Dan Bailey
I worked in sales and marketing for two Fortune 500 companies over a combined 22 years. During the last two years of my corporate career, I did something very dangerous – I started to volunteer once a month as a speaker in the public schools. I developed a talk on character, choices and consequences. Read more>>
Meghann O’Leary
Meghann was born and raised in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and moved to Dallas, TX in pursuit of her business degree from Southern Methodist University (SMU). Meghann’s true passion for fitness developed during her years at SMU, where she was exposed to numerous activities and exercises that would begin to transform her life. Read more>>
Laura Barnes
I started my first business with a partner when I was 18 years old. I invested “sweat equity” while my partner invested the start-up cash. We saw an opportunity in our small Texas Panhandle town – Pampa, to provide database and mailing services for local political candidates and businesses in need of direct mail services. Read more>>
Haley Robison
Born and raised in the Dallas area, Greg McEvilly, Kammok’s founder, spent the majority of his childhood outside, connecting with others and growing in his love for adventure, community, and the outdoors. While pursuing a graduate degree in cross cultural communications in 2010, Greg found himself with three lofty passions: making a positive impact on society, utilizing business as an avenue for higher purpose, and pursuing his calling of loving people. Read more>>
Robert Moore
I was part of the retail world for 35 years, my last 27 with the same clothing chain. One day, I was presented with my 25 years of service watch, together with pink slip. The chain was not doing well, salesmen and tailors were being let go in an effort to stay afloat. Read more>>
Jennifer Pascal and Mari Woodlief
A nap room. Can you believe that? We actually talked about having a nap room! I think it was in 1999, the first year we met and started working together, that we started talking about what it might be like if we were business partners and owned a PR/public affairs/advertising company. Read more>>
Josh Simmons
Josh graduated from Texas A&M University in 2000 and then served as a youth minister and music minister for 4 years at two different Catholic parishes (one in Garland, TX). While working in the Church, he started designing websites on the side in 2003 to generate extra income for his growing family. Read more>>
Amit Berger
After several years in the hospitality industry, I was young and looking to make a change in my career. From being a partner in a restaurant, I decided to change my path and went to work for a diamond company in the Israeli Diamond Exchange. I started from the bottom and learned everything about diamonds—manufacturing, diamond cutting, diamond grading, the entire process—and began selling diamonds in the marketplace. Read more>>
Bethany Kempfe
My dad was an avid and quite talented photographer. He is still the first person to capture memories during family holidays or a simple stroll through a park. It was his love and knowledge of photography plus my creative soul which started me on this journey. Read more>>
Les Constable
First visited Texas when 18 on a greyhound bus entering Texas at El Paso, traveling through Kerrville, to San Antonio then Houston and on to the east. I was on a trip from Boot Camp in San Diego to Fort Lauderdale where by parents lived at the time. On the return trip I met Ann whose family is related to Davy Crockett so that is my early Texas connection. Read more>>
Rich Williams
We met working on a food truck startup as marketing and legal. The idea was good, but the implementation proved difficult. One day, our tech lead said we should appraise the startup. Doug and I were the only team members who correctly agreed that a great idea minus implementation is worth exactly zero dollars. Read more>>
Daniel Nanasi and Beau Ethridge
We met as neighbors living in Deep Ellum. At the time, Beau was selling his paintings in art galleries and festivals. Daniel was a mobile waiter selling food on the streets of Uptown. We both went to UNT (art school for Beau, film school for Daniel) and did stints as door-to-door salespeople. Read more>>
Jon Alexis
Cut Jon Alexis open and he bleeds salt water. As the owner of Dallas institution TJ’s Seafood Market & Grill, (“Best Seafood” 2010-2016) and the highly anticipated Malibu Poke, Jon is passionate about seafood…and how it can change peoples’ lives. From leading seafood tours of Alaska to teaching seafood education lessons at Dallas culinary schools, Jon is considered Dallas’ premier seafood expert. Read more>>
Dustin Tondre
In 2013, myself and business partner decided to resign from a fortune 500 company and co-founded a boutique wealth management firm located in Southlake TX, called TL Private Wealth. We began to notice the shift in the industry and billions of dollars leaving the traditional wire house, banks, brokerage firms and insurance company filtering into the independent channel. Read more>>
Burk Rosenthal
I have been an independent financial advisor, advising clients on strategies to help preserve and manage wealth for over 25 years. After two years with a large financial services firm, I established my own firm, Rosenthal Retirement Planning, in 1993. Along with being the President of Rosenthal Retirement Planning, I’ve acquired my CFP®, ChFC®, CRC®, and CFS designations. Read more>>
Dr. Ryan Price
I was heavily involved in sports growing up, from youth leagues all the way to playing football in college at Sam Houston State University. Our team chiropractor helped me greatly during my time there and led me to explore the health and wellness industry. Read more>>
Michele Davis
Early in the spring of 2013, my husband, a section hiker, was backpacking part of the Appalachian Trail. The kids and I stayed in a cabin and did the touristy thing while he hiked. One day I took them to Dollywood Theme Park for the day. As I waited for them to ride a water ride, I observed a group of special needs adults dressed in matching pink t-shirts. Read more>>
Stephanie Talley
As a kid, I had no clue what I wanted to “be” when I grew up. Even in college I tried out several majors–from pre-nursing, to music, to computer engineering–and nothing really stuck. Throughout my life, I had had many friends tell me I should be a teacher, but I always dismissed it as something that wasn’t practical because teachers don’t get paid nearly enough. Read more>>
Von Griggs-Laws
While serving with the US Air Force, I was offered the opportunity to fill a slot where there were greater needs of re-enlistees. It was 1985, and my last 16 years of active duty were in this field of Safety & Health (Risk Management). Shortly after my military retirement, I relocated to Dallas, TX. Read more>>
Johnny Moffitt
Johnny Moffitt is Director of Worldwide Voice In The Wilderness Ministries that reaches around the world through ministry into the prisons and other neglected and forgotten people. In the late 1960’s Johnny was an officer in one of the largest motorcycle clubs in America. Read more>>
Ricky Hernandez
I sold my lumber business in mexico in 2009. i decided to manufacture painted rustic furniture, although some vendors said there was no demand for that style of furniture! in 2013 i opened a distributorship in dallas because i felt that this area could accomodate a new look for this type of rustic painted furniture. Read more>>
Laura McLaughlin
HeadFirst Counseling began as a small idea about a better way to serve clients in the counseling field, and grew into a private practice! I had been working in the non-profit agency world in Dallas and felt that the focus was slowly shifting away from the client and towards things that benefited the agency. Read more>>
