SPEAKERS
Disrupt Dallas Summit
sponsored by Charles Schwab Bank
Frances Smith-Dean
Executive Director, Zan Wesley Holmes Jr. Outreach Center
Tiffany Lewis
Fashion Designer and Entrepreneur
Jasmine Ohen
Founder and CEO of Women in Dallas
Bryan Robert
Executive Director, Entre Capital
Shaina Ross
Senior Program Manager at Amazon
Paden Sickles
Founder and CEO of SickFit
Aaron Smith
Founder & CEO, Escape the Odds & Owner, U-Turn Transport
Charae Tucker
Program Manager at Entre Capital
LaDondra Wilson
VP of Social Responsibility for Dallas Wings
Varonika Wilson
Director of BOSOE, Urban Specialists
Marketing and Branding Track
Terika Dilworth
Business Operations Strategist and Founder of Legacy Bloom LLC, where she works with monetized creators to remove themselves as the bottleneck in their own businesses .
Grace Griffith
As co-owner of Griffith Media, a Dallas-based video production and content studio, she helps brands close that gap — because human connection design is what sets companies apart, and video is the tool that drives it best.
Dev'N M. Goodman
Founder and Community Curator of A Good Man’s Education, a community hub created to connect individuals to entrepreneurs and changemakers through events that center education, culture, and a good time
Addie Hughen
She has her own business, The Arch Social, a performance-driven, strategic-agency serving clients nationwide.
Benny Kounlavouth
Founder of Ascendo Social, a social media agency based in the DFW to help local businesses grow their online presence through social media management, video content, branding and digital strategy
TyDerrica Scott
Founder of Kinkle Co, a haircare brand focused on helping people with alopecia and hair loss regain confidence, while also building a strong platform centered around plus-size fashion, branding, and entrepreneurship..
Monique Segovia
CEO of The Brown Thumb, a space rooted in growth, connection, and authenticity
Jacob Steed
Founder of Steed Films, a Fort Worth-based video production agency that helps brands communicate with more clarity, trust, and emotional impact
Briana Wucinski
Founder of SUNSEV Creative, a groovy, strategy-forward branding and marketing consultancy that helps entrepreneurs build brands with clarity, consistency, and soul.
Founder Wellness Track
sponsored By Southstate
Dr. Ravyn Cotton
Founded IASOTO Chiropractic Wellness Center to create a more intentional, patient-centered care experience focused on long-term results. She is also the founder of Artistry in Alignment, a nonprofit providing complimentary care to dancers.
Dr. JuNene K.
Founder of Muhimu Oils Wellness Center and creator of I AM the Capital Movement. A Holistic Health Practitioner, Emotional Mastery Specialist and Wellness Educator redefining what emotional regulation looks like for leaders..
Curtis Smith
Founder of Moment of Mindfulness LLC, a mindfulness education and performance company committed to empowering individuals, organizations, and communities through transformative wellness experiences.
John Ellis is a top technology and futurist keynote speaker, best-selling Author, software expert, and former Head of the Ford Developer Program with Ford Motor Company. His work in the field inspired the book The Zero Dollar Car: How the Revolution in Big Data will Change Your Life, a #1 Amazon Best Seller (Auto Industry Book. For the past 19 years, he has been the managing director of the industry consultant firm Ellis & Associates.
Corporate Startup Innovation Summit
sponsored by Capital One
Erich Broksas
Erich is the COO at Builders & Backers, the first AI-powered venture studio helping anyone transform ideas into thriving businesses.
David Evans
David is the Managing Partner at Sentiero Ventures, where he evaluates more than 1,000 AI startups each year, providing a front-row seat to emerging technologies and real-world AI applications across industries.
Jeffrey Gaskill
Jeffrey is the Director of Education and Business Development at Snap-on
Sunny Karassik
Sunny is the VP at Capital One
Brenden Mesch
Brenden is the Campus Provost of Technical Campus at Collin College
Julian Van Giessen
Julian is the Sr. Principal at Capital One Ventures
James Wang
James is the founder of Mimosa Ventures, an early-stage fund backing founders in finance, healthcare, and foundational technology. Seed and Series A, initial commitments up to $250k.
Loan Readiness Track
sponsored by First Citizens Bank
Todd Adams
Todd currently services as a Senior Lender with Impact Ventures, a newly formed CDFI serving the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. He is a seasoned banking and lending professional with more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. His background includes leadership and lending experience with major institutions such as Wells Fargo, BBVA, and JP Morgan Chase.
Amanda Brawner
Vice President and Business Banking Relationship Manager and Lender with 20 years of banking experience, including the last 10 years dedicated working closely with business owners.
Michael Chavez
PGI Consultant for KinSpired Goal Setters
Jose Cuellar
Bilingual Banking Center Manager III at Amegy Bank. Worked in banking for over ten years, with both regional and nationwide banks. Jose has gained knowledge and experience in small business banking, consumer banking operations and management.
Tassjania Lozano Grate
With more than 15 years of experience advancing equity, economic opportunity, and community impact, she is passionate about connecting underserved entrepreneurs and communities with the resources, capital, and support they need to thrive.
C. J. Graves
As Senior Vice President and Manager of Commercial Banking at First Citizens Bank, C. J. has over 20 years of experience in the financial industry, helping businesses achieve their growth and cash flow goals.
Ronnie Green
Co-Founder & CEO — 3x founder operator with firsthand 11 years of experience in investing, brokerage, and investing product experience. product vision and enterprise sales
Erika Hersh
VP Business Development Officer for LiftFund, a Community Development Financial Institution.
Tracy Irby
Award-winning entrepreneur and Director of the Texas Woman’s University Center for Women Entrepreneurs
Christe Johnson
With a background in corporate accounting and experience working with Fortune 500 companies, Christe brings both real-world business insight and financial expertise to the entrepreneurs she serves.
Melissa Keeling-Treppa
PNC Branch Manager II (DMLO) supporting the Cleburne & Hulen Bellair market, where she leads teams in executing strong sales, service, and operational standards.
Caleb Ostrander
Caleb is the CDFI Program Manager for CAMEO Network. With over eight years of experience supporting small business owners through coaching and education, including six years internationally, Caleb has seen the impact of connecting entrepreneurs with the resources they need to thrive.
Larshá Thomas
SouthState Bank’s Vice President of Community Development for the North Texas region. With 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, Larshá is versed in small business and consumer lending, business development, non-profit outreach, and financial regulatory practices.
SMU Entrepreneurship Track
sponsored by SMU Cox Spears and Caruth Institutes
Trey Bowles
Cofounder and Executive Chairman of The DEC Network and cochair of NTAN. Founder and Managing Partner of The Bowles Investment Group (BIG) and Founder of the Park Cities Angel Network. Bowles currently serves as Fund Manager for the SMU Impact Lab and also serves as an adjunct professor in the Cox School of Business.
Dr. Emily Choi
Executive Director of the SMU Cox Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship and Professor of Practice in Management, Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the SMU Cox School of Business.
Dr. Jennifer Ebinger
Executive Director of the Office of Engaged Learning at SMU, where she leads initiatives that connect research, entrepreneurship, and experiential learning across the university.
Jim Hart
Director of Social Innovation, Creative, and Arts Entrepreneurship at SMU and designs transformative programs that empower students to combine artistic vision with entrepreneurial strategy to drive meaningful change.
Dr. Mahesh Krishnamurthy
Co-Executive Director of the Hart Institute for Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at SMU where he is also the Vin and Caren Prothro Department Chair and Professor of Electrical Engineering.
Cristal Mendez
Program Lead of Startup Accelerator at SMU
Josh Taylor
Executive Director of the SMU Cox William S. Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership. He has led large strategy & transformation change efforts and been at the forefront of consumer and technology start-up trends as an operator, advisor, and investor for the past decade.
Daniel Lubetzky founded KIND Snacks to promote healthy snacking. Daniel is a full-time shark on Shark Tank and is a New York Times bestselling author. In 2015, President Obama named him a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship. He is committed to promoting a kinder and healthier world.
Shequeita is an accomplished leader with over 20 years of experience in the retail industry within buying, planning and operations. She currently leads the Target Accelerators team, focused on developing a diverse innovation pipeline of brands for future growth and evolution.
CPG and Retail Summit
sponsored by Target
Amy Collins
Founder of RoRo’s Baking Company
Jared Drinkwater
Jared is currently the co-founder, CEO and Chipmaster at Low and Slow Snacks – The first ever authentically smoked cheese puff brand.
Elyse Dickerson
Founder & CEO at Eosera
Rigoberto Gonzalez
Global Sourcing Manager at HEB
Rikki Kelly
.Founder of EGO Tequila
Cecilia Murrieta
CEO at JAS
Angie Neas
Field Marketing Manager at Justworks
Jenica Oliver
Chief Marketing Officer, blueprint marketing group
Andrea Rideout
Managing Partner at Whiterock Granola
Abby Richards
Fractional CFO and Founder of the CPG CFO
Crystal Royal
.Supplier Diversity Manager - HEB
Jeff Richards
Founder / CEO at Mooala
Shequeita Orr Frazier
Senior Director, Target Accelerators
Jessica Taylor
Founder of Ezra Coffee Company
Venture Capital Track
sponsored by McKinney Innovation Exchange
Sammy Abdullah
Sammy is Co-founder and Managing Partner of Blossom Street Ventures, a B2B SaaS-focused VC fund, and a widely-read voice on SaaS market trends. He previously held roles at Prudential Capital Group and Congruent Investment Partners. As VW's VC in Residence, Sammy holds office hours on fundraising strategy and term sheet review, advises clients directly on live capital raises, mentors the venture team, headlines VW webinars on venture market dynamics, and counsels firm leadership on competitive positioning.
Erik Andersen
Head of Texas and Southern United States with the Toronto Stock Exchange. Head of listings at the TMX Group. A highly accomplished and results-driven Finance Executive with over 15 years of successful new business development, competitive market share expansion, and business leadership exerience.
Troy Billett
Innovation Fund Manager of the McKinney EDC. Past founder and operator turn strategic investor with 10+ years vetting and scaling B2B technology companies. He has managed $40m+ in AUM, increased EBITDA by $2m+, vetted 5k+ startups, and raised $20m+ for early stage investing.
Trey Bowles
Cofounder and Executive Chairman of The DEC Network and cochair of NTAN. Founder and Managing Partner of The Bowles Investment Group (BIG) and Founder of the Park Cities Angel Network. Bowles currently serves as Fund Manager for the SMU Impact Lab and also serves as an adjunct professor in the Cox School of Business.
Ichan Stall
Serving as the Co-Chairman with North Texas Angel Network (NTAN), Managing Partner with Thesis, Executive Advisor to DallasMeetup, and an active board member with The DEC Network, Ichan is an active angel investor, advisor and mentor to startups, entrepreneurs and small business owners
Kevin Vela
Kevin is the managing Partner at Vela Wood. He focuses his practice in the areas of venture financing, M&A, fund representation, and gaming law. Kevin is a mentor for RevTech Ventures, co-manages Blossom Street Ventures, and is a Texas Bar Foundation Fellow, an honor granted to 1/3 of 1% of Texas attorneys.
Mike Wilkes
Marine Corps veteran and Texas A&M grad. His interest in entrepreneurship started in college, where he founded Primer Manufacturing. He also serves as Executive Director of the North Texas Angel Network (NTAN), where he helps connect early-stage companies with angel investors across the region.
The Startup Go to Market Operating System Track
sponsored by Glowbox by Contollo
Javiera Avilez
Javiera is a business consultant and MBA professional at Contollo Consulting who helps startups and growing businesses scale through strategic planning, sales optimization, and customer-focused growth solutions. She specializes in improving business performance by aligning operations, technology, and customer experience to drive sustainable growth, stronger client relationships, and long-term success.
Alexander Latino
Alexander is a digital marketing specialist, specializing in growth strategy, brand positioning, and scalable business development for technology-driven startups. As part of Contollo's startup ecosystem, he helps transform ideas into impactful ventures through marketing, branding, automation, storytelling, and innovation, while also leading purpose-driven initiatives like The Broken Stone, a book created to inspire hope and resilience in young people.
Isaac Carter
Isaac is the Founder of Contollo and GlowBox, specializing in technology, data, and go-to-market strategy to help growth-stage companies build scalable sales, outbound, and revenue systems. With more than 25 years of experience in software, analytics, and infrastructure, he focuses on email deliverability, GTM systems, and the technical foundations that drive sustainable pipeline growth.
Ben Lamm is the co-founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences, a groundbreaking de-extinction company utilizing advanced CRISPR gene-editing technologies to protect ecosystems and resurrect lost species like the wooly mammoth. He is a serial tech entrepreneur with five successful exits and a passion for science, AI, and the planet.
Co-founder and Executive Chairman of The DEC Network and cochair of NTAN. Founder and Managing Partner of The Bowles Investment Group (BIG) and Founder of the Park Cities Angel Network. Bowles currently serves as Fund Manager for the SMU Impact Lab and also serves as an adjunct professor in the Cox School of Business.
AI and Tech Summit
sponsored by Justworks
Melody Ayeli
Melody is the General Manager of Enterprise Artificial Intelligence at Toyota Motor North America, where she leads AI engineering, strategy, responsible AI governance, and the implementation of generative AI solutions across the enterprise. With over 20 years of experience in digital transformation, risk and compliance, software development, cybersecurity, and technology leadership, she plays a pivotal role in shaping Toyota’s evolution into a more agile, AI-enabled organization.
Keith Davidson
Dallas Market Leader at CliftonLarsonAllen. Previously, he was the Managing Principal of the office, as well as the leader of CLA’s outsourced CFO and accounting practice for technology and venture startups..
Kelly Dowd
Assistant Vice President, Data Science & Applied AI at AT&T
Farhan Hussain
Farhan serves as Chief Technology & Innovation Officer (CTIO) at Leon Capital Group (LCG), where he leads AI strategy, digital transformation, cyber security and enterprise technology vision across LCG’s Portfolio. With over 24 years of experience, he translates emerging technologies into measurable competitive advantage and is focused on building an AI-native, innovation-driven growth ecosystem.
Colby Jones
Colby Jones is a Fractional CMO and Marketing Advisor who partners with creators, founders, and executives to build influence across their personal brands and portfolio companies. At LTK (formerly LIKEtoKNOW.it), she played a key role in scaling the influencer marketing platform to a $2B+ valuation and $5B+ in annual retail sales driven through the app.
Angie Neas
Field Marketing Manager at Justworks
Vijay Ram
Chief Operating Officer at Consolidate Health
Bruno Rodrigues
Founder & CEO of Atlas Reforged Consulting, formerly with Google
Kevin Scott
Kevin J. Scott is an AI engineer who has served as the Chief Technology Officer and CIO at PGA of America for the past 9 years. He led the transformation of the organization's tech, digital, product, and IT areas while creating PGA's consumer digital products and bringing IT and Digital organizations together as a customer-centric, product-minded organization.
Dan Sinawat
Founder @ AI CONNEX, CEO @ VC ARENA, Top AI75 Awarded by DRC
Karen Stroup
Karen is a Chief Digital Officer at WEX. She brings more than 20 years of experience leading product management, digital, and innovation organizations focused on software as a service offerings, primarily in financial services.
Mike Yonker
Mike is the Assistant Vice President of AI & Tech @ AT&T
Legal and Accounting Track
Keith Davidson
Dallas Market Leader at CliftonLarsonAllen. Previously, he was the Managing Principal of the office, as well as the leader of CLA’s outsourced CFO and accounting practice for technology and venture startups..
Kevin Vela
Kevin is the managing Partner at Vela Wood. He focuses his practice in the areas of venture financing, M&A, fund representation, and gaming law. Kevin is a mentor for RevTech Ventures, co-manages Blossom Street Ventures, and is a Texas Bar Foundation Fellow, an honor granted to 1/3 of 1% of Texas attorneys.
Healthcare Track
Eric Bennett
Eric launched Brain Capital Partners and the Brain Superfund in 2025 to invest in brain science venture and growth capital.
John Diaz
John founded Stone Mountain Ventures in 2021. Before launching the firm, he worked at Bain Capital Private Equity as an Associate within the Healthcare group and gained deep insight to how large scale companies operate and the levers that are pulled for growth and efficiency, while improving patient outcomes.
Jovelyn Castellanos Dominguez
As Chief Strategy and Public Affairs Officer at Health Wildcatters, Jovelyn leads ecosystem-building initiatives that position North Texas as a growing hub for health innovation.
Paul Evans
Paul is the Founder and CEO of Pathi Health, an AI-powered cancer patient navigation platform that gives patients a personalized guide from diagnosis through survivorship. He is also an author and educator, focusing on teaching the next generation of entrepreneurs how to build in the new age of AI.
Dr. C. Vivek Lal, MD, FAAP
Founder of Biostack Ventures, Founder and CEO of resbiotic®, Founder and Executive Chairman of Alveolus Bio, and Founder of Able BioLabs. He is a double-board-certified physician, NIH-funded scientist, and serial entrepreneur with deep expertise in translating scientific discovery into clinically meaningful healthcare solutions.
Kaitlynn Moser
Kaitlyn is a seasoned leader in diagnostics and life sciences dedicated to translating innovative research into patient-centric solutions. She has played a vital role in securing early-stage funding for startups, establishing robust clinical programs, and expertly navigating the complex processes of obtaining regulatory approvals and reimbursement for novel sciences.
Kris Klein
CEO and Co-Founder of Pollen Sense, a technology company dedicated to making the air we breathe more transparent through its global data infrastructure platform. Under Kris's leadership, Pollen Sense has partnered with major brands like Microsoft, NOAA and Procter & Gamble to help millions better manage their respiratory health and mitigate risk in occupational settings. .
Dr. David. E. Snow
Executive Director of Pegasus Park in Dallas and previously held senior roles at the University of Arkansas and Texas Tech University, overseeing technology transfer, corporate engagement, and research park operations.
Scott Wilson
Scott currently serves as General Partner of Beyond Capital Funds, Senior Vice President of Operations at ChurchillTerry & Associates, and serves on the Board of Directors at Aezion, Inc. and the North Texas Angel Network.
Hubert Zajicek
Hubert Zajicek, MD, MBA, is CEO & Co-founder of Health Wildcatters, a top ranked healthcare accelerator and fund in Dallas, TX. Dr. Zajicek has extensive experience with startups, entrepreneurship, financing & healthcare.
