseeing internal investigations to ensure that business conduct aligned with ethical standards. Clement also served as interim Vice President and General Counsel for DPT Laboratories, Ltd., a contract manufacturing pharmaceutical company. For almost two-years, he counseled DPT on all major legal matters related to business transactions, including arrangements to manufacture and supply pharmaceutical products, research and development arrangements, M&A activities, joint ventures, vendor services, litigation and regulatory compliance and he often assisted the company with OSHA, DEA and FDA related inspections.

Prior to his engagement with DPT, Clement spent almost 12 years with Mary Kay Inc. His practice at Mary Kay was focused on international and cross-border transactions, contracts, real estate, compliance and regulatory matters, as well as import and export compliance matters.

In the mid to late 2000s, when FCPA enforcement activities were on the rise, as the in-house counsel in charge of Mary Kay's international legal support function, Clement orchestrated and managed the development of the company's FCPA/anti-bribery/anti-corruption compliance program. He found himself travelling around the globe to locations where the company had operations outside the United States, especially to countries considered high-risk for corruption, to raise awareness (train company employees and educate vendors) about the law. The most exciting part of the experience for Clement was helping to contextualize for foreign citizens the enforcement of the FCPA against non-US citizens for conduct occurring in foreign locations, and the practical implications of such enforcement actions for the company. In his last position at Mary Kay, Clement served as Vice President and Associate General Counsel, where he was responsible for overseeing legal support services for the company's international operations in over 35 countries outside the United States in the Asia/Pacific, Europe, North and South America regions.

It was while at Mary Kay that Clement developed a passion for Ethics & Compliance as a discipline. Equipped with the knowledge he gained from working in various compliance-driven environments, attending numerous compliance trainings and serving on the Board of Disciplinary Appeals (BODA) for the State of Texas (a position to which he was appointed twice by the Texas Supreme Court), Clement now counsels corporations, employees and business partners on ethics and compliance related matters.

Clement received a J.D., with honors, from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and a B.B.A. with concentration in finance, from the University of Texas at Arlington. To further enhance the scope of his compliance practice, Clement obtained a certificate in Healthcare Corporate Compliance from The George Washington University in 2017.

Clement and his wife, Karen, are blessed with a son and a daughter.

Michelle Rosewell currently serves as an Account Manager focusing on Higher Education with TEKsystems. She has served in this capacity for the past 3 years. She holds a BBA with specialization in management from Angelo State University.

Molly Sandlin, President of CAET Project Management Consultants (CAET PMC) in Keller, Texas, graduated from the UTA MBA Cohort Program in December 2014. Molly started the boutique project management firm in February 2016 after leaving a successful career in corporate America. In less than 2 years, she has grown to a team of 4 delivering construction and project management services for commercial and aviation renovation and remodeling projects. CAET PMC recently was awarded the Women's Business Council Southwest WBE Rising Star and is a finalist for the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year.

Dr. Cynthia St. John applies 25 years of experience in leadership and organizational development to help executives succeed. She has served as vice president and Chief Learning Officer for one of the largest health care systems in Texas, and one of the largest faith-based systems in the country; she currently leads a boutique consulting practice called Chiefology; and has worked with a slate of distinguished organizations including NASA/United Space Alliance, MD Anderson Cancer Center, the University of Texas, ExxonMobil, and others. Dr. St. John also volunteers as a national Baldrige Performance Excellence examiner, and is a judge for the Texas Award for Performance Excellence.

Jim Stricklen is president and owner of Matcon Sys, a consulting firm specializing in process efficiency and business growth strategies. Jim has over 35 years of experience in the electrical equipment and semiconductor industries. His strengths are in operations improvement and manufacturing strategy development to support revenue growth.

Before he founded BuzzPro in 2012, Terry Sullivan was Director of Marketing for Verizon Communications where he launched many successful national marketing programs that gained more than 456,000 new customers and reduced churn by more than 6% annually, in spite of multiple price increases and competitor product launches.

Terry realized most business owners and leaders were in the dark about how to use the latest online marketing tools to find and connect with potential prospects and clients. He also had a real passion for sharing his unique marketing knowledge with others to help them achieve their business goals. So, to meet this need, Terry founded BuzzPro, a nationally recognized Integrated Marketing and Social Media Marketing and Training company. Terry works with his clients to show them how to fill their sales funnels with more sales using advanced LinkedIn branding and Social Selling strategies.

Widely considered to be a "Guru of Social Selling," Terry has trained more than 6,200 business leaders, owners and individuals across the nation on how to create a unique online brand that gets results. His inspiring training programs focus on keyword optimization, branding and Social Selling strategies that help his clients tap into the unlimited world of Social Media to get better leads, more prospects and clients.

Holder of an MBA from Texas State University, Terry received his Social Media Marketing Certification from Splash Media University, one of the nation's premier Social Media training companies.

Terry is a storytelling entrepreneur, thought leader and a difference maker in the world of Social Media and serves as a technology advisor for many business groups and companies throughout the United States.

Vicky Teherani is the CEO of VT Capital, Inc., and a financial and operational executive who grows topline and delivers bottom line in a multicultural/global environment. She is an empathetic leader who understands and partners with sales/marketing and operations in creating win-win decisions. Teherani is decisive and skilled in leading companies facing growing pains. She is a quick learner who can visualize strategic and tactical solutions and lead teams to resolve challenges. In the last four companies she worked with, she helped those companies achieve revenue growth of more than 200 percent.

Jerry Thomas is president and CEO of Decision Analyst, one of the top 20 research companies in North America and a company he founded in 1978. He leads the overall strategic planning for the firm, heads the executive committee, serves as a consultant to client service teams within Decision Analyst, and plays a key role in the design of the firm’s proprietary research services and related mathematical models.

He has served as a research and analytic consultant to many major companies over the years. During his career, he worked on the development and marketing of personal computers, word processors, printers, copiers, educational toys, electronic calculators, digital watches, microwave ovens and many new consumer packaged goods. He began his career in brand management at Hallmark Cards, and then Kraft Foods where he focused on new products. He next worked at a major national research company before launching Decision Analyst in 1978.
He served on the Board of Directors of the Council of American Survey Research Organizations for many years, and helped launch the graduate program in marketing research at UT Arlington. He is a member of the UTA College of Business Advisory Council, which he headed for many years, and also is an adviser to the college’s marketing research graduate program. He has an MBA from The University of Texas, and took graduate courses in economics at Southern Methodist University. He is a student of marketing strategy, new product creation and mathematical modeling.

As chief information officer, executive vice president - information technology for American National Bank of Texas, Bill Wade is responsible for transitioning information technology within the bank into a key strategic asset. An accomplished IT executive, Wade's experience spans a wide spectrum of industries, including financial services, publishing, hospitality, retail, manufacturing, leisure, insurance, entertainment, restaurant, broadcasting, aviation and law enforcement.

As vice president - information technology of TRT Holdings, his previous role, Wade worked with senior management to create a shared service IT organization to manage common IT services, hardware assets and vendor contracts.
Wade received his bachelor's degree from UTA, and has taught IT courses at the McCombs School of Business at UT Austin, UTA, Arthur Andersen Training Facility in St. Charles, Illinois, and North Texas Council of Government Police Academy in Arlington, Texas.

Peter Walsh is a forward-thinking, business-minded technologist focused on business strategies and technologies to enhance fan experiences at major sporting venues around the world, while also generating revenue returns to the team owner/venue operator. Walsh is the former CIO for the Dallas Cowboys and AT&T Stadium, home to the Dallas Cowboys. Previously he was the regional CIO for Nokia Americas, head of Sports and Entertainment for AT&T’s Network Integration, vice president of Sports and Entertainment for SignalShare and worked on the U.S. Space Shuttle program at NASA. Walsh brings extensive technology and business experience in the sports and entertainment, government, telecommunications, and consulting industries.

Walsh spent seven seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, where he was responsible for leading the technology team supporting 40 disparate lines of business, including the Dallas Cowboys Football Club, coaches, players and staff; a $250M/year merchandise operation; two MRI Centers; oil and gas businesses; real estate developments; the Cowboys Golf Course; and many other lines of business. He was responsible for AT&T Stadium’s technology design and implementation of the converged network, distributed antenna system (DAS), Wi-Fi and video distribution system earning the venue a reputation as the most technologically advanced sports and entertainment venue in the world.

Walsh has a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration with a finance concentration from California State University, Fullerton. He is a member of the Advisory Council for the UTA College of Business and sits on the Advisory Board for the HonorGuard Network. He previously held the position of vice president and president of the National Management Association and is a fundraising committee member for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Sharon is a Second Vice President with Morgan Stanley. She has been with the firm or its predecessors since July 1993. During her career, she has worked with high net worth individual investors, foundations and Fortune 500 companies and their employee plans.

Sharon has experience working with corporate stock plans including option, purchase and restricted stock plans. Sharon also has worked with the Executive Financial Services Group that is responsible for Rule 144 stock sales and 10b5-1 sales plans. She is a Financial Planning Specialist and a Portfolio Manager.
Sharon is also a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®. She has helped many clients over the years with their divorces and pre-marital financial planning. She is a member of Collaborative Divorce Texas.

Prior to working with corporate stock plans, Sharon worked with a retirement planning group at Morgan Stanley focusing on estate planning strategies and retirement planning.

Sharon developed a Financial Literacy teen boot camp held at a local library. The program is available for schools or groups. Sharon is also on the Financial Literacy Board for UTA.

After graduating from The University of Texas at Arlington in 1986 with a Bachelor of Business Administration, she worked for Judson Malkin & Bloom (JMB) concentrating on real estate limited partnerships. In 1989, she joined PaineWebber (now UBS) working in various positions.

Sharon resides in North Dallas. She is president for the Family Place Partners Advisory Board. She is also a member of the Dallas Museum of Art, The Nasher, Perot Museum and the Dallas Arboretum. Sharon enjoys music and is an avid sports fan supporting all of the teams in the Dallas Metroplex.

Hollie Youngblood, owner and editor of Fashions of Fancy has dreamed of working in fashion since she was a little girl growing up in east Texas. Hollie earned her BBA in Accounting and MBA from the University of Texas at Tyler and worked in public/corporate accounting for nearly eight years until she decided to follow her true passion: fashion. Hollie launched fashion and lifestyle blog, Fashions of Fancy, in 2015 and shortly after that moved full-time into the fashion and beauty world and launched Glamsicle, a cruelty-free lipstick line. Fashions of Fancy is a size-inclusive blog that inspires all women to feel beautiful in their everyday lives.