Women's Summit - Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Nikhil Dev

Nikhil Dev has a passion for Art and Design. He currently leads Design for one of the products from Intuit called Sprout – which aims at helping new small businesses start. Nikhil joined Intuit in 2014 after working with Cisco, SAP Labs, and Sanspire – his tech startup which helped small businesses manage their operations. He has a master’s in User Experience Design from the National Institute of Design, India and has a Bachelors’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering.

Saumil Srivastava

Saumil is technology thought leader with love and passion for data science. He has Masters in Intelligent Systems from University of Texas at Dallas and MBA in Finance and International Business Strategy from India.

He has had several research publications in Machine Learning. He has been with Intuit for 4 years. He currently is technology Leader for a new product called Sprout. Prior to this he was leading strategic services team in Professional Tax space. Saumil has experience setting up multiple businesses in India and pitching to venture capitalists.

Prabha Karavadi

Prabha is the front-end ninja and software lead for Sprout and has been working with Intuit since 2018.She holds a master’s degree in Finance from Lehigh university and a master’s degree in computer science and engineering from India. She has over 6years of experience working with tax software services and business.

In year 2010 she also started a coaching and consulting business to empower women to start software-based businesses.

Ramona Vaughn

Ramona Vaughn is an established instructional designer and facilitator. She is an entrepreneur with over 10 years of coaching and development experience. Ramona joined Intuit six years ago and currently leads the content strategy for Intuit Sprout.

She is a native of Northern Virginia and alumni of The Ohio State University where she studied Accounting.

Additionally, she leads engagement for the Intuit African Ancestry network, is an active member in the philanthropic sector and facilitates development courses for small businesses.

Brandon Mitchell

Brandon is a data-driven innovator with 7+ years of experience managing more 10 technology products across several industries. He is a native of Edmond, Oklahoma and graduated from Clark Atlanta University with a B.S in Computer Information Systems in 2012.

Brandon created a restaurant promotion startup that acquired over 50 restaurants, raised $60K+ by winning a Google for Entrepreneurs startup pitch competition, and attracted attention from some of the largest venture capital firms and angel investors in Los Angeles.

He currently is the business leader for a new product in Intuit’s portfolio called Sprout.

Harshini Rallapalli

Harshini Rallapalli is an undergraduate junior at UTD majoring in Cognitive Science with focus in Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence. Fascinated by the inner workings of the brain, she is interested in studying patterns in the architecture of human and machine intelligence.

She has a growing interest in learning more about how we can develop and harness powerful artificial intelligence models to solve “beyond moonshot” problems such as global climate change and sustainable healthcare. She is an avid advocate of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and she is always looking to connect and collaborate with others at the intersection of innovation, technology and global issues.

At UTD, she is involved with the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship where she helped build a community of students and start-up mentors actively working together to exchange ideas, innovate and build their entrepreneurial journeys. Through the institute, she had the chance to strengthen her entrepreneurial spirit and inspire others to discover their potential as future entrepreneurs in fields that aren’t limited to just business.

Florence Lowe

Florence Lowe joined Synerzip in 2017 and is the Chief Operating Officer, responsible for customer success working with small to mid-size PE/VC funded software product companies, strategic business development and partnerships, and overall finance and administration. Started in 2004, Synerzip provides agile software product development services for rapid scaling of engineering teams to accelerate product roadmaps with cutting edge technologies in blockchain, machine learning, web development, social apps, mobile, UI/UX, & DevOps.

Prior to Synerzip, Florence led the finance function at InsureTech SAAS company EZLynx and CyberSecurity startup iSight Partners. She has a deep interest in technology and data; and worked on bootstrapped startups in Dallas, one of which, InsiderEdge, developed an SEC filing research platform. Before turning to startups and high growth companies, Florence worked in financial leadership positions at private equity firm Hudson Advisors, Capital One, AlixPartners, and American Airlines. Additionally, Florence worked as a software developer at UBS Warburg, Professional Consulting Services, and IBM Global Services.

Florence has an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, an MCA (Masters in Computer Applications) from Jawaharlal Nehru University and BA (Hons) in Mathematics from the University of Delhi.

Cara Schutte

Cara is the wife to an amazing man and mother to two awesome kids. She was born in Illinois, raised in Arizona, and last year she and her family planted roots in Iowa.

She graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Criminal Justice and Criminology.

She and her family loves to be outdoors whether it’s just going to a playground, camping, or just hanging outside with neighbors. As part of her indoor activities, she enjoy puzzles, gaming, and making creative things with her Cricut.

She has been in a few departments over her (almost) 9 years with GoDaddy, including Care & the Dream Design Team, but most have been spent with the Global Advanced Operations organization where she is currently a Supervisor for the Iowa Advanced Technical Support team.

Heather Dopson

Heather is an advocate for authenticity. She’s a catalyst for conversations worth having and an enabler for ideas worth exploring.

She’s fueled by tracking digital trends, innovation in technology, and taco trucks. She has a profound understanding of social networks, community building, consumers and branding; and a pronounced intolerance for bullshit.

As a Community Builder at GoDaddy, she leverages her skills as a connector and her drive to help small businesses succeed. Her mission in life is to help people lose their J-O-B and find their J-O-Y. Heather is also the host of GoDaddy’s weekly live show, Beyond the Domain. The show brings the best tools, resources and information to guide people along their journey to life fulfilling ventures.

Heather is a veteran of the US Air Force where she served as an AMMO troop assigned to the 523rd Combat Munitions Unit, 27th Fighter Wing.

She currently lives in Arizona with her Belgian Malinois Joker.

Courtney and Dr. Tye Caldwell

Dr. Tye and Courtney Caldwell are tech visionaries and pioneers who created the first on-demand salon and barbershop space rental app. Named Tech Co Startup of the Year, YC Fellowship and 500 Startups alums, and the first Texas startup to win Google Demo Day, ShearShare is paving the way for entrepreneurs who are disrupting age-old industries and building fast-growth companies outside of Silicon Valley.

Individually, Tye holds a Doctorate of Professional Barbering and is a #1 best-selling author on how to achieve long-term success in the beauty and style industry. A recognized expert with more than 26 years of experience as a master barber-stylist, Dr. Tye is often called upon to speak nationwide on macro trends in the industry, operational efficiency for beauty entrepreneurs, client retention, company culture, and team building. Named the B2B Professional of the Year by ZoomInfo, Dr. Tye leverages his domain expertise to pay it forward: his award-winning salon in Plano, Texas, is the backdrop for “behind the chair” business workshops, mentoring sessions, and one-on-one business coaching.

Prior to cofounding ShearShare, Courtney managed the award-winning salon with her husband and cofounder, which was the genesis behind ShearShare. Before that, Courtney spent two decades building winning teams in tech marketing and ran a boutique consulting firm where she fast-tracked international sales and marketing success for brands such as Oracle, Zendesk, and Qualtrics. Courtney is the 33rd African-American female to raise $1 million for her tech startup and recently received an honorary doctorate degree from Miracle University. She was named a 2019 Inc. magazine Female Founders 100, the Ada Lovelace 2019 Female Tech Founder of the Year, a 2018 Dallas Business Journal Women in Technology, and the 2017 L’Oreal Women in Digital NEXT Generation Award winner.
Together, the Caldwells serve on the Advisory Board for national beauty schools and barber colleges, various Boards at Southern Methodist University, and are members of the UT-Dallas Entrepreneurship Council. They live in McKinney, Texas, with their shih-tzu Pepper, and their 18-year-old son, Trey, is a first-year cadet and football player at the United States Air Force Academy.

Trey Bowles

Trey Bowles is a serial entrepreneur, social capitalist, and educator. He co-founded the Dallas Entrepreneur Center (The DEC), a central location for entrepreneurs to learn how to start, build, and grow businesses through training, education, mentorship, promotion, and capital investment. Under his leadership, the DEC launched a public-private partnership called the Dallas Innovation Alliance to help design, develop, and launch a Smart Cities solution in Dallas.

In an effort to get more young professionals engaged in the City of Dallas, Bowles co-founded The Mayor’s Star Council with Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings to find culturally diverse and civically minded emerging leaders that wanted to embrace and engage the city today rather than just inherit it in twenty years. Trey also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Southern Methodist University where he built and launched an entrepreneurship program in the Arts Entrepreneurship and Arts Management department in the Meadows School of the Arts.

Laura Mathieu

Laura Mathieu is the Vice President, Regional Executive at Capital One Bank. During her tenure with Capital One, Laura has managed multiple top-performing teams and various innovative projects within the Texas and Louisiana Regions. Mathieu aims to streamline and improve existing processes, while looking for innovative ways to optimize business practices, promote inclusivity, and adapt to changing markets. She thrives in high-energy environments,and is noted for her leadership style, collaborative work efforts, and tenacity. Most importantly, Mathieu uses her passion to build teams and create synergy between people and projects.Laura also leads the EmpowerHer Women’s Diversity Network for Café & Branches.

Diane McNulty

Diane Seay McNulty, PhD, serves as associate dean for External Affairs and Corporate Development at the Naveen Jindal School of Management, The University of Texas at Dallas. Dr. McNulty coordinates Jindal School’s public relations, marketing, community and corporate relations strategies. She also serves as editor of MANAGEMENT, the Naveen Jindal School of Management bi-annual publication, and Inside Jindal School, an online news portfolio. She is a member of AACSB, the organization that accredits collegiate schools of business, and is a frequent presenter at its events. In addition, Dr. McNulty teaches graduate and undergraduate classes at Jindal School.

Deneen Kipp

Deneen is a Certifed Coach and the owner of Deneen Kipp Coaching & Consulting, LLC where she specializes in Women’s Leadership Development. Prior to launching her own business, she spent 20 years in corporate where much of the time she consulted with leaders at various levels across the organization nationally to assess needs and implement solutions to help bring desired changes into reality.

As a seasoned facilitator and leader, her passion for helping leaders achieve more for themselves and their teams comes from the personal application of the leadership topics she facilitates. In addition to coaching & facilitating, Deneen also loves spending time outdoors running, walking her dogs and spending time on the beach with a good book.

Erin Gregor

Erin Gregor (Smith) is a content and social marketing expert. Five years ago, she launched her first podcast coinciding with her business launch of The Starters Club. Thanks to the podcast, she watched her presence and customer base soar. Through the success of the podcast, Innovation Media Enterprises launched, which helps brands create and produce podcasts.

Faith Keith

Faith Keith is the CEO of Leverage Retirement, Inc. With 21 years experience in the retirement benefits arena before the age of 36, Faith knows the value of tradition and the thrill of innovation. When she is not helping others fortify their future, chase their dreams or conceptualize tech development, she is learning new languages, reading, playing the piano, laughing, cooking something new, running, biking, traveling, and her most favorite of all: pouring into her army of 4 children, 2 dogs and partner-in-crime husband.

Dr. Jatun Dorsey

Dr. Jatun Dorsey is a woman of many brands who is a Vice President in Financial Services, MBA Marketing professor, four time best selling author, speaker, business coach and founder of The Commend Her Network, 501c3. With both a Master’s and Doctorate in Business Administration and 15+ years of corporate leadership experience, she supplements her lived experiences with structured knowledge. Whether in the classroom, boardroom or banquet room, this combination has proven to be what her clients and audiences appreciate most about her methods of encouragement, motivation, and education.

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Jeremy Gaston

As the Executive Director of UNDEREST, Jeremy spends most of his time advocating and building support for women, people of color, veterans, lgbtq+, people with disabilities and people previously incarcerated who are entrepreneurs and business owners. With more than 17 years of entrepreneurial experience, he has learned how to develop a supporting cast of allies who can get him into most any room despite being a person of color.

Rachel West

Rachel is a management consultant at Crederawith expertise in digital transformation, product development, design sprints, and structured innovation. She focuses on building and enhancing creative products and programs that improve the quality of life of those around them.

She loves applying her expertise to invest in the startup community as Dallas Chapter Lead for the SoGalFoundation, the largest global platform for the education and empowerment of over 100,000 diverse entrepreneurs and investors. In addition, she serves as a host for Founder’s Live, a happy hour competition where five handpicked companies take the hot seat, with only 99 seconds to pitch their company and describe their value proposition in front of an eager audience.

Samantha Colletti

Samantha has nearly a decade of experience in the financial services and banking industry covering venture capital, private equity, leveraged buy outs, technology and innovation. As aSenior Vice President withSilicon Valley Bank she focuseson providing innovative financial solutions toventure and private-equity backed technology companies in the DFW area including: venture debt, private banking, recurring revenue lines of credit, foreign exchange and treasury management. Samantha is a huge supporter of the technology and innovation community in DFW and frequently serves on tech-focused panels,volunteers as a mentor for tech start-ups, and develops and organizes many events for theinvestor, entrepreneur and innovator community.She is a frequent guest lecturer at SMU, TCU and UTD in their finance and entrepreneurship departments at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. She holds a Master of Science in Accounting, a Bachelorof Business Administration in Finance, and a Bachelor of Science in Economics fromSouthern Methodist University where she graduated Summa Cum Laude.

Lila Stewart

Hari Mari’s story started in Indonesia, where the husband and wife team, Jeremy and Lila Stewart, lived and worked for several years, starting in 2007. During their time in the island nation, Jeremy was producing a documentary film on children fighting hunger and malnutrition in Southeast Asia, and Lila was volunteering on behalf of the American Women’s Association in Jakarta, spearheading in-country fundraising, clothing drives, and food donations to aid and support orphans across the archipelago. Their unique & indelible experiences clicked and spurred a collective passion for helping kids abroad.

Moving back to the States in 2010 and expecting their first child, the two decided the next project they undertook would be to help kids here in the US, and when they saw an unmet need for comfortable and colorful flip flops at a premium level, they married the two passions together to found Hari Mari.

Jeremy and Lila were shocked to learn that pediatric cancer is the most fatal disease amongst American kids, a deeply concerning statistic that immediately launched what is now an embedded part of Hari Mari’s DNA –giving 1% of sales to support kids battling pediatric cancer –they call it Flops Fighting Cancer.

Paying homage to the origin of their commitment to helping kids and the trace root of the brand, “Hari” (Hahr-ee) literally means “sun” in the Indonesian Language while “Mari” (Mahr-ee) means “sea” in Latin, but Lila & Jeremy are more likely to tell you Hari Mari just means making a great pair of flip flops that also help support a lot of incredibly brave children.

Hari Mari launched in 2012, bringing clever color and superlative comfort together in a singular flip flop, creating looks as unique as the people who wear them. Described by Details Magazineas“The only sandals a guy should wear” and tapped as “stylish and absurdly comfortable” by Outside Magazine.

Hari Mari’s can be found in select retailers and online at HariMari.com.

Melissa Marks

Melissa Marks is the Founder and Chief Mindfulness Officer of Your Mindful Edge. She primarily coaches self-described “Over-thinkers,” High Performers and Type A Personalities to become even better at reaching their goals through meditation, mental focusing and relaxation techniques.

She is a Mindfulness Coach, Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Art Therapist, Certified Meditation Teacher and Certified Yoga Instructor. Melissa started her Mindfulness practice 21 years ago as a 24-year-old burned-out Real Estate agent in New York City. She has been teaching Mindfulness since 2005 and is also a frequent presenter at many executive meetings and conferences.

Jessica Vittorio

Jessica Vittorio is the Managing Attorney of The Law Office of Jessica Vittorio, a law office focused on providing startups and small business owners with the insight and experience they need to properly grow their business. As the daughter of two business owners, Jessica grew up with a unique understanding of the challenges and issues that entrepreneurs face every day. Prior to opening the firm, Jessica served as primary Legislative Counsel to a member of the United States House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.. This experience gave her many opportunities to connect with startup and small business owners throughout the country, and develop a well‐rounded understanding of the specific obstacles they face. Unlike many business-oriented law firms, Jessica focuses on developing client relationships and appreciating each client as an individual company. By understanding a company’s philosophy, values, and goals she can empower her clients to establish their business in ways that will enable future success. She is a strong believer in the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship, and is continuously finding new ways to help her clients overcome obstacles so they can focus on making their dreams a reality.

Kinga Evans

Currently a Managing Partner with Geode Companies, Kinga Evans drives the strategy and growth of many of the company’s middle market clients in financial services, retail and technology industries. After the sale of EasySeat Tickets to a strategic buyer in 2015, the company she led as Chief Operating Officer, Kinga has since engaged with growing companies looking to scale their operations. Shehas specialized expertise in finance, strategic planning, sales and customer success. Her unique ability to gather insights and empower collaboration can rapidly bring value to any organization.

Her vast experience spans Fortune 100 financial services companies, some of the fastest growing private companies in America as measured by Inc. magazine, and her own ventures in real estate and technology. She is also a start-up company mentor in the Venture Development Center at the University of Texas at Dallas and a mentor for the Entrepreneurship Club at Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business.

One of Connecticut Magazine’sand Hartford Business Journal’s“40 under Forty,” Kinga serves on Boards of Directors of growing technology companies.Passionate about children-related causes, she currently also serves on the Board of Directors of The Elisa Project, a Dallas non-profit helping children and adolescents overcome eating disorders. Prior to this, she served as a Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Cove Center for Grieving Children in Meriden, Connecticut.She is also an active member on the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) DFW Women’s Committee and Financial Executives International (FEI) Chapter in Dallas.

Kinga holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Central Connecticut State University and an MBA from University of Hartford. She is excited to mentor, invest and consult with passionate business founders.

Josh Zelaya

Josh Zelaya is the Co-founder, Director, & Cinematographerof Zelaya Productions, a production company that produces beautiful videos and photos for companies’ advertisement, website & social media content needs. In his role he takes the lead on filming and editing projects, as well as directing on set.

Originally from Honduras, Josh Zelaya is no stranger to entrepreneurship.In his rural hometown, he came from humble beginnings where his family lived off of the land and he earned a living chopping wood and selling tortillas at the young age of 6 years old. Life was all about survival at that time, and even then, Josh’s passion for storytelling started with simply watching television and movies –a rare treat in Honduras. At the age of 10, he was fortunate enough to immigrate to the United States, the land of opportunity and he has never looked back. He accredits his journey of learning the art of film and photography from successful photographers & cinematographers in the industry, taking courses, and tireless self study. A natural technical expert, Josh devoted countless hours to honing his skills while simultaneously working odd jobs to turn his dreams into a full time business.

Fast forward to today, Josh has truly mastered advanced lighting setups both for commercial photography and filming, as well as post production for both photography and videography. From advanced composite work, to skin retouching, to cinematic edits, and high energy special effects, Josh has worked on commercial projects for large companies, small businesses, local musicians,fitness influencers, and even had the pleasure of filming and editing UTD’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program marketing video leading up to the 2018 Big Idea Competition.

Not to mention, he has received over 50,000 views on YouTube for his acclaimed Aputure VS. Godox Lighting Review for which companies have sought his candid expertise on their products that he will launch videos for at the end of 2019 and throughout 2020.When he is not filming or editing for commercial projects, Josh consults and trains in-house media production teams of small business owners, as well the business owners themselves who have an interest in learning the ins and outs of photography and videography. He also films a select number of weddings a year for his wedding videography brand, Zpro Films.

In his spare time, Josh enjoys mentoring young film makers, as well as educating business owners about the power of video marketing, as well as spending time with his family, traveling, and working out.

Amber Zelaya

Amber Zelaya is the Co-founder & Creative Director of Zelaya Productions, a production company that produces beautiful videos and photos for companies’ website & social media content needs. Her role is quite profound as she provides the backbone of all digital media assets produced for their company–storytelling and brand messaging. Amber is responsible for script writing and storyboarding for video production projects, as well as leading their clients full scope to address marketing needs including writing copy for social media ads, marketing collateral, web, and blog content.

A storyteller at heart, Amber’s passion for writing can be traced back to her elementary school days. Growing up she penned lyrics to songs she composed, as well as scripts that her theatre class performed live for assemblies and retreats.

A proud Comet, Amber graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a B.A. in Arts and Technology where she focused on graphic design and digital photography. A huge fan of the renowned photographer, Duane Michals, Amber adapted the idea of including text with with her photography to examine both the psychology of emotion and philosophy behind what her images represented. This new medium not only allowed Amber to capture a moment in time but also to communicate a clear message to the viewer that did not leave room for interpretation. Fast forward to today, it would only seem natural that Amber would foray into writing copy for ads, websites, social media, and film.

Before joining her husband and business partner full time in their production company, Amber worked in the corporate world where she excelled as a Marketing Coordinator, Recruitment Coordinator, and Office Manager. It was through these opportunities she learned the art of proposal writing, writing copy for marketing materials, ads, and human resources messaging for recruitment, as well as corporate culture and internal communications messaging.

Beyond writing, Amberenjoys empowering women in business and encouraging work life balance, especially amongst women entrepreneurs with young children. On a personal note, she adoresspending time with her family, cooking, reading, and practicing yoga.

Courtney Caldwell

Courtney Caldwell is the Cofounder & COO of beauty-tech startup,ShearShare, the first on-demand salon and barbershop space rental app. With ShearShare, licensed stylists can rent workspace by the day, while salon and barbershop owners make money on unused space.

Prior to cofounding ShearShare –Google Demo Day winner 2018, Tech. Co’s Startup of the Year, and aYC Fellowship and 500 Startups alum –Courtney managed an award-winning salon with her husband and cofounder, which was the genesis behind ShearShare. Before that, Courtney spent two decades building winning teams in tech marketing and ran a boutique consulting firm where she fast-tracked international sales and marketing success for brands such as Zendesk, Zenefits, and Qualtrics.

Courtney is the 33rd African-American female to raise $1 million for her tech startup and recently received an honorary doctorate degree from Miracle University. She was named theAda Lovelace 2019 Female Tech Founder of the Year, a2018 Dallas Business Journal Women in Technology, the2017 L’Oreal Women in Digital NEXT Generation Awardwinner, and a Direct Marketing News “40 Under 40.” She serves on the Advisory Board for Ogle Cosmetology School, the Alumni Board for Southern Methodist University, and is a member of the UT-Dallas Entrepreneurship Council.

Courtney lives in McKinney, Texas, with her husband, Dr. Tye Caldwell, and their 18-year-old son, Trey.

Tarsha Polk

Tarsha Polk is an experienced professional with over 20 years of combined marketing, sales, corporate training and entrepreneurial expertise. As an entrepreneur, author, business coach and international speaker, she is passionate about empowering others to succeed in business and life.

Tarsha currently serves as the Director of the LiftFund Dallas Fort Worth Women’s Business Center. As director, Tarsha provides support and guidance to entrepreneurs seeking to start or grow their businesses, and connect them to additional business and financial resources in their community.

Michelle Bogan

Throughout her 25-year career Michelle has been a leader in advancing women while driving business results and strategic growth. She founded EQUITY FOR WOMEN to help companies achieve measurable, self-sustaining gains in gender equity. Prior to founding EQUITY FOR WOMEN, Michelle worked in retail, consulting and tech at Accenture, Kurt Salmon, Macy’s Inc., The Walt Disney Company and tech startups, and consulted with Fortune 500 companies around the world.

Jenny Anchondo

Jenny Anchondo is a Emmy-Award-winning news anchor, host and reporter. She has worked for CBS, NBC and Fox at TV stations all over the country. Jenny is the co-host of the Second Shot podcast, which is an inspirational and motivational show that takes a “second shot” at the news of the day.

Previously, she was the co-host of the nationally syndicated broadcast, Morning Dose. Jenny also served as an anchor and reporter for top-rated Fox 4 news, serving as the single host of the Saturday and Sunday morning broadcasts.

In addition, Jenny works as a media coach and mentor to individuals and businesses looking to book interviews and gain the confidence needed to effectively get their message across on camera.

She is a passionate volunteer, community servant and advocate for the causes that matter most to her. As someone who struggled with an eating disorder for more than a decade, Jenny is an outspoken champion of eating disorder education and solutions.

In addition to several philanthropic projects Jenny lends her time to, she has served on the boards for the Housing Crisis Center and Leukemia Texas. As a first generation college student, she is committed to literacy and education. She has also served as a volunteer for Reading Partners, the Reading Seed and multiple other literacy-based organizations.

Jenny and her husband, Heath are new parents to 2-year-old Brighton Valentina.

Anjie Vichayanonda

Anjie Vichayanonda is an alum of the University of Texas at Dallas and she graduated in 2008 with a bachelors in Business Administration. After working at an advertising agency for two years, Anjie enrolled in law school at the University of New Hampshire, currently the #6 ranked law school for intellectual property by U.S. News. For the last five years, Anjie has practiced trademark and copyright law. She started as an associate at a premier intellectual property boutique in Washington, D.C. where her clients included the Disney / Marvel / Lucasfilm / ABC conglomerate, Harley-Davidson, Yahoo, Twentieth Century Fox and The Hershey Company. In 2017, she joined the Dallas office of Haynes & Boone, LLP. In September 2018, Anjie left the practice of law and founded Leg Up Legal, a start-up that provides an online mentoring and coaching platform to connect pre-law and current law students to lawyers.

Tammy Bowser

Tammy has over 10 years experience in corporate finance and accounting. She used her skills in finance to start her own company called Snag My Wedding, which is the only platform where you resell your entire wedding. Her company was recently featured in Forbes and has over 7k registered users on their website to date.

Tammy lives in Frisco, TX with her husband and daughter. Born and raised in Louisiana, she has called Texas home for the last 20 years. She is also a volunteer for Young Entrepreneurs Academy in FRISCO, where she have served as a mentor for the last 6 years.

Rashida Thomas

Rashida S. Thomas is a transformational change agent for singles facing financial struggles and student loan debt. Her mission is to help singles overcome financial anxiety so they can get on the path to paying off debt.

Rashida is President of Living In The Red Enterprises, a company which provides tips for tackling student loan debt and learning how to balance life while living in the red. As a Certified Financial Education Instructor and Certified Credit Consultant her mission is to help others admit there is a problem with debt, adjust their attitude toward debt, and apply the proper tools and strategies to successfully tackle debt.

Lisa Mares

Lisa Mares takes a practical and strategic approach when representing clients. Lisa has advised small businesses, public agencies, and private corporations regarding formations, contracts, employment, intellectual property, commercial tenant, procurement, and compliance matters. Lisa has also served as in-house counsel for a publicly-traded corporation, specializing in service contracts, business operations, marketing, government relations, regulatory, and training programs. Lisa has also represented clients in responding to investigations and enforcement matters in connection with environmental, data privacy, and security matters. Business clients appreciate Lisa’s thorough review of the pertinent legal issues and dedication to developing tailored legal solutions.

Leiza Dolghih

Ms. Dolghih is a partner at the 9th largest law firm in the country and a co-chair of the trade secrets and non-compete disputes section at the firm. She has won D Magazine Best Lawyer under 40 in 2018 and 2019, Texas Diversity Council’s Top 50 Women Lawyers award in 2018 and Super Lawyer Rising Start in 2018 and 2019. She practices business and employment litigation and works with a variety of entrepreneurs and business owners.

Leah Frazier

Leah Frazier is an Emmy award-winning FashionPreneur™ and was recognized as one of Dallas’ most successful women for 2015. In 2018, Leah was awarded the Startup Evangelist of the Year honor by The Dallas Entrepreneur Center, and also Best Stylist of 2018 by Cosign Magazine. She is a multi-licensed attorney turned fashion guru, who unapologetically left the practice of law to pursue her fashion ventures. Leah has built a multi-faceted empire as an award-winning fashion journalist, media personality, celebrity stylist, professional and nationally published model, digital marketing expert, and in-demand fashion consultant to notable brands.

Leah is also the proud owner of award-winning Think Three Media – a creative marketing agency focused in the areas of content marketing, social media marketing, and public relations services for brands spanning the industries of fashion, beauty, public speaking, the performing arts, food, lifestyle, and more. Leah has been featured on Vogue.com, NBC, CW, CBS Local, Chase TV, Fox TV, Good Morning Texas, Haute Living Magazine, Dallas Innovates, and many other outlets as an expert in fashion, marketing, public relations and entrepreneurship.

Leah co-authored her first book, The Success Factor, which reached #1 as a Best Seller for Women and Business reads, and was also awarded an African-American Literary Award for 2018.

Laquita Hogan

Laquita Hogan is the Founder of Quality & Superior Financial Services LLC, formerly First Step Tax Services. She has partnered with Keller Williams Realty, The J29 Experience and many others to speak as an expert about financial literacy.

Her latest eBook, Credit Solutions to Financial Independence is designed to help those searching for a credit solution to current debt. Laquita has appeared on DFWiRadio, Nobody Greater LLC Podcast, The Fanny Minnitt Show, Sharing With Shani Show, and Dallas Voyage Magazine.

Laquita  is very knowledgeable and passionate about helping others beat financial challenges and striving for a better financial lifestyle.

Kristin O'Neal

Originally from Southern California and a graduate of San Diego state University, Kristin O’Neal started her financial services practice full time in 2014. All the coaching she received was from the male perspective and although she was successful by their standards she wasn’t by her own. She struggled constantly translating the way the boys did business into her own language and found that the more she was true to herself, the right clients fell into place.

Kristin is currently the owner of a financial planning practice where she consults with female primary income earners to help them build their net worth. She also owns Ashton Charles Consulting, a consultancy dedicated to supporting women who own service based businesses create their business and personal vision, map out the steps to get there, and hold them accountable to accomplishing their highest goals.

She’s the host of The TRIBE Podcast by Ashton Charles and Author of the forthcoming book “A Girls Guide to Networking: building your network with intention clarity & purpose”.

Kristin and her golden doodle puppy Charlie are based in San Diego, CA.

Susy Solis

Susy Solis is a journalist, entrepreneur, and consultant who now uses her platform to encourage and advise budding entrepreneurs and empower women and minorities. Solis is a media and communication expert, having spent more than a decade on radio and television and later launching her media consulting firm, Solis Media Strategies. Solis is a sought-after media coach who has trained dozens of municipalities, federal agencies, NFL athletes, tech start-ups and Fortune 500 executives and their teams on how to effectively communicate in business, during presentations and on-camera. Solis has also garnered publicity for businesses, people and events. Her journalistic background gives her a unique and critical perspective. Most recently, Solis came out of radio retirement to anchor the afternoon news on NewsRadio 1080 KRLD in Dallas.

In a collaboration with the University of Michigan Computer Science Department, Solis has created two apps (both Android and iOS version) of a positive habit tracker and is launching a third app for her company, Solis Media Strategies, that focuses on presentation skills, messaging,and media interviews. The app is set to launch in early 2020.

Solis is a founding member of the Hey Chica Movement, a Latina Leadership summit and movement designed to bring women together for real conversations that enhance business, build a network and a strong sisterhood. Solis was named 2017 Entrepreneur of the Year by the Irving Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She was nominated for a Quality & Excellence Entrepreneur Award by the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2015 and again in 2016.

Solis spent 7 years as a reporter in Dallas, the nation’s 5th largest market, which allowed her to develop an extensive national network. Solis is a passionate communicator, whether it’s through journalism, writing, speaking, emceeing, teaching or social media. Solis is a fluent Spanish speaker and a die-hard sports fan. Her deep knowledge of the media and communication help her resonate with audiences of all kinds.

Tiffany and Leon Chen

Tiffany and Leon Chen, President and CEO of Tiff’s Treats, co-founded the nation’s first warm cookie delivery company together out of Leon’s college apartment at the University of Texas in 1999. They have spent the past 20 years growing the company from a two person home based business to 53 locations and counting, with over 1000 employees across Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, and have raised $50 million in funding along the way for further expansion. Tiffany graduated with a BS in Advertising from the University of Texas while Leon graduated with a BA in Marketing from the University of Texas. They pair live in Austin and are parents to five year old twins.

Suzy Batiz

“HOLY SHIT!”is what Suzy Batiz, the founder of Poo~Pourri and Supernatural, says while reflecting on her journey of liberation from a lifetime of oppression, convention and conformity using radical transformational and pattern-breaking thinking.

Transformation is the common thread that runs throughout Suzy’s life and her companies. Whether transforming literal shit into a pleasant-smelling experience with Poo~Pourri, the household cleaning industry from toxicity to aromatherapeutic magic with supernatural or people’s lives with her growing personal brand, Suzy is a revolutionary explorer of infinite potential in the playground of life, who loves to inspire others and bring them along for the ride.

Suzy experienced some of life’s lowest lows —poverty, sexual and domestic abuse, depression, two bankruptcies and a suicide attempt —which led to what she calls the luxury of losing everything. After harnessing the power of intuition, her journey led her to building her businesses from the ground up without ever taking a dollar of outside investment. Suzy harnessed the power of true transformation and turned ALIVE IDEAS into a $500+ million empire.

Suzy knows that money is simply energy and by focusing on your energetic state, abundance in all areas of your life naturally follows: your energetic state improves, and you will lead an Alive as Shit life. She wants every person to know that they already have everything inside of them to make their dreams come true.

Suzy has been featured by leading publications including Forbes, CNBC, Fast Company and Entrepreneur. She has been named one of Forbes’ Richest Self-Made Women in America (2019), EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year (2017), Conscious Company’s World Changing Women (2019), EarthX’s Community Leader of the Year (2019) and is WBENC (Women Owned) certified business owner. Suzy has also been interviewed for Leaders Create Leaders, Modern Hero, Marie Forleo’s Marie TV and has given presentations for Conscious Capitalism, Google, HustleCon, SXSW, Create & Cultivate & the In goop Health summit.

TIME	SESSION
8:00 AM	Registration and Breakfast
9:00 AM	Opening Remarks from Diane McNulty, UT Dallas
9:15 AM	An interview with the founders of ShearShare: Dr. Tye and Courtney Caldwell
9:45 AM	Break
10:00 AM	Breakout Sessions – Website Building – Living Your Best Life: From Inspiration to Inspired Action – Protecting Your Business’s Trade Secrets: Lessons from Uber, Google and Amazon – Leveraging LinkedIn to Build a Network of Allies – Avoiding Financial Pitfalls as an Entrepreneur – Create a Winning Strategy with Six Legal Essentials for Your Start-up – Powering Through Parallelpreneurship: 5 Ways To Master Your Full-Time Job And A Dream Without Burnout – Access to Capital for Women Entrepreneurs – Strategic Planning
10:45 AM	Break
11:00 AM	Breakout Sessions – Funding Your Business: An Overview of Capital for Entrepreneurs – Website Building – Storytelling 101 for Branding & Video – Goal Getting: Making Success Inevitable – How to utilize podcasting to establish your business expertise and build your customer base – How to build a compelling pitch deck that VC firms will be interested in – Trademark 101 – Cover All Your Bases – How to Conduct a Comprehensive Legal Audit for Your Business – How to Build your MVP
11:45 AM	Lunch
12:30 PM	Fireside Chat with Leon & Tiffany Chen of Tiff’s Treats Moderated by Susy Solis
1:15 PM	Break (sponsored by Tiff’s Treats)
1:30 PM	Breakout Sessions – Website Building – A Founder’s 401k Component: The Secret Weapon – Pitch Perfect: How to pitch your business to any audience – The Blueprint to Creditworthiness – Video Productions Basics \| Filming & Editing for Beginners – Make it Legal – Answers to all the legal questions you never wanted to ask out loud – Cost-Efficient Public Relations, Media Outreach and Communications Strategies for your Business – Rock Star Entrepreneurship: How to Start-up and Build Your Dream Business
2:15 PM	Networking Break
3:00 PM	Remarks from Trey Bowles, the DEC
3:15 PM	Closing Keynote : Lila Stewart, co-founder, Hari Mari
3:45 PM	Closing remarks from Laura Mathieu, Capital One

Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Women’s Summit

OVERVIEW

OVERVIEW

AGENDA

SPEAKERS

SPONSORS

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

VENUE

PARKING

CAMPUS MAPS

TICKETS

PHOTOS

CONTACT

Dresden Goldberg
dresden.goldberg@utdallas.edu

Director Programs & Operations

Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

OVERVIEW

OVERVIEW

AGENDA

SPEAKERS

SPONSORS

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

VENUE

PARKING

CAMPUS MAPS

TICKETS

PHOTOS

CONTACT

Dresden Goldberg dresden.goldberg@utdallas.edu

Director Programs & Operations

Dresden Goldberg
dresden.goldberg@utdallas.edu