D CEO August 2021

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FINALISTS

EY’s Entrepreneur Of The Year PLUS:

Stars CEO Brad Alberts Is Making Dallas a Hockey Town

CEO

Writing a check is no longer enough when it comes to nonprofit and community involvement.

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AUGUST 2021

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Proud to partner with New Friends New Life.

Together, we stand against human trafficking and support survivors in reclaiming their livelihoods.

For including us in the life-changing work they do for the Dallas-Fort Worth community, we extend our appreciation.

aa.com/letgoodtakeflight American Airlines, The Tail Design, and the Flight Symbol logo are marks of American Airlines, Inc. © 2021 American Airlines, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Working hand-in-hand with local partners to build strength in our communities.

At Amazon, we look to leverage our scale for good to help strengthen local communities. That means combining our strengths with those of community partners, working together to find creative solutions that have a lasting impact.

Amazon celebrates all the award recipients for extraordinary service to the community. Congratulations to all the nonprofits and companies recognized by D CEO for the positive impact you have on the Dallas region.

Visit www.aboutamazon.com/impact

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Haynes and Boone, LLP started its roots in Dallas more than 50 years ago.

We are proud of the outstanding people who make this city so special.

We want to recognize and congratulate the finalists of two important awards programs - EY Entrepreneur Of The Year, and the D CEO Non-Profit and Corporate Citizenship Awards.

Thank you for your impressive contributions and leadership, and for all the work you do to help our great community thrive.

© 2021 Haynes and Boone, LLP

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The Concilio team is proud to be a finalist for DCEO Magazine’s 2021 Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Awards.

Our Mission: To build stronger communities by unlocking opportunities for Latino families.

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Juliette Fowler Communities 8th Annual Visionary Women Luncheon November 18, 2021 12 p.m.

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Let’s hear it for the heroes

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in our community.

At Comerica Bank, we’ve stood the test of time by standing behind the communities we serve.

We’re honored to be selected as a finalist for D CEO’s 2021 Corporate Partner of the Year Award and even prouder to partner with those who go above and beyond to help our local communities.

That’s why we want to thank the real heroes – nonprofits like Mommies In Need.

We’re grateful to join them in their mission to support families battling a health crisis by providing safe, loving childcare so parents and guardians can get the medical care they need to heal.

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Making nutritious meals for kids more physically and financially accessible for our communities.

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Thank you to our North Texas partners who have helped us deliver more than 16 million healthy meals to the area since 2009.

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Ensure. Empower. Encourage.

Brother Bill’s Helping Hand ministers to the Dallas community by ensuring the essentials of life, empowering through learning, and enriching relationships through faith, family, fitness, and finance.

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PUTTING THE “PARK” BACK IN FAIR PARK. Fair Park First is a 501c3 nonprofit organization leading the charge to restore, revitalize, and renew the 277-acre National Historic Landmark known as Fair Park.

We oversee the management and stewardship of Fair Park and work with neighboring communities to ensure the park remains a vital, relevant community resource.

A PARK FOR ALL PEOPLE. With the 2020 Fair Park Master Plan Update, Fair Park First will create a greener Fair Park, with new and improved greenspace with interconnected parklets and trails across the campus, all with regular programming.

Highlights from Phase 1 of the Master Plan Update include: • A new 14-acre Community Park Complex • A 1.3-acre MLK Gateway Park • Converting 20 acres of parking lots into parks • Adding over 400 new trees This is a concept rendering and not the final design. The design of the Community Park will be finalized at the end of 2021.

PROUD TO BE A FINALIST FOR THE 4TH ANNUAL NONPROFIT & CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP AWARDS. To find out more and get involved, scan the QR code or visit www.fairparkfirst.org/commuitypark

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“Thank you, D CEO, for recognizing Methodist’s hard work and dedication, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. We were proud to be the first to provide the vaccine to the North Texas region and will continue to work diligently to provide compassionate, quality healthcare to the communities we serve.”

James (Jim) C. Scoggin, Jr. Chief Executive Officer

James (Jim) C. Scoggin, Jr. Chief Executive Officer, Methodist Health System

Methodist Health System is honored to be a finalist in D CEO’s annual Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Awards. We’ve been proud to provide high-level care during even the hardest days of the pandemic. And today, we’re continuing to improve access to COVID vaccines for our most vulnerable and underserved populations.

That’s community, and it’s why so many people trust Methodist.

Texas law prohibits hospitals from practicing medicine. The physicians on the Methodist Health System medical staff are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Methodist Health System or any of its affiliated hospitals. Methodist Health System complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.

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“ The Best Regional Business Magazine in America” D CEO earned top honors in the 2021 Editorial Excellence Awards, presented by AABP.* It took home six awards in all, including four golds.

CEO

Black women now hold top roles at three of Dallas’ most revered civic institutions.

Baker Botts’ C H R I S TA B R OW N - S A N F O R D

is president-elect of Junior League of Dallas.

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“The personal side of Dallas-Fort Worth business leaders is unpredictable, eye-opening, and thoroughly entertaining.”

WHERE REAL ESTATE KING IS

47 of the region’s biggest deals and most notable projects—and the people making them happen.

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E XECUTIVE AWAR DS The Top M&A Deals and Dealmakers

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A former small-town anchorman, Nexstar Media Group’s Perry Sook owns more television stations than anyone else in the country.

Up Next: reinventing local news.

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FA B I O L U I S I | M U S I C D I R E C T O R

“The Dallas Symphony Orchestra is honored to be a finalist for the D-CEO NPCC Covid-19 Resiliency Award. While many halls were dark, our lights burned bright, and the DSO continued to share music with our community and beyond. With more than 200 free concerts throughout Dallas, 135 live concerts with socially distanced patrons and musicians in our hall, and thousands of streams of our recorded concerts enjoyed at home, we kept the music playing.

None of this would have been possible without the support of our community, our corporate partners and patrons.

Thank you for supporting your Dallas Symphony in times where we all needed music more than ever.”

— Kim Noltemy Ross Perot President & CEO Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Join us on December 8, 2021 for our C-Suite Christmas Celebration! dallassymphony.org

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MISSION Catholic Charities calls the community to action to join us in addressing the root causes of poverty, hunger, and homelessness by serving, educating, and empowering all those in need.

Catholic Charities educates, serves, and empowers more than 200,000 clients in need annually across a nine-county region of North Texas, addressing the root causes of poverty.

A large multi-disciplinary agency, CCD provides services in the following core areas: hunger alleviation; early childhood education; low-income elderly supports; permanent supportive housing for homeless; immigration legal services; pregnancy, parenting and adoption; refugee resettlement; shelter and foster care for unaccompanied refugee and immigrant minors; financial coaching and career development assistance; disaster preparedness and relief.

1421 W Mockingbird Lane Dallas, TX | 866.223.7500 ccdallas.org

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Making a difference in our community Common Cents is a student driven educational program offered through the Dallas ISD to teach philanthropy by enabling students to play an active role in raising and donating money to support their communities. By taking part in Common Cents, students learn philanthropy, fundraising, and leadership skills that enrich their lives and prepare them for the future. Since 1998 we have raised over $900,000 for local nonprofits.

Common Cents is a proud finalist in the 2021 D CEO Nonprofit Awards For more information contact Gigi Gartner at gigigartner@me.com or Tonya Mayberry Davis at tmayberry@dallasisd.org

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CONTENTS AUGUST 2021

VO LU M E 1 6 | I S S U E 0 6

56 A New Era of Corporate Citizenship

Dallas Stars CEO Brad Alberts joined the team 26 years ago in an entry-level position, selling tickets to games.

For North Texas businesses, writing a check is no longer enough when it comes to community and nonprofit involvement. story by BIANCA R. MONTES and CHRISTINE PEREZ portraits by JILL BROUSSARD

64 Icing the Competition How Brad Alberts, CEO and president of the Stars, is making Dallas a hockey town. story by PETER SIMEK portraits by SEAN BERRY

70 P H OTO G R A P H Y BY S E A N B E R R Y

Solving Problems.

Powering Through.

Scaling Up. Meet the trailblazers and ambitious self-starters honored in EY’s 2021 Entrepreneur Of The Year program. stories by SHEFALI KONDA, MARIA LAWSON, DIANTÉ MARIGNY, LAUREN STONE, BEN SWANGER, and KELSEY J. VANDERSCHOOT

portraits by SEAN BERRY

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AUGUST 2021

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CONTENTS

40 EDITOR’S NOTE

DOSSIER

91

4 3 YO U N E E D T O K N O W

Satish Malhotra, The Container Store 46 MEET THE 500

98

Gretchen Frary Seay, Clearsight Advisors 4 6 L O C A L LY S O U R C E D

John Hohenshelt, Taiga Coolers 48 ENTREPRENEURS

M A L H OT R A BY S E A N B E R R Y ; M OW E R C O U R T E S Y O F R O B I N A U T O P I L O T U S A ; R O OT S C O U R T E S Y O F S T E V E M I F F ; S T Y L E C O U R T E S Y O F M I C H E L L E N U S S B A U M E R D E S I G N S ; T R AV E L C O U R T E S Y O F E N C H A N T M E N T R E S O R T

Jonathan Buchanan, City Golf Club 5 0 O N T H E TA B L E

Calvert Collins-Bratton, Methodist Health System Foundation 52 SMALL BUSINESS

Bill Mott, Falcon Events 5 4 I N N O VAT I O N

Logan Fahey, Robin Autopilot

FIELD NOTES 81 LEADING OFF

86 THOUGHT LEADER

Ossa Fisher, Istation 82 ECONOMY

Labor market shortages are messing with Texas’ job-creation mojo, despite the fierce demand for employees.

Den Bishop of Holmes Murphy & Associates on vaccine mandates in the workplace.

OFF DUTY 91 STYLE

84 ON TOPIC

Isaac Brown of Fidelity Investments, Kimberly Davison of Griffith Davison, and Robin Pou of Robin Pou Inc. on challenges they’ve overcome.

Michelle Nussbaumer, Michelle Nussbaumer Designs and Ceylon et Cie 92 SNAPSHOT

Byron Jobe, Vizient 9 4 M U S T- R E A D

C-Suiters share their favorite books.

96

47

FINALISTS

EY’s Entrepreneur Of The Year PLUS:

Stars CEO Brad Alberts Is Making Dallas a Hockey Town

94 PURSUITS

Iris Diaz, Dallas Mavericks CEO

9 6 W E L L T R AV E L E D : S C O T T S DA L E A N D S E D O N A

Beth Lambert, Cushman & Wakefield

54 032

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AUGUST 2021

98 ROOTS

Steve Miff, Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation 108 END MARK

Col. Henry Exall

Writing a check is no longer enough when it comes to nonprofit and community involvement.

43

Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship Awards winner S H AW N W I L L I A M S of Allyn Media

ON THE COVER:

Shawn Williams of Allyn Media, photographed by Jill Broussard

DCEOMAGAZINE.COM

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P R OV I D I N G YO U W I T H

Legal Excellence. Enduring Compassion.

Stefanie Major McGregor

Charmaine Voorhees Becken

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GODWINBOWMAN.COM | 214-939-4400 | DALLAS

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P U B L I S H E R Gillea Allison EDITORIAL EDITOR Christine Perez MANAGING EDITOR Will Maddox ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR Bianca R. Montes ASSOCIATE EDITOR Kelsey J. Vanderschoot ASSISTANT EDITOR Ben Swanger CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Richard Alm, W. Michael Cox EDITORIAL INTERNS Shefali Konda, Maria Lawson, Dianté Marigny, Lauren Stone

ART DESIGN DIRECTOR Hamilton Hedrick STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Elizabeth Lavin DIGITAL ART DIRECTOR Emily Olson WEB PRODUCTION INTERN Taylor DeCarlo

A DV E R T I S I N G ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Rhett Taylor ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Kym Rock Davidson SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Cami Burke, Haley Muse MANAGING EDITOR OF SPECIAL SECTIONS Jennifer Sander Hayes DIGITAL REVENUE DIRECTOR Tracy Albertson DIGITAL ADVERTISING OPERATIONS MANAGERS Riley Hill, Jade Osseck BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Palmer McGraw SALES MARKETING MANAGER Rachel Schoellkopf SALES INTERNS Emily Chatham, Peyton Jones

MARKETING & EVENTS MARKETING DIRECTOR Gigi Ekstrom BRAND MANAGER Carly Mann EVENTS PRODUCER Beth Albright ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR Katie Garza BRAND INTERN Makenzie Cain

AU D I E N C E D E V E LO P M E N T DIRECTOR Amanda Hammer MANAGER Sarah South RETAIL STRATEGY MANAGER Steve Crabb MERCHANDISER David Truesdell AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT INTERNS Jessica Taber, Maddy Soye

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR John Gay MANAGER Pamela Ashby

BUSINESS CONTROLLER Sabrina LaTorre SENIOR STAFF ACCOUNTANT Debbie Travis STAFF ACCOUNTANT Lesley Killen IT TECHNICIAN Luan Aliji

WEB EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Matt Goodman SENIOR DIGITAL EDITOR Alex Macon

MAIL 750 N. Saint Paul St., Ste. 2100, Dallas, TX 75201 The magazine assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts.

WEBSITE www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-ceo MAIN OFFICE 214-939-3636 ADVERTISING 214-939-3636 x 128 REPRINTS 214-939-3636 SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES For immediate assistance, call 214-939-3636 x 232.

For other inquiries, e-mail customerservice@dmagazine.us.

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 the latest mailing label when inquiring about your subscription.

For custom publishing inquiries, call 214-540-0113.

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 CHIEF OF STAFF Rachel Gill FOUNDER Wick Allison

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AGENDA

Thear Suzuki, Darlene Ellison

Tracy Irby, Shannon Mantaro, Donalisa Stinyard

Monica Greene, Mabel Simpson

Women’s Leadership VIP Reception ahead of d ceo’s sixth annual women’s leadership Symposium on June 23, guests beat the heat at a VIP event in the Dallas Arboretum’s A Tasteful Place. Attendees included panelists from the 2020 and 2021 symposiums, as well as leaders featured in the June/July issue of D CEO, including Amber Venz Box, whose striking cover was revealed.

A big thank you to our title sponsors: American Airlines, Munck Wilson Mandala, Talent Suite, Texas Woman’s University, and Texas Women’s Foundation.

Amber Venz Box

Kimberly Fry, Ana Hernandez, Jennifer Chandler

Dennice Johnson, Colleen Martindale

036

AUGUST 2021

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P H OTO G R A P H Y BY B R E T R E D M A N

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Persuasion Skills, Part 3: Creating Commonalities 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

c-level execs, managers, and entrepreneurs make sales pitches every day. Whether you’re trying to motivate an employee, sell goods or services, obtain funding from a PE firm, or win an argument with family or friends, persuasion skills are essential. This article details another proven persuasion technique for business and personal use.

Creating commonality is part of the psychological theory of Neuro-linguistic Programming.

NLP utilizes the suggestibility of the human mind and linguistic techniques to lead individuals to a particular behavior or conclusion. In layman’s terms, you can persuade by taking advantage of the suggestive features of their mind.

one evaluating a sales pitch is persuaded by the fact that the salesperson looks, talks, and acts like them, consider how often, if ever, Donald Trump wore a “gimme” ballcap to charity or business events in New York. Once he ran for President, Trump frequently sported a ballcap to look just like a huge base of voters who, in their minds, thought, “Hey, this guy is not a typical politician or Washington elite. He looks, talks, and acts like us.”

The Power of Smiling Nonverbal cues also increase the unconscious persuasive impact of an argument. When interacting, never forget the power of a warm and genuine smile. Smiling isn’t important, you say? Consider what happened when a call center installed mirrors in the call cubicles and instructed the customer service representatives to look into the mirror and smile when on the phone with customers.

By frequently smiling, the CSRs in the call center had a more upbeat tone of voice and a friendlier approach with customers. After implementation of the smiling policy, customers’ satisfaction increased by 18% in post-call surveys.

A smile provides a personal connection that makes the listener feel comfortable and appreciated. Smiling and eye contact are additional powerful techniques to accompany creating commonalities.

The takeaway: No matter who you are trying to persuade, establishing commonalities causes the listener to perceive shared mutual interests, core beliefs, and viewpoints, which enables you to persuade them to agree with you.

What is the Commonality Technique?

This persuasion tactic requires you to tap into the listener’s sensibilities to build rapport over the course of your conversations. The goal is to create a connection that makes them feel comfortable, familiar, and at ease with you.

To create reassuring commonalities and a common bond, you must mimic the individual you are trying to persuade in both physical and abstract ways. Examples include imitating the person’s body language, word choice, demeanor, and even their personal style. By mirroring their sensibilities, you make yourself more likeable, believable, and trustworthy in their eyes. That’s because listeners like, trust, and agree with people who concur with their own beliefs.

People tend to like people who look, act, and think like them. Once you create rapport, begin leading them to 500 N. Akard Street, Suite 1900 the conclusion you desire.

Dallas, Texas 75201 If you doubt that some214.888.5000 | info@roggedunngroup.com

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ROGGE DUNN represents companies, executives, and entrepreneurs in business and employment matters. These include the CEOs/presidents of American Airlines, Baker Hughes, Beck Group, Blucora, Crow Holdings, Dave & Busters, Gold’s Gym, Halliburton Energy Services, Kinko’s, Texas Motor Speedway, Steak ‘n Shake, SunEdison, Texas Capital Bancshares, Texas Tech University, Tuesday Morning, and Whataburger. Corporate clients include Adecco, Beal Bank, Benihana, Cawley Partners, CBRE, Cintas, DuraServ, Match.com, Rent-A-Center, and Outback Steakhouse. In 2021 Dunn was included in D CEO Magazine’s Dallas 500 list, recognizing the most influential business leaders in North Texas.

He has been honored as 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 Thompson Reuters service and a D Magazine Best Lawyer 12 times.

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Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. Gardner Wallace Financial Solutions, LLC. is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS. Neither Kestra IS nor Kestra AS provide legal or tax advise and are not certified public accounting firms.

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We call this comprehensive approach “lifecycle financial planning” because we work with you throughout your unique lifecycle.

let’s face it. we’re tired. the pandemic has tested us like nothing ever has. And coming out of it has been more difficult than we imagined. Operating in isolation and dealing with health concerns, heavy workloads, and so much uncertainty has taken its toll. The collective burnout is especially challenging for leaders, who are expected to motivate and inspire, even while feeling beaten down themselves. And many have the added pressure of filling open positions, with employees leaving the workforce in droves.

(According to U.S. Labor Department stats, a record 4 million people quit their jobs in April alone.)

Mental fog. Work-life blur. Endless wait. These are just a few of the ways executives described their pandemic fatigue in a recent Harvard Business Review report by business psychologist Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg on “finding the mental strength to lead through the last mile.” Getting through the initial phases of the pandemic relied on a psychological emergency response that activated resources like adrenaline, a fighting spirit, and the act of pulling together, she wrote. The phase we’re in now calls for psychological stamina; overcoming feelings of being disconnected, bored, and unnerved will require perseverance, endurance, and even defiance.

In these times, it is critical that we focus on our teams’ mental well-being—and our own. I didn’t realize how much I needed a break until I took a weeklong trip to Arizona with my twin sister in late April. We visited three different wellness resorts (see story on page 96). The scenery and massages were great, and even the workouts were exhilarating. But it was the mental escape that mattered most. Lying on the grass and watching the clouds, feeling the breeze while looking out at the majesty of the Grand Canyon, gazing up at the stars at a dark sky park. Sometimes, we just need to stop. Everything. If we don’t, we’ll never be able to rebuild the stamina and resiliency needed to help chart the way forward.

Christine Perez Editor

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P H OTO G R A P H Y BY S E A N B E R R Y

How Satish Malhotra Is Reorganizing The Container Store The retailer’s new chief executive took over in February after 21 years with Sephora. story by KELSEY J. VANDERSCHOOT

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“The ambition is really real. And for us, there are just so many different paths to get there.”

With a background in finance, operations, supply chain, retail, and digital expansion, Malhotra’s experience has paved the way for the growth paths he sees for The Container Store. He took Sephora inside JC Penney stores, bringing prestige beauty to middle America. He also was responsible for launching Sephora’s website and mobile apps and expanding the brand in Canada and Latin America. “I had my thumbprint in a lot of key areas,” Malhotra says.

Now, he hopes to build on the momentum when retail veteran satish malhotra that Reiff achieved as consumers organized their was considering the CEO role at The Container homes during the pandemic—a 72 percent inStore, he knew what he wanted out of his next crease in online sales, a 22 percent increase in act: a company with a solid revenue stream, scalcustom closets sales, and a 31 percent increase able store footprint, and a killer culture. Retiring in overall sales in the fourth quarter of 2020.

CEO Melissa Reiff (and founders Garrett Boone “The pandemic in some ways allowed us to see and Kip Tindell before that) had built a compawhere we’re doing well, where we should be makny that checked all of Malhotra’s boxes—but one ing those investments, and where we can go and additional question remained. Malhotra’s daughchart a path forward,” Malhotra says. ter’s opinion was among those that mattered He wants to expand the brand’s 93-store brickmost, and “the only dilemma was the move,” and-mortar footprint, strengthen its e-commerce Malhotra says. He didn’t want to disrupt his presence, and explore potential store-in-store con15-year-old daughter’s high school experience. cepts. “We need to find the right partner, and we Fortunately, the teenager said she was ready for still have a lot of work to do to an adventure, too. “As soon determine who that is, but this as she said that, all the pieces “RETAIL IS strategy will be a piece of what came into play,” Malhotra says. helps inform our store growth He transitioned into his new EVER-CHANGING, plan,” Malhotra says. The Conrole at the Coppell-based comWHICH MAKES IT tainer Store will also launch a pany in February—and has EXCITING.” new line in its partnership with since added six key executives, organization rock star Marie including GameStop’s former SATISH MALHOTRA Kondo early next year and conchief digital officer Dhritiman The Container Store tinue to build its custom closet Saha as CIO; former Neiman’s market share.

VP Michelle Gill as vice pres“Retail is ever-changing, which makes it inident of merchandising; and former JC Penney credibly exciting,” Malhotra says. “Retailers and Celanese DEI exec LaTisha Brandon as seneed to narrow their focus on what they do best nior director of diversity, equity, and inclusion. to be successful. For The Container Store, it has The leadership shakeup underpins Malhotra’s always been storage, organization solutions, goal to double business in the coming years. and custom closets.”

“The growth appetite is really real,” he says.

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U T I L I T Y P L AY E R

During his 21 years at Sephora, Malhotra gleaned experience from nearly a dozen varied roles. Here are some key milestones: N OV E M B E R 19 9 9 :

Malhotra leaves PwC to join Sephora as manager of business planning and analysis and becomes an inaugural member of the dotcom team.

O C TO B E R 20 0 5 :

He takes the lead of business planning and analysis as VP. M A R C H 20 0 6 :

Malhotra adds GM to his title and begins building the Sephora inside JC Penney concept, which now has more than 600 stores.

J U N E 2013 :

As executive vice president, Malhotra drives expansion plans for Sephora in Latin America and Canada.

J U N E 2016 :

He becomes Sephora’s chief operations officer.

O C TO B E R 2019 :

Malhotra adds chief retail officer to his credentials.

FE B R UA RY 2021:

Malhotra is named CEO of The Container Store.

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7/2/21 1:07 PM

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DOSSIER

L O C A L LY S O U R C E D

Keeping Things Cool Taiga Coolers is attracting some of the biggest brands in the country with its whitelabel products.

GRETCHEN FRARY SEAY Co-Founder, Managing Director C L E A R S I G H T A DV I S O R S

veteran investment banker gretchen frary Seay leads the Dallas office and data analytics practice for Clearsight Advisors, which focuses exclusively on the business services and tech-enabled services industries.

Her career began with the Russian government in its consulate in Seattle, where she was the only American on the team. She says she lives by this advice: “In life, it’s not what you do that you regret, it’s what you didn’t do.”

BIRTHPLACE: Newport, Rhode Island EDUCATION: The University of Chicago (MBA), University of Washington (BA) CAREER PATH: After working at the Russian consulate, I became employee No. 2 for Arthur Andersen in Moscow, as the country transitioned from communism. Living in Russia taught me about perseverance and tenaciousness, how to overcome obstacles at every turn, and how to be resilient.”

DINNER PARTY: “If I could have dinner with any two Dallas business leaders, I’d choose Ray Nixon, chairman of Nixon Capital and one of the most genuine, generous, and wise businesspeople

I’ve ever met; and Krishna Nimmagadda, one of my clients for whom I have deep admiration.”

DESTINATIONS OF CHOICE: “Seattle, Washington; and Boca Grande, Florida” HOBBY/PASSION: “I love skiing, hiking, and just about anything outdoors. Just the thought of sleeping under the stars up in the mountains makes me smile.”

FUN FACTS: “I learned sign language at a young age, and I hold an Egyptian driver’s license.”

DREAM CAR: “A Jeep for the great outdoors”

were very different in the 1980s than they are now.”

PROUD MOMENT: “During the pandemic, we still managed to close one deal per month, which was amazing. We have a super team of investment bankers.”

LAST MEAL: “I’d have lobster. It was my very first food (having been born in Rhode Island) and would be my last!”

MUST READ: “I recommend reading Flags of Our Fathers, We Band of Angels, or any other World War II book that teaches us about the sacrifice of those who have gone before us.”

A BETTER DALLAS: “DFW could benefit from many more bike paths.”

when companies such as yeti helped make high-performance coolers all the rage, local entrepreneur John Hohenshelt noticed that people would slap a cheap sticker on the side of an expensive cooler. He saw an opportunity for custom-branded products, and he set to work. The former military officer and law school graduate left his family’s manufacturing business in Dallas to found Taiga Coolers in 2013. His venture lets companies of all sizes put their logos into the mold of the coolers, which can be customized to fit each brand’s color scheme. “If they’re going to spend their money on marketing their name, why would they have my [company’s] name on there?” Hohenshelt says.

The veteran-owned business has attracted clients like Coca-Cola, Caterpillar, and Mossy Oak, but also sells to consumers and has a new model partially made from hemp.

Taiga Coolers was growing by as much as 30 percent a year before the pandemic, and sales have already picked back up in 2021.

S E AY BY J A K E M E Y E R S ; TA I G A C O O L E R S C O U R T E S Y O F T A I G A C O O L E R S

MEET THE 500

COOL HUES

Taiga lets buyers customize colors and add logos to their coolers.

TOUGHEST CHALLENGE: “Wearing a back brace for scoliosis in middle school and high school. Things

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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7/1/21 9:33 AM

“To be included among such prominent organizations and business leaders that have made our communities across North Texas stronger is a tremendous honor.

Thank you to the more than 3,000 dedicated Ryan team members I have the honor to lead and the 18,000 global clients we have the privilege to serve.”

G. Brint Ryan, Chairman and CEO

Congratulations to our very own Chairman and CEO, G. Brint Ryan, for being recognized as a finalist for the Corporate Leadership Excellence Award.

1.855.RYAN.TAX | ryan.com © 2021 Ryan, LLC. All rights reserved. “Ryan” and “Firm” refer to the global organizational network and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ryan International, each of which is a separate legal entity.

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DOSSIER

ENTREPRENEURS

story by

BIANCA R. MONTES

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texark ana native jonathan buchanan played his first “I WANTED golf tournament in the summer following the seventh grade. By the TO PROVIDE A age of 14, he knew he wanted to become a professional golfer. After PLATFORM FOR graduating from St. Edward’s University in Austin, where he was EVERYONE TO on the school’s golf team, Buchanan played in the Gateway Tour and GET WHAT THE Adams Pro Tour before suffering a knee injury. That led him to MiPROFESSIONAL ami, where he studied and worked with renowned golf instructor Jim McLean and discovered a passion for teaching.

GOLFER Lauded as one of the best young instructors in America for the past GETS ON A five years by Golf Digest, Buchanan’s love for the sport and passion for DAILY BASIS.” making it more accessible led him to open City Golf Club at The Crescent in Dallas’ Uptown. The idea first came to him after seeing the closure of driving ranges in Uptown and near Children’s Medical Center. “If you’re not a member at a club anywhere, there is really nowhere to go [in urban Dallas] that is convenient,” Buchanan says.

Open to both members and non-members, the club has grown organically through word of mouth. Its success now has the entrepreneur looking to expand to a second location in Dallas later this year. His ultimate goal is to see the business go national, so players can access clubs at home and on the road. Memberships at City Golf Club range from $99 per month to $4,000 a year.

Lessons go for $200 an hour.

Buchanan, who’s also a teaching pro at Dallas Country Club, says he wants to help players at all levels see how good they can get. “I wanted to provide access to technology, teaching, and fitness under one roof,” he says. “I wanted to provide a platform for everyone to get what the professional golfer gets on a daily basis.”

City Golf Club offers state-of-the-art technology, such as TrackMan, to help golfers think about form and practice technique. It also has a proprietary virtual lesson platform where someone can come in, hit six shots with a seven iron, and get ranked as either beginner, intermediate, or advanced, which helps guide players through how to practice.

“People think that just hitting balls will make them better, but feedback is what is needTEEING OFF ed,” Buchanan says. “At the end of the Jonathan day, you either play bad and want to Buchanan’s success with come back and improve. Or you play City Golf Club at The Crescent well, and you want to continue to do has him eyeing that. It’s that never-ending chase.” an expansion.

P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F C I T Y G O L F C L U B

City Golf Founder Jonathan Buchanan is on a Mission to Help Amateurs Play Like Pros

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7/2/21 1:08 PM

ART EXHIBITION Music Hall at Fair Park September 25th through October 23rd, 2021

FUNDRAISING EVENT Crystal Terrace at the Music Hall at Fair Park October 25th, 2021 | 7:00 - 9:00pm Sponsored by Atmos Energy

The Honorable Michael S. Rawlings & Micki Rawlings, Honorary Chairs

THE HEART OF TEACHING is a month-long juried art exhibition at the Music Hall at Fair Park celebrating the talents of our Dallas ISD art educators with all proceeds from the sales of artwork benefitting the Dallas Education Foundation to support our mission to accelerate all students to success.

For more information about the exhibition and evening event, visit https://futureofdallas.org/event2021

Together we power the future of Dallas

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DOSSIER

O N T H E TA B L E

Park Board Chief Calvert CollinsBratton and Dallas’ Evolving Green Space The Methodist Health System Foundation exec aims to tailor parks for those who use them most.

story by WILL MADDOX illustration by JAKE MEYERS

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covid-19 put the spotlight on healthcare and pushed many to spend more time outside. For Calvert Collins-Bratton, Dallas Park and Recreation Board president and Methodist Health System Foundation leader, 2020 was a momentous year—to say the least.

A former television reporter with FOX 4 who transitioned to working at Methodist in 2015, Collins-Bratton joined me for lunch in the West End at comfort food eatery Ellen’s, where I ate an embarrassingly unhealthy but delicious dish called a pancake pot pie, and she enjoyed a much more reasonable plate of breakfast tacos.

Ellen’s gave us a great view of downtown Dallas’ newest park, the $15.6 million West End Square. The former parking lot is now a “smart park,” which means it is equipped with WiFi, has a 50-foot shaded table with wireless charging stations and outlets, and an “innovation arcade,” where art installations can be powered. It also offers water features and lighting that are activated by motion sensors.

Appointed to the board by Jennifer Staubach Gates in 2017, Collins-Bratton became president in 2019. With $261 million in bond money to work with—and another $50 million for Fair Park—much of the green space in Dallas is be-

ing transformed; simple pools are becoming waterpark experiences, inclusive playgrounds are expanding access to those with disabilities, and downtown is getting greener with four new parks. West End Square was the second to open.

Pacific Plaza came first in 2019, between St. Paul and Harwood streets. Next up is Carpenter Park near Deep Ellum, on tap for next year, followed by Harwood Park near Dallas Farmers Market, which will open in 2023.

Collins-Bratton says that Klyde Warren Park changed how the city and its leaders thought about green space, building the energy around park development that exists today. “What Klyde Warren did for parks, Uptown, and downtown was catalytic—there’s no doubt,” she says. “Dallas now sees green space as a bridge that truly brings people together. It changed the narrative of parks as not just being a little park in your backyard or neighborhood, but a destination.”

Dallas Park and Rec is keenly aware of serving specific populations, including the business population in the city’s urban core. It’s partnering with Downtown Dallas Inc. to equip the four new central district parks with WiFi. Beyond being beautiful respites, parks are an important amenity for downtown residents and workers—and a great investment for Dallas. A recent study by the city showed a 7:1 return on investment for parks (trails had a 50:1 ROI). As employers look to position themselves near downtown greenspace and trail networks, adjacent real estate prices jump.

As the Dallas parks board works to redefine green spaces, Collins-Bratton is excited to see where the evolution takes the city. “Some people might want some kind of sports field at every park, but that’s not what everyone wants, so we need to have a mix,” she says. “Parks need to be as diverse as the people that they serve.”

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Annual Luncheon O C TO B E R 8, 2021

O M N I DA L L AS H OT E L NewFriendsNewLife.org/luncheon

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LU P I TA N YO N G ’ O Our hybrid luncheon allows guests to attend in-person or online; Lupita Nyong’o will be joining virtually.

Thank you to New Friends New Life for nominating us.

We are proud to support New Friends New Life in the fight against human trafficking.

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SMALL BUSINESS

Falcon Events CEO Bill Mott timed the virtual production market just right. story by

KELSEY J. VANDERSCHOOT photography by

JONATHAN ZIZZO

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bill mott started and ran the streaming deTHE partments at event production giants Freeman and COMPANY PSAV for more than 15 years. While there, he and a colleague, Joshua Butler, were inspired to create a compaOUTGREW ny focused solely on live-event streaming, without the ITS OFFICE need for bulky, show-site equipment. “We jumped off the SPACE FOUR cliff in 2019 and started our own business,” Mott says.

TIMES IN Their venture, Falcon Events, TWO YEARS. had roughly 20 events booked at the start of 2020. When COVID-19 reached the United States, all of those events were canceled. But by mid-April, many of Mott’s contacts had reached out in search of all-virtual event production services. “Streaming in the last few years was always like an add-on, but I knew it was going to be a first-and-foremost thing because I saw that trend,” says Mott, Falcon’s CEO. “And then when COVID hit, it was the only thing.”

Freeman was an early supporter of Falcon, hiring it as a vendor. Now, Mott partners with dozens of B2B event platforms, including industry giant Zoom, to procure clients. And business is booming. By the close of 2020, Falcon had produced about 175 virtual events, hired 83 employees, and outgrown its office space three times. This year, the team has already surpassed 250 events, added another 40 team members, and expanded its office space a fourth time. “The value-add of the old guys was logistics—bringing in big equipment, trucks, and mobilizing large teams of labor in cities, and things like that,” Mott says. After the pandemic hit, “none of that was of value anymore.”

Falcon’s model can create uniformity across nearly 75 virtual stages. Medical conferences, in particular, have found it to be a good fit. Many of the company’s clients are located in the Washington, D.C., area, with roughly 5 percent based in Dallas. As vaccination availability increases, Mott hopes his team will continue to dominate the virtual event space as competitors return to in-person gatherings. “I don’t think BEHIND THE there’s anyone that really matches our scale at SCREENS this point,” he says, “and I’m hoping that a lot of Mott’s company can run up to the event companies that are our current com75 virtual stages for a single petitors in the virtual space will rush back to event from its get on show sites.”

Irving office.

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7/6/21 10:16 AM

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DOSSIER

ON THE MOW

Robin’s Husqvarna 435 AWD is made for properties with lawns of up to 1.25 acres.

I N N OVAT I O N

logan fahey’s role as ceo of an autonomous robot company may be the least exciting part of his life. His latest venture, Robin Autopilot USA, recently moved its headquarters to McKinney with the hope of taking a larger bite of the $105 billion lawn services market.

Fahey built a successful mowing business as a teenager. After dropping out of a local college, he got a big break when Ray Dalton, founder of medical products giant PartsSource, took 19-year-old Fahey under his wing and made him director of the Dalton family’s foundation.

“He was the reason my career took off,” Fahey says. “He created every kind of connection network possible. He pulled me into a billion-dollar

story by

WILL MADDOX

corporation and let me be at the table for investment meetings.”

After his role with the foundation ended and a brief flirtation with politics (see sidebar), he worked his network to create holding company Fahey Group. He became a franchisee of Robin Autopilot and, with another investor, acquired the company after it ran into financial trouble.

Fahey reinvented it, taking it from a franchise model to a robots-as-a-service business.

Robin previously focused on selling directly to consumers. Now, it exclusively deals with lawn service companies. They purchase the zero-emissions robots, install them at their clients’ properties, and maintain the physical robot while doing other lawn care services, such as edging and brush collection. “Landscapers own the customer already; they own the relationship already,” Fahey says. “It’s a lot of money to acquire that many new customers, but a landscaper can almost instantly convert clients.”

Last year, Robin acquired its primary competitor, North Carolina-based Mowbot. Over the next five years, Fahey says one in seven mowers will be robotic; he predicts Robin will grow by $100 million during that time.

ON THE MOW

Through a partnership with Sweden’s Husqvarna, Robin offers more robust models that mow larger lawns and offer GPS mapping for higher efficiency and theft prevention.

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C A R E E R PAT H

The making of an entrepreneur In his work with the Dalton Foundation, Fahey, through an entity called Towards Employment, launched Bloom Bakery, which employed ex-offenders in Cleveland. When he wanted to scale the business, Towards Employments’ board disagreed with the move, even though Bloom’s board backed it. The conflict wasn’t resolved, and Fahey was fired. Looking for his next act, the then-23-yearold was advised to run for Cleveland’s City Council.

Both he and his opponent were young, gay, White men; Fahey says he didn’t do a good enough job learning about all the issues that were critical to voters, and he lost by 70 percent.

“Although it was a great experience long-term, it was the worst moment of my life,” Fahey says. “I was fired, then I lose miserably and publicly. And then I was like, ‘OK, what do I do?’”

Tired of building businesses for others and listening to political kingmakers, he decided to pursue entrepreneurship and run his own company. And the rest, as they say, is history.

P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F R O B I N A U T O P I L O T

What Roomba did for vacuums, McKinney-based Robin Autopilot USA is doing for lawn care.

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Honored to be a finalist for D CEO Organization of the Year.

At Texas Health, we’re driven to be a great non-profit citizen for all North Texas. It’s our distinguished honor to be recognized as a finalist for the 2021 Organization of the Year award in health care. Thank you to D CEO, the Communities Foundation of Texas and Capital One for your efforts to improve the quality of life for all North Texans.

1-877-THR-WELL | TexasHealth.org

Doctors on the medical staffs practice independently and are not employees or agents of Texas Health hospitals or Texas Health Resources. © 2021

Congratulations to Girls Inc. CEO

Beth Myers

on her being chosen as a finalist in Nonprofit Leadership Excellence We are proud to support the Girls Inc. mission to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.

Anna Sampang, Toyota Financial Services, Group Vice President Girls Inc. Metropolitan Dallas Board Member

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Writing a check is no longer enough when it comes to the role North Texas businesses play in supporting nonprofits. Employees, investors, and customers want to see true engagement—and smart companies are leading the way.

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E xe c u tive D i re c to r DW E L L WITH D I G N IT Y

With a focus on supporting single mothers escaping homelessness and poverty, Dwell with Dignity collaborates with other nonprofits to provide clients with stability and a sense of confidence. Led by Ashley Sharp and supported by more than 30 corporate sponsors, including Benjamin Moore and Avondale Group, the organization designs and installs home interiors, inspiring parents to maintain a standard of living in which they can thrive. The group's unique fundraiser, Thrift Studio, is a pop-up shop that sells donated furniture, housewares, accessories, and other finds to the public. Dwell with Dignity’s results are clear; not a single person it has helped has returned to a life of homelessness or a transitional shelter. The families’ newfound stability sparks ripple effects, including higher employment and graduation rates, throughout the community.

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WILLIAMS V P a n d S o c i a l J u s ti ce P ra c ti ce Le a d e r A L LY N M E D IA

Although momentum in the social justice movement had been steadily building, the murder of George Floyd was a tipping point that pushed corporate leaders everywhere to get serious about their diversity and inclusion efforts and confronting racism and bias in the workplace.

At Allyn Media, Shawn Williams took the lead, assembling an advisory council of community leaders and pulling together research and insights to help clients understand how various groups (generational, political identity, gender, etc.) perceive race and racism— and how it plays out in business. A seasoned media exec, he also developed a podcast and helped plan and lead a webinar series to provide historical context and help leaders make thoughtful, intentional change within their organizations—and create benchmarks for accountability.

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the deep involvement of area businesses in community and nonprofit initiatives. Companies and organizations have come together to support our region's growth and improve residents' quality of life. A few years back, we interviewed 32 CEOs who were new to North Texas. In talking with them about their initial impressions, many mentioned the can-do attitude and philanthropic mindset of business leaders here. Supporting nonprofits, they told us, wasn’t viewed as an obligation but a privilege.

That spirit has certainly come through in the past year-and-a-half.

Companies across the region changed course to help provide PPE gear to those on the front lines of the pandemic. And in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, businesses began having much-needed conversations about diversity, inclusion, and social justice, and established initiatives and benchmarks to make sure their efforts went beyond talks.

But doing good isn’t only for times of crisis. Employees, investors, and customers are paying very close attention to a company’s corporate values and the way they’re lived out.

Before making decisions about where to work, where to invest, and even what products to buy, people are digging into a company’s ESG (environmental, social, and governance) performance ratings. Gone are the days when writing a check is sufficient to be considered a good corporate citizen. Businesses are setting the tone when it comes to addressing myriad issues, such as poverty and wealth gaps, education, social unrest, and the climate crisis. And they’re expected to walk the talk when it comes to equity. “I think business leaders who are more interested in inclusion and diversity in their businesses need to ensure that they have inclusion and diversity in their life,” says Fred Perpall, who leads Dallas

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architecture firm The Beck Group. “You know people are watching what you do, not what you say.”

Perpall and former Dallas Fed chief Richard Fisher were tapped last year by Mayor Eric Johnson to co-lead Dallas Forward, a coalition of private and public partners to support small businesses. It was formed to fuel short-term economic recovery and long-term inclusive growth. Through his involvement in Dallas Forward and other initiatives, Perpall says he’s learned about the pivotal role businesses can play in effecting real change. But it requires hands-on involvement.

“We should not just be writing checks to help people who are in a vulnerable situation; we should be trying to change the structure that causes vulnerable situations,” he says.

That means getting involved in areas such as workforce development, internships, preventing recidivsm and drug abuse, and investing deeply in pre-K through 12th-grade education—all of which will help provide talent for the region's employers. “When you care about this stuff, it becomes deeply personal—and people know authentic versus not authentic,” Perpall says. Collaboration is critical, he adds. “Fragmentation is our enemy in Dallas—everyone wants to do it on their own. But the issues we’re facing are so complex and so broad-reaching that it will take deep collaboration and partnership. We need to stop fragmenting ourselves and diluting results because we’re not collaborating enough.”

B E YO ND LIP S E RVICE This year’s Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship Awards program revealed how impact can be amplified through collaboration and targeting specific areas for support. PNC Bank, for example, focuses on early education through its “Grow Up Great” program. Its efforts extend beyond financial donations to include advocacy, curriculum and classroom materials, and thousands of hours of volunteer work by employees. PepsiCo’s Dallas-based “Food for Good” platform aims to help build food security through nutrition programs and initiatives that support women. It also uses its distribution, delivery, and storage expertise to get food to those in need, delivering 4.9 million meals across Texas last year. And, among other initiatives, Comerica partners with Mommies in Need, which provides childcare for mothers battling a health crisis.

Ryan Anderson, vice president and national contributions manager for the bank, says beyond being the right thing to do, corporate citizenship has bottom-line impact. “If society improves and your community improves, your market improves,” he says. Comerica targets areas where it can have “a disproportionate impact,” Anderson says, including early childhood education and economic inequality. “We want to use capitalism to help people rise up,” he says. “We want to invest in [disadvantaged] communities and businesses to really address the wealth gap, which is generational.”

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Corporate citizenship plays a big role in corporate culture. Employees expect transparency surrounding involvement and results. And whatever area businesses target, its efforts must be authentic. “You can’t fake it,” Anderson says. “You can’t jump on a fad or a trend. It has to be there or it’s not, and it takes years and years and decades to build.”

As connections deepen between businesses and the nonprofits with which they’re involved, companies gain insight as to the true needs of the organizations. After the pandemic hit, businesses were more willing to do give without restrictions, so nonprofits could allocate funds where they were needed most.

The need for flexibility is one of the main themes mentioned by nonprofits interviewed for this feature. And it’s this kind of support provided to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, which lost about a fourth of its budget (about $10 million) when it had to cancel normal programming in 2020 due to the pandemic. Kim Noltemy, the Ross Perot president and CEO of the Dallas Symphony Association, credits corporate sponsors for helping it secure robotic cameras to stream performances or provide transportation for performers.

In-kind giving is one of the best ways companies can support nonprofits. Entries in this year's awards program showcased the many ways North Texas businesses are getting involved, from GFF’s work to convert parking lots to parklets and build a new animal shelter for Cane Rosso Rescue to American Airlines offering its legal team to do pro-bono work for New Friends New Life, which supports girls and women who have been trafficked or sexually exploited.

M OV I N G T H E NE E DL E Larry James, who has worked with CitySquare for nearly three decades and now serves as chairman emeritus, says its corporate partners have also lent their law firms to represent low-income people in family courts. Other leaders have gotten involved to help the organization shore up its data collection and reporting.

“The expertise of business and corporations, being brought to bear and leverage, if you will, on the management practices of nonprofit organizations has improved everyone,” James says. “And certainly, it’s been an improvement for organizations such as CitySquare. “We feel more like partners than just the recipients of charity.”

Big problems won’t go away without hands-on involvement, he adds.

“We will not solve the housing crisis, the healthcare crisis, or the education crisis of low-income people and families through charity. We’re going to have to have systemic investment and policy change and accountability on all sides of the equation—corporate, nonprofit, and public.”

The emphasis on ESG doesn’t just benefit nonprofits; deeper engagement also enhances companies and their employees. “We’re at a place now, culturally, where corporations are really wanting to give back, and it’s not just the lip service that we heard even 10 years ago,” says Brad Pritchett, co-chair of Black Tie Dinner, which benefits a wide variety of LGBTQ-supportive organizations.

“There seems to be more of a lens on that; this sense of corporate citizenship is finally ‘woke’ to a point where these companies realize they have a social, cultural, and environmental responsibility to give back to the community they serve. You can’t just be headquartered in Dallas anymore without doing something to move the needle for Dallas.”

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BRAD

PRITCHETT TERRY LOFTIS Co-Chairs B L AC K TI E D I N N E R

What began as a small fundraising gathering among friends 40 years ago has grown into the largest fundraising dinner in the nation for the LGBTQ community, led by co-chairs Brad Pritchett and Terry Loftis. Along with providing support to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, Black Tie Dinner chooses up to 20 North Texas nonprofits as beneficiaries each year, from AIDS Services of Dallas and Coalition for Aging LGBT to Resource Center and Turtle Creek Chorale. In 2020, with the pandemic putting the kibosh on inperson events, Black Tie Dinner organizers decided the show must go on.

They transformed it from an in-person gala with 3,000 guests to an hourlong telethon called Black Tie LIVE on WFAA-TV and various digital platforms.

Despite the change of format, the initiative raised nearly $1 million for area LGBTQsupportive organizations.

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THEAR

SUZUKI G l o b a l C li e nt S e r vi ce P a r tn e r EY

Thear Suzuki and her family came to America as war refugees from Cambodia, surviving by hiding in jungle huts and working in labor camps.

Today, she holds a global role at EY and serves on the firm’s Americas Inclusiveness Advisory Council. Suzuki champions development programs that build inclusive, innovative leaders for the 21st century; her mission, she says, is to inspire courageous actions in others so they can lead more impactful lives. She is especially interested in diversity and gender equality issues and combating anti-Asian racism; among countless nonprofit activities, Suzuki serves as co-chair of 50/50 Women on Boards Dallas and is a founding member of the Texas Women’s Foundation’s Orchid Giving Circle.

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Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship Awards 2021 Winners and Finalists

CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR WINNER: Dallas Forward FINALISTS: Camp Fire First Texas’ Early Education Apprenticeship Program; Catalyst Health Network and Project Unity; Santander Consumer USA and Dallas Innovation Alliance CORPORATE LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE WINNER: Thear Suzuki, EY. FINALISTS: Tanya Ragan, Wildcat Management; G. Brint Ryan, Ryan; Jacob Sims, HMS; Darren Woodson, ESRP CORPORATE PARTNER OF THE YEAR WINNER: Comerica.

FINALISTS: Ericsson North America, GridLiance, G6 Hospitality.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY WINNER: PNC Bank FINALISTS: Credit Union of Texas, Dallas Stars, Granite Properties, Match Group COVID-19 COMMUNITY SUPPORT WINNER: PepsiCo FINALISTS: RED Development Group, The Rosewood Corp., Wingstop Restaurants EQUITY LEADERSHIP WINNER: Allyn Media FINALISTS: Boston Consulting Group, Cardinal Health Sonexus, Dallas Mavericks, Texas Instruments IN-KIND SERVICES SUPPORTER WINNER: GFF FINALISTS: American Airlines, Reed Smith, Three Box Strategic Communications

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS CAPITAL ONE IMPACT INITIATIVE AWARD WINNER: Café Momentum FINALISTS: SouthFair Community Development Corp., WiNGS

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COVID-19 RESILIENCY (Midsize) WINNER: IT Disaster Resource Center FINALISTS: Dallas Bar Association, United to Learn, Wilkinson Center

ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR (Micro) WINNER: DFW Angels FINALISTS: CityLab High School Foundation, Dallas Japanese Career Women, Refresh Frisco

COVID-19 RESILIENCY(Large) WINNER: Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation FINALISTS: SafeHaven of Tarrant County, The Warren Center, Vogel Alcove

ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR (Small) WINNER: The DEC Network FINALISTS: T.R. Hoover Community Development Corp., Thanks-Giving Foundation, World Relief North Texas

COVID-19 RESILIENCY (Mega) WINNER: Sharing Life Community Outreach FINALISTS: Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Juliette Fowler Communities, SPCA of Texas

ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR (Midsize) WINNER: Fair Park First FINALISTS: Big Brothers Big Sisters Greater Dallas, Brother Bill’s Helping Hand, Social Venture Partners Dallas

LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE (Micro) WINNER: Mita Havlick, Dallas Education Foundation FINALISTS: David Higbee, Bridge Lacrosse; DeDe McGuire, DeDe McGuire Foundation; Bryan Townsend, Trigger’s Toys

ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR (Large) WINNER: Metrocrest Services FINALISTS: AIDS Services of Dallas, Carry the Load, Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support

LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE (Small) WINNER: Carter Morris, Grace Bridge Food Bank.

FINALISTS: Peter Beasley, Blacks United in Leading Technology International (BUiLT); Janie Bordner, New Horizons of North Texas; Chris Howell Sr., Chris Howell Foundation.

ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR (Mega) WINNER: Salesmanship Club of Dallas.

FINALISTS: Buckner International, North Texas Food Bank, YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas

LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE (Midsize) WINNER: Rand Huguely, Best Buddies International FINALISTS: Beth Myers, Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas; Marty Turco, Dallas Stars Foundation; Florencia Velasco Fortner, The Concilio LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE (Large) WINNER: A. Shonn Brown, Texas Women’s Foundation FINALISTS: Keith Cerny, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra; Andy Keller, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute; Ellen Magnis, Family Gateway LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE (Mega) WINNERS: Larry James and John Siburt, CitySquare FINALISTS: Jennifer Bartkowski, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas; Nico Leone, KERA; David Woodyard, Catholic Charities of Dallas BEST FUNDRAISING OR AWARENESS CAMPAIGN WINNER: Black Tie Dinner FINALISTS: EMBRACE Action, Presbyterian Night Shelter, Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program

OUTSTANDING INNOVATION WINNER: Dwell with Dignity FINALISTS: iStart Valley, OurCalling, Per Scholas Dallas, Trusted World SOCIAL ENTERPRISE WINNER: VolunteerNow FINALISTS: Common Cents Dallas, The Dallas Renaissance, UpSpire, Vickery Trading Co. TEAM OF THE YEAR WINNER: Lyda Hill Philanthropies (Operations Team) FINALISTS: Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden (Horticulture Team), SafeHaven of Tarrant County (Partner Abuse Intervention and Prevention Team), Traffick911 (Voice and Choice Program Team) VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR WINNER: Mike McCoy, Dallas 24 Hour Club FINALISTS: Priscilla Anthony, Dallas CASA; Mike Geisler, The Real Estate Council; Margaret Hirsch, United to Learn

ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR (Healthcare) WINNER: Visiting Nurse Association of Texas FINALISTS: Methodist Health System, Prism Health North Texas, Texas Health Resources

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Brad Alberts finally landed his dream job as CEO of the Dallas Stars, but the timing couldn’t have been worse. It was July 2020, and the National Hockey League, like all sports leagues, had abruptly halted its season. No one knew how long the COVID-19 pandemic would last or how hard it would hit professional sports. It was during these uncertain days that the Stars announced that longtime CEO Jim Lites was stepping down and that Alberts, 51, would step up. portraits by

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Tom Gaglardi (center) drops the puck at a Nov. 2011 game, shortly after being revealed as the Dallas Stars' new owner.

It was the culmination of a 26-year career in professional sports, most of it with the Dallas Stars.

He had risen from an entry-level sales position with the organization to become president, overseeing the business end of the franchise. But with the world locked down and all sports and entertainment events canceled, Alberts was a sales guru leading an organization that no longer had a product to sell. Instead, as soon as CEO was added to his title, he faced the worst part of the job. The Stars furloughed about half of its

900-plus employees, and the remaining staff took a pay cut.

The NHL started up again weeks later, but with the entire league sealed off in “bubbles” in Edmonton and Toronto. The Stars made an incredible run to the Stanley Cup Finals—the kind of performance that should have brought in millions of dollars in revenue. However, without seats to sell to fans, the Stars were leaking money. “Losing out last year on all the playoff revenue that we could have made going to finals was a kick in the you-know-what,” Alberts says.

It wasn’t the first time he faced adversity with the Stars. He rose through the organization in the 1990s as the franchise moved from hockey-mad Minnesota to football-crazed Texas in 1993. The Stars surprised the NHL by establishing a rabid fanbase in an unproven southern market and winning a Stanley Cup in 1999. After stepping away for a few years to grow Legends Hospitality, Alberts returned to the Stars in 2011 to help rebuild the team’s core business, which had been gutted by a devastating bankruptcy. Now, with fans trickling back into stadiums as the world emerges from a COVID-19-induced hibernation, a question looms over the Stars’ new CEO: Can he lead yet another comeback?

BASKETBALL WAS BRAD Alberts’ first love when he was growing up in smalltown Wisconsin. Alberts played at tiny Ripon College in Wisconsin, where he set an all-time school scoring record. He studied sports administration at the University of Northern Colorado before following his girlfriend Kate, now his wife, to Dallas. At the Byron Nelson PGA golf tournament in 1995, one of Kate’s work colleagues suggested that if Alberts wanted to break into professional sports, he might try looking at the Dallas Stars, a brand-new franchise flying below the city’s radar.

Alberts got an entry-level job selling tickets over the phone, making $12,000 a year. The Stars were a hard sell, but the lanky A standout hoops player at Midwesterner had an affable, easy way about him that endeared Wisconsin's Ripon him to clients and managers. Jim Lites, then team president, College, Alberts was later inducted quickly spotted Alberts’ talent. “He’s articulate; he has a really into the university's nice way about him,” Lites says. “He’s good with people, he is a Hall of Fame.

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the franchise’s leadership, Alberts started looking for new opportunities.

A year earlier, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner joined forces to create Legends Hospitality, a company that would oversee the two massive franchises’ merchandising, advertising, and stadium operations.

Alberts moved to Legends as vice president of sponsorship and sales. He had weathered the storm of the Hicks bankruptcy. Legends would become a major sports brand with a global reach, and Alberts got in on the ground floor.

good listener, and has an engaging personality—and those are Alberts’ first job with the Stars all traits he’s had since he was in his 20s.” was selling tickets Alberts quickly moved up within the organization, eventually over the phone— an entry-level gig selling executive suites and corporate sponsorships. Doing so bethat earned him came a lot easier after 1999 when the team won its first Stanley $12,000 a year.

Cup behind a roster of recognizable, charismatic superstars—Mike Modano, Brett Hull, Sergei Zubov, and Ed Belfour. A year prior, team owner Tom Hicks had purchased the Texas Rangers. That created new opportunities for Alberts, who also began selling corporate sponsorships for the baseball franchise. When he saw that the two Hicks-owned teams were competing for the same corporate sponsors in the local marketplace, he suggested they combine forces. He helped Lites launch Hicks Sports Marketing Group to sell corporate sponsorships and advertising across all of Hicks’ franchises, which eventually also included Liverpool Football Club.

In 2001, the hockey team moved into its new home at American Airlines Center and began selling out nearly every game. After the lockout of 2004–2005, the Stars strung together a series of winning seasons, making the playoffs for three consecutive years and going all the way to the Western Conference Finals in 2008. Revenue was solid and corporate engagement high. But the 2008 recession hit Hicks hard. The ownership started defaulting on loans, and the Stars began a slow, agonizing slide toward bankruptcy. In 2009, Hicks dissolved Hicks Marketing Group. Like much of

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A COUPLE OF years into his stint with Legends, Alberts received a call from Jim Lites. A Canadian hotel developer named Tom Gaglardi was in the process of buying the Stars out of bankruptcy, and he recruited Lites to come back and lead the rebuild. Lites was trying to put the old band back together, and he wanted to know if Alberts was in. He wasn’t sure. “It was not an easy decision; I agonized over it,” Alberts says. “I was in a good spot [with Legends].”

When Alberts and Lites met to go over the financials, the prospect proved even more daunting. The numbers did not look good. Ticket revenue had collapsed. Advertising had dried up. And even though the Stars had always had great relationships with supportive local corporate sponsors, that had taken a hit during the bankruptcy, too. “I looked at the numbers, and I was like, ‘Oh my goodness,’” Alberts says. “I kind of gagged.”

But what Lites offered Alberts was something he didn’t have at Legends: a chance to be part of a professional sports team again. Alberts couldn’t resist.

“At the end of the day, that’s why I came back,” he says. “But it wasn’t easy. I knew how hard it was going to be, and I was not wrong.”

Lites brought in Jim Nill as general manager. Nill helped put together four Stanley Cup championship teams with the Detroit Red Wings. The Stars had a young star in Jamie Benn, whom Lites and Nill were confident could lead a team to the Cup. But the product on the ice is only half of the equation in a successful sports franchise. It was on Alberts to right the financial ship: sell tickets, fill suites, and get the community excited again about the Dallas Stars. Alberts began by reestablishing relationships with corporate sponsors. The Stars created an advisory board populated with prominent local business leaders to help solidify those relationships. Matt Bowman from the Oklahoma City Thunder was hired to rebuild the ticket sales department.

During the bankruptcy years, the Stars had all but disappeared from the city’s radar. It didn’t help that

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during that time, the Dallas Mavericks won the NBA Finals and, with the Cowboys, took up most of the city’s sporting attention. It was slow, grinding work.

“Not only myself, but a number of people here have put their life into this,” Alberts says. “It has been my greatest professional challenge by far.”

Over the course of three or four years, the Stars brought revenue back to pre-bankruptcy levels. Alberts began to strategize a way to capture the team’s resurgence. In 2014, the Stars retired Modano’s jersey during a sold-out game. There was a huge outpouring of affection for the forward who helped lead the Dallas team to their first Stanley Cup. The night was about more than honoring a fan favorite and a franchise hero, Alberts says: “We returned to our roots.”

WHEN THE DALLAS Stars franchise moved from Minnesota to Dallas in 1993, the NHL wasn’t sure if the sport would take root in a warm, southern U.S. city. But the team proved over nearly three decades that it could grow the sport in Texas. The Stars built new ice rinks and established youth leagues to help cultivate a future fanbase. By the end of the 2010s, Alberts wanted to demonstrate to the NHL that Dallas was more than an expansion success story. “We had turned the corner, but I knew that I needed to make us big,” he says. “We’re in Dallas, Texas. Everything we do here has to be large, and we needed to be not just another team in the league. In order to do that, we needed to be able to host the game’s greatest events.”

Winning another Stanley Cup was on Lites and Nill’s agenda. But there was a big event that Alberts had set his eyes on—the Winter Classic, an outdoor hockey game played each year on New Year’s Day. Established in 2008, it has become a league cen-

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terpiece, as much an annual celebration of hockey and all its history and tradition as it is another regular-season matchup. Since its founding, the game has been played in traditional hockey markets. The Chicago Blackhawks, for example, have played in more Winter Classics than any other team, followed by the Boston Bruins. But Alberts began to wonder: Why couldn’t the outdoor game be played in Dallas?

Of course, the prospect of an outdoor hockey game in Texas presented challenges. First, there was the weather. The technology existed to freeze an outdoor rink in Dallas, but the bright Texas sun, an unseasonably warm January day, or a rain shower could turn it to slush. The league, however, was more concerned about local interest. The Winter Classic was the NHL’s marquee event, and if Dallas couldn’t prove that it could generate enough enthusiasm around the game to fill a venue to capacity, it would be an embarrassment to the league. Alberts did not share those concerns. “The league was worried about us not being able to sell 85,000 tickets,” he says. “I wasn’t. I thought we could.”

Alberts began scouting for a venue and quickly targeted the Cotton Bowl. It was a historic venue in Dallas proper. It was also very big. In 2018, Dallas hosted the NHL Draft, and Alberts used the opportunity to pitch the idea to the league’s top officials.

He toured them through Fair Park and walked them through his vision for a Cotton Bowl Winter Classic in 2020. They were impressed enough to recommend the location to the league commissioner. A month later, Alberts met with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and finalized the deal. The commissioner had some pointed advice for Alberts, telling him, “Brad, don’t f*ck this up.”

One of the first things the Stars did to promote the game was launch a website so fans could register for a chance to win free tickets to the game. The contest, Alberts admits, was a way to gauge early interest. More than 60,000 people entered. When tickets finally went on sale, they quickly sold out.

The Stars then expanded capacity at the Cotton Bowl and sold more tickets. Still, in the days leading up to the event, Alberts had knots in his stomach. There were so many things that could go wrong. The weather might not cooperate. Ticket holders may not show up. But on New Year’s Day, Alberts woke up to a beautifully cold, overcast day. He headed to Fair Park. Around 8:30 a.m., he drove past the DART station at the entrance to the fairgrounds and saw crowds already lining up.

The game drew 85,630 fans—the second-highest attendance in NHL history. The Cotton Bowl was electric, and the Stars delivered a thrilling performance, beating the Nashville Predators 4-2.

But for Alberts, that day was about much more than who won a hockey game. “We proved that this The Stars hosted is a franchise that can execute at the highest level,” the NHL's Winter he says. “I think we’ve proven to everybody, not only Classic in 2020 at the Cotton Bowl. with what we’ve done with growing the sport but The game drew how we operate our business, that we’re certainly 85,630 fans. one of the sport’s elite teams.”

Tom Gaglardi calls alberts “A modern leader” who understands what really matters.

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P O R T R A I T S S E A N B E R R Y ; A L L OT H E R S C O U R T E S Y O F D A L L A S S T A R S

BY THE SUMMER of 2020, those screaming fans at the Cotton In announcing his transition to Bowl felt like a distant dream. Like the rest of the world, the new chairman last July, CEO of the Dallas Stars was working from home, trying to figure Lites said, "This organization means out how to run a hockey team that couldn’t play in front of an authe world to me dience. As the season picked back up inside the NHL’s bubble, the and my family."

Stars sold some merchandise. When Texas began to allow limited attendance at indoor events, the team opened American Airlines Center for playoff watch parties on the arena’s big screen.

Without games to sell, Alberts began thinking about how to energize other aspects of their business. One focus became the Dallas Stars Foundation, which is headed up by fan-favorite Marty Turco, an AllStar goalie and Alberts’ frequent golf partner. Under Turco, the foundation had become an ambassador of hockey to new communities, with a particular focus on increasing participation in the sport for women and people of color. This kind of hockey evangelization has become embedded in the franchise’s DNA. The Stars now operate 16 ice rinks throughout North Texas and run youth hockey programs serving more than 15,000 children. Turco says his friend takes time to listen and learn, but that he’s not afraid to make decisions. “His leadership style is all-inclusive, but direct, too,” Turco says.

“He knows that the buck stops with him—especially now.”

As Texas began opening up ahead of the rest of the country, Alberts focused on jump-starting the youth leagues. Following CDC safety protocols and establishing new cleaning and air-filtration practices in the facilities, the team enrolled youth players.

Interest surged—and not just from local kids. Youth leagues around the country that couldn’t reopen began looking to relocate to places they could play. The Dallas Stars had the rinks and infrastructure to welcome them with open arms. Youth tournaments from as far afield as Michigan headed to North Texas. In February, the Stars snagged its biggest tournament relocation: the 2021 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship.

The NHL eventually did come back. When I met Alberts at the Stars’ headquarters in Frisco in May, the team was entering the last week of the league’s shortened 2020–2021 season. Most furloughed employees had returned, and operations were showing signs that they would eventually normalize. But the Stars were on the precipice of missing out on the playoffs altogether, thanks to a slew of bad injuries. That meant missing out, once again, on millions in potential playoff revenue. And yet, Alberts appeared unfazed. As we talked, he looked out the window of his office, which has a view onto one of the Stars’ practice rinks. “We could easily build another rink in Frisco, and it would be full today,” Alberts says. “Our numbers in youth hockey are fantastic and growing.”

The Stars CEO began his career at a time when the franchise knew that to make it in Texas, it would have to do more than win Stanley Cups. The Stars built rinks, established youth leagues, and developed relationships with the community. Many of the fans who filled the Cotton Bowl for the Winter Classic last year were kids who were playing in those youth leagues in the 1990s when Alberts was selling tickets. Now, he is charting a way out of the pandemic by doubling down on those outreach efforts.

Gaglardi is confident that Alberts is the right man for the job. “Brad is well-trained,” he says. “He has been around some of the best people in sports and has a good understanding of what really matters. I’d also call him a modern leader. He’s got the toolbox to work in modern times ... that ability to bridge the old to the modern.”

Although his first year as CEO was undoubtedly difficult, Alberts is bullish on the organization’s future. The Stars will win games again; the AAC will fill up. But the pandemic has served as a reminder that the team’s success has always been about more than just the performance of its hockey team. “We’re not just sitting here, waiting for our team to be good,” Alberts says. “This is turning into a hockey market. We are going to have hockey events in Dallas all the time, whether they’re youth, whether they’re college, and whether they’re the highest level of professional hockey. This city is going to be looked at as a place that plays hockey.”

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A NEW ROLE FOR THE FORMER CEO

JIM LITES

A lawyer and University of Michigan grad, he's had three stints with the Stars, beginning in 1993. Here's what's next for the longtime sports exec.

Jim Lites is quick to clarify he isn’t leaving the Dallas Stars. Although Brad Alberts has taken over as chief executive, Lites remains involved as chairman, advising on both team operations and development opportunities at American Airlines Center. In early 2020, Stars’ owner Tom Gaglardi purchased two of the last undeveloped lots adjacent to the arena. The long-term goal for the parcels, Lites says, is to develop new commercial, residential, or hotel properties that are incorporated into the design of a renovated arena.

COVID has thrown some of those plans into limbo, but Lites

is confident that the Stars and Mavericks will eventually settle on a plan to renovate the AAC. “A lot of that will depend on what happens in the arena business,” Lites says. In the meantime, Lites is also staying busy with a new venture, Victory Acquisition Corp., which he founded with oil and gas executive Billy Quinn. Their partners include some big names in sports and entertainment—such as Roger Staubach and former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar. Lites says the firm has its eye on acquiring companies in the sports broadcasting industry as new streaming services emerge.

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RISK RISING ABOVE

Meet the determined self-starters honored in EY’s Entrepreneur Of The Year program for 2021.

LAUNC HI N G A N D G R OW I N G A BU S I N E SS often requires extreme commitment, self-sacrifice, a continu-

stories by S H E FA L I

KO N DA , M A R I A L AW S O N , DIANTE MARIGNY, LAUREN STONE, B E N S WA N G E R , a n d K E L S E Y J . VA N D E R S C H O O T

portraits by SEAN BERRY Por t ra it s s h ot on lo c at i o n at Th e N at i o n a l R e si d e nce s i n D a l l a s.

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P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A U D R E Y S H T E C I N J O

ous muster of motivation, and endless initiative. “I would leave the house at 6 a.m. and get home around 1 a.m. or 2 a.m.,” says Michael Tieu, CEO and founder of National Circuit Assembly, of his company’s early days. “When I wasn’t working, I was networking.” For entrepreneurs such as Tieu, the hustle is worth it because in times of sink or swim, like those presented during the pandemic, it takes a determined and resilient self-starter to rise above the waters. The 47 innovators you’ll read about in the following pages have fought for funding, struggled to scale, and turned on a dime, but for each of them, the sacrifice has been worth it. For a 14th straight year, D CEO is proud to profile all Southwest region finalists in EY’s Entrepreneur Of The Year program. Judges this year were Teresa Mackintosh, CEO of Trintech; Alex Danza, founder and CEO of Vonlane; Raj Malik, founder and CEO of Bioworld Merchandising; Dr. Chandra Pemmasani, founder and CEO of UWorld; Vanessa Ogle, founder and chairman of Enseo; Sarah Shadonix, founder and CEO of Scout & Cellar; Scott Everett, founder and CEO of S2 Capital; and Blake Walker, CEO of Arcis Golf. All regional finalists will be honored at a virtual event in August, where winners will be revealed. Those winners will then compete for national recognition in November.

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EY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

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2021 EY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

BRENNAN POTTS FO U N D E R AN D CEO Acce l e rate Re a l A s set M a n a g e m e nt

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EY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

What’s the best business advice you’ve received or have to offer to other entrepreneurs?

After working in the energy industry for several years, Brennan Potts saw a dislocation in the oil and gas market.

“Small, fractional ownership interests were overlooked, and there was an opportunity to aggregate them into a large, cash-flowing, diversified portfolio of scale,” says Potts, founder and CEO of Accelerate Real Asset Management. His solution? Build a tech-and data-driven process to identify, acquire, and manage assets for the world’s leading institutional investors. Now, the company is getting into the renewable energy space. “We’re expanding that same successful blueprint across real asset classes in forward-thinking investments that power the new economy,” Potts says.

Part of the fintech and digital payment solutions boom, O N B E helps businesses create custom-branded payment options. Led by Juli Spottiswood, the company now issues more than $7 billion in corporate-funded payments annually in nine currencies.

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“The person who initially funded Apple gave me great scaling advice: ‘Set the business and infrastructure up correctly in the beginning. Make sure you have a great legal team; that will save future headaches.’”

“Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Fail fast. You have to be able to push the envelope and do things differently, but you also have to recognize when it is not working and switch gears quickly.

Too many leaders [stick with] failing strategies.”

“If we set high goals, then holding ourselves accountable to those goals means putting in hard work. Set high expectations for yourself, and don’t allow yourself to lower them. Most people can achieve far more than they realize.”

RO B E R T D. FOS TE R i i P ay

WI LLIA M C A P UZZI A p ex F i n te c h S o l u t i o n s

M I K E B I DW E LL Neighborly

“I have been in DFW for three years, and I’ve been blown away by the entrepreneurial activity here.

The culture of accepting newcomers and supporting their businesses is ingrained in the community.”

J J S C H I C K E L | O m n i Lo g i s ti c s

With fewer than 3 percent of eligible rooftops in the United States opting for solar, Arkansas-based S H I N E S O L A R sees ample growth opportunity.

“Rooftop solar is still a nascent industry,” says CEO Nick Gorden. The company has grown 50–70 percent a year since its 2016 launch.

D. N O B E L

N. NOBEL

Irving-based payment processing company S I G N A PAY thrived during the pandemic, as businesses sprinted toward touchless options. It serves retail, restaurant, nonprofit, professional services, and other clients, and Founder and CEO John R. Martillo predicts continued demand.

2021

MTX Group DA S N O B E L C o - Fo u n d e r a n d C EO N I PA N O B E L C o - Fo u n d e r a n d C M O

Originally from Bangladesh, the husband-and-wife team of Das and Nipa Nobel founded MTX Group in 2015. The tech consulting firm helps public and private clients solve business problems with strategy, innovation, and outcome metrics. Today, MTX Group has more than 950 employees, and its revenue has grown by 1,900 percent over the past three years.

The company also has become a front-of-jersey sponsor of FC Dallas—a big moment for the Nobels, as they’re big soccer fans. The couple is focused on expanding into more global markets and have an especially lofty goal: making their AI offering, mavQ, the No. 1 AI platform in the world by 2025.

Spinal implant and instrument company ASTURA MEDICAL involves surgeons in the development process. Its leaders, Thomas Purcell and Joel Gambrell, say they’re also looking at ways to create greater efficiencies through things like preoperative planning software.

AUGUST 2021

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EY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

Zirtue

Resi Media

l e d by D E N N I S C A I L

D EN N I S C A I L D R E W U P O N H I S P E R S O N A L E X P E R I E N C E S

to launch Zirtue in 2018 as a relationship-based lending app focused on driving financial inclusion and freedom. “Looking back, I saw how clearly and deliberately predatory lenders targeted those with few options and no access to traditional banking services,” says Cail, co-founder and CEO. To date, he and his team have processed more than $10 million in loans. Zirtue experienced 400 percent growth in its past fiscal year, and Cail hopes payment through Zirtue will soon become an option for every bill and store transaction.

PAU L M A R TE L C o -fo u n d e r a n d C EO CO LLI N J O N E S P re si d e nt

Livestreaming company Resi Media saw a 500 percent increase in demand when COVID hit. “What a month,” says Paul Martel, cofounder and CEO. Resi uses resilient streaming protocol to ensure glitch-free streaming by sending an exact copy of the stream to its destination. When issues occur, Resi retransmits only the problematic portions to the destination, rather than resending its entirety.

Resi Media’s hundreds of clients include ChickFil-A and Spartan Race.

Collin Jones, president, says he’s most excited about new products coming down the line.

"It brings so much joy to make customers' lives easier and more effective," he says.

M A R TE L

JONES

Contract manufacturer companies such as Tesla and Boeing make more efficient products. “If it makes sense, we will invest in the equipment, tooling, and raw materials necessary to solve the problem,” says President and CEO Shelby Ricketts.

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AUGUST 2021

“DFW has all the right ingredients: capital, a great workforce, many sectors, and most importantly, a community that celebrates entrepreneurs’ successes.”

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Founder and CEO Daniel Chu launched T R I C O L O R H O L D I N G S after noticing Hispanic immigrants were uniquely credit challenged.

The company leverages AI tech to offer auto loans that build credit for LatinX consumers. “With every challenge comes a new opportunity,” Chu says.

Convenience store chain Y E S WAY targets rural and

suburban towns with populations of 5,000 to 50,000. “We are able to build stronger competitive positioning and brand loyalty than what may be typical in larger, urban acquisitions,” says Tom Trkla, chairman and CEO.

Stacey Hess launched Sign Gypsies when she saw a company creating yard greetings—signs and decorations on lawns—and knew she could do better.

Today, the brand has grown to 825 franchise locations and has more than 200 million customers. “In 2020, we shipped out 13,394 orders, and our owners installed more than 420,000 yard greetings,” Hess says.

The company also purchased a 22,000 square-foot corporate headquarters building in Celina, experienced 250 percent growth, and partnered with Licensed Collegiate Products to expand its offerings last year.

“Building a business takes passion and perseverance,” Hess says. “There’s no glory without grit!”

Unifying front-end consumer experience and back-end logistics technology allows K I B O to help retailers increase revenue. “We offered something different, combining the best of both with modern technology and flexibility," says CEO David Post.

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EY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

2021

STACEY HESS FO U N D E R AN D CEO S ig n Gypsie s

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EY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

2021

TH E R E SA M OT TE R CEO Va n 's K itch e n

Shiftsmart AAK ASH KUMAR C o -fo u n d e r a n d C EO

Aakash Kumar left Google to create the “Amazon of labor” alongside Patrick Brandt. The result?

Workforce solutions company Shiftsmart.

The app creates a labor marketplace where companies and employees can find (or post) jobs. In 2020, Shiftsmart grew its worker base to 400,000, and revenue rocketed up 400 percent. It also helped the Small Business Association staff thousands of agents in one week during the Payment Protection Program rollout. “As we scale across verticals, countries, and employers, workers are empowered to earn more, find more flexible work, and build a long-term performance history—which could help them unlock higherpaying and more flexible wages,” says Kumar, who serves as CEO.

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COURTESY OF VA N ’ S K I T C H E N

PATR I C K B R A N DT C o -fo u n d e r a n d P re si d e nt

Catalyst Health Network C H R I STO P H E R C R OW, C E O A N D CO - F OUND ER O F PRI M ARY

KUMAR

care physician health group Catalyst Health Network, says he founded the company to fix the broken healthcare system and repair the status quo. “Resistance to prioritizing long-term good over short-term ease remains the most frustrating issue in healthcare and the biggest opportunity for transformation,” he says. Catalyst’s 275 employees serve more than 1,000 primary care providers and more than 1.5 million patients, and Crow’s partner, Lance Spivey, believes an even more profound impact is brewing post-pandemic.

“The trade winds are lining up for the market to change more rapidly, and that presents great opportunity for significant impact,” Spivey says.

B R A N DT

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EY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

2021

COURTESY OF VA N ’ S K I T C H E N

How did your company’s business operations permanently change as a result of the pandemic?

Theresa Motter immigrated to the United States from Vietnam in the 1960s, and some 20 years later, her parents created food and beverage company Van’s Oriental, which became Van’s Kitchen. Before

“We’ve had to evolve solutions for a new patient information paradigm. Not only will we adapt and embrace more flexible and hybrid work environments for our employees, but we have also leaned into the mobile revolution.”

“We turned this challenge into an opportunity to accelerate our product roadmap and transition businesses to modern tools to connect with customers and provide great customer experiences, even remotely.”

“Nothing permanent changed as a result of COVID-19, but one change that has occurred is the competition for headcount—especially in cybersecurity. It has intensified dramatically. as more companies are allowing remote work.”

becoming CEO in 2014, Motter says she held nearly every non-production role at the company, which produces several kinds of egg rolls. “The reason we are still in business is because I never made the egg rolls!” she jokes. Van’s revenue has grown 50 percent during the past three years. Motter hopes to instill her mother’s drive in her employees, whom she calls “roll models.”

“I love being able to provide opportunities for our roll models to grow and build better lives,” she says.

BA R T H OW E HealthMark Group

N AV E E N G U P TA B i r d eye

RO B DAV I S Critical Star t

Digital marketing agency P M G W O R L D W I D E helps

clients such as Gap and Sephora adapt to tech accelerations. “2020 advanced digital and e-commerce 20 years,” says CEO George Popstefanov.

PMG is on pace to top 500 workers and grow more than 60 percent this year.

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“DFW has a very dynamic, entrepreneurial mindset, where ideas can come into reality. Things move very fast here, and it is important to be moving fast.”

O ’ BA N I O N

C A R LOS VA Z | C o nti O rg a n iz ati o n ABELMANN

2021 is shaping up to be a great year for digital service provider Q E N T E L L I : It is on track to double both revenue and employees, says Sanjay Jupudi, co-founder and president.

He and co-founder and chief digital officer Prasanna Singaraju also are eyeing acquisitions.

Mance Harmon and Leemon Baird founded H E D E R A H A S H G R A P H to fill the void for a distributed ledger technology concept that provides both speed and security. It has quickly become the most-used ledger on the planet, with more than 1.3 billion transactions processed.

Bestow M E LB O U R N E O ’ BA N I O N C o - Fo u n d e r a n d C EO J O N ATH A N A B E LM A N N C o - Fo u n d e r a n d P re si d e nt

Melbourne O’Banion and Jonathan Abelmann founded Dallas-based Bestow to make life insurance affordable, convenient, and accessible to underserved families.

“Transforming a 300-year-old, techlaggard, heavily regulated industry is always rife with challenges,” O’Banion says. “Even on our most challenging days, remembering the social impact we have makes it all worth it.” The digital insurance company got a $70 million boost of funding in late 2020, bringing its total backing to $145 million. “We were told ‘no’ dozens of times before we met investors who believed in us and our vision,” Abelmann says.

Focused on acquiring and developing oil and gas companies, the biggest challenge for AVA D E N E R G Y PA R T N E R S

has been wild swings in energy prices. “To survive low prices, we make sure we don’t get over our skis too much,” says John N. Davis, president and CEO.

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EY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

Taysha Gene Therapies

Catalyze Dallas

l e d by R A S E S S I O N I I

and commercializes gene therapies to treat diseases in the central nervous system. The company raised $307 million, despite the pandemic and not being in a biotech hub such as San Francisco, Boston, or San Diego. “Because of the innovation of our technology and pipeline and our experienced management team and board of directors, we were able to attract smart money and raise funds in a record-breaking five months,” says RA Session II, the company’s president, founder, and CEO. Roughly a year later, Taysha Gene Therapies has grown to more than 130 employees and added a North Carolina manufacturing facility.

TR I CIA D 'C R UZ M a n a g i n g D i re c to r

J . D 'C R UZ

N OA H C U R R A N | M o n ke d i a T. D 'C R UZ

Jason Harvison, CEO of E L E VAT E C R E D I T , hopes

to help the 130 million Americans with credit scores below 700 who struggle to attain traditional loans through its suite of digital lending brands. “I see in the future new white-label brands and products,” he says.

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“Change people’s lives.

If your company does that, and if you do that for your employees, you will have a business few are able to ever compete with.”

“I founded O 9 S O L U T I O N S with the vision to help navigate complexity,” says CEO Chakri Gottemukkala.

The company harnesses internal and external data to help businesses make planning decisions around their supply chains. A revenue management tool also is in the works.

During T I T U S O I L & G A S ’ first year in business, CEO Marshall Hickey watched competitors purchase large, risky plots of land; he took a different approach in the Delaware Basin. “Plenty of capital can be invested, and scale can be achieved, within a small geographic footprint,” Hickey says.

Matt Alexander believes brick-andmortar is essential for retail brands.

“Physical retail, despite the headlines, has a crucial role to play in modern brands,” says Alexander, cofounder and CEO of Neighborhood Goods.

The company helps digital retailers get into the physical realm by selecting brands to temporarily occupy spaces inside its department stores. It keeps things fresh by constantly switching up the offerings. “In spite of the pandemic, we ended up growing over 100 percent year over year, and we’re looking ahead with optimism,” Alexander says.

Neighborhood Goods has three locations: Legacy West in Plano, South Congress in Austin, and Chelsea Market in New York.

H E A D S H OT S C O U R T E S Y O F C O M P A N I E S ; I C O N S : S H U T T E R S T O C K

BI OT EC H CO MPA N Y TAYS H A G E N E TH E R A P I E S D E V E LO P S

J O E D 'C R UZ M a n a g i n g D i re c to r

Catalyze Dallas, led by co-founders and managing directors Joe and Tricia D’Cruz, helps emerging R&D businesses scale by commercializing valuable intellectual property and adding new revenue streams. “COVID-19 accelerated opportunities for us to acquire new technologies from aerospace and defense companies, and each one we tackle will bring another 10 to 50 local employees,” Tricia says.

Catalyze Dallas worked with Lockheed Martin and a wide collection of large aerospace and defense companies to launch two affiliates, Metro Aerospace and Alpine Advanced Materials. It also recently moved into a new home base in the Cedars.

2021

Electronic manufacturing services company N AT I O N A L C I R C U I T A S S E M B LY brings efficiency and production stateside, allowing for shorter lead times. Founder Mike Tieu embraces risk.

“Nobody builds great companies by playing it safe,” he says.

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EY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

2021

MATT ALEXANDER

H E A D S H OT S C O U R T E S Y O F C O M P A N I E S ; I C O N S : S H U T T E R S T O C K

CO - FO U N D E R AN D CEO N e ig h b o rh o o d G o o d s

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The Dallas Arboretum Board, Staff and Volunteers are humbled at being a nominee for the Outstanding Team Award. We only wish all those involved in our garden could be photographed or listed. Each of us remain so very grateful however, for the community support throughout the last year and appreciation of our work.

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HERE’S TO THOSE WHO LEAD BY EXAMPLE Cheers to you, George!

Much Love, Your PMG Family

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AUGUST 2021

FIELD NOTES

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 ,

a n d

C O M M E N TA R Y

BEST ADVICE

Build a Life, Not a Resume Ossa Fisher, President and Chief Operating Officer P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y YA R O S L AV D A N Y L C H E N K O

I S TAT I O N

“when i was elected partner at bain & co., i attended a training event, and I vividly recall a keynote speech on opening night entitled, ‘Build a Life, Not a Resume.’ The speaker suggested that although a full and well-lived life includes a rewarding career, it must also include personal dedication to areas such as family, health, friends, spirituality, learning, community, and finances. It caused me to think about how all of those areas interconnect for me, and I now take time every year to evaluate where I may be overinvesting or underinvesting in shaping my life journey, and how it may impact others. Because I now see my career as interconnected to many different aspects of my life, I can also see where my passions can unite in helping me achieve my true potential across multiple areas.” —As told to Ben Swanger

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FIELD NOTES

ECONOMY

Waiting to Get Back to Work story by W. MICHAEL COX

AND

RICHARD ALM

O

on its way back from the covid-19 shock, the Texas economy was still somewhat off kilter in the early summer of 2021. Many businesses trying to recover from the pandemic were frustrated by the difficulty of finding the labor they needed to resume full operations. An unusually high number of workers were sitting on the sidelines for a variety of reasons. Consumers were primed for a post-pandemic spending spree, but they’ve run into backlogs, shortages, and rising prices. Potential homebuyers faced an ongoing struggle to find houses for sale, with prices for what’s on the market sky-high and rising.

In short, the Texas economy is coming out of the COVID-19 crisis more sputtering than roaring. It wasn’t supposed to be this way—not in a state that brags about its high-octane economy, dominated by the private sector and markets.

All state-imposed restrictions on economic activity ended on March 2, when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order lifting mask mandates and opening the state economy 100 percent. By

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P H OTO G R A P H Y BY R A Y M O N D F O R B E S P H O T O G R A P H Y ; C H A R T S O U R C E S M U C O X S C H O O L O F B U S I N E S S

Labor market shortages are messing with Texas’ job-creation mojo, despite the fierce demand for labor.

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FIELD NOTES

contrast, the governors of New York and California didn’t take equivalent steps until much later.

But even with its head start, Texas isn’t doing any better than the nation as a whole. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment gains since the April 2020 low point were 8.7 percent in Texas and 9.1 percent in the Dallas area—both behind the nation’s 10.8 percent.

The Texas economy typically outperforms the nation in job creation, so these are unusual times, with simultaneously high unemployment and labor shortages. The state’s recovery won’t begin to gather steam until more Texans get back to work.

The difficulty in hiring employees crimps companies’ ability to sell goods and services, forcing some businesses to cut back operations. Output can’t keep pace with rising demand, leading to shortages and bottlenecks that put upward pressures on prices.

Nothing suggests that jobs available this summer are any different from those that Texans held before the pandemic. So, why aren’t more of them being filled? Some workers started businesses, enrolled in college, or found other jobs. Others are staying home to care for children not yet in school; if unvaccinated, they may still fear catching COVID-19. In addition, the disruptions of the past year no doubt left mismatches between workers’ skills and available jobs.

Policy can’t be ignored. To maintain household purchasing power during the pandemic, the federal government expanded eligibility for unemployment benefits and kicked in an extra $600 a week in 2020, reducing it to $300 a week this year. The money allowed some workers to put off taking jobs or become choosier in the work they’d accept. Employers have tried higher pay, bonuses, and prizes to fill vacancies—with mixed success so far.

Anecdotes and political talking points can only take us so far. What does the research say?

Economists have been studying the effects of unemployment insurance on returning to work for decades. In general, they find that more generous benefits tend to extend the duration of unemployment. Duration effects are larger when few jobs are available and smaller for those with liquidity constraints—econ-speak for little money in their pockets. Waiting longer to return to work typically led to accepting worse jobs, a sign of workers settling as benefits neared or reached an end.

Previous research focused on the regular ups and downs of the business cycle, not a global pan-

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demic. This summer may provide fresh insights into whether unemployment benefits delay the return to work. Texas is among the 25 states, all led by Republican governors, that opted out of the federal government’s $300 a week payment in hopes of nudging more people back to work.

The other 25 states, all led by Democrats, decided to continue the payments through their scheduled end in late summer. Once the data come in, this natural experiment will be fodder for economic studies on the impacts of good intentions on labor supply.

Among states, Texas stands out with a proven track record in creating jobs—for decades, it has maintained low unemployment rates while welcoming the nation’s largest influx of new residents.

The pandemic didn’t change the fundamentals of the Texas economy. These two propositions make the best case for the recent labor market lull being only temporary, a short blip in the data before the Texas job-creating mojo returns.

W. Michael Cox is a professor of economics and Richard Alm is a writer-in-residence at the Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom at SMU’s Cox School of Business.

S TAT E S TAT S

Jobs Puzzle Austin had the state’s strongest job growth in the first four months of 2021—just as it did before the pandemic.

Even Houston, with its oil and gas woes, recorded employment gains. But DFW metros have plateaued after making Austin-like progress last year in reclaiming jobs lost to the COVID-19 shock (see chart).

One explanation centers on one of North Texas’ strong suits—a diverse, white-collar, services-based economy, closely tied to demand from the rest of the U.S. and other countries. Recoveries have been weak where vaccinations lag and restrictions remain in place, holding back job growth in DFW. If true, the revival of North Texas employment will accelerate again with the return of normalcy in the global economy.

North Texas Employment Recovery Slowing in 2021 106

INDEX: JANUARY 2019 = 100 In 2019, the leaders in job creation were Austin, Dallas, and Fort Worth.

104

In early 2021, employment growth flattened in Dallas and Fort Worth while Austin continued to climb.

102

Dallas Fort Worth Rest-of-Texas San Antonio

100 98 96

Austin

Jobs plunged in all parts of Texas as COVID-19 shock shut down the economy in March 2020.

Houston

94 92 90 88 2019

2020

2021 Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

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FIELD NOTES

ON TOPIC

“What’s the toughest business challenge you’ve had to overcome?” edited by BEN SWANGER

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illustrations by JAKE MEYERS

ISAAC BROWN

KIMBERLY DAVISON

ROBIN POU

Vice President and Associate General Counsel FIDELIT Y INVESTMENTS

Managing Shareholder and Vice President G R I F F I T H DAV I S O N

Chief Advisor and Strategist ROBIN POU INC.

“There are always risks and gray areas. I have to balance taking risks with making sure that the business has what it needs to succeed, while not hindering innovation or business goals. This requires strategic and creative thinking. It also requires the difficult task of saying no. One of the most rewarding parts of my job is being a trusted voice when business strategy is decided, then witnessing the successful implementation of that strategy.”

“I started practicing construction law in 1994. At the time, there were few female construction attorneys, so developing my own clients was not easy. The first mediation I handled, our client assumed I was the legal secretary sent to the mediation to help the lawyer. Overcoming stereotypes and prejudices while still maintaining a sense of female-self (including a love of very feminine shoes) was a challenge, but very much worth the climb.”

“My partner and fellow business owner fired me unexpectedly on a random Friday. Overcoming that seeming tragedy, I recognized my identity was wrapped up in being the COO of the business we were growing. In hindsight, it was the best thing that could have ever happened. I went on to write a book, start my own firm as an executive coach, and find my professional passion as I support incredible CEOs all over the country.”

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7/2/21 2:19 PM

®

The Dallas CASA Board of Directors congratulates volunteer advocate Priscilla Anthony, a finalist for the 2021 Nonprofit Volunteer of the Year Award, presented

by D CEO and Communities Foundation of Texas.

Priscilla Anthony is a model example of the work of the 1,527 Dallas CASA volunteers who advocated for 3,374 Dallas County child victims of abuse and neglect living in protective care last year.

Because of Priscilla's advocacy, 10 children now live safely and have received therapy needed to heal from their trauma and help to achieve educational success, including one teen who is starting Texas A&M’s veterinarian program this fall.

To learn more, visit dallascasa.org

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FIELD NOTES

HUMAN RESOURCES

remain on the legality of mandating a vaccine as an employment requirement or to even inquire about the matter. At the very least, employers must defend that there is a clear, job-related need for the vaccine and must also be ready to provide reasonable accommodations.

A COVID-19 Conundrum: Vaccine Policies As employees return to the office, benefits expert Den Bishop offers tips for decision-makers as they grapple with complex issues.

J U A N M OYA N O

C

2.

1.

IS IT LEGAL? Employer actions relating to vaccines range from mandates and incentives to access and tracking programs. The legal, administrative, and culture requirements of a vaccine mandate leave this path primarily reserved for healthcare workers and first responders. Questions

ovid-19 has put every company in the healthcare business. Employers launched education campaigns, reconfigured office environments, overhauled work policies, and implemented prevention initiatives and identification and tracing programs. Although most have been hesitant to wage war against diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, COVID-19 became a common enemy with visible and meaningful weapons of defense. Because the fight against the virus has been almost universally embraced, it hasn’t been controversial to implement social distancing, allow employees to work remotely, and even require masks when in spaces where people will come into contact with others. Vaccinations are the latest weapon in the war on COVID-19. With more than 600,000 American lives lost so far, all are united in the desire to put the threat and destruction of the disease behind us, but decisions in the matter bring unprecedented complexity. Here are three key questions to consider:

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HOW WILL YOU HANDLE ADMINISTRATION? Employers with a clinic, a clinical resource, or those that use an onsite screening company are exploring worksite access to vaccines. If they go that route, companies must have a system in place to track vaccination status. If an employer plans to offer onsite vaccines, it must have access to the vaccine and have clinical staff to administer it. If businesses provide financial or paidtime-off incentives, they must connect the policy to their wellness or HR administration systems.

3.

HOW WILL IT IMPACT CULTURE? A recent survey found that 24 percent of employees said they’d consider quitting their job unless all workers were required to get a vaccine before returning to work. Another study found that 28 percent would consider leaving their job if they were forced to get a vaccine. Like most things in America these days, most people are somewhere in the middle, but those on both extremes feel strongly about their opinions. As decisions are made and policies are implemented, employers must realize they likely have workers across the spectrum of vaccine beliefs.

Dan Bishop is president of insurance brokerage Holmes Murphy & Associates in Dallas.

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7/2/21 2:20 PM

SE P TEMBE R 23 , 2021 SAVE THE DATE for the largest community-wide giving event in the nation!

In 2020, our region came together and raised more than $58 million from 106,000 donors benefiting over 3,200 local nonprofits, bringing the twelve-year total to over $375 million!

On September 23, we’re asking for your help as we continue building thriving and equitable communities for all by sharing our time, talent, and treasure together!

#BeTheGood

Learn more at N T X G I V I N G DAY. O R G

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

EY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR 2021

Sanjay Jupudi Co-Founder and President, QENTELLI

Prasanna Singaraju sanjay jupudi and prasanna singaraju, founders of Qentelli, knew there had to be a better way to transform businesses digitally and strategically. They became bogged down by the fact that investors controlled top-line focused management that killed innovation in pursuit of revenue targets. They had both worked in technology for most of their careers and were ready for their next challenge. In 2015, over a few drinks at a Dallas bar, they came up with what would be the ideal scenario for their careers—and potential customers. “We wanted to build a company that was focused on profit with a purpose,” says Singaraju.

They came up with the name Qentelli based on a combination of quality, intelligence, and engineering and secured the domain name that night­—just in case their idea panned out. After investing their life savings, officing from a dining room table, and not taking a paycheck for the first year, Qentelli was formed. In less than six years, Qentelli has grown manifold­—even growing in 2020—with more than 450 employees. It’s on target to double again this year and is primed for a valuation at more than U.S. $100 million. Qentelli will expand to new markets soon and is on the verge of launching two new AI platforms to help companies with digital transformation. While Qentelli continues to grow organically, the founders’ goal is to pursue inorganic growth through acquisitions and strategic partnerships.

Qentelli was formed with an objective to make “Intelligent Quality Engineering” a reality to deliver future-ready applications that can serve the ever-increasing volume, variety, and velocity expected from today’s businesses. “Our idea was to innovate—to build intellectual property that addresses the core of how technology is delivered,” Jupudi says. Today, Qentelli’s Cloud, digital innovation, and IP helps accelerate business transformations, and the company’s social responsibility initiatives, which includes a heavy emphasis on addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in India, have positively impacted more than 100,000 people. “We ask our customers to give us their toughest problems,” Jupudi says. “Usually, people are afraid of solving the toughest problem; that’s where we start.”

qentelli.com

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P H OTO G R A P H Y BY L I S A M E A N S

Co-Founder and Chief Digital Officer, QENTELLI

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

EY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR 2021

Jason Harvison Chief Executive Officer, ELEVATE

P H OTO G R A P H Y BY V A N E S S A G A U A LY A

jason harvison, ceo of elevate, has only been at the company’s helm for two years, but has led Elevate to unprecedented success by fulfilling an unmet market need in the non-prime lending industry.

Prior to the pandemic, the company exceeded earnings estimates and continued to do so even in challenging times. Harvison says the company, named a Best Place to Work for the last six years, recently applied a data-driven approach to its underwriting platform using cutting-edge AI technology. “We wound up driving record profitability while also helping Americans through uncertain times,” he says.

Harvison is proud of Elevate’s role in helping consumers get back on track financially. “We focused on helping those with limited access to credit by providing intuitive online services and flexibility tools,” he says. Next up for Elevate is a new financial education resource center. “We have rebranded elevate.com to be consumer-facing, rather than investor-facing,” he says.

“Consumers can get tips to improve their credit scores and access a central resource to plan their financial future. Our success is based on giving back, and non-prime consumers deserve this new resource and marketplace.”

elevate.com

JJ Schickel

P H OTO G R A P H Y BY L I S A M E A N S

Chief Executive Officer, OMNI LOGISTICS, LLC

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omni logistics is one of the world’s leading, privately owned 3PL providers, specializing in unique, custom supply chain solutions for a long list of customers. An expanding global presence provides clients with thousands of employees dedicated to delivering comprehensive solutions that encompass transportation, distribution, value-added services, and more. Omni Logistics’ revenue has grown from approximately $150 million in 2016 to more than $1.1 billion—a leap that its founders and leadership team attribute to forward-thinking employees and clients.

“We have grown our footprint from a few countries to 20 countries, and a few hundred employees to more than 4,000,” says JJ Schickel, CEO. “Our job as leadership is to create a culture, environment, and the capital structure that enables our teammates to do their jobs and maximize their potential. Our goal is to continue to grow and create an environment for success. Scale matters in logistics and creates a more efficient and cost-effective solution for our customers. “Frankly, we are just getting started. Through the combination of our amazing team, industry tail winds, and advanced technology, we will continue to grow.”

omnilogistics.com

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AUGUST 2021

OFF DUTY THE PERSONAL SIDE

o f

DFW BUSINESS LEADERS

ART OF STYLE

P H OTO G R A P H Y BY E L I Z A B E T H L A V I N

INTERIOR DESIGNER MICHELLE NUSSBAUMER’S LOOK CAN RANGE FROM A MEXICAN SERAPE TO VALENTINO.

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continued from page 091

WHAT I DO: “I am an interior designer and collector of antiques, as owner of Michelle Nussbaumer Designs and Ceylon et Cie.”

STYLE ICON: “My mother. When I was in third grade, she would pick me up in her convertible, wearing striped hotpants and over-the-knee green suede boots. She was always so chic and way ahead of what was happening in West Texas.”

ON THE JOB: “Fashion meets design so often in my world. I love pattern mixing, color, and prints.”

FASHION ESSENTIAL: “I never leave home without a red lipstick.”

GO-TO LOOK: “For work, it’s often a cotton caftan that I made in India with some kind of shawl from Morocco or Russia. For evening, anything goes—from a Mexican serape to Valentino.”

ACCESSORIES: “I love accessories and have a whole closet devoted to them. I love ethnic jewelry and have collected pieces for years.

I like turbans, cowboy boots, vintage evening coats, and pretty shoes.”

WEEKEND LOOK: “I don’t have a lot of downtime, but when I do, it is usually a sandal and an Italian printed dress from my favorite, La DoubleJ.”

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SNOW JOB

As a college student, tech exec Bryan Jobe worked at Glacier National Park in Montana.

SNAPSHOT

Escaping an Avalanche

ON THE EDGE

Jobe’s “no fear, all risk” attitude as a young adult sometimes put him in perilous situations.

Vizient CEO Byron Jobe recounts how he was nearly buried alive.

before he was the ceo of healthcare data analytics company vizient, Byron Jobe was a carefree college student spending his summers working at Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park. “No fear, all risk,” is how he describes his 18-year-old self. That mindset explains how he nearly died in an avalanche. On an overnight hike near the Continental Divide in Glacier National Park, Jobe and his friends ignored the advice of park rangers and attempted to traverse the U-shaped bowl of Gunsight Pass Trail. “It was a 1,000-foot drop, then another couple thousand feet down into a river below,” he says of the pass. With only a rope to keep the young men from falling, they crawled toward the crest when, suddenly, snow on the opposite side of the bowl began to cascade down. Jobe could only wait and watch to see if the avalanche would extend to where he was. “Obviously, it didn’t, or I wouldn’t be here today,” he says. —As told to Elizabeth Beeck

P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F B Y R O N J O B E

INSPIRATION: “I am most inspired by color. If it’s a rainy day, I like to wear bright colors.

In Paris, I seem to wear a lot of black. While in India, pink is my go-to.”

STYLE DEFINED: “I’d describe it as very personal, exuberant, and probably a little eccentric. I was a huge fan of Christian Lacroix in the ’80s but now tend toward Celine mixed with Molly Goddard mixed with ethnic pieces found on my travels.”

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7/2/21 1:10 PM

“It is an honor to be nominated as Organization of the Year for our work caring for the most vulnerable in our community through Meals on Wheels, Hospice and Palliative Care.” ~ Katherine Krause, President and CEO

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OFF DUTY

M U S T- R E A D

Executive Book Club

PURSUITS

Area C-Suiters tell us the one book they think everyone should read—and why.

“Good to Great by Jim Collins is an incredibly motivating and impactful book about the type of leadership and management that differentiates great companies from good ones. Although it was written almost 20 years ago, it remains extremely relevant today.

The key takeaway is the importance of being a humble, ‘Level 5’ leader, which creates a culture of excellence and camaraderie.

Every business leader can learn a lot from this book.”

WA N DA G I E R H A R T FE A R I N G | C i n e m a r k

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“In The Road Less Stupid, Keith Cunningham takes everyday business challenges, breaks them down in a way that’s easy to understand, and presents simple models for overcoming them. He helps owners avoid what he calls the ‘dumb tax.’”

“The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson tells the story of Churchill’s first year as prime minister. It’s a reminder that people can persevere through a lot, that relationships matter, and that a little eccentricity isn’t all bad.”

“Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High is about so much more than communication. It is about creating better environments and better relationships to accomplish great things—both professionally and personally.”

LIA N A D U N L A P Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International

B R E NT C H R I S TO P H E R Children’s Medical Center Foundation

N O E LLE C . LE V E AU X Communities Foundation of Texas

“Winning by Jack Welch uses real-life events and circumstances to teach the importance of candor within an organization, delegation and trust among leaders, and the ability to make hard decisions quickly and rationally.”

“In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson illustrates why we must all be vigilant and speak up when we see wrong things happening. It tells the story of the terrible consequences society can face when people remain silent.”

“The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho encourages you to pursue your dreams. It’s about a shepherd who is on a quest to realize his ‘personal legend.’

We all have our own personal legend; we just need to listen to our hearts.”

BLAKE KENDRICK Stream Realty Partners

A N N M A R I E PAI NTE R Perkins Coie

M I G U E L M O LI N A Avocados From Mexico

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As a child, Iris Diaz would use her allowance to buy Crayola watercolors at garage sales. She often painted what she saw and felt in dreams, expressed through firework-like explosions of color. Diaz experimented in college with charcoal, pastels, and oils before settling on acrylics. She leans into bright colors and expressing emotion through abstract images.

“Those are the ideas, the behind-the-scenes stuff that you have in your head that no one sees, that you can put to paper,” says Diaz, chief marketing officer for the Dallas Mavericks. She loves bright blues and pops of color and says she hopes her work will evoke happiness. “It’s enough for you to notice something,” she says. “I think the biggest reward for me is making people smile, making people laugh.” —As told to Kelsey J. Vanderschoot

COURTESY OF B O O K P U B L I S H E R S ; DIAZ COURTESY OF D A L L A S M AV E R I C K S

Dallas Mavericks’ CMO Iris Diaz conveys emotion through her whimsical art.

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7/2/21 1:12 PM

HOMELESS SOLUTIONS The growth rate of unsheltered homelessness in Dallas is greater than in New York City and Los Angeles.* On any given night there are 10,000 people experiencing homelessness throughout Dallas.

OurCalling’s street outreach teams are actively helping these individuals find exit strategies. This year alone, we’ve helped 1,170 people off the streets.

One street outreach team costs $151,200 per year and can help up to 200 people off the street. *www.hudexchange.info/resource/3031/pit-and-hic-data-since-2007

Contact development@ourcalling.org to see how you can have a street outreach team in your preferred area.

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting the 2021 Women’s Leadership Symposium.

A M A ZO N | B AY LO R S C OT T & W H I T E H E A LT H | B L U E C R O S S B L U E S H I E L D O F T E X A S | DA L L A S C O L L E G E | DA L L A S M AV E R I C KS PA R K D I ST R I CT | P L A I N S CA P I TA L B A N K | T H O M S O N R E U T E R S | R GT W E A LT H A DV I S O R S | V E R I T E X C O M M U N I T Y B A N K

“Thank you sponsors, one and all, for your support of women. Businesses and foundations like yours have moved the needle!” —WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM ATTENDEE

If you are interested in supporting next year’s Women’s Leadership Symposium, or other events like this, please reach out to publisher Gillea Allison at gillea@dmagazine.com to discuss further.

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OFF DUTY

ROOM TO ROAM

The spacious accommodations at Andaz Resort feature a MidcenturyModern design.

FAT OX FAVORITE

The eatery’s brick grilled organic chicken is served with parmesan fonduta.

W E L L T R AV E L E D

Heal your body, mind, and soul in Arizona, one of real estate exec Beth Lambert’s favorite escapes. story by CHRISTINE PEREZ

CANYON POOL

Amenities at Enchantment Resort also include croquet and tennis and pickleball courts.

DESERT

Find 50,000 wildflowers, succulents, and towering cacti at Arizona’s Desert Botanical Garden.

MORNING MEAL

Brunch options at Andaz’s Weft & Warp include blue corn pancakes and egg-topped flatbreads.

DESERT OASIS

Treatments at the spa at Civana range from reflexology to a unique aqua therapy circuit.

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7/2/21 9:39 AM

P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F C A R O L I N E M C L E M O R E , A N D A Z R E S O R T , C I V A N A W E L L N E S S R E S O R T & S PA , E N C H A N T M E N T R E S O R T, FAT O X , T H E M I S S I O N , AND D E S E R T B O TA N I C A L G A R D E N .

Scottsdale and Sedona

OFF DUTY

RED ROCK RESPITE

P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F C A R O L I N E M C L E M O R E , A N D A Z R E S O R T , C I V A N A W E L L N E S S R E S O R T & S PA , E N C H A N T M E N T R E S O R T, FAT O X , T H E M I S S I O N , AND D E S E R T B O TA N I C A L G A R D E N .

Enchantment Resort’s casitas and suites are nestled in Sedona’s Boynton Canyon.

A

after the past year-and-a-half, we’re all in need of a little R&R. For me, a week in late April at three wellness spas in Arizona was just what the doctor ordered. Having my twin sister join me on the trip made it even better. After flying into Phoenix, we picked up a Jeep and drove to Andaz Resort in nearby Scottsdale. We had just enough time to unpack in our spacious bungalow before heading to Palo Verde Spa for a soul essence massage, which started with creating a custom essential oil mix at the spa’s blending bar.

Andaz’s Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen offers culinary specialties inspired by the Sonoran Desert. My favorite was the blue corn pancakes with an orange poppy seed sauce. Within walking distance is another terrific restaurant, Fat Ox, which features upscale Italian fare. Try its roasted bone marrow, Rosso Crest di Gallo (with dandelion greens, duck sausage, and huckleberry), and signature brick-grilled organic chicken or one of its dishes featuring cuts of Linz angus beef.

A quick drive will take you to the stunning Desert Botanical Garden, which features more than 50,000 plants. If built landscapes are more your style, visit Taliesin West, the winter

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home and studio of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. For shopping, check out the quirky shops (and a few tourist traps) in Old Town Scottsdale.

Be sure to stop at The Mission for some of the best guacamole you’ll ever have. The roasted corn gorditas are another must.

After all the eating and drinking in Scottsdale, my sister and I drove to Civana Wellness Resort & Spa in tiny Carefree, Arizona. There, we burned off every calorie with classes like cardio flow and aerial yoga and hikes on the Metate Trail, which meanders among giant saguaro cacti. Recovery experiences included an aqua therapy circuit and massages at the spa, a peaceful gratitude circle in the rose garden, and sunset sound healing. Due to its remote location, all meals were on campus. But the “veggie-forward” offerings did not disappoint. Especially delicious were the mushroom-lentil paté and hemp-crusted tuna.

Our trip took a magical turn when we headed to Enchantment Resort in Sedona. Nestled in the breathtaking red rocks of Boynton Canyon, the property truly lives up to its name. Joyful hummingbirds can be spotted throughout the pristine grounds during the day, and on clear nights, the sky is otherworldly, perfect for stargazing.

At Enchantment’s more formal Che Ah Chi restaurant, Native American ingredients are showcased in menu items that are presented as works of art. The Sous Vide Lamb Loin and Yuma Spring Vegetable Chili were spectacular.

At the more casual Tii Gavo, standouts included an elote appetizer and tamale bowls with molebraised short rib or chile shrimp.

What makes Enchantment truly exceptional, though, are the unique wellbeing classes and spa treatments and the resort’s gifted therapists and guides.

Experiences include reiki enMAJESTIC VISTAS Sedona offers ergy healing, seven chakras some of the country’s best hiking—and massage, and medicine wheel natural scenery. meditations. We also did Qigong, hiked the red rocks, made prayer arrows, attended a vortex lecture, and tried our hand at mandalas and Zen art. At Enchantment, your mind will quiet, and your heart and soul will expand. As I later described it to friends, it was the best summer camp ever.

T R AV E L T I P S

A Hiking Haven Beth Lambert was a bit of an adrenaline junkie growing up, and she’s still very athletic.

While some vacationers are content to lay on a beach, Lambert prefers trips that test her physical prowess. She’s an avid hiker, and for her, there’s no better place to do it than Sedona. “With the red rocks, the vistas and views are unparalleled,” she says. She avoids popular tourist trails like Devil’s Bridge and instead recommends what’s known as the “Sedona Secret 7” (easily found online, if you just know to search for it). “Sedona is a place where I can push myself and do things that stretch me and challenge me,” Lambert says. “And it’s so serene; there’s definitely a spiritual component to it, too.”

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PIZZA PALS

Miff and his father both worked for Domino’s after they arrived in the United States.

SCHOOL DAYS

A young Miff, second row from the top, fourth from left, during his fourth grade graduation.

ROMANIAN LAD

Miff grew up in Alba Iulia, along the Mures River.

He’s shown here at the age of 10 in his school uniform.

ROOTS

STEVE MIFF

as told to MARIAH TERRY illustration by JAKE MEYERS

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as president and ceo, steve Miff runs the Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation, an analytics operation that has played a key role in helping Dallas County manage COVID-19. Originally from Romania, he and his father left their home in 1987 to start new lives in the United States. Here, he shares his journey: “We lived in a town called Alba Iulia, which was the capital of Romania under the Roman Empire. I had a great childhood, but it was under communism. Both my parents were physicians, so when the government started arresting people who were a bit more successful, my parents became nervous and thought about getting out.

Through their medical practice, they had connections to high-level individuals who could help them get visas to visit the United States. They decided it would be best if my dad and I went first.

I remember my dad sewing his diplomas inside

the liner of his luggage, so he would have the documentation he needed to practice in the U.S. On my first day of high school, I was so nervous that I asked my dad to come with me on the school bus. Later, he and I got jobs painting apartments.

Then we both got hired at Domino’s Pizza. My dad delivered pizzas, and I made the pizzas. To this day, I still order Domino’s Pizza because it’s so special to me. Eventually, we started to be successful again. It took a lot of hard work, but also a lot of luck. Having the opportunity to start over and make something of it almost feels like I’ve lived two lives in one. My parents have a medical practice in Illinois, which they have run for the past 30 years. It has been a fantastic journey. I feel so blessed to be where we are.”

P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F S T E V E M I F F

President and CEO PA R K L A N D C E N T E R F O R C L I N I C A L I N N OVAT I O N

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7/2/21 1:12 PM

Volunteers Change Everything VOLUNTEERNOW is honored to be named as a finalist for Social Enterprise Nonprofit of the Year 2021 by D CEO for the development of our innovative volunteer recruiting and management platform, VOLY.org.

VOLUNTEERNOW mobilizes over 300,000 volunteers per year in support of 3,500 nonprofits. Join us at the largest volunteerism festival in Dallas on Saturday, September 11 in Klyde Warren Park.

Free and family-friendly, Voly in the Park features 75 nonprofits, hands-on volunteer activities, and live entertainment. Sponsorships are available! www.volnow.org

Thehear to ft heDal l asSt ar sFo undat i on i st oi nv es ti no urc o mmuni t i esbyc r eat i ng uni quepr ogr amst hatnur t ur eande nr i c ht he l i v eso ft ho s ei nneed.

DALLASSTARS. COM/FOUNDATI ON

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At Communities Foundation of Texas, we take care of businesses who take care of their communities.

Our Be In Good Company program recognizes local businesses and their employees for the good work they are doing to help our communities thrive.

We’re proud to share our list of 2021 member companies who have demonstrated their excellence and commitment to thriving teams that create a thriving culture that ensure a thriving future for all.

American Airlines Arcosa Asava Consulting, Inc. Atmos Energy Axxess B-TRNSFRMD Badmus & Associates Bank of Texas Bioworld Merchandising Inc. BFS Advisory Group Boeing Capital One Services, Inc. CONTI Organization Cyber Group Dallas Regional Chamber The Dallas Business Journal The Dallas Morning News Deloitte D CEO Magazine / D Magazine DHD Films EO Dallas

Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Fibroid Institute Dallas Goextele Communications Software & Technology, LLC. Granite Properties HCK2 Hazel’s Expedited Freight Hilti HumCap LP Hunt Consolidated, Inc. Independent Financial Istation Legacy Knight : Multi-Family Office Marketwave Marsh & McLennan Agency Montgomery Capital Advisers NectarOM NETSCOUT Pecan Grove Farms & Nursery RealCom Solutions Risch Results

Seeds 2 STEM SFMG Wealth Advisors Shiftsmart Shields Legal Group Stewart Law Group PLLC Sutton Frost Cary LLP Sunwest Communications Texadia Systems Texas Capital Bank Texas Health Resources Texas Mutual Insurance Company Thompson and Knight, LLP Thomson Reuters TruePoint Communications Truist Two Roads Consulting University of North Texas System Weaver West Monroe Partners work/REFINED

Learn more about our member companies and how YOU can join our efforts in 2022 at CF TEX AS .ORG/DCEOgoodcompany

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Making a Difference Communities Foundation of Texas’ Be in Good Company 2021 Featured Partners

SHUTTERSTOCK

communities foundation of texas’ Be In Good Company program recognizes North Texas businesses that are making a difference in our com­munity with their commitment to corporate citizenship and volunteerism. Thriving teams create thriving cul­tures.

CFT partners with companies of all sizes to offer a wide range of philanthropic services to help start or grow a company’s giving and community engagement program, guiding them through their Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives while aligning with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. CFT’s Be In Good Company program recognizes com­panies that meet these pillars of excellence, and D Magazine Partners is proud to be one of them. Learn more about their pursuits to give back in a meaningful way on the following pages.

For a full list of members, visit cftexas.org/beingoodcompany.

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stewartlawgrp.com linkedin.com/company/stewart-bradbury-pllc twitter.com/SLGLaw745 facebook.com/StewartLawGrp @stewartlawgroup CEO:

Amy Marie Stewart EMPLOYEE SIZE:

20 INDUSTRY:

Legal Services KEY ISSUE AREAS: General Civil Litigation, Labor and Employment, Contracts, Product Liability, Arbitrations, Personal Injury, and Insurance Defense

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Why is it imperative for you to engage and invest in community involvement, volunteerism, and corporate citizenship?

At Stewart Law Group, we believe in lifting others as we rise. No one succeeds on their own; each one of us has someone who was kind enough to guide us when we were climbing our ladder. Now that we have conquered a few steps, it is time for us to return the favor. We work hard to overcome the challenges we encounter and are privileged to support others in their journeys, whatever their starting point.

What are the key issue areas or nonprofits that you partner with locally?

As one of the largest minorityand woman-owned law firms in Texas, SLG prides itself on being responsible corporate citizens, particularly in the active

empowerment of minorities and women. We partner with clients to design joint pro-bono events, and we support other local, state, and national civic and charitable groups that align with our values.

Why are you proud to be a CFT Be in Good Company member?

We are proud to be a part of a community-wide initiative to make North Texas one of the most diverse, businessengaged regions in the country. We believe in the three Pillars of Excellence: Thriving Teams, Thriving Culture, and a Thriving Future, and we implement both internal and external programs that are making a measurable difference in our neighborhoods.

How has your company citizenship improved or affected your company culture?

When founding partner Amy M. Stewart brainstormed about the legacy she wanted to create, aside from being “yet another law firm,” she wanted to create a new standard–a higher standard– of community engagement and leadership. In addition to providing unrivaled experience and personalized service, we have made giving back a core value of SLG’s culture. We address women and minority issues head-on through the firm’s philanthropic initiative, SLG Impact. Through hundreds of volunteer hours each year, we are the true beneficiaries because of all we learn from these citizens.

P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F S T E W A R T L A W G R O U P P L L C

Stewart Law Group PLLC

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superior performance Strategy teamwork diversity are in Founding Partner Amy M. Stewart’s DNA from her experience as a former NCAA Division I collegiate athlete and basketball coach.

As a client of Stewart Law Group, you can count on the same focus, drive, and collaboration when we work with you.

469.607.2300

DCEOMAGAZINE.COM

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BFS Advisory Group CEO:

Debra Brennan Tagg EMPLOYEE SIZE:

8 INDUSTRY:

Financial Services KEY ISSUE AREAS: To improve the quality of life for Dallas residents and give a hand up to local families through our combined resources.

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Why is it imperative for you to invest in community involvement, volunteerism, and corporate citizenship?

We help successful entrepreneurs and high-net-worth individuals use their money to have the life they want. And a full life includes giving back to ensure Dallas is a thriving, equitable community.

What is your advice for small, to mediumsized businesses looking to invest in corporate citizenship and not sure where to start? My advice is simple: Start. Even the smallest actions matter. That’s why I’m so proud of co-founding Be in Good Company. We link those with the desire to serve to needs in the community—and link established philanthropists with emerging ones. We know that, together, our small acts transform into a powerful force for good.

P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F BFS ADVISORY GROUP

bfsadvisorygroup.com linkedin.com/company/bfs-advisory-group @bfsadvisorygroup twitter.com/dbt360planner

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Granite Properties CEO:

Michael Dardick EMPLOYEE SIZE:

169 INDUSTRY:

Commercial Real Estate

Why is it imperative for you to engage and invest in community involvement, volunteerism, and corporate citizenship? Granite was founded in 1991 with the purpose to inspire people to flourish through the places we create. We do that through providing human-centered workplaces rich in amenities, experiences, and engagement with the surrounding community. Fostering community and giving back is at the core of Granite’s culture. Whether it’s through sustainable development, reducing our carbon footprint, volunteering, donations, or supporting the success and growth of our customers and employees, we work to bring about positive change in the community where we do business. “We believe when one person flourishes, it creates a positive wake for others to flourish,” says Michael Dardick, founding partner & CEO, Granite Properties.

P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F GRANITE PROPERTIES

graniteprop.com linkedin.com/company/granite-properties facebook.com/graniteproperties twitter.com/graniteprop @graniteproperties

We’re proud to be recognized as a finalist for the D CEO Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Awards 2021

Inspiring people to flourish through the places we create.

ATLANTA • DALLAS • DENVER • HOUSTON • SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA graniteprop.com

DCEOMAGAZINE.COM

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Marketwave CEO:

Tina Young EMPLOYEE SIZE:

13 INDUSTRY:

Marketing KEY ISSUE AREAS:

Homelessness, Hunger, Elevating Women/Girls

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What is your advice for businesses that are looking to invest in corporate citizenship and not sure where to start? Define your corporate values, engage your team, and identify meaningful causes where your company can make an impact. Elevate your brand purpose through focused community connections, and ideal employees and customers will be your ROI. How has your company citizenship improved or affected your company culture? Giving back as a team boosts employee engagement and, done strategically, can build a brand and be a differentiator. Our purpose drives our business and makes connections–from attracting top talent to signing new clients.

Because when your brand stands for something bigger, you do better and find yourself in great company.

P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F M A R K E T WAV E

marketwave.biz linkedin.com/company/marketwave twitter.com/marketwave facebook.com/marketwaveagency

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Two Roads Consulting EMPLOYEE SIZE:

30 INDUSTRY:

Management Consulting KEY NONPROFIT PARTNERS:

The Birthday Party Project

Why is it imperative for you to engage and invest in community involvement? We live and work in North Texas and are committed to building a thriving community for everyone. This is a core value for us!

Why are you proud to be a CFT Be in Good Company member?

The program is an amazing opportunity to interact with a diverse set of local businesses that are also focused on community and good corporate citizenship.

P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F T W O R O A D S C O N S U LT I N G

tworoadsconsulting.com linkedin.com/company/two-roads-consulting

What is a nonprofit partnership or effort that you are most proud of?

We are proud to partner with The Birthday Party Project in support of their mission to honor local children experiencing homelessness through the magic of birthday celebrations.

We’re a management consulting firm focused on helping our clients tackle today’s most complex business and technology challenges. Our experienced team is local and has a passion for problem-solving.

Partner with us to deliver on transformation.

Two Roads Consulting

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END MARK

VARIED CAREER

Highland Park Pioneer

COL . HE NRY EX ALL Aug. 30, 1848­– Dec. 29, 1913

story by WILL MADDOX

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H

TRANQUIL SPOT

Exall built a dam to create Exall Lake, a popular getaway for early residents.

P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F S M U ’ S D E G O LY E R L I B R A R Y

Col. Henry Exall worked in the cattle business, banking, and real estate before settling on agriculture and trotting horses.

enry exall might be best known for assembling the land for Highland Park, but he cuts a complex figure and influenced the region in a number of ways. Born in Virginia, he served in the Confederate Army before moving to Fort Worth at age 28 and starting a cattle business. He segued into real estate, developed one of the region’s first skyscrapers, and, in 1887, organized the North Texas National Bank of Dallas. He built a dam on Turtle Creek to create Exall Lake, which became a popular getaway for early Dallasites. He and his partners from Pennsylvania hoped to build an enclave called Philadelphia Place on the 1,326 acres they owned, but their plans were scuttled by worldwide financial collapse. Instead, the land was sold to John Armstrong, who named Highland Park and whose sons-in-law, Hugh Prather and Edgar Flippen, developed the community.

Exall recovered his fortune by farming and raising trotting horses. In 1910, the Texas Industrial Congress chose him to promote agriculture across the state. At his memorial service, Texas A&M University’s Dean E.J. Kyle called Exall “one of the greatest—if not the greatest—teacher of practical agriculture this country has ever known.”

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Everything starts with a

JOB

That’s how people pay their bills, send their kids to school and put food on the table. My work allows me to solve problems for the people who work for us and for our customers. It’s nice being the first drop of water in the ripple effect.

BGSF.COM

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Let’s create your solutions your market your equity your structure a shared vision.

Bringing more to banking. www.texascapitalbank.com Texas Capital Bank, N.A. Member FDIC NASDAQ ®:TCBI

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