2021 Speakers
Sheryle Gillihan
CEO & Co-Owner – CauseLabs, PBC
2021 Events:
Too Taboo To Talk About Revenue
Dr. Vanessa Bouché
Co-Founder + CEO – Savhera
Sanger D. Smith
Financial Advisor – Clearfork Wealth Management
EJ Carrion
CEO – Student Success Agency ™, Top Youth Speakers ™
Donalisa Stinyard
Program Director – Center for Women Entrepreneurs
Self-Leadership as an Entrepreneur
Benjamin Vann
Founder & CEO – Impact Ventures
Innovate Fort Worth podcast with Benjamin Vann
Ian Hathaway
Vice President of Capital – Techstars
State of Entrepreneurship Fort Worth
Cameron Cushman
Assistant Vice President of Innovation Ecosystem – The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth
State of Entrepreneurship
Innovate Fort Worth Podcast
Pamela (Garrett) Cannell
President & CEO – BoardBuild
Innovate Fort Worth Podcast
Mike Berry
President – Hillwood
Innovate Fort Worth Podcast
Dr. Eugene Giovannini
Chancellor – Tarrant County College District
Holly Burrow
Business Advisor – People Fund
Rob Upchurch
Founder & Podcast Producer – RobMakesPods Productions
Why Your Business Should Have a Podcast (and How to Start One)
Henry Kaestner
Managing Principal – Sovereign’s Capital
Max Mirho
Host – EntrepreNerd
Vlad Konovalchuk
Head of Consulting & Research – BRIDGES
Marco Johnson
Network Builder – Sparkyard
David Steed
Director – projekt202
Hayden Blackburn
Executive Director – TechFW
Jeremy Johnson
VP of Customer Experience – projekct202
Robert Sturns
Director of Economic Development – City of Fort Worth
Supporting Fort Worth’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
Amber Cohoon
President and Managing Attorney – Cohoon Legal
Employee Hiring 101
Paul Kerpoe
Mentor and Volunteer – SCORE
Grant Writing 101
Nancy Alvarez
Head of the 8(a) Business Development Program – U.S. Small Business Administration
Women-Owned Small Business Certification Workshop
Samantha Hunt-Garbarino
Architect Designer – Bennett Partners
Formula 1 and Star Wars
Devan Peplow
Co-Founder & CEO – Sounde
iOS Mobile App Founder’s Round Table
Cole Carpenter
Digital Media Specialist, Writer, Podcaster – Texas Innovators
Hemp – A Sustainable Tool for Main Street and Global Corporations
Jonathan Kraatz
Executive Director – U.S. Green Building Council Texas Chapter
Where Are the Opportunities for Innovation in Designs and Building?
Karsten Francis
Innovation Account Consultant – BCBS C1 Innovation Lab
Miguel Harth-Bedoya
Co-founder and owner – Cowboy Compost
Mining for trash: the new gold?
Dr. Debra Atkisson
Physician Coach and Professor – TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine
Jorge Vanegas
Dean, School of Architecture – Texas A&M University
Eric Myers
Director of Organic Recycling – Waste Management, Inc.
Sydney Phillips
Founder – Zukurri
Ross O’Brien
Founder and Managing Member – Prompt LLC
Ed Pearce
The Lion’s Den DFW
Vip Vipperman
Director of Partnerships – Faith Driven Investor, Faith Driven Entrepreneur
Aaron Cho
CFO – EyeCare Services Partners
Jeff Davidson
Cp CEO – Camp Gladiator
Justin Malone
Partner – Lacy Malone Steppick Ryder & Menefee, PLLC
Dick Blanc
Founder – Beyond Venture Fund
Austin Adams
Founding Partner – Buxton Oak
Renji Bijoy
Founder – Immersed
Sheeba Philip
CEO – Akola
Robert Neely
Founder – InspireMore
Eddy Badrina
CEO – Eden Green
Kendra Thorpe
CEO – Kendra Thorpe Consulting
LaQueshia Jefferies
Executive Director – L.E.A.P Academy
Luke Bauer
President – Esports Stadium Arlington
Chino Lee
Chief Revenue Officer – Esports Stadium Arlington
McKaye Black
Senior Design and Business Innovation Strategist – Blue Cross Blue Shield C1 Innovation Lab
Jill Olmsted
CEO – The Coterie Project
Creating SMART Habits to Crush Goals
Mike Vela
CEO – World champion Fantasy, Dallas Inc.
Charlie Lass
CEO – Dallas Inc.
Sam Knight
CMO – Dallas Inc.
Ryan Casey Waller
Licensed Psychotherapist, Lawyer, and Author – Self
Lesa Mitchell
General Manager – Techstars
Supporting Fort Worth’s Innovation Ecosystem
Robert McClain
Associate Vice President, Research & Innovation – UNT Health Science Center
Supporting Fort Worth’s Innovation Ecosystem
Joseph Horn
Founder and President – Empower Fort Worth
Tracy Irby
Director – TWU – Center for Women Entrepreneurs
Little Known Resources for Women Owned Businesses
Mae Ferguson
CEO/Founder – Fort Worth Sister Cities International
Fort Worth Sister Cities Mayor’s International Dinner & Global Awards
Desiree Partain
Transformation Manager – MedStar Mobile Healthcare
Meghan Wright
Assistant Professor of Management – Texas Wesleyan University
GEW Fort Worth 2021 Kickoff Party
Happiest Hour: East Side Style
Scott Parsinen
Ecosystem Builder – Startup Community
Truck Driving and Entrepreneurship? Absolutely!
Darlisa Diltz
Entrepreneur Educator – NTEETC
What Can Fort Worth Learn From Omaha
Wesley Lyons
General Partner – WayMaker Funds & Eagle Venture Fund
Dee Lambriola
Director of Recruiting – Turas Recruiting Group
Michael Bennett
CEO – Bennett Partners
Tiara P. Brown
Owner – Leadership Now of Texas
Time Management and Success
Ab Deweese
Founder – Good Automation
Startup Funeral Speaker Series: Hepius Equipment
Lee Bratcher
President – Texas Blockchain Council
Opportunities in Cryptocurrency
Christian Torres
Senior Manager of Employer Partnership – CodeUp
What Fort Worth Can Learn From San Antonio
Tristen Sutton
Facebook Lead Trainer – Tristen Sutton Consulting
Facebook Boost
Dr. Rachael Capua
Director of Career & College Services – T3 Partnership
Tamara Payne
Co-Founder & CEO – Ensemble Coworking
Shivaun Palmer
Co-Founder – DEI Consultants
Gauri Junnarkar
Founder CEO – Ayurnutrition
Christina Grudzinski
Licensed Professional Counselor – Unity Counseling
Tatiana Miller
Health Counselor/Clinical Stress Management Consultant – RX4Life
Yanira Borges
SideKick Tools – Performance Improvement Pro
Angela Calvillo
Qualified Nutritionist – SciFit Center
Sal Alhelo
Founder and CEO – EOS Labs
Elyse Dickerson
CEO & Founder – Eosera
Robbie Werner
Founder – Stir Crazy Baked Goods
Allison Silveus
CEO and Co-founder – Unbent
Alan Klein
Director – UTA Institute of Urban Studies
Kimberly Mayer
Executive Director – UTA Center for Entrepreneurship & Economic Innovation
Jeff McGee
Associate Professor – UTA College of Business
Lauren Brewer
Owner – Union Worx Coworking
Dr. Brian Dixon
Serial Entrepreneur, Founder, Author – Gide, SimplyPsych, mindful, Forward Together
Innovate Fort Worth podcast with Dr. Brian Dixon of Gide, SimplyPsych, mindful, Forward Together
Shilo Urban
Director of Marketing – Alpha Pup Records & Digital Distribution
Music Marketing 101
Amplify 817 Mixer
Joe Cleveland
Director/Shareholder – Brackett & Ellis, P.C.
Patents, Trademarks, and a Cup of Joe
Lee B. Hunt
Attorney – Brackett & Ellis, P.C.
Patents, Trademarks, and a Cup of Joe
PJ Dunn
Dunn Coaching & Consulting – Leadership Coach/Professional Development Coach & Speaker/Sales & Marketing Consultant
Managing Your Time, Yourself, and Your Business
Billy Mitchell
Fort Worth Police Department – Retired Officer
Niketa Dennis
Executive Vice President – Frost Bank
Kenya Mobley
Owner & Founder – On Track Truck Driving School
Truck Driving and Entrepreneurship? Absolutely!
Carla Erskin
Founder – Bossingly
Sandy Bauman
Sustainability Coordinator – UNT Health Science Center
Jenna Babbitt
Director of Social Enterprise – The Center for Transforming Lives
Jacy George
Director of Digital Marketing and Strategy – Texas Wesleyan University
Rick Cruz
CFO – GetLegal
Maria Meyers
Founder – SourceLink
What Can Fort Worth Learn from Kansas City
Adam Hofmann
Co-Founder – Responsum AI
Tom Chapman
Founder and Principal – Chapman and Company, LLC
Lourdes Ramboa
Faculty/Chair Entrepreneurship – Tarrant County College
Brent Bousquet
Co-Owner – In Good Hands
Justin McLaughlin
Owner – Xenia Roastery
Arlene Peterson
Owner/Principal – Arlene Speaks It
LaKeitha Van Zandt Muckelroy
Owner – Caring Hands
Lauren Kutschke
SEO Copywriter & Content Strategist – Salted Pages
Lee Bratcher
Founder and President – Texas Blockchain Council
Les Kreis
Principal – Steelhead Capital Management
Edward Morgan
CEO – Revitalize Charging Solutions, Inc
Micheal Crain
Broker/ Partner – Northern Crain Realty
Carlo Capua
Deputy Chief of Staff for Mayor and Council – City of Fort Worth
Jake Hamann
Economic + Ecosystem + Entrepreneur Development – Self
Trey Bowles
Co Founder & President – InnoCity Partners
Hope Shimabuku
Director of the Texas Regional Office – United States Patent and Trademark Office
Intellectual Property Basics
Caroline Samis
Vice President, Business Development for Frost Wealth Advisors – Frost Bank
Rita Alfaro
Music Librarian – Fort Worth Public Library
Music Marketing 101
Amplify 817 Mixer
Clay Trantham
CEO – Junction Industries
Janae Willis-Beard
President & CEO – Beard Marketing & Management
Carolyn Phillips
Founder – Alchemy Pops
Christine Nelson
Patent Examiner – United States Patent and Trademark Office
Intellectual Property Basics
Allison Smith
Sustainable Design Leader – HKS
Hai Vo
Community Champion & Chief Happiness Officer – Durable Approach
Aydrelle Collins
MS,LPC, SSE – Melanin Sex Therapy
Autumn Cooper
Founder – Autumn Cooper Interiors
Cherissa Scott
Founder – Pablo’s Lotus
Antoine Long
Director of Sales – Startup Space
Thibault Gasser
Founder – Beautiful Certified Gems
Eli Mercer
CEO – Kingdom Ecosystems, LLC
Adena Harmon
CEO – C-Hear
Kurt Knapton
Investor & Strategic Advisor – Realm Resources
John Kaserman
Investor – Waco Ventures
Jessica Vittorio
Managing Attorney – The Law Office of Jessica Vittorio, PLLC
Andrew Kussmaul
Founder & Attorney – Kussmaul Legal
Becky Johnson
Professor, Environmental Sciences – TCU
A New ROI, Formula 1, and Why We Need a National Accelerator – In Texas!
Cinthia Arellanes
Founder – Kopal Studio
Chris Botvidson
CEO – Fuel & Spark Media
Rocketing Forward: Propelling Companies Using Culture, Collaboration, & Creativity
Chuck Bouligny
Founder – Elkhorn Union, Juggle, Grandma’s
Tim Hissam
President & CEO – ProSource
Brad Hunstable
CEO & Founder – Linear Labs
David Cherrie
CEO & Founder – Arcade
Logan Speights
Founder – Triple Eights
George Coultress
Managing Director – Western Commerce Group
Anthony Savelli
Co-Founder & CRO – Podcast Ad Reps
Eric McNair
Technology Commercialization Analyst – The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth
David Farmer
Director of Interprofessional Education and Practice, Assistant Professor Medical Education – The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth
Dr. Jeff Beeson
Vice Provost over Academic Partnerships and Initiatives – The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth
Chris Powers
Founder & Partner – Fort Capital & The Fort with Chris Powers
Nitin Joshi
Founder & CEO – CAGEBio
Jerry Boonyaratanakornkit
Co-Founder & R&D Leader – Exact Diagnostics
Richie Petronis
Co-Founder & CEO – Exact Diagnostics
Dr. Katrina Gordon
Discovery Center Manager – The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth
Dr. Oriana Hawkins
Director of Assay Development – ENTvantage DX
Michael Krawzsenek
Patent Attorney & Partner – Norton Rose Fulbright US LLC
Jon Weidnaz
Co-Founder & Founding Director of the North Texas Genome Center at The University of Texas in Arlington – Abexxa Biologics
Debra Weidanz
Cofounder & CEO – Abexxa Biologics, Resonants Sensor Incorporated
Dustin McLaughlin
Co-Founder – Twelve Midnight
Stephanie Corso
CEO & Co-Founder – Rogue Water
Red Sanders
President, Producer, Dreamer – Red Productions
Leslie Shields
Owner & Principal Agent – The Shields Agency
Steve Steinberg
CEO – Responsum
Tony Rutigliano
Entrepreneur & Founder – Three Monkeys & Sociability
Zenobia Gonzalez
Health Coach – Win With Zen
Reverend Jen Chi
Metaphysical Minister, Tantrica & Wellness Coach – Jen Chi Coaching
Paul O’Brien
CEO – MediaTech Ventures
Camilo Osuna
Business Director – ProColombia
Bart Pascoli
Project Coordinator – Italian Trade Agency
Gérôme Vanherf
CEO – La Grande Poste
Alicia Collins-Butler
Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce – Director of Education, Workforce & Community Development
Jauneen Maldonado
Director Of Adult Education – Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County
Britton Merritt
VP Marketing & Communication – Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce
Derrick Miles
Founder/Chief Executive Officer – CourMed®
Carlos White
Partner, Franchise Developer – AM Law Firm
Alexandra Brennan
Founder – Wilde Woman Wellness
Molly Mathias
Founder – Go Easy
Jing Yi Tsing
L.Ac., LHP – A Chinese Wellness Center
Carolyn Bailey
Co-Founder – Script & Screen
Hung Dang
Business Advisor – TCC – Tarrant Small Business Development Center
Cathy Trinh
Program Coordinator – Entrepreneurship & Small Business, General Business, and Retail Management Programs – Tarrant County College
Dr. Mingju Cao
CEO – Kinetiq Theraputics
John Sharp
Chancellor – Texas A&M University
Betsy Price
Former Mayor – City of Fort Worth
Mattie Parker
Mayor – City of Fort Worth
Ranjan Misra
Business Advisor – AyuVis