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Kim Waiyaboon Roys of SDV International is among the 74 finalists in this year’s awards program.
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THE NEW MACHINE AGE
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
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North Texas innovators are leveraging AI and machine learning to solve business challenges and improve the world around them.
PLUS:
Growth guru Dolf Berle of Nothing Bundt Cakes
How Verily’s Stephen Gillett is pioneering precision health gamification
12/7/23 12:17 PM
UNLOCK YOUR POTENTIAL. As companies enter the new year, leveraging the capability and power of technology to create efficiencies remains a predominant theme. Whitley Penn will help you strategize, innovate, and implement solutions to arm you with technology for the unpredictable future.
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February is Heart Month. We can turn a nation of bystanders into a nation of lifesavers!
70% of Americans feel helpless to act during a cardiac emergency.
We are currently a nation of bystanders that lack the knowledge to act and save a life. By 2030 we want to double the survival rate of cardiac arrest, but we can’t do it alone. We need: 1. More communities with Cardiac Emergency Response Plans 2. To raise awareness and train more people in CPR 3. More AEDs and training in our community
JOIN THE NATION OF LIFESAVERS
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THE ASSOCIATION HAS INVESTED OVER $5.7 BILLION IN RESEARCH SINCE 1949. Browse research funded by the American Heart Association.
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AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION IS FOUNDED Six cardiologists form the American Heart Association as a professional society for doctors.
FIRST PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN The AHA runs its first public education campaign on early warning signs of heart attack, spreading lifesaving messages to help people pay attention and take action.
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HEART WEEK KICKS OFF First public campaign kicks off in February to celebrate National Heart Week.
FIRST PACEMAKER IMPLANTED Research funded by AHA leads to the first battery-operated, wearable pacemaker implanted in a patient.
AHA-FUNDED RESEARCH AND CPR AHA-funded research from Drs. William Kouwenhoven, James Jude and Guy Knickerbocker shows how CPR can save lives after cardiac arrest.
Thank You to our Second Century Sponsors
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Trisha & Rick Allen American Heart Association National Center AT&T Boundless Network Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas Jana & Mike Brosin Caliber Anne Chow & Bob Moore CMC Dallas Southwest Osteopathic Physicians Deloitte Denbury FORVIS Ron & Sandi Haddock HF Sinclair Haynes & Boone
CARDIOVASCULAR DEATHS DECLINE For the first time since 1949, deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases fall below 50 percent of deaths from all causes.
NEW ACT FOR WOMEN IS SIGNED As the result of AHA's work, the Women's Cardiovascular Diseases Research and Prevention Act is signed into law.
AHA LEADS HEART DISEASE AND STROKE RESEARCH FUNDING The AHA is the leading funder of heart disease and stroke research outside the federal government. Grant Thornton Impelsys McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. Medical City Healthcare
-Supported by the HCA Healthcare Foundation
Kelly Mitchell NCR Voyix Jan Oberlender
*Fred Oberlender in memoriam
Oncor Pickler Universe Production Solutions, Inc. Sherwin-Williams Company Stacy & David Nahas Texas Health Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
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Strength, service and a relationship that grows with you. For more than 100 years, we’ve worked with local businesses, international corporations, committed nonprofits and everyone in between, helping them manage operations, grow and expand when the time is right.
Hayley Krahl hkrahl@bankoftexas.com
Bank of Texas® and BOK Financial® are trademarks of BOKF, NA. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender
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. ©2023 BOKF, NA.
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CONTENTS J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4
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Miguel Alonso is chief product officer for DZS, which uses AI to help improve operations, solve problems, and anticipate future business needs.
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The New Machine Age Finalists in the 2024 Innovation Awards are leveraging AI and machine learning to solve business challenges and improve the world around them. story by JEFF BOUNDS portraits by SEAN BERRY
P O R T R A I T BY S E A N B E R R Y
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Dolf Berle helped quadruple the value of Dave & Buster’s business and led Topgolf through brisk revenue growth. Now, the former American Ninja Warrior contestant is cooking up a new recipe at North Texas-based Nothing Bundt Cakes. story by BEN SWANGER illustration by NIGEL BUCHANAN
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On a Mission to Spark Joy
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CONTENTS
72 10 EDITOR’S NOTE
DOSSIER 1 9 YO U N E E D T O K N O W
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Stephen Gillett, Verily 22 MEET THE 500
Albert Zapanta, U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce 2 2 L O C A L LY S O U R C E D
Toucan Cocktails, John Dallager 2 4 R E TA I L + E - C O M M E R C E
Daryl-Ann Denner, Nuuds 2 6 O N T H E TA B L E
Matthew DeSarno, Verfico Technology
FIELD NOTES R E TA I L + E - C O M M E R C E N U U D S ; P U R S U I T S S E A N B E R R Y ; A R T O F S T Y L E A N T H O N Y D I E S C H ; W E L L T R AV E L E D S H U T T E R S T O C K ; E N D M A R K E B B Y H A L L I D A Y R E A L T O R S
41 LEADING OFF
Shevawn Barder, AM Specialty Insurance Co. 4 2 R E A L E S TAT E
Real estate developers and civic leaders weigh in on the role of mobility and placemaking in smart urban design. 44 ON TOPIC
OFF DUTY Jon Minjoe, Entrepreneurs’ Organization 48 SPIRIT ANIMAL
Area C-Suiters share what animal best represents their character. 5 0 G R E AT E R G O O D
Valmiki Mukherjee, Cyber Future Foundation 52 ART OF STYLE
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Cynt Marshall, Dallas Mavericks
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Ebby Halliday, Ebby Halliday Realtors
VA
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North Texas innovators are leveraging AI and machine learning to solve business challenges and improve the world around them.
56 ROOTS
Sam Schrade, DNA Studios
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Kim Waiyaboon Roys of SDV International is among the 74 finalists in this year’s awards program.
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Anthony Diesch, Nova Landscape Group
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Jessica Gomez of Momentous Institute, Bobby Lyle of Lyco Holdings, and Liliana Gil Valletta of Culture+ Group discuss what they would change about their industry.
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PLUS:
Growth guru Dolf Berle of Nothing Bundt Cakes
How Verily’s Stephen Gillett is pioneering precision health gamification
ON THE COVER:
SDV International CEO Kim Waiyaboon Roys, photographed by Sean Berry.
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12/7/23 3:07 PM
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American Airlines, Flagship and the Flight Symbol logo are marks of American Airlines, Inc. oneworld is a mark of the oneworld Alliance, LLC. © 2023 American Airlines, Inc. All rights reserved.
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
When Things Don’t Go as Planned
Companies often miss out on innovative opportunities because they're overwhelmed with daily challenges and operations. If you're ready to transform your business, retain top talent, and strengthen your competitive advantage, contact us today. We'll show you how.
Robert Gardner, CEPA, CFEd® Business Continuation Advisor Who Business Owners Trust www.GardnerWallace.com
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P H OTO G R A P H Y BY E L I Z A B E T H L A V I N
GardnerWallace.com/Business
this morning, i raced out the door to hoof it to an early meeting. Then I got stuck on an elevator for an hour and a half. I live in a downtown high-rise that began life as an office tower in the 1950s. I love it, but frequently, one, two, or sometimes three of the building’s four aging elevators are out of service. When elevator 1 arrived, I hesitated slightly. This particular elevator had been down for a few days, and I had heard about an entrapped resident who had to climb out the top. “Surely it’s fine,” I thought as I stepped inside. The door closed, and I pressed 1 to take me to the lobby from floor 22. Nothing. I pressed Door Open and Door Close. The lights flickered for a second, then went dark. I tried to call the management office, but I had no phone service. I thought for a minute, then sent a Teams message to Ben (Swanger, D CEO’s managing editor). It worked! Always the problem-solver, Ben tried to get in touch with the property manager, but he couldn’t get a human on the phone. I finally decided to hit the emergency button and soon was on the line with a helpful woman who advised me to sit away from the elevator doors (um, OK?) and assured me someone would be on the way. After 15 minutes, I sat down on the floor, pulled the laptop out of my backpack, and began working. After an hour, I did what most people would do in the situation and posted something on Facebook. I thought about how grateful I was to have a double espresso latte and a fully charged phone and laptop. I also had a tin of homemade peanut butter frosties. The longer I waited, the more I appreciated the absolute quiet of sitting in that empty elevator. When I was rescued after 1 hour and 27 minutes, I was almost disappointed. Sunny Nunan, founder and CEO of The Admin Awards, put it in perspective. “Wait. You were stuck in an elevator with no ability to talk on the phone, in complete silence, with peanut butter frosties, for 1.5 hours? Sounds like heaven to me,” she commented on Facebook. “And coffee,” I replied. “Call me next time,” she said. “I’ll join you.”
Christine Perez Editor
DCEOMAGAZINE.COM
12/8/23 9:36 AM
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P U B L I S H E R Noelle LeVeaux EDITORIAL EDITOR Christine Perez MANAGING EDITOR Ben Swanger SENIOR EDITOR Will Maddox CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Richard Alm, W. Michael Cox EDITORIAL INTERNS Mianda Mulumba, Vivasvaan A. Raj
ART DESIGN DIRECTOR Hamilton Hedrick STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Elizabeth Lavin
A DV E R T I S I N G SALES MANAGER Rachel Gill ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Rhett Taylor SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Cami Burke, Haley Muse MANAGING EDITOR OF SPECIAL SECTIONS Jennifer Sander Hayes CLIENT OPERATIONS COORDINATOR Julianne Emeterio
MARKETING & EVENTS MARKETING DIRECTOR Madeline Alford MARKETING MANAGER Natalie Swaim ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR Katie Garza EVENTS PRODUCER Kevin Morgan EVENTS MANAGER Kasey Burgan MARKETING INTERN Jordan Radasch EVENTS INTERNS Claire Blanchard, Breanna Furrow
AU D I E N C E D E V E LO P M E N T AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR Emma Barretto EDITORIAL PROGRAMS MANAGER Sarah Masquelier Risi SPECIAL PROGRAMS COORDINATOR Betty Burns RETAIL STRATEGY MANAGER Steve Crabb MERCHANDISER David Truesdell
D I G I TA L DIGITAL DIRECTOR Ricky Ferrer LEAD CAMPAIGN MANAGER AND AD OPERATIONS Riley Hill DIGITAL DESIGN ASSOCIATE Andrea Chavez SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Melissa Tallo DIGITAL AD OPERATIONS COORDINATOR Jade Garrett SOCIAL MEDIA INTERN Karina Hernandez
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR John Gay COORDINATOR Grace John PHOTO RETOUCHER Jasmine Green
BUSINESS CONTROLLER Sabrina LaTorre SENIOR ACCOUNTANT Debbie Travis SENIOR STAFF ACCOUNTANT Randall Rasor ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE COORDINATOR Jessica Hernandez AP SPECIALIST Ron Dewey EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR Patricia Martin IT TECHNICIAN Luan Aliji OFFICE MANAGER Will Smith ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR Nikhael Virden
HOW TO REACH US MAIL 750 N. Saint Paul St., Ste. 2100, Dallas, TX 75201 MAIN OFFICE 214-939-3636 WEBSITE www.dmagazine.com/dceo The magazine assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR feedback@dmagazine.com CURRENT SUBSCRIPTION 800-732-9673 or subscriberservices@dmagazine.com NEW SUBSCRIPTION www.dmagazine.com/requestdceo ADVERTISING 214-939-3636 x 128 REPRINTS 214-939-3636 CUSTOM PUBLISHING 214-540-0113 SUBSCRIPTIONS 11 issues for $54 in the United States, possessions, APO and FPO; $70 per 11 issues elsewhere. Please provide old and new addresses and enclose latest mailing label when inquiring about your subscription.
D M A G A Z I N E PA R T N E R S EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND CEO Christine Allison PRESIDENT Gillea Allison CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Thomas L. Earnshaw FOUNDER Wick Allison
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AGENDA
Blaine McAnally, Bill Jackson
Govind Iyer, Bate Bate, Ananth Seetharaman
Ashleigh Bell
Energy Awards 2023
Willie Hornberger, Bernie Uechtritz
David Levinson, Chris Aulds
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Jody Grant, Sheila Grant, Amy Warren, Kelcy Warren
Aaron Wilson, Vikram Agrawal
Chris Carter, Charlie Shufeldt, Jay Kadi
P H OTO G R A P H Y BY B R E T R E D M A N
Tom Long, Cliff Harris, Todd Staples
guests gathered on oct. 25 at the hall on Dragon to celebrate D CEO’s sixth annual Energy Awards. The event brought together industry leaders to celebrate excellence and innovation in oil, gas, and renewable energy, from DFW to the Permian Basin. Awards were presented in 11 categories by D CEO Editor Christine Perez, with help from Willie Hornberger of Jackson Walker, Jay Kadi of FORVIS, and Bernie Uechtritz of Icon Global. Honorees for 2023 included Chris Carter of NGP Energy Capital Management, Aaron Symank of Symank Energy, Ashleigh Bell of Elk Range Royalties, and Kipper Overstreet of Clearfork Midstream. To close the show, Kelcy Warren was recognized with the program’s highest honor, the Legacy Award. Thank you to title sponsors FORVIS, Icon Global, Jackson Walker, and Texas Mutual for their support.
Holly Martin, Cande Smillie
DCEOMAGAZINE.COM
12/6/23 11:21 AM
Congratulations Pearl Energy Investments on winning the award for Private Equity Firm of the Year at the 2023 D CEO Energy Awards
Pearl Energy Investments is a Dallas, Texas-based investment firm with over $2 billion of capital under management. Pearl focuses on partnering with proven management teams to invest in the North American energy sector. The firm typically targets opportunities requiring $25 million to $150 million of equity capital.
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AGENDA
Michael Ablon, Brian Luallen, Tina Luallen
Jorge Corral, Cynt Marshall, Dale Petroskey, Taylor Shead
Carlos Rivers, Tatiana Chamorro
2024 Dallas 500 Release Party
Paul Tagg, Debra Tagg, Wayne White
Lyda Hill, Sulagna Bhattacharya
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Tiffany Derry, Josh Irving, Darren Woodson, Pedro Lerma, Kellie Sirna
Jeff Fehlis, Monica Paul
Michele Shibuya, Bob Shibuya
P H OTO G R A P H Y BY B R E T R E D M A N
Ryan Ross, Robbie Kruithoff
nearly 500 of dallas’ most influential business leaders gathered at The Perot Museum of Nature and Science to celebrate the release of D CEO’s 2024 Dallas 500. Along with fun photo op stations, guests enjoyed gourmet food prepared by Wolfgang Puck Catering, a popcorn and candy bar by Make Your Life Sweeter, and cocktails by On the Rocks. Part of the celebration included a reveal of the 2024 cover, which features Kellie Sirna of Studio 11 Design, Tiffany Derry of T2D Concepts, Josh Irving of I&A Agave Spirits, Darren Woodson of Cresa, and Pedro Lerma of Lerma/Agency. The new edition features 171 new names with 329 returnees, representing 444 DFW companies. Thank you to our title sponsor, JBB Technologies, and premier sponsors, On the Rocks and Rex Real Estate, for their support. You can view the list at dmagazine.com/dallas-500-2024.
Tiffany Ricks, Mandy Price
DCEOMAGAZINE.COM
12/7/23 12:24 PM
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ASK THE EXPERT
Persuasion Skills: Body Language R O G G E D U N N , C EO, R O G G E D U N N G R O U P
Body Language The conscious and subconscious signals that a speaker’s body language sends to the audience are critical. They are an immediate turn-on or turn-off. Body language signals include facial expressions, posture, eye contact, and hand movements. General body language rules include not putting your hands in your pockets or behind your back, not crossing your arms in front of your body in a frozen position, not having hands glued to the podium, not jingling keys in your pocket, not playing with a pen, and not twirling your glasses. All of that “fiddling” or “locked- up tight” positions are perceived as nervousness. Do not stay in a static position. Varying your body language makes you and your message dynamic and lively. Use it as a tool to draw in the audience. The Podium is Not Your Friend Nothing is more boring than a speaker clutching a podium, and the speaker is perceived as holding on for dear life. It’s better to get away from the podium and work the room. That method was pioneered by successful talk show hosts, like Phil Donahue, Sally Jessy Raphael, and Jerry Springer. Communicators sometimes use the podium as a prop, which they occasionally return to during their speech. Joel Osteen does this and so did Billy Graham. When I give speeches, I leave the podium and never use it. I put an outline key of points on 5 x 7 cards, and I walk down the aisles to the back of the room and then pass through the audience stopping at particular points to gather in sections of the room. Hand Gestures Hands are powerful communicators. They are a natural part of any conversation. Coordinate hand movements with key points of your presentation.
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The body sends all types of messages: Snapping fingers reinforces how a concept is as “easy as a snap,” shrugging shoulders shows uncertainty, holding out a hand like a stop sign makes viewers pause, and pointing a finger to directly assert a point is dramatic. James Montgomery Flagg’s Uncle Sam, who points his finger directly at the viewer with the exhortation “I Want You,” is one of the most recognizable images in the world. This powerful image, coupled with only three words, delivers a joltingly effective message. I have that poster in my art gallery. When my 4-year-old daughter Katherine (too young to read) was walking toward the poster, she stopped abruptly and stuck her tongue out at Uncle Sam. I asked her why, and she said, “I don’t like him pointing at me.” My daughter’s reaction is proof positive that body language can trigger a primal instinct that creates a visceral reaction--without one word being spoken! Exercises to Improve Body Language Practice running through your presentation silently in your mind in front of the mirror while watching your posture, eye contact, and hand gestures. Another helpful exercise is to watch old silent movies or pantomimes. You will realize how much effective communication occurs through body language. The takeaway: Words can take you only so far; effective body language brings home your message.
500 N. Akard Street, Suite 1900 Dallas, Texas 75201 214.888.5000 | info@roggedunngroup.com
ROGGE DUNN represents companies, executives, financial advisors, and entrepreneurs in business and employment matters. Clients include the CEOs of American Airlines, Baker Hughes, Beck Group, Blucora, Crow Holdings, Dave & Busters, Gold’s Gym, FedEx, HKS, Texas Motor Speedway, Texas Capital Bancshares, and Texas Tech University, and sports figures like New York Mets manager Buck Showalter, NBA executive Donnie Nelson, and NBA Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown. Dunn’s corporate clients include Adecco, Beal Bank, Benihana, Cawley Partners, Match.com, Rent-A-Center, and Outback Steakhouse. In 2021, 2022 and 2023 Dunn was included in D CEO Magazine’s Dallas 500 list, which recognizes the most influential business leaders in North Texas. He has been named a Texas Super Lawyer every year that award has been given and recognized as one of the top 100 attorneys in Texas by Texas Monthly (a Thomson Reuters service) and a D Magazine Best Lawyer 15 times.
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NORTH TEXAS NEWSMAKERS
YOU NEED TO KNOW
Stephen Gillett Wants to Gamify Healthcare The Verily CEO is bringing leadership experience at some of corporate America’s biggest names to the world of precision health.
P H O T O G R P A H Y C O U R T E S Y O F V E R I LY
story by WILL MADDOX
DCEOMAGAZINE.COM
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stephen gillett has long been a walking contradiction. As a college football player for the University of Oregon, his weekdays were consumed with practice, film study, and weight training. His Saturdays were spent suited up in the Ducks’ green and yellow. But between football and homework, the offensive lineman dove into World of Warcraft on his way to becoming a high-level paladin, a holy knight with healing powers. Today, Gillett is the CEO of Verily, a precision healthcare technology company owned by Google’s parent, Alphabet. His ability to be comfortable on both sides of the cafeteria, whether it be with the jocks or fantasy gamers, has helped him strike a resounding chord during his impressive career climb. Gillett is the son of a Lebanese immigrant raised by parents who worked in and eventually owned grocery stores. His humble beginnings help explain why, despite rising to the heights of corporate America, he is also comfortable in the bleachers watching one of his eight children play offensive guard (just like his dad) on his high school’s varsity football team. He has held C-suite positions in some of the country’s largest corporations, working directly under Bill Gates when he was chief information officer at Microsoft-owned Corbis. He became one of the youngest CIOs of a Fortune 500 company, serving with Howard Schultz at Starbucks. Executive roles at Best Buy and Symantec followed, and he was later the CEO of Chronicle,
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a cybersecurity company that was merged into Google Cloud. Today, at the helm of Verily, which opened its North Texas operations hub in 2021, Gillett’s goal is to synthesize health data to develop solutions that improve health outcomes (see sidebar). The company sprung in 2015 from Google’s “moonshot factory,” a workshop that helps innovators launch solutions at the intersection of a “major problem, a radical solution, and breakthrough technology.” Through his career journey, Gillett says he has learned as much from business luminaries as poor managers. In his best-selling memoir, From Simi Valley to Silicon Valley, Gillett shares lessons from some of the biggest names in corporate America, as well as his gaming experience. Schultz taught him about being an authentic leader and making decisions with grace and humility. “The one who sweeps the floor should pick the broom,” Gillett says. “If you make decisions that will affect hundreds of thousands of people, go work in a store first.” Bill Gates modeled how to point out problems, focus on critical areas, and ask tough questions. And for his gaming journey? The problem-solving, teamwork, and creativity required to succeed in the game are what corporate leaders should look for in their talent acquisition, he says. So, when Gillett’s children turn 8, they ritualistically create their own gaming ID and join family gaming sessions. Gillett is bringing his gaming experience to DFW’s corporate world, where Verily is already expanding to fill an additional floor of its building overlooking North Lake at Cypress Waters. Gillett is relatively new to healthcare and has hopes for a moonshot in the industry. He wants to help it adapt to technology and incentivize behavior as other industries have. “I believe that the same mechanics that get people to go to a coffee shop 25 times a month can be applied to get people to take their Type 2 diabetes medicine or to visit their primary care physician,” he says. “It aligns with our strategy of bringing these elements of research and care together for better health and patient outcomes, better access to information, and better advocacy for getting treatment and therapeutics into people’s hands.”
PRECISION MEDICINE
A Platform Focused on Accelerating Answers Verily’s comprehensive health solutions use big data to scale research and improve outcomes.
Verily Viewpoint is a comprehensive set of tools and services that works with partners to generate evidence needed to make safe, effective therapies available faster to those who need them. Verily Onduo is a virtual care management program focused on people living with Type 1 or 2 diabetes and hypertension that partners with payers and health plans. The platform connects users with experts, caregivers, and coaches to improve outcomes. The Centers for Disease Control recently selected Verily’s wastewater-based epidemiology program to support the agency’s National Wastewater Surveillance System, which can track the presence of Covid-19 or other pathogens in wastewater in 400 sites across the country.
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12/5/23 11:25 AM
HERE to HELP YOU HELP OTHERS Communities Foundation of Texas is here to help your giving go further. As you plan how you will support your favorite causes and nonprofits in 2024, we hope you’ll consider how Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) can help you support what matters most to you - both now and beyond your lifetime. The Ngo family supports nonprofits through creative fundraisers for CFT’s North Texas Giving Day each year.
If you, your family, or business plan to give $5,000 or more to charity annually, contact us for a complimentary conversation with one of our giving experts so we can share the effectiveness, efficiency, ease, and tax advantages of creating a charitable fund at CFT. You can support all of your favorite nonprofits annually while managing just one tax receipt. Working with CFT is like having a charitable giving concierge at your fingertips.
Benefits of a Charitable Fund at CFT include: Ford Lacy and Cece Smith have a charitable fund at CFT and have named CFT as a beneficiary of their estate plan.
The Sethi family has two charitable funds at CFT: a family fund and scholarship fund.
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For more information, visit CFTexas.org/GivePurpose giving@cftexas.org | 214-750-4226
12/7/23 9:59 AM
DOSSIER
MEET THE 500
L O C A L LY S O U R C E D
ALBERT ZAPANTA
Shaking Up the Beverage Biz
President and CEO U. S .- MEXICO CHAMB E R OF COMME RCE
al zapanta leads the dallas-based u.s.-mexico Chamber of Commerce, which was formed to build trade and investment relationships between the two countries. The chamber celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023 and continues to grow in relevance and size, now generating about $2 million in annual revenue. Zapanta got his start at Bethlehem Steel and went on to achieve success in both the energy industry (formerly serving as head of public affairs for ARCO and founder, chairman, and CEO of PAZ Energy) and public service (holding various roles with the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. State Department, and Reserve Forces Policy Board). Along with his current leadership role, Zapanta sits on Irving’s City Council.
EDUCATION: University of Southern California (MPA, BA) BIRTHPLACE: Los Angeles FIRST JOB: “My first job was as an industrial engineer with Bethlehem Steel. I learned how steel is produced and about time and motion studies for efficient manufacturing.” BEST ADVICE: “Work hard, be honest and ethical, and treat people the way you’d like to be treated.” DINNER PARTY: “If I had to choose just two business leaders to dine with, I’d pick former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and Energy Transfer’s Kelcy Warren. They are models of success and ethical leadership.” PIVOTAL MOMENT: “I was glad to come out alive from my combat
experience in Vietnam as an Army Ranger.” DESTINATIONS OF CHOICE: “Mexico, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Morocco, and Vietnam” I COLLECT: “Guns, ancient Navajo rugs, Civil War art, and both Native American and Mexican art.”
FUN FACT: “I like to play practical jokes on people.”
INDUSTRY CHANGE: “I would change the political parties in both the U.S. and Mexico. Current party leaders are not providing leadership for the greater good.” A BETTER DFW: “I’d like to see us provide more strategic financing for small businesses.” WALK-UP SONG: “I’d probably choose ‘My Way’ by Frank Sinatra.” MUST-READ: “I recommend Talking to Strangers by Malcom Gladwell.” SPIRIT ANIMAL: “I’ll go with a jaguar; I’ll bite you if I don’t like you.” ALTERNATE REALITY: “I’d probably be a university professor.”
HOBBIES/PASSIONS: “I walk 2 miles every other day and read fiction and nonfiction. My main hobby is big game fishing.”
FUNNY MOMENT: “I was an extra in the New York Ballet during a performance of Scheherazade. I wasn’t dancing; I was one of the guys holding up a sword.”
LOCAL FARE: “My favorite restaurant is Pappas Bros. Steakhouse. I always order steak. My favorite hole-in-the-wall is TacoMex, where I order carnitas street tacos.”
KEY STRATEGIES: “If you’re leading an organization, you better understand organizational development.”
GO-TO ADVISER: “Steve Nelson, an aerospace executive who established twin plants (maquilladoras) across the U.S.-Mexican border.”
between exams at smu, john Dallager and Steven McCarthy wanted to unwind and rewind with a cocktail but didn’t have time to go to a bar. The two talked about a product that would separate the alcohol from the mixer. Fast forward three years to 2021, and the duo co-founded Toucan Cocktails. It’s a prefilled cocktail shaker with the top can containing bourbon, vodka, or tequila, while the bottom can is the mix for an old fashioned, margarita, or martini. In 2023, Unexpected Products—the packaging company Dallager and McCarthy founded to own and market Toucan—launched a $2.2 million fundraising round. In Q2 of 2024, Toucan Cocktails will hit 250 retail locations in Texas. Dallager expects to hit $3.3 million in sales in year one and double that in year two. The brand also has its eyes set on white labeling. “We’re not just a product; we’re a technology,” Dallager says. —Ben Swanger
M E R R I S BY J A K E M E Y E R S ; LO C A L LY S O U R C E D C O U R T E S Y O F T O U C A N C O C K T A I L S
Toucan Cocktails is pioneering an innovative concept in the prepackaged cocktails industry and has big plans for growth..
READY TO MIX
Flavors include Blue Agave Margarita, Old Fashioned, Lemon Drop Martini, and Dirty Vodka Martini.
This Q&A is extended content from Dallas 500, a special edition produced by D CEO that profiles the region’s most influential business leaders. Visit www.dallas500.com for details.
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Your company’s data and your nephew’s virtual pet universe are living on the same browser.
The Enterprise Browser It’s time work was done on a browser designed for work.
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sometimes, there’s power in simplicity. ask daryl-ann denner, a former high school chemistry teacher who’s now at the helm of a wildly popular line built around a wardrobe staple: the T-shirt. After leaving education and following her husband’s encouragement to find a creative outlet, Denner began blogging in 2015, sharing fashion inspiration and outfit ideas. She segued to Instagram and quickly gained a following. “When I had kids, I started to share our daily lives in real-time, vlog style,” she says. And while her love for fashion still rang true, the 32-year-old’s style became more mom-friendly. Denner began relying on basics in her closet but couldn’t find the perfect T-shirt. “I thought, ‘What if we could just make it?’” she says. So, in October 2022, Nuuds—which sells smooth-fitting tees, bodysuits, sweaters, loungewear, and other basics in neutral tones—launched in Dallas. Today, Denner serves as co-founder, CEO, and creative director. She and her husband, Daniel, a partner at Simi Valley-based Sub-Zero Excavating, self-funded the enterprise. Before Nuuds’ debut, the entrepreneur networked with connections she made through blogging and found someone who could help with creating and manufacturing a fashion line. Leading up to the launch, Denner marketed her product through her Instagram, which had grown to 1.6 million followers. Today, she boasts more than 3 million followers across all platforms. On release day, Nuuds’ product line of six styles sold out just seven minutes after going live online. “I’ve built trust in my audience because I genuinely care for each of them, and it’s why they trust the product I’ve made,” Denner says. After celebrating its first year in 2023, a small collection of T-shirts has grown into a full-fledged fashion brand with 65 styles and about 35 full-time employees. At times, the brand has posted a waitlist of 22,000 people for various products. Nuuds has added men’s and children’s clothing, and Denner doesn’t plan on stopping there, saying the brand will launch new products and pop-ups as it conTHE RIGHT FIT tinues to expand. “My vision has alNuuds products are available in ways been to create clothing that not sizes XS to XXXL and are designed only makes you look good but feel to fit “every and good,” she says. any body.”
P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F N U U D S
Influencer Daryl-Ann Denner turned her need for the perfect T-shirt into thriving fashion brand Nuuds.
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PROUD TO BE AN INNOVATOR
RailPros is thrilled to have our proprietary safety app, On Track Supplemental Safety (OTSS), recognized as a finalist for the 5th annual Innovation Awards. At RailPros, we’re committed to finding innovative ways to improve safety and streamline workflows for our teams and our clients. We are honored to be recognized among other great companies in DFW for innovation. RailPros is headquartered in Irving, Texas, with offices nationwide. The company, which was founded in 2000, is exclusively focused on providing services to freight, passenger and transit rail carriers across North America. RailPros employs more than 1,000 rail and transit engineers, construction managers, inspectors, design engineers, and field support staff. In addition, RailPros has a combined training and media production team, producing technical and safety training for rail carriers and rail-related industrial clients.
Learn more at RailPros.com | Connect with us on LinkedIn
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C O N V E R S AT I O N W I T H
Former FBI Agent Matthew DeSarno Finds a New Mission The longtime G-Man uses experiences gained over 20 years in the bureau to lead and grow Verfico Technology, a tech platform that helps prevent wage theft in the construction industry.
story by BEN SWANGER illustration by JAKE MEYERS
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after seven different posts with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Matthew DeSarno came to Dallas in 2019 for his final assignment—to serve as the special agent in charge of the North Texas region. Just four weeks into his new post, he found himself responding to the Dallas courthouse shooting. “My role was to deploy resources like tactical, bomb, evidence, and investigation,” he tells me as we sit across from each other, sharing breakfast tacos and coffee. DeSarno later led his team to catch a top 10 most wanted fugitive, Yaser Said, who was on the run for 12 years for murdering his two daughters in Irving. And in his final year on the job, DeSarno directed the response to a hostage situation at the Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville. He mobilized his teams to diffuse the situation, and after an 11-hour standoff and negotiation with the assailant, all hostages made it out alive. “For an entire day,” he says between sips of coffee, “I was in decision mode working through different high-stakes, high-stress scenarios, and at the end of the day, effective partnerships and the behavior of the hostages led to great success.” DeSarno, whose father was also an FBI agent, retired in 2022 at age 50 after 20 years in the bureau. He thought he would segue to head of security for a large corporation—that was the easy and natural transition. “But I concluded that I wanted to be an entrepreneur and contribute to a higher mission,” he says. In 2019, DeSarno tells me, his brother Nick, who owns a drywall company in Washington D.C.,
received a subpoena alleging wage theft when his subcontractor didn’t pay in compliance with the law. “He started looking for a tech solution that could force his subs into compliance and gather information about the time they worked and what they were paid,” DeSarno says. “He couldn’t find it.” So, Nick decided to hire a software developer to build a prototype, and he put it into action, requiring his subcontractors to use the transparency tool. He lost a couple of subcontractors—including the one who caused the lawsuit—but it maximized efficiency and productivity for those who used the technology. The brothers began discussing opportunities, and Nick asked DeSarno to lead the spinoff of the software into its own venture. On Nov. 1, 2022, DeSarno became CEO of the newly formed Verfico Technology. “I hired a chief technology officer, a bunch of engineers, and we began reengineering the product,” he shares. Now, about a year into things, Verfico Technology boasts 6,000 users—and DeSarno dreams of more. “In year two, I’m aiming to triple our user base and triple our revenue,” he says. But that’s just the beginning of opportunities for DeSarno and Verfico. “We’re in construction right now, but there’s applicability for our tool in many other markets,” he says. “We can serve anywhere with multi-tiered labor or hourly workers in industries like security, janitorial services, engineering, transportation, retail, food services, or warehousing.” The entrepreneur also has plans for a seed funding round and aspires to take on institutional capital. “I’m bringing a level of intensity to this job that mirrors my time with the FBI,” he says with an intense stare. “This is just my new high-stakes mission.”
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North Texas innovators are leveraging AI and machine learning to solve business challenges and improve the world around them.
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the way that humans learn, gradually improving its accuracy,” according to tech pioneer IBM. The five companies being honored in the 2024 Innovation Awards’ AI and ML category are emblematic of the increasing range of uses that North Texas companies are finding for these technologies (see photos). AdComp Systems Group has developed tech tools for nearly 300 government agencies nationwide. It also created Classy the CourtBot, which uses AI to answer citizens’ legal, procedural, and administrative questions. “We are working on launching many other bots for agencies like utilities, taxes, code compliance, permits, and licensing,” says CEO Mansur Plumber. By feeding government data into AI and ML engines, these technologies can help citizens better interact with various agencies, he says. “AI will reduce costs and increase efficiency and convenience for all agencies within the government. Access to justice, procedures, and information will become so much easier.” The company also has a division that develops AI- and ML-based systems to help with business operations for itself and clients. For example, its sales arm uses AI to track prospects, while administrators and accountants employ the technology for better calculations and completing tasks in a fraction of the cost and time.
new skill, such as salespeople who need to learn how to persuade potential customers and overcome objections. Gretta Brooks, a global sales executive with deep experience in the hospitality industry, watched as some companies cut the length of training they provided for various jobs from a few weeks to a few days. She also saw the responsibility of doing the training foisted on people like corporate supervisors, whose strong suits may not have been teaching. Brooks recognized an opportunity and responded by launching Dallas-based SalesBoost, which offers artificial intelligence-based learning simulations and guarantees that people will develop new behaviors and retain 90 percent of the skills they pick up. The company’s voice-analysis system uses AI to provide instant coaching for soft skills, such as how customer service reps can handle difficult conversations. “The AI for us is our secret sauce,” said Brooks, who serves as CEO. “With AI, we can provide unbiased and objective feedback to the learner. It’s a big differentiator.” The new age of AI and machine learning is reminiscent of the level of buzz and activity the region saw in the late 1990s and early 2000s DZS for telecom, networking, and the World Wide DZS leverages AI to help Web. So says Dr. Gopal Gupta, computer scitelecommunications ence professor and co-director of the Center companies improve for Applied AI and Machine Learning at The troubleshooting, boost their networks’ uptimes, University of Texas at Dallas. and anticipate future “The internet boom transformed the North business needs. Industry Texas business landscape and put Dallas on pioneer Miguel Alonso serves as the company’s the high-tech map,” he says. “The growth of chief product officer. high-tech companies in our area has been phenomenal, and today, DFW is in the top five most active areas in the U.S. when it comes to the high-tech industry. We hope the same can happen with the excitement generated by AI and machine learning, and the DFW area can rise even higher.”
AI INVOLVES COMPUTERS and robots mimicking human intelligence and
going beyond what people can do. Machine learning is essentially a subset of AI and computer science that “focuses on the use of data and algorithms to imitate
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SalesBoost The Plano-based enterprise, led by veteran hospitality sales exec Gretta Brooks, uses patented voice tech to power an advanced learning platform to help employees develop skills, retain knowledge, and improve results.
A DECADE AGO, Miguel Alonso pio-
AdComp Systems Group
“Creating AI-based solutions for our government clients has directly increased our sales multifold,” Plumber says. AdComp’s AI-based systems help citizens do As brainy as AI can be, its work in findthings like enter pleas, ing correlations and patterns in data can be pay fines, and exchange made better still if people provide it with documents with courts. It’s the brainchild of things like their intuition and perception. serial entrepreneur and Allen-based Balanced Media | Technology CEO Mansur Plumber blends intelligence from machines and huwho lists his title at AdComp as mans by having video gamers lend a hand. “chief troublemaker.” The company’s co-founder and chief technology officer, Corey Clark, also serves as deputy director of research and faculty at SMU Guildhall, a video game school, and is an assistant professor of computer science in SMU’s Lyle School of Engineering. In a shoot-’em-up game developed by Balanced, players were tasked with blowing up robots by drawing lines to predict where those robots would be. AI averaged out the human guesses and turned it all into a probability map. A machine learning algorithm used the map to help measure and track age-related macular degeneration, a disease that affects a person’s central vision. Balanced’s work on this front came through a partnership with SMU and the Retina Foundation of the Southwest. Clark says gamers help with its text-based games, helping find relationships between data that are hard for AI techniques to identify. Additionally, the company uses data from games to remove typos and improve AI’s understanding of various topics. Others that have employed gaming built their games for single uses, Clark says. “The problem with that is it wasn’t scalable,” he says. “We can use the same game to solve multiple problems. That is what makes it scalable and useful.”
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neered work in applying AI to optimize the problem-solving mechanism of telecom networks. “My teams are now working at DZS to take this foundation to a whole new level,” he says. “Moreover, AI is being integrated across industries and transcending products— it’s becoming woven into the fabric of corporate processes to make operations increasingly efficient and customer-centric.” Alonso, who serves as chief product officer for DZS, says his company and others like it are using AI and automation tools to help solve problems for businesses—and avoid problems altogether. One success story for DZS is TalkTalk, a UK-based internet provider. When customers began calling in about difficulties with Wi-Fi, the company had trouble identifying the source of the problem, be it coverage, interference, or something else. Typically, the customer would have to explain what was happening then go through a long menu of questions to aid TalkTalk in determining what the issue was. At the end of 2022, the company brought in DZS to help. Using its AI-driven Expresse and CloudCheck offerings, TalkTalk can now immediately diagnose and isolate problems and get accurate recommendations for resolving issues. The technologies have helped substantially reduce customer churn, DZS reports. Ultimately, it’s consumers who can benefit most from new technologies, Alonso says. “AI and machine learning will allow tech and telecom industries to understand their end users far better and craft an unrivaled subscriber experience while reaching new levels of responsiveness and efficiency,” he says. Another North Texas company, SDV Interna-
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SDV International Led by chief executive Kim Waiyaboon Roys, SDV International’s apps learn and improve over time. They automate labor-intensive jobs, freeing up people to focus on things like creativity and judgment.
Balanced Media | Technology
tional, is using AI and ML to address a variety of needs for clients that range from government agencies to Fortune 500 companies. Balanced Media improves AI modeling Founded in 2008, the company builds AI and to make predictions ML models that learn and improve over time. and solve problems by This means the technology it creates today having people play video games. CTO Corey Clark will evolve and become more effective down is also on the leadership the road, says CEO Kim Waiyaboon Roys. team of Guildhall, SMU’s “AI and ML algorithms are pivotal in angraduate video game design program. alyzing large datasets, helping us derive actionable insights,” she says. “In the national security domain, this means identifying patterns and trends that are crucial for decision-making processes.” SDV International’s machine learning models can help predict the evolution of social media narratives, identify key influencers, and analyze how different parties contribute to changes across social media networks. The company also uses AI and ML in its research and development. “We’ve developed several productivity solutions that have improved our delivery by more than 10 times in certain areas over the past couple of years,” Waiyaboon Roys said. In May, SDV International announced that it received a $249 million contract from the Pentagon’s chief AI office and the U.S. Army. The company is working with the Department of Defense to develop and deploy technologies “that provide critical intelligence, enhance situational awareness, and optimize operational effectiveness,” Waiyaboon Roys says. And more innovations are on the way, she hints, as SDV International was on pace to strike a new partnership with a major North Texas tech company before 2023 concluded.
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pected to become even more widespread among North Texas businesses in the coming years. This isn’t surprising in a region known for pioneering new technologies and fostering innovation. “The Dallas area is vibrant,” says Plumber of AdComp. “Of all the major metropolitan areas in Texas—Houston, Austin, and San Antonio—Dallas-area cities are the friendliest toward adopting new technologies and embracing innovations and change. So, we love to belong to this winning and always advancing region of Texas.” Also fostering the development of new technologies is the region’s deep college and university infrastructure. “Academic institutions and research organizations within the DFW area will maintain a pivotal role in advancing AI and ML,” says Dr. Suvra Pal, associate professor of statistics at The University of Texas at Arlington. “Collaborative efforts between academia and industry have the potential to drive the creation of state-of-the-art technologies and innovative solutions,” he says. “Similarly, considering the prominence of healthcare in the DFW area, a rise in the adoption of AI and ML is conceivable for applications in medical research.” Traditional businesses are getting in on the action, too. AI and machine learning are being used in core functions such as tax and legal and in lines of business. That’s according to Scott Moore, Dallas office managing partner at PwC. Both AI and generative AI, which produces content such as text, images, and audio, are being used to help gather, summarize, analyze, safeguard, and disseminate data, enabling faster analysis and more data-driven decisions.
OPENER: M A R C O S O S O R I O
AI AND MACHINE learning are ex-
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I N DIVI DUAL S
CORPORATE INNOVATOR Jeremy Fudge, BAL; Eric Haney, Lone Star Analysis; Jared Johnson, Frito Lay; Pedro Lerma, LERMA; Craig Torrance, MCS
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“We’re also seeing a focus on stakeholder trust,” Moore says. “AI and ML can automate or augment predictive maintenance, fraud detection, cybersecurity, supply chain oversight, and more. GenAI can boost transparency by helping to summarize, verify, and generate data and reports.” Experts say AI will create even more opportunities for businesses and professionals in our region. This could come in areas such as automating content creation, personalizing customer experiences, and expediting decision-making. “I’m excited about the opportunity for North Texas companies when it comes to AI,” says Tim Gross, principal at Deloitte Consulting. “With the caliber of companies that are based here—both established and emerging businesses—and the fact that we’re seeing an uptick in companies relocating to the region, our ecosystem for innovation is strong.” Various analysts put the market for generative AI at $200 billion by 2032, and that will likely double every two years for the next decade, Gross says. “With the diverse range of companies based in North Texas, our region is set to capitalize on that investment over the next decade,” he says. For all the promise that AI and ML have in a business context, these pioneering technologies can also be used to fundamentally enhance people’s lives, says Brooks. “The reason I built SalesBoost is to enhance communication and the ability to be more kind, warm, and human so we reduce the friction we have in our communities,” she says. “What we’re doing is providing the ability for people to be their best versions. If we can all put some thought into how we are communicating and listening, hearing, and resolving issues, I think we will be in a much better place.”
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BANKING AND FINANCE MoneyGram International, Nexus PMG, Texas Capital Bank, Valor
STARTUP LEADER
CYBERSECURITY
Patrick Brandt, Grata; Chris Gannett, Gannett.Partners; Ben Lamm, Colossal Biosciences; Gary Wojtaszek, RecNation
Cyber Defense Labs, DigitalXForce, Island.io
NONPROFIT OR ACCELERATOR LEADER Trey Bowles, Techstars Physical Health Fort Worth Accelerator; Ann Montgomery, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas; Jennifer Sanders, Dallas Innovation Alliance; Abigail Erickson-Torres, Frontiers of Flight Museum
CIO/CTO OF THE YEAR Srujana Bobba, Jiito.ai; Phill Lawson-Shanks, Aligned Data Centers; Bala Subramanian, UPS; Joe Vaughan, MoneyGram International
EDUCATION Dallas College, The Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Stemuli Studios, UWorld
FINTECH AND INSURANCE Bestow, CollateralEdge, Deposits, Quiltt, Nada, Yendo
FOOD AND BEVERAGE Avocados From Mexico, Duro Hospitality, Front Burner Society, Harwood Hospitality Group
HEALTHCARE AND BIOTECH Almaden Genomics, Lyda Hill Philanthropies, Recuro Health, Spectral AI, TimelyCare
EMERGING LEADER
REAL ESTATE
Zach Cunningham, Remington Hospitality; Tavian Harris, Seasons of Change; Khirodra Mishra, Cybalt; Deven Panchal, AT&T; Arun Kumar Ponnusamy, Jugl; Shanthi Rajaram, Amazech Solutions
CBRE, Compass Datacenters, Dottid, Mintwood Real Estate, TestFit
ROBOTICS AND IOT Clevon, RobotLab, Sensori Robotics, Ziosk
SOFTWARE AND SAAS O R G A N I Z AT I O N S
STARTUP Adaptive 3D, Braemont Capital Firehawk Aerospace, NVenue
JobTread Software, Lexipol, o9 Solutions, Spotio
TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY Optym, RailPros, VicOne
12/11/23 11:29 AM
ON A MISSION TO SPARK JOY Dolf Berle helped quadruple the value of Dave & Buster’s business and led Topgolf through brisk revenue growth. Now, the former American Ninja Warrior contestant is cooking up a new recipe at North Texas-based Nothing Bundt Cakes. story by BEN
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Berle says with a smirk. “And, sometimes, really digging into the things that most people wouldn’t want to do. And I have to say that trying all the Nothing Bundt Cake flavors really tested my limits.” Named the CEO last summer of the Addison-based bakery giant—which sells full-sized and mini bundt cakes in flavors ranging from red velvet and lemon to classic vanilla and chocolate chip—Berle was jesting, of course, but he does note that his favorite is the gluten-free chocolate chip. He also wants it to be known that the company is innovating with cream-filled and gluten-free flavors. But new menu items is just the tip of the iceberg. The former Dave & Buster’s president and COO and Topgolf and adventure travel operator Lindblad Expeditions CEO took
over a company with 800 corporate employees, 10,000 total employees, and 535 bakeries in 43 states—a number of which are reporting $3 million in sales per year. By all accounts, the brand is already a wild success. “But I would not only like to be an iconic brand,” he says. “I want Nothing Bundt Cakes to be a phenomenon.” In the mid-to-late 2010s, Nothing Bundt Cakes used its franchising model to add 40 to 50 bakeries a year. In the spring of 2021, private equity firm Roark Capital Group—which holds around $37 billion in assets, including Subway, Orangetheory Fitness, and Wingstop—purchased the brand, which at the time had 390 bakeries. Since closing the deal, bundt cakes have been selling like—well—hotcakes. In 2023, the brand, which was founded in 1997, opened about 90 storefronts. The year represented an inflection point for the brand’s growth. “In 2024, our growth goal is to open over 150 new bakeries,” Berle says. That would all add up to about an 80 percent increase in bakeries in fewer than three years. Same-store sales through the ascent are steadily growing. Over the last decade, the average growth rate per year has been 10 percent or higher, according to Berle. “We’re going to try to keep that trajectory going,” he says. The brand’s CFO, Jennifer Ellis, adds, “We’ve never had a negative same-store sales growth quarter in the history of the brand—which is almost 27 years old now.” Berle’s plans to continue bolstering growth include new digital strategies, marketing approaches under new Chief Marketing Officer Sean Gleason, and opening bakeries in nontraditional venues, including stadiums and arenas across the country. In 2024, Nothing Bundt Cakes will launch a loyalty program through a mobile app and slowly roll out a brand refresh with new interior designs, digital imagery, and color schemes inside bakeries. (The new look is already being tested and refined at venues in Frisco and Plano and the Dallas location off Preston and Royal.) And Nothing Bundt Cakes will soon embark upon an entirely new brand of thematic marketing. “Just like Tiffany & Co.’s blue has become iconic,” Berle says, “we have dreams of our periwinkle blue becoming iconic, as well.”
SWEET SURPRISES
Oreo, Reese’s Pieces, and churro are among the new flavors Nothing Bundt Cakes debuted in 2023.
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Berle grew up in a farming community in western Massachusetts and was born into a family that worked for various nonprofits. So, he came of age believing his path would wind toward ministry or education. But in the back of his mind, his desire to become an Olympic athlete burned just as bright. “The Olympics was the big dream,” he says. While studying history and literature at Harvard, he was on the track and field team at the Ivy League institution. Unlike his teammates, he didn’t excel at one specific event—he wasn’t the fastest sprinter or
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the quickest hurdler or the strongest discus thrower. So, he honed his focus on versatility. “I became the fourth-best person on the team at every event,” Berle says with a laugh. But fourth best at everything was good enough to excel in the decathlon—a 10-event race that includes the 100-meter dash, 400-meter dash, 1,500-meter dash, 110-meter hurdles, long jump, high jump, pole vault, discus throw, javelin throw, and shot put. After graduating from Harvard, he traveled on assignment to Zimbabwe to help find alternatives to divestments, primarily in Black education. While there, he fell in love with the people and culture. After earning his degree, Berle moved to Zimbabwe to pursue a master of arts in African History at the University of Zimbabwe. He excelled athletically for the Crimson but had come to accept that he didn’t have the skills to compete at the highest level and realize his dream of becoming an Olympian. While in Zimbabwe, though, he competed in various track and field events and, despite antiquated equipment, became the first man to pole vault more than four meters on Zimbabwean soil. For the next 14 years after he left Zimbabwe, Berle put his track and field talent on the shelf. He moved to Dallas and worked for Waste Management, Yum! Brands, and PepsiCo. In 1998, he earned his first C-Suite position as chief operating officer of Diedrich Coffee. Two
GOING FOR GOLD
Berle is the current world champion pole vaulter and national champion decathlete for 60–64 year olds.
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JUST LIKE TIFFANY & CO.’S BLUE HAS BECOME ICONIC, WE HAVE DREAMS OF OUR PERIWINKLE BLUE BECOMING ICONIC, AS WELL. D O LFE B E R LE | C EO, N oth i n g B u n d t C a ke s
years later, he was named COO of House of Blues Entertainment. Around the same time, he met an older man in a gym wearing a pole-vaulting T-shirt. Berle asked him, “Were you a pole vaulter?” The man replied, “I am a pole vaulter.” Berle was inspired to rekindle his participation in the sport and began training with a program called World Master’s Athletics, targeted at track-andfield athletes aged 35 and older. In doing so, he rediscovered the joy he left behind in Zimbabwe many years ago. When Berle turned 40, he entered the WMA World Masters Championships with a goal of finishing in the top 10 in the decathlon and pole vault. “I came in second in the pole vault and fourth in the decathlon, which exceeded my expectations,” he says. “But second and fourth plac-
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DOLF HAS MADE HIS CAREER IN THE JOY, ENTERTAINMENT, AND FUN BUSINESS, SO HE FITS RIGHT IN. J E N N I FE R E LLI S | C FO, N oth i n g B u n d t C a ke s
ations, the brand’s P&L, and all company assets. “I was one of the people brought on by that new wave of ownership to reposition the business to be more modern and contemporary and accelerate the growth,” Berle says. The brand freshened up its venues by introducing bigscreen televisions and making things more “Vegas-like,” says Berle. By 2014, Dave & Buster’s was ready for an IPO. “In the six-plus years I was there, we built nearly 50 units and quadrupled the value of the business,” he says. “I was proud of the fact that I was at every single opening over the course of those years, and we were hiring a few thousand people a year in order to staff the new stores.” In 2014, the company listed on the NASDAQ at a value of $625.4 million. By the end of 2016, Dave & Buster’s had grown its revenue to more than $1 billion, and Ber-
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le decided to leave for a new challenge. He spent 2017 independently advising nonprofits and serving on various company boards. The following year, 2018, Topgolf came calling, looking for a new CEO to lead it through its formative years. The company took off like a bullet. “We more than doubled the number of units, building more than 10 units a year and hiring more than 4,000 people a year,” Berle says. Revenue grew from $630 million at the close of 2017 to $1.2 billion in 2021—the year he stepped away. In the midst of it all, Berle was tasked with a resurrection. In 2019, leading into 2020, he was at the forefront of Topgolf’s efforts to become a publicly traded company. After all, full-year 2019 saw Topgolf report $1.06 billion in revenue and an adjusted EBITDA of $59 million, according to SEC documents. But the pandemic in March of 2020 halted Berle’s efforts. “We were three weeks away from going public,” he says. “We had already completed analyst day and had done everything short of the roadshow on pricing. We went from a high-growth company with tremendous momentum to a mode where we had to save the company. The worst day of my business life was furloughing 19,000 employees, many of whom were living paycheck to paycheck.” So, Berle and other Topgolf executives and board members went to work on alternatives. Callaway Golf emerged as a buyer, and the company jumped at the opportunity. “On the path to going public, the valuations that we were seeing were ultimately higher than what Callaway paid,” Berle admits. “But I think we all felt it was a fair price at the time it was sold, given the pandemic’s influence and the uncertainty, quite frankly, about when we would reopen.” For Berle, who stayed on several months after the sale to help transition the company, working for one of the world’s largest golf companies was not a personal fit. “My individual preference was to be part of a standalone company where I could be the CEO of that, as opposed to the leader of a division,” he says. “That’s what prompted my exit.” He walked away in 2021 and joined New York-based public adventure travel operator Lindblad Expeditions, which had also suffered through the pandemic. After an $82 million 2020, Berle grew its 2021 revenue to $147 million and closed 2022 at $421.5 million. Halfway through 2023, Berle shifted to Nothing Bundt Cakes. His fellow C-Suiters say he has been the icing on the cake for the brand. “Dolf has made his career in the joy, entertainment, and fun business, so he fits right in,” says CFO Ellis.
STEPPING ON THE GAS
According to the American Bakers Association, the industry contributes an overall economic impact of more than $186 billion to the U.S. economy each year. Nothing Bundt Cakes is just a small part of that, but Berle’s top pri-
PH OTO G R A PH Y CO U RTESY O F DO LF B E R LE AN D N OTH I N G B U N DT CAK E S; C A K E C R U M B S S H UT TE RSTOCK
es are the most heart-wrenching places to finish because I was just off being the champion and just off the podium.” That competition fueled Berle, and it—along with the resilience story of his son Bax (see sidebar)—propelled him to compete in Season 9 and Season 10 of American Ninja Warrior. Berle’s runs were not televised, and he was unable to complete the course, but getting to meet so many competitors with “amazing stories of overcoming obstacles was very inspiring,” he says. When he turned 50, Berle won the WMA World Masters Championship in pole vault and came in third in the decathlon. Fast forward to 2023, he traveled to Poland to compete in the same event for pole vault, this time in the 60–64 age group. The exec took home the gold for pole vaulting. Several months later, he competed in the USA Decathlon Masters Championships and placed first for men aged 60 to 64. Berle not only excelled for a 60-year-old, “but for the first time in my life, I was able to have the highest score for all men of all ages,” he says. In between competitions, he was quickly rising in the business ranks. In 2006, he was named president of Lucky Strikes Lanes. Three years later, he joined ClubCorp as its executive vice president of hospitality and division head. In 2011, Dave & Buster’s—coming off its $570 million acquisition by Oak Hill Capital Partners— hired him as president and COO to manage store oper-
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ority as he enters 2024 is filling the brand’s whitespace. “We know that roughly 30 percent of America knows about us, and 70 percent has neither tasted a cake nor heard of what we offer,” he says. So, opportunity abounds. It starts, of course, with finding franchisees—and the pipeline has never been more primed. “At the moment, we have more than 200 sites signed up for future developments, and that’s growing every week,” Berle says. “We’re building four to five bakeries per week.” And new store operators are reporting record inaugural years. “Our annual unit volume for a store’s first year has gone up more than $200,000 versus where it was two years ago,” Berle says. “We’ve been setting revenue records every year for the last few years. So, each year, the goalposts move, and 2023 will track with that,” says Ellis. At the forefront of Nothing Bundt Cakes’ real estate approach is Chris Tarrant, former Starbucks senior vice president of store development for the U.S. and Canada. He was responsible for opening 1,200 new Starbucks and renovating about 800 locations a year. Now, as the chief development officer for Nothing Bundt Cakes, he’s implementing a real estate strategy to find new markets, whereas Starbucks’ real estate strategy has shifted to infill areas. “We’re taking a broad co-tenancy look at where we would ideally locate,” Tarrant says. “We look at weekly trip generators like grocery stores, pharmacies, and things like that, as well as daily trip generators like Starbucks. Obviously, that data helps give us an idea about daily traffic, but we’re trying to be respectful to the guests and convenient for them because you don’t want to ever put too much pressure on a brand to draw guests in just by itself. Everyone’s in a time compression today, and the better we get at accessibility and overall co-tenancy, the more successful we are.” Bakeries can get up and running at a $35,000 franchising fee and roughly $700,000 in construction costs. A top Texas and Oklahoma Nothing Bundt Cake’s franchisee Jim Sheahan—who was awarded Franchisee of the Year by the International Franchise Association— says his latest bakeries are rapidly turning a profit. “Our Norman, Oklahoma, store that we opened in February 2022 set the record for a Nothing Bundt Cakes,” he says. “Historically, stores plodded along for a little bit, but now the brand has dedicated more marketing to store openings, and we come out of the gates swinging.” Spurred by new owner Roark Capital, 2023 was the first full year for the brand to leverage third-party delivery channels DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats. “We were hesitant given the type of product we present,” Ellis says. “Our cakes are a little more delicate than traditional food; we certainly don’t want them to show up upside BEATING THE ODDS Berle’s oldest son Bax down or the frosting or decoration overcame an autism diagnosis and today is not how they should be. So, we works as a Special tapped into Roark’s expertise and Olympics coach.
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network to help us understand and grasp the ins and outs of third-party delivery channels. It has been performing phenomenally for us and allowed us to capture new guests.” The same momentum is expected to spark once Nothing Bundt Cakes launches its loyalty program through a mobile app. “The brand hasn’t been in a place technologically to execute it yet,” says franchisee Sheahan, who employs 300 people across nine stores in Texas and Oklahoma. “But now, this will prop up our business and take it to the next level.” Sheahan has two more bakeries under construction and seven more in the pipeline. Over the next four to eight months, he expects his employee base to grow to 500. “Dolf brings experience, passion, and energy,” Sheahan says. “I feel confident where we can go and know that Dolf can take us from the 500-store mark to more than 1,000—and that’s one of the many reasons I’m stepping on the gas.” Berle has spent no more than seven years at any of the prior enterprises he has led. He says his sweet spot is taking the helm post-founder at businesses generating between $400 million and $600 million in revenue with a desire to double in size. Nothing Bundt Cakes is no different, and Berle is as confident as ever that he can deliver the returns. “My experience is really around helping good companies mature and reach heights that otherwise would have been quite difficult,” he says. And if there’s one thing the champion decathlete and pole vaulter has proven through the years, in both sports and business, it’s that he can achieve the difficult. At Nothing Bundt Cakes, he’s not too far off the starting line, and the race ahead will be a long one. “I hope this is my last job of this nature,” he says, “because there is plenty to work with over the course of the next 10 years.”
How Dolf Berle’s Son Bax Inspires Him to Spark Joy Around 2000, Dolf Berle’s oldest son Bax, a toddler at the time, was diagnosed with autism. “We were told that he might never talk and would most certainly be reliant upon us for basic needs his entire life,” Berle says. “That motivated me to get extremely serious about providing for him and taking care of the family. But it also made me very oriented toward creating joy in the world.” As a result, he dedicated his career to working for and leading companies that spark joy—like Dave & Buster’s, Topgolf, Nothing Bundt Cakes, and more. It also was a motivating factor for Berle to relaunch his athletic career. “I think I was able to become a contestant on American Ninja Warrior because of my son’s story of overcoming obstacles,” Berle says. Today, Bax is a 24-year-old, thriving basketball and Special Olympics coach. “He’s living remarkably, mostly thanks to the hard work of my wife, Julia.”
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D C E O W E E K LY
Get the latest news, trends, and insights shaping the Dallas business community. CHRISTINE PEREZ Editor, D CEO
S I GN UP N OW
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N O R T H T E X A S B U S I N E S S A D V I C E , A N A LY S I S ,
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C O M M E N TA R Y
K E Y S T R AT E G I E S
Calm in the Storm Shevawn Barder, CEO A M S P E C I A LT Y I N S U R A N C E C O .
PHOTOG R APHY BY MARC TR AN
“in leadership, it’s not just about making decisions and providing direction. it’s “crucial to “genuinely listen to team members, peers, and stakeholders. I value three pillars, the first being active listening. It fosters understanding, builds trust, and helps in making informed decisions that take into account diverse perspectives and experiences. My second is pillar is leading by example. A leader’s actions often speak louder than words. By setting a standard through one’s own behavior, attitudes, and work ethic, a leader can effectively influence and inspire the team to strive for excellence. Leading by example ensures authenticity and promotes a culture of accountability and integrity. Being the calm in the storm is my third pillar. The ability to maintain composure during challenging times is a hallmark of great leadership. It reassures the team and provides stability and clarity when navigating through uncertainty. By remaining poised and focused, a leader can guide their team with confidence, resilience, and determination.” —as told to Ben Swanger
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R E A L E S TAT E
Refining the Lived Experience Real estate developers and civic leaders weigh in on the role of mobility and placemaking in smart urban design. story by CHRISTINE PEREZ
sometime this year, dallas voters will be asked to approve a $1.1 billion bond package addressing key infrastructure investments for the city. Two of the five key areas of focus—parks and recreation and streets and transportation—account for more than 65 percent of the total pie. This emphasis reflects the growing importance of mobility and placemaking on cities designed for the future. “We have streets in downtown that are so old, the water mains under them are ceramic,” says Jennifer Scripps, president and CEO of Downtown Dallas Inc., an organization that works to improve infrastructure and economic competitiveness “The Field Street district, for example, does not have the infrastructure to come out of the ground without the city stepping up.” Scripps made the comments at a recent “Design Forecast Live” panel hosted by the Dallas
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SHUTTERSTOCK
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office of Gensler, a global design, architecture, and planning firm. The purpose, says Steven Upchurch, principal and co-managing director, was to talk about how to thrive in tomorrow’s creative economy through smart urban design and planning, with a focus on mobility and reclaiming the human experience. “Over the past several years, we’ve obviously experienced radical change, and new tensions and crises are coming out of what we’ve left behind in the pandemic,” Upchurch said. “Our economy has healthy prospects driven by a balance of factors. ... Leaders and organizations can secure a solid transformative future for the Dallas Fort Worth area.” Along with Scripps, panelists were Steve Aldrich, senior vice president of Hillwood; Lucy Billingsley, partner at Billingsley Co.; and Joseph Pitchford, managing director of Crescent Real Estate. Here are some highlights from the discussion: LUCY
BILL I N G SL EY: “I remember when
office space was a commodity, and all anyone cared about was the price of the space and maybe location. Today, office space is the brand of your company. It impacts your culture. It says who you are, and it helps you attract and retain people. Multifamily has obviously changed, too. We used to stamp out buildings. When we first got into multifamily, our tagline was, ‘Apartments without the complex.’ We paid attention to walkability and the neighborhood and how it evolves. ... What we try to do as a developer is jump in and fill the void. We say, ‘What is the nature of this place? How do we do the streets and the parks and build in engagement, and then the buildings around that. Developers today are in the events business. We’re trying to create the sense that you’re in a club. So, think of a country club; what are all the amenities, and how do we give you that membership?” STEVE A LD R I C H: “Hillwood’s AllianceTexas
is 27,000 acres. Being out in front of the infrastructure piece, whether it be roads, power, or water, has been critical for us. Placemaking is important, and we do it, but we also work to help people to quickly get in and out of a suburban project. That’s infrastructure, and that’s
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one of our main focuses right now. Power is another issue, and water will become one. I would encourage cities to take a look at their comprehensive plans. The days of these employment centers and old zonings have led to office parks that have zero personality and zero amenities. There’s got to be a higher, better use for some of that space, and it’s probably going to be housing. Affordable housing is an issue, and cities need to start getting comfortable with fulfilling a need. They might not want it, but it’s going to be better for the city.” P I TC H F O R D : “Our development group is built around the premise that every project makes a place, no matter how big or small the site is. For example, American Airlines’ headquarters campus is 300 acres. But it was not a place until Gensler and Crescent and [landscape architect] Jim Burnett got together to redevelop what was like a broken community college campus covered with surface parking lots. It opened in the fall of 2019, so there is a pandemic angle here, too. The CEO of American once pulled me aside and said, ‘If we hadn’t done what we did to this campus when we did and if we had tried to bring people back to work after the pandemic at our old place, they would not have come back. But, they came back. American has recovered brilliantly from the pandemic because it had a place.”
J OS E P H
J E N N I F E R S C R I P P S : “For the past 15 years,
DDI has been working on its 360 plan, which is built around three priorities: building complete neighborhoods, promoting great placemaking, and advancing urban mobility. Of these, urban mobility is the most fundamental and I think the heaviest lift. If you are looking at an office landscape where people need to race into their office and then at the end of the day get their cars back on the toll road, it’s a very different street and mobility need than helping people hang out in the Arts District or walk to grab a cup of coffee or go to a brewery. This work is important on the human scale and on the macro scale—making sure we get our highways right and that things like high-speed rail happen. But for downtown, we have to catch up with ourselves on the smaller scale.”
INVESTMENT S T R AT E G I E S
Funding the Future Task force recommendations for divvying up the city’s $1.1 billion 2024 bond program could be adjusted before it’s put up for a vote later this year.
$375 MILLION Streets and transportation: thoroughfare improvements, street resurfacing, local street improvements, sidewalks, alleys, bridges, and traffic signals. $350 MILLION Parks and recreation: parks, recreation centers, athletic fields, aquatics, and trails. $200 MILLION: Critical facilities: police and fire facilities, libraries, cultural buildings, and essential city service centers. $100 MILLION Housing, economic development, and homelessness: redevelopment of commercial areas, transit-oriented projects, supportive housing, mixed-income housing, neighborhood revitalization efforts, and homeless solutions. $75 MILLION Flood and erosion control: pump stations, bridges, levees, channels, and erosion control projects.
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ON TOPIC
If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why? edited by BEN SWANGER
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illustrations by JAKE MEYERS
JESSICA GOMEZ
BOBBY LYLE
LILIANA GIL VALLETTA
Executive Director MOMENTOUS INSTITUTE
Founder, CEO, and Chairman LYC O H O L D I N G S
Co-Founder and CEO C U LT U R E + G R O U P
“We have an urgent need to unlock opportunities to train more mental health providers with a focus on culturally responsive care. Today’s communities are more culturally diverse, and with the mental health crisis that we are in, it’s imperative that we solve the shortage of mental health services and resources in communities across the country. In doing so, we ensure that people have the tools, treatment, and care to thrive in life and for generations.”
“While continuing the appropriate guidelines and controls to ensure fairness and equal opportunity for all, I’d reduce the unnecessary bureaucracy imposed by local, state, and federal agencies that, more often than not, seem to misunderstand the negative impact on our society of ineffective and unnecessary rules and regulations and just how detrimental inefficient implementation of those rules can be to our community. I see this in energy, real estate, manufacturing, and service.”
“Stop assuming that multicultural marketing is DEI work or corporate social responsibility. In fact, multicultural marketing and diversity needs a rebrand. We’re so deliberate about owning the term and trademark of cultural intelligence. It’s about future-proofing your business in a changing world, not meeting compliance requirements or reacting to activists. We need to challenge traditional thinking on the role diversity plays as a business differentiator to drive shareholder value.”
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Are you reframing your future or is the future reframing you? Together we can see new opportunities and create a new future. Reframe your future | ey.com/reframeyourfuture
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BE ENLIGHTENED DO YOU HAVE THE MAVERICK FACTOR?
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OFF DUTY THE PERSONAL SIDE
o f
DFW BUSINESS LEADERS
PURSUITS
All the World Is a Stage Entrepreneurs’ Organization Executive Director Jon Minjoe uses standup comedy to work through business challenges and sharpen his mind. story by WILL MADDOX photography by SEAN BERRY
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“i am going to tell you the secret of going into business for yourself; it’s very simple,” Jon Minjoe shares with an audience from a stage in Deep Ellum. “Make yourself unemployable. Just become the worst employee of all time, so no business could even fathom hiring you.” It might not make for the best career guidance, but it landed some laughs—which was the point. Being comfortable in front of groups is essential for the executive director of the local chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, and Minjoe’s experience as a standup comedian keeps him sharp and allows him to share observations about professional life and commentary on life’s struggles. Growing up, the Michigan native enjoyed musical theater but went the practical route after college and started a career in strategic communications as the co-founder of a company that did digital work for political campaigns. Eventually, the requisite negativity and outrage required of a job in politics got to him, and he shifted to the CEO of a tech company and worked in commercial real estate, all while actively participating in EO. When an opportunity to serve as executive director came up, his fellow members told him he’d be a perfect fit. So, he pursued and got the job. At the same time, Minjoe was unable to ditch the itch to perform and decided to attend standup classes at Dallas Comedy House in Deep Ellum—and later worked
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SPIRIT ANIMAL
We asked area C-Suiters to share what animal best represents their character. Here’s what they had to say. up the confidence to do open mics. “I went to my first open mic and killed it,” he says. “Not because I was good, but the audience was just drunk enough to be in a good mood.” His second performance? Crickets. It was the worst experience he ever had on stage, he says. But Minjoe stuck with the craft, eventually being asked to host shows at Dallas Comedy House and doing some of his own material before and in between sets by bigger-name comics like Aaron Aryanpur. He also landed corporate gigs and sprinkled jokes into his emcee role at the Dallas Women’s Lawyer Association gala. Today, between organizing social and educational events for EO, among other management tasks, he keeps up with his passion for comedy by writing new material, attending open mics, and performing at charity events. The writing process is therapeutic, and he finds that reacting to an audience and being quick on his feet have been excellent training that translates to the C-Suite. “I don’t think I would be where I am today without comedy,” Minjoe says. “It’s such a great relief valve.”
HEALING HUMOR
Minjoe’s comedy sets have helped him process serious health scares and a battle with depression.
“A duck is calm and relaxed above water and peddling aggressively under the water. What is noticeable by others is that they are calm, collected, and confident; while below they are motivated and making things happen.” J O H N PA U L VA LV E R D E
Creative Director and Principal Coeval Studio
“The wolf symbolizes an intriguing mix of power, strength, resilience, loyalty, guardianship, teamwork, and wildness. Wolves are intuitive, highly social, very protective, wild, independent in nature, free, and self-reliant.” SHELLEY AMASON
CEO RightStaff
“A leopard is stealthy, methodical, and calculated. At trial, I am often underestimated at first because I avoid grandstanding and chest bumping, preferring to outstrategize the other side slowly and methodically.” A I M E E FAG A N
Partner Sidley Austin
“Since I was a little girl, I have loved cats. They are independent, self-sufficient, a little spicy, and can climb to great heights. Plus, they equalize you. You’re their human. They offer love and affection as long as you treat them right.” TRISHA CUNNINGHAM
President and CEO North Texas Food Bank
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Defending the Digital Front Lines Valmiki Mukherjee, founder of Cyber Future Foundation and Cybrize, uses his expertise to help people stay safe during war and unrest.
nine years ago, valmiki mukherjee, the founder and CEO of cybersecurity training and support platform Cybrize, launched a nonprofit called Cyber Future Foundation. Initially, the group was focused on thought story by CHRISTIANA NIELSON leadership, meetings, and C-Suite events—but illustration by JAKE MEYERS it soon turned into something much bigger. “Very quickly, we got pulled into the socioeconomic impact because people feel deeply about the rest of the world’s security,” Mukherjee says. Since the end of the 20-year war in Afghanistan, more than 1.6 million Afghans have fled the country. Some of Cyber Future Foundation’s members had served in Afghanistan and had connections to its residents, so a desire to send aid arose. In a matter of days, Mukherjee and his nonprofit provided secure communication channels and extensive rescue and resettlement support to those fleeing Afghanistan. Subsequently, they supported the resettlement and career orientation for those who arrived in the U.S. “We realized we could bring resources from the cyber industry together with our communities to reach the people who actuCYBER SAFEGUARD ally needed help in AfghanValmiki Mukherjee’s istan,” Mukherjee says. team has helped Ukraine battle digital This experience proved threats during the war. useful when the war be-
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tween Ukraine and Russia began—this time, Mukherjee was prepared with humanitarian aid resources for Ukraine. CFF initially partnered with UkraineNow, and other cybersecurity organizations, to improve the cybersecurity posture of humanitarian missions in Ukraine and eventually it expanded to bolstering critical infrastructure and advising those in the Ukrainian private sector on all thing cybersecurity. “Now with Ukraine, we’re developing Project Indigo that provides support to humanitarian missions so they have someone to go to for cybersecurity needs,” he says. “We’re also working with folks on the ground who are preventing cyberattacks on healthcare and public utilities.” With the current conflict between Israel and Hamas, Mukherjee says that Israel is already strong when it comes to cybersecurity. “We’ve been doing more of a humanitarian check on a lot of the folks that are on both sides,” he says. “We are seeing a lot of grief and challenges, but I think Israel is strong. Of course, this doesn’t take away from the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but both sides are suffering, and that suffering must end. Our contribution is to make sure there is no further damage to critical infrastructure.” In an increasingly digital world, Mukherjee says, there will continue to be cyber threats. His goal with CFF is to ensure there are checks and balances in cyber and build trust in cyberspace. Commercially at Cybrize, he’s aiming to ensure consistency in cyber practices and processes. “We see this as having a great socioeconomic impact, not only in terms of securing and defending critical infrastructure and humanitarian missions but also because there are 1.5 million cyber jobs available,” he says. “Those global jobs will escalate to much more as we see the expanse of AI. So, we see the work we’ve done as planting a seed—and those seeds will grow into a forest and provide the shade and nourishment to shield society from cyber threats.”
P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F V A L M I K I M U K H E R J E E
G R E AT E R G O O D
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12/4/23 9:52 AM
To get a seat at the table, you have to be in the room. TREC represents more than 2,000 members, 625 companies and 95 percent of the commercial real estate business in North Texas. TREC membership benefits include access to: • Cutting-edge events and educational programs • Industry-exclusive leadership development • One-of-a-kind networking experiences • Opportunities to advocate for issues impacting the economy in our region Build the city you’ve imagined. Join us today at recouncil.com
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BRAND AWARE
As a nod to Nova’s company color, CEO Anthony Diesch often adds a touch of green.
ART OF STYLE
ANTHONY DIESCH ESCHEWS SILVER BECAUSE “IT MEANS SECOND PLACE.”
STYLE ICON: “I have a few, but the one that sticks out most for me is Robert Redford. His looks are classic and timeless. His style has endured year after year, and I love that.” ON THE JOB: “I’m lucky that my line of work allows me to be in office settings as well as out in the field at times. When visiting one of my projects, I’m typically in jeans and boots. The next day, I’ll be in loafers and a blazer while meeting with clients in their offices or over cocktails. I get the best of both worlds.” FASHION INSPIRATION: “I might see a look in a
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movie or a picture in a magazine. I’ll try to match the look, not copy it, but be inspired by it.” STYLE DEFINED: “I like classic looks. To some people, fashion means new and trendy, but I like the idea of style being ageless—like classic Gucci loafers or Ray-Ban Aviators. Pieces like those are always cool.” FASHION ESSENTIAL: “A good watch. It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing, but if you have a good watch on, it can describe your style, even if you’re in a T-shirt and shorts. I typically wear a gold Rolex Submariner. I used to wear stainless steel Subs and silver jewelry, but an interview I watched years ago changed that. Kerri Walsh, the three-time Olympic gold medalist, was describing her style and said she only wore gold jewelry. When asked why, she said, ‘Because silver means second place.’ I’ve never worn silver after that day.” GO-TO LOOK: “A dress shirt, untucked and sleeves rolled up, with
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WHAT I DO: “As president and CEO of Nova Landscape Group, I build and maintain relationships. Our company specializes in large-scale commercial landscape construction and has completed many high-profile projects in Dallas. My main roles are business development and leading some of the most talented team members in the industry.”
dark jeans and either Lucchese boots or Gucci loafers.” HOW I ACCESSORIZE: “I wear a sandalwood Mala necklace around my wrist with my watch and a gold Cartier bracelet on my other wrist. Green is usually on me somewhere, like a green
croc belt. It’s a nod to our company color.” WEEKEND LOOK: “It doesn’t change much. I feel comfortable throwing on what I wear during the week on weekends.” FAVORITE STORE: “We’re in Dallas, right? Neiman Marcus. Duh.”
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12/4/23 9:58 AM
CONGRATULATIONS To Craig Torrance, CEO of MCS, for being selected as a finalist for D CEO’s 2024 Innovation Awards. MCS is Making Communities Shine with our comprehensive property services across Commercial Properties, Single-Family Rentals and the Property Preservation industry. MCS360.com 813.387.1100
We Make Really Hard Stuff Easy to Understand Innovative learning tools to pass your high-stakes exam uworld.com
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12/11/23 11:32 AM
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BY THE BAY
Rooms at The Inn Above Tide feature floor-to-ceiling windows that offer panoramic views of San Francisco Bay.
TRUE ESCAPE
The resort’s private decks are a unique amenity and ideal for relaxing from dawn to evening.
W E L L T R AV E L E D
The Golden Gate Bridge connects this charming waterside town to Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall’s old stomping grounds of San Francisco. story by CHRISTINE PEREZ FRESH FISH
HILLTOP HOMES
Corporate executives and celebrites are among those who have residences in Sausalito.
The critically acclaimed Sushi Ran is known for its exceptionally fresh sushi and sashimi.
FOOD + ART
Menu items at the Sausalito eatery are not only delicious, they’re thoughtfully and artfully presented.
ON THE WATER
Get up close and personal with the bay through Sea Trek, which offers kayak and SUP rentals and tours.
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12/7/23 3:18 PM
P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F T H E I N N A B O V E T I D E , S U S H I R A N , S E A T R E K , A N D S H U T T E R S T O C K
Sausalito, California
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It’s hard to believe that the quiet waterfront town of Sausalito is so close to one of the largest cities in the U.S.
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few places in the world offer the vast diversity of experiences one can find in the Bay Area. On a September trip to San Francisco, we spent the night in the city after watching the Giants beat the Dodgers at Oracle Park. The next morning, we hopped in the car and drove across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito. Despite the short distance, it seemed like a world away. Those feelings intensified as we checked into The Inn Above Tide, a stunning boutique hotel on the San Francisco Bay. The intimate property, which has just 33 rooms and suites, began life as a luxury apartment complex in the 1960s. It was reinvented in 1995 and given a multimillion-dollar spruce-up in 2019. Private decks and floor-to-ceiling windows offer panoramic views. I couldn’t get enough of sitting outside and watching kayakers out for a morning paddle, the ferry transporting commuters and tourists to San Francisco, or the moon and twinkling skyline at night. The most mesmerizing sight of all, though, was the region’s famous fog as it rolled in from the hills and blanketed the city. Our expansive, well-appointed suite at The Inn Above Tide featured all the luxuries you’d expect, plus some lovely touches like fresh orchid blossoms, wood-burning fireplaces, an
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interesting collection of books, and binoculars accompanied by an illustrated guide to Bay Bridge, Alcatraz, and other points of interest. The hotel offered a bountiful continental breakfast each morning and a wine and cheese reception at night. We took advantage of the option of having the complimentary treats delivered to our room so we could enjoy them on the deck. There’s no in-house restaurant at The Inn Above Tide, but its location in the middle of Sausalito offers easy access to eclectic eateries, galleries, and shops. Make a reservation well in advance to dine at the spectacular Sushi Ran. Known for its exquisitely fresh sushi, it’s one of the top-rated restaurants in the Bay Area. You can’t go wrong with any of the five sushi sampler plates—or order one-offs and create combinations of your own. For entrées, we tried the miso-glazed black cod and salmon; both were spectacular. Another local standout was Copita Taqueria y Comida. It’s known for its bold-flavored, modern Mexican fare (with offerings such as Mexican truffle empanadas, pork belly tacos, and lamb and queso Oaxaca quesadillas), its variety of ceviches (lobster, scallops, flounder, shrimp, cod, and tuna), and extensive list of tequilas and mezcals. During our visit, unseasonably warm weather provided ideal conditions for kayaking on the San Francisco Bay. Sea Trek, founded in the 1980s as the first commercial kayaking business in California, made it easy. We headed south on the water and paddled for a couple of miles past some of Sausalito’s famous houseboats and our hotel but turned around before making it to the Golden Gate Bridge. If you’re lucky, like us, you’ll see Oreo, a white-spotted seal who likes to sun on Sea Trek’s dock.
T R AV E L T I P S
A Quaint Getaway Close to the City Cynt Marshall, CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, spent the first 47 years of her life in the East Bay area of San Francisco. Along with traveling into the city on BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit), she’d also regularly take the ferry from Sausalito. “It was amazing,” she says. Marshall describes the small Marin County city as “quaint and casual with a lot of character” and says her favorite Sausalito restaurants are Scoma’s and The Spinnaker. Both landmarks opened in the 1960s and are perched on piers over San Francisco Bay. “Sausalito has cute little shops and restaurants,” Marshall says. “It’s near the Golden Gate Bridge, and the views are amazing.”
CALIFORNIA ICON
The landmark Golden Gate suspension bridge connects San Francisco to Sausalito and Marin County.
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12/12/23 10:38 AM
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FOREVER FAMILY
Sam Schrade found a new life after he was adopted by Betty and Herb Schrade, shown here with their daughter, Suzanne.
LONG JOURNEY
Schrade was the youngest of 98 refugees from a Vietnam orphanage who fled the country by boat and bus.
TIES THAT BIND
Schrade, with his father Herb, grew up with a loving family who helped him connect with other Vietnamese refugees.
ROOTS
CEO DNA STUDIOS
story by WILL MADDOX illustration by JAKE MEYERS
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TANKER TOW
Schrade and his party were lost at sea for five days after their boat broke down. They were pulled to Singapore by a tanker.
sam schrade spent the first years of his life in a Vietnamese orphanage during the Vietnam War. As the conflict came to a close, the children, staff, and their families fled the country in search of a better life. After a harrowing journey that included being lost at sea, a very young Schrade eventually made it to Dallas, where a local family adopted him. Here, the founder of media company DNA Studios, which produces sports and other programming with mobile TV trucks and television studios, shares more about his journey to America. “We loaded up 98 people on a boat and were heading toward an island when the engine broke, and we floated off into the sea. We floated for five days, and we were running out of food and water. We saw a Taiwanese tanker ship and thought we would get saved, but the captain did not allow the ship to help us; it kept going. Later that day, the captain
changed his heart and turned around, throwing our boat a rope and towing us for two days. We were cut loose outside of Singapore, but the country would not let anyone in, with thousands of refugee boats on its shores. Miraculously, a local soldier found a missionary from Houston whose church sponsored our group. The UN helped us travel from Singapore through Switzerland to New York then Arkansas, and we arrived at the Houston church that sponsored our resettlement. I was later adopted out of Buckner Children’s Home. Our group started a nonprofit that rebuilt the orphanage we came from after it was destroyed following the war.”
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SAM SCHRADE
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12/4/23 9:57 AM
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F E AT U R I N G
62 Marissa Horne and Indu Jain, Capital One
64 Naveen Jindal School of Management, The University of Texas at Dallas
66 Linda Silver, Ed.D., Perot Museum of Nature and Science
WOMEN LEADING
68 Slalom
70 Thomson Reuters
STEM Dallas’ female STEM leaders are paving the way for more women to enter this growing field.
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It’s in our DNA to dream and
dream BIG At Texas Woman’s, we continuously stretch the possibilities, moving people toward their greatest potential and a life of more.
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PURSUE YOUR PASSION Local STEM leaders and trailblazers offer insight and advice. “The only thing standing between us and the next great scientific breakthrough is the outdated belief that men are better at STEM than women. We need to make sure young women can see themselves in STEM roles and holding positions of leadership.” LINDA SILVER, ED.D., Perot Museum of Nature and Science
“The world is more technologyoriented, and females are leading the workforce in greater numbers than before. If a woman is going to be successful in business or reach the top levels of corporations, she is going to have to be skilled and knowledgeable in STEM, including finance, business analytics, and supply chain management.” DR. DIANE MCNULTY, Naveen Jindal School of Management, UT Dallas
“Find your village of supporters—women in STEM you can lean on. Be intentional about finding these leaders—the people in the room who can create that opportunity for you to do something in your career that is impactful. Say yes to that project or opportunity. Bet on yourself. You will figure it out, and you will thrive.” AMY IDOWU, Slalom
“Diversity, particularly gender diversity, brings a range of perspectives, ideas, and experiences that foster innovation and drive performance. Women leaders and professionals in STEM contribute unique insights that can lead to breakthroughs and advancements. MORGAN MJERKE, Thomson Reuters
“Dallas-Fort Worth has a unique opportunity to become a leading innovation hub across STEM domains, especially technology. Leveraging the power of private enterprise and university partnerships, this region has the ingredients to elevate its technology ecosystem. As this occurs, and we move further along the innovation curve, women must play an integral role in bringing this reality to life.” MARISSA HORNE, Capital One
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Women comprise approximately 28% of the STEM workforce, but this number is steadily growing, thanks to innovative programs and opportunities that encourage women to pursue careers in STEM, starting as early as elementary school. Dallas is leading the way in this shift toward equality in STEM careers. This progress is due, in large part, to forward-thinking companies that have made it a priority to attract and promote women in technology. Companies that want to provide more opportunities for women in STEM and recruit the best in the industry understand that fostering a passion for STEM starts early. Whether through their own programs or by joining community-wide efforts, companies that are committed to this change are making connections with young women and girls by providing examples and opportunities to help them see themselves not only in STEM careers but holding leadership positions as well. Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas’ Camp Whispering Cedars, home to the STEM Center of Excellence, has set the standard in this effort. A 92acre, $15 million hub of inspiration, the center is a sprawling living laboratory in Southern Dallas and the first of its kind in the United States. It provides year-round opportunities in robotics, computer coding, botany, chemistry, and more. Through the STEM Center of Excellence, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas is feeding the STEM workforce pipeline to meet the urgent need for female voices, engagement, and leadership in the fastest-growing sector of the U.S. economy. Jennifer Makins, director, says she sees firsthand what can happen if girls don’t have an advocate in their corner encouraging them to stay persistent in exploring math and science. Without guidance, they risk falling behind, or not trying at all. “You can’t be what you can’t see,” Makins says. “Women make up about 30 percent of the STEM workforce, and in construction and trucking, only 10 percent. Women in tech have been the loudest and proudest in breaking these
barriers, but there are still other STEM-related industries that are hidden to girls. The STEM industry is tied to so much of the modern world that it is part of our everyday lives. When women help solve these problems facing our planet, the better and more inclusive the solutions will be.” The STEM Center of Excellence provides access to hands-on, real world learning opportunities that engage and excite. The hope is that the girls who participate in these programs will return to their school classrooms and proudly choose STEM learning opportunities there and beyond. The STEM Center of Excellence served more than 4,000 students through field trips this year, providing the opportunity to learn in a casual, outdoor environment. “The goal is to provide fun, practical applications they can research, then complete on their own,” Makins says. The STEM Center will host sleepaway camps this summer which will include programs on the science of sport, where girls can learn about the science, engineering, and technology required to host the Olympics or to operate a major sporting venue. They can also learn about construction science—what it’s like to plan, design, and build a sports venue. Local first responders will visit the camp to teach girls about the science behind incorporating safety measures, bomb detection, locating survivors in rubble, and more. “We are excited about being in a community with neighbors in and across our area who can either front-load or reinforce concepts about how to take the practical lessons they learn here and apply them to real-world careers,” Makins says. “It’s important to create a pipeline of workforce in Northeast Texas and beyond as our girls move forward in their studies and in their careers. It begins with courage and confidence.”
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From Left to Right: Indu Jain, Vice President of Software Engineering Dealer Tech; Marissa Horne, Vice President of Tech Strategy
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WOMEN LEADING STEM
Marissa Horne and Indu Jain Capital One
CAPITALONE.COM • @CAPITALONE • LINKEDIN/IN/MARISSAHORNE
of Capital One’s efforts to support this mission include several Business Resource Groups (BRGs) committed to developing the next generation of women leaders, including the Women in Tech BRG, the Equality Allies program, and the empowHER BRG. Recognizing the challenges women face in the technology industry, Capital One established the Women in Tech BRG to help elevate and support women technologists through mentoring, speaker training, skill building, and community partnerships, which led to the launch of Blacks in Tech and Hispanics in Tech. In addition, Capital One has also deepened its investment in local university programs geared toward building a more inclusive community, such as UTD’s InnovateHer Conference, The DEC Women Entrepreneurship Program, and the Young WISE Investigators Program. Capital One’s local partnerships include WEDallas, Girls Inc., Bot Camp, and Girl Scouting in a School Day Dallas. “At Capital One, we are incredibly focused on creative problem solving in service of our customers, our associates, and for the communities in which we operate,” Horne says. “We know that in order to create the best solutions, diversity of thought is an invaluable resource. It is imperative that women are not only included in these conversations but leading them.”
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WOMEN REPRESENT 50% of the workforce at Capital One, and the company continues to invest in programs and policies that provide opportunities for women to expand professionally and thrive personally. The representation of women in leadership has grown consecutively each year since 2015, and Capital One continues to pay women globally 100% of what men are paid. Across the company, women leaders hold senior roles in technology, ranging from senior vice president of technology, core, loyalty, payments, and partnerships to senior director of machine learning engineering. Capital One is committed to diversity inclusion within the company and the tech community. It has formed deep external partnerships with DFW*Alliance of Technology and Women, National Society of Black Engineers, Per Scholas, Year Up, Women Who Code, Black Girls Who Code, AnitaB. org Institute, IT Senior Management Forum, and the Hispanic IT Executive Council. “Diversity in our executive population is very important at Capital One, and our efforts to propel women through the corporate ranks and into influential roles are coming into fruition,” says Marissa Horne, vice president of tech strategy. Capital One understands that having more women in tech means encouraging girls in STEM at an early age. Examples
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WOMEN LEADING STEM
Naveen Jindal School of Management The University of Texas at Dallas JINDAL.UTDALLAS.EDU • @JINDAL_UTDALLAS.EDU • @NAVEEN JINDAL SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, UT DALLAS THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS continues to build a fu-
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ture as bright as its beginnings as it cultivates the next generation of thought leaders, innovators, and change makers. There is no better example than the Naveen Jindal School of Management, which is setting expectations and standards of equity and inclusivity to shift the narrative of women in STEM to a place of belonging. A legacy of innovation and commitment to entrepreneurship is evident in the university’s award-winning and nationally recognized Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship program, in partnership with Blackstone Launchpad, which has helped produce nearly 600 startup companies in six years, enabling the next generation of new ventures. Several of its graduates have been named Texas Business Hall of Fame winners for a variety innovations ranging from stylish emergency alert bracelets to the design and patent of a saltwater fish tank automatic feeder. “Our business program and management school have five STEM-related management courses, which is uncommon,” says Dr. Diane S. McNulty, associate dean and professor of corporate governance. “Nearly half of UTD’s student popu-
lation is female, and many are enrolled in STEM-related programs. The university is widely known for The Jindal Young Scholars Program in partnership with Dallas ISD, which encourages students to pursue different areas of management that are technology related. We reach out to high school-level students to show them that they, too, can do this.” UT Dallas’ Jindal School of Management has received national recognition for its programs, both on campus and online. The school is ranked No. 2 in the UTD Top 100 Business School Rankings™ worldwide and in North America in research contribution. Jindal School of Management also ranks No. 13 in the Top 100 Full-Time Global MBA Programs by the Financial Times. U.S. News & World Report has ranked its MBA program No. 10 among public university programs and No. 27 overall for Best Graduate Business Schools. The professional MBA program is ranked No. 5 among public university programs and No. 11 overall. The school’s professional online MBA program ranks No. 4 among U.S. public university programs and No. 5 overall among best online MBA program specialties for business analytics by U.S. News & World Report.
From Left to Right: Emily W. Choi, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Instruction, Organizations, Strategy, and International Management and Director, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Monica Brussolo, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Instruction, Operations Management and Director, BS Supply Chain Management Diane S. McNulty, Ph.D., Clinical Professor, Organizations, Strategy, and International Management and Associate Dean, External Relations, Communications, and Corporate Development Dawn Owns, Ph.D., Clinical Associate Professor, Information Systems and Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs Monica Powell, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean and Graduate Dean
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WOMEN LEADING STEM
Linda Silver, Ed.D.
Eugene McDermott CEO, Perot Museum of Nature and Science PEROTMUSEUM.COM • @PEROTMUSEUM • LINKEDIN.COM/IN/DR-LINDA-SILVER LINDA SILVER, ED.D. has been a leader in the science museum
about women in STEM,” Silver says. “More than 70 percent of our science team is female. Beyond running the museum, real science is being performed here daily by women who are scientists and engineers. It’s important that we give our guests, particularly children, the opportunity to see women not just participating in this sort of work, but really leading and pushing the envelope.” According to Silver, the demand for STEM workers in North Texas is growing at twice the rate of the rest of the country. “We see ourselves as a key part in building that essential pipeline,” Silver says. “With half of today’s workforce being female, it’s downright irresponsible to not make STEM more inclusive and accessible, especially to women. The museum gets students excited about science in a way that classrooms often can’t. For many, science can initially seem impenetrable in a school setting and more work than fun, but the museum changes that perception in an impactful way. Leadership on these issues, particularly when it comes to women in STEM, must be bold and intentional. Science and technology are advancing by leaps and bounds every day, and so must we.”
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field for more than three decades, joining Dallas’ Perot Museum of Nature and Science in 2017. She has also worked for the government of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, where she served as associate director of the Technology Development Committee, and she has served as president and CEO of Great Lakes Science Center, one of the nation’s leading science and technology centers. Under her leadership, the Perot Museum recently celebrated its 10th anniversary and has expanded its total impact to more than 11 million people since its opening. Significantly, Silver has also helped attract and retain more women into key leadership roles at the museum. More than 70% of the museum’s team members are women, 60% of the C-suite are female, and more than 50% of the museum’s board members are women. Just as critical, Silver notes, are the women working in its signature education programs and exhibitions inside the museum every day. “Representation is a uniquely powerful and resonant way to connect with and inspire our visitors, but also to challenge long-held and outdated assumptions
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WOMEN LEADING STEM
Slalom SLALOM.COM • @SLALOMCONSULTING • SLALOM | LINKEDIN
inspiring and brings a higher level of trust.” With more than 12,000 employees across the globe— about 300 in Dallas-Fort Worth—women comprise a significant portion of Slalom’s team and are making impactful contributions in cloud development, mobile application development, product engineering, coding, data analytics, and more. These women also work to influence and support the pipeline of school-aged girls in the STEM field, increase representation of women in technology, and teach classes at UTD to generate excitement about STEM. These efforts have not gone unnoticed, as Slalom has been named among the Best Workplaces for Women™ by Great Place to Work® for the seventh year in a row. “Early in my career, being able see women leaders in STEM made it crystal-clear what was possible,” says Amy Idowu, director, technology strategy and enablement at Slalom. “Tech teams that are diverse can bring different thoughts and perspectives and create more impactful solutions. The things we are building and creating together reflect the communities we are serving.”
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SLALOM REMAINS an unrivaled stand out when it comes to supporting women in STEM in the workplace and beyond. Slalom has raised the bar in the industry by creating multiple employee resource groups, including Women in Tech (WIT). This group develops Slalom women’s technical and business skills, creates an inclusive and thriving community of thought leaders, and fosters external relationships with partners and organizations, such as Girls who Code, Black Girls Code, Women Who Code, the Grace Hopper Program, Women in Tech Texas, and She Geeks Out, among others. “We brought all our women employee resource groups under the banner of Slalom Women,” says Kelly Wood, senior director, Salesforce at Slalom. “Each of those groups creates opportunities and structures for members to grow their careers and includes mentorship and support. These groups exist to help an underrepresented community and to create a more inclusive environment. Seeing a high level of diversity and female leadership in a company helps to drive the conversation around equality. For me, I expect to see female leaders thriving in tech, and for our clients, it is
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From Left to Right: Sam Andrews, General Manager and Market Leader; Jaime Grassi, General Manager; Kelly Wood, Senior Director, Salesforce; Amy Idowu, Director, Technology Strategy & Enablement DCEOMAGAZINE.COM
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WOMEN LEADING STEM
Thomson Reuters THOMSONREUTERS.COM @THOMSONREUTERS
and inclusion, as evidenced by a commitment to advancing women in STEM that is deeply woven into the company’s fabric. Women constitute 47% of Thomson Reuters’ total workforce, and in leadership, 45% of senior executives, 41% of directors and vice presidents, and 43% of managers are women. This, coupled with the company’s enterprise representation goal of reaching 45% of women in senior leadership roles, demonstrates a firm dedication to gender diversity at every level. “We are committed to nurturing an environment where women in STEM can thrive,” says Morgan Mjerke, chief information security officer. “We believe in creating a workplace where everyone feels valued and included, and where everyone has the opportunity to grow and succeed.” All women at Thomson Reuters play vital roles across a
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THOMSON REUTERS firmly believes in the power of diversity
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the largest conference in the world for women in technology. “At Thomson Reuters, we believe that having women leaders and promoting STEM careers for women is not just beneficial for our company, but also for our community and society at large,” says Morgan Mjerke, chief information security officer. “Diversity, particularly gender diversity, brings a range of perspectives, ideas, and experiences that foster innovation and drive performance. Women leaders and professionals in STEM contribute unique insights that can lead to breakthroughs and advancements in these fields. Companies that prioritize gender diversity set a positive example for others to follow. They contribute to a culture that values inclusivity and equality, inspiring other organizations to do the same. This collective effort can lead to significant societal change, promoting gender equality not just in STEM, but across all sectors.”
From Left to Right: Majaliwa Bass, Vice President, Product Marketing Tosan Ojeahere, Vice President, Content Operations and Global Services Morgan Bjerke, Chief Information Security Officer Claudia Coleman, Vice President, Design Operations
P H OTO G R A P H Y BY B R E T R E D M A N
broad spectrum of STEM fields, showcasing their diverse talents and skills. Women are integral members of the technical workforce and hold leadership and individual contributor positions in technology, software engineering, applied research science, technical product management, AI, machine learning, data and analytics, and information security, among other critical roles. Thomson Reuters places efforts outside of the company by fostering the next generation of women in STEM by offering internship programs that provide students with hands-on experience in various STEM roles. Thomson Reuters also partners with nonprofits in creating programs and opportunities that motivate young women to become more involved in STEM, including the AnitaB.org, which aims to achieve international equity in the global technical workforce by 2025, and sponsorship of the Grace Hopper Celebration,
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The First Lady of Dallas Real Estate
LASTING LEGACY
With 30 offices, Ebby Halliday Realtors reported $820 million in revenue in 2022.
B Story by MIANDA MULUMBA
orn in ark ansas as vera lucille Koch, Ebby Halliday grew up in rural Kansas and moved to Kansas City as a young woman to take a job selling hats. It was there that she honed her sales skills and changed her name to Ebby. She went into business for herself in 1938, opening Ebby’s Hats in Dallas. Among her loyal customers was the wife of oil magnate and philanthropist Clint Murchison Sr. He believed if Halliday could sell crazy hats to his wife Anne, she could find buyers for hardto-sell homes, as he had struggled to do in his insulated concrete home business. Murchison convinced her to shift to real estate, and Halliday added new furniture, carpet, drapes, and landscaping to help the homes sell. “Buyers have no idea what they want until they see it,” she
later said. “We have to give them a picture.” In 1945, she once again went into business for herself to pursue opportunities in the post-WWII economic boom. Her Ebby Halliday Realtors would become the largest independently owned residential real estate company in Texas, at a time when there weren’t many women in the field. By the 1980s, it was a billion-dollar enterprise. Halliday remained at the helm of the firm until she died in 2015 at the impressive age of 104. Three years later, an affiliate of Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway bought Ebby Halliday Realtors. Today, the residential powerhouse has 30 offices and covers 12,000 square miles of North Texas real estate. In 2022, its annual revenue was estimated at $820 million. Dallas ISD honored Halliday by naming an elementary school in Southeast Dallas for her in 2012.
P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F E B B Y H A L L I D A Y R E A L T O R S
E B B Y H A L L I DAY March 9, 1911 – Sept. 8, 2015
POSTMASTER SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO D, 750 NORTH ST. PAUL ST., STE. 2100, DALLAS, TX 75201. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT DALLAS, TX, AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. D CEO (ISSN 2688-4852) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY D MAGAZINE PARTNERS, 750 NORTH ST. PAUL STREET, SUITE 2100.
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