20th Annual
ALUMNI LEADERSHIP DAY
October 17, 2025
The Kinkaid School’s 20th Annual Alumni Leadership Day Dear Class of 2026, This year we have a very impressive group of over 50 alumni returning to campus to visit with the Class of 2026 about their respective careers and the decisions and paths that defined their choices. We want to thank our alumni for participating in this special event. Each of them has generously made time for Kinkaid and is willing and eager to share their insights so that you will be better equipped for the opportunities, challenges, and decisions that lie ahead. The alumni panelists have shared a brief summary of what a “day in the life” of their career entails, along with their contact info and educational and work history. We hope that this information can be used to provide you with a realistic view of the demands and expectations of these various jobs. Our goal is that you will begin to better formulate questions about your next steps in college and beyond. We encourage you to ask questions during the panel sessions and follow up with the panelists after the program. Making connections within the vast network of Kinkaid alumni is extremely valuable, and we hope that the Class of 2026 will take advantage of this unique opportunity. Sincerely
Liza Blue Alumni Engagement Manager Will Fullenweider ’12 KYPO President 2025-2026
table of contents 3
arts & creative
8
energy/oil & gas
6 10 13 15 17 20 22 23 25 27 29 31 35
banking, finance & accounting engineering
entrepreneurship healthcare law
marketing & communications military & space
non-profit & education
real estate & development sports business technology notes
schedule of events
advancement office contact information LIZA BLUE Alumni Engagement Manager
BRIDGET HENNESSEY Director of Advancement
(o) 713-243-5013 liza.blue@kinkaid.org
(o) 713-243-5044 bridget.hennessey@kinkaid.org
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arts & creative
arts & creative
CARROLL ISON CUMMINGS ’13 KATHERINE CUNNINGHAM ‘09
TY DORAN ’16
COURTNEY GREER ’14
Carroll Cummings Advisory
Actor/Teaching Artist, Off the Bus Inc.
Associate, Kinzelman Art Consulting
ty.doran@gmail.com
court.greer101@gmail.com
BS Theatre, Northwestern University
BA Art History, Minor Anthropology, The University of Texas at Austin MA Fine and Decorative Art and Design, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London
carroll@carrollcummingsadvisory.com
Associate Director of Signature Events, Houston Grand Opera ksc1776@gmail.com
BFA Studio Art, The University of Texas at Austin College of Fine Arts BA Psychology, Minor Theatre, Bryn Mawr College Prior Employers: The Menil Collection, Christie’s Auction House, Perrotin Prior Employers: Fountain Forward, Gallery New York, Hesse Flatow Gallery Alley Theatre As an art advisor, I work with collectors and art enthusiasts to help them discover and care for artwork they love. My focus is on offering thoughtful guidance and sharing knowledge to support informed decisions, helping clients build smart collections that are meaningful to them. My day to day includes managing my relationships with galleries, attending art fairs, visiting exhibitions and collections, and creating personalized proposals for clients.
3 | alumni leadership day
At Houston Grand Opera, I manage the production and logistics for our three signature events—Opening Night Dinner, Concert of Arias, and Opera Ball—as well as other major projects throughout the year. My work is fast-paced and collaborative, blending creativity with organization. In a single day, I might review floral designs for Opera Ball, taste-test menus for Opening Night Dinner, and brainstorm a new theme with our event chairs—all while building timelines and spreadsheets to keep every detail on track. The most exciting part is watching a wild creative idea transform into a magical evening, like seeing the Wortham lobby become a flower-filled wonderland for Opera Ball.
Prior Employment: Ginny & Georgia (Netflix), EPIC Players LA, Performing Arts Workshops, Manifest (NBC/ Netflix), The Blacklist, Chicago Fire (NBC), Bull (CBS), American Crime (ABC) Ty is a professional actor and teaching artist based out of Los Angeles. He received his BS in Theatre from Northwestern University and has since been working in the entertainment industry on shows such as Manifest and Ginny & Georgia. Ty also works as a mentor at EPIC Players, a neurodiverse theater company devoted to promoting accurate representation and lower barriers of entry for neurodiverse performers. Ty returned to Houston to direct Peter and the Starcatcher at St. Francis Episcopal School’s fall play.
Prior Employers: Sicardi Ayers Bacino Gallery My role shifts day to day depending on the projects at hand, but typically includes coordinating logistics for art shipping and placement, researching artwork, creating client presentations, and editing floor plans. We support both private and corporate clients with acquisitions, divestments, and collection management, while also collaborating closely with galleries, artists, and framers to source and prepare works for each project.
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banking, finance & accounting
arts & creative
LIZZY MCGEE ’14
WHITNEY BURKE ’17
GLEITH COZBY ’19
Founder & CEO, TexasLand USA
Private Banker, JP Morgan
Associate, Carnelian Energy Capital
emcgee@alumni.princeton.edu
wfb1@me.com
gleith@carnelianec.com
BA Summa Cum Laude, History & Spanish, Princeton University MBA, Stanford Graduate School of Business
Bachelor of Commerce, Major Finance & Marketing, Minor Global Commerce, University of Virginia
BBA Business Honors & Finance, BA Plan II, The University of Texas at Austin
As a Private Banker, I work with some of the most successful families in New York and help them achieve their financial goals. By managing their holistic picture, we are able to optimize across their balance sheet and help them be as tax efficient as possible. By covering banking, investing, planning, lending, and insurance, we serve as a one stop shop for high net worth individuals.
Prior Employer: Morgan Stanley
Prior Employers: The Walt Disney Company, Parques Reunidos I’m a sixth-generation Houstonian and former Disney parks strategist building a new theme park in Texas: TexasLand USA. Our team recently acquired over 220 acres in the Greater Houston area. No day is predictable, but every day I get to work on TexasLand is a blessing. Right now, my main responsibilities are fundraising, master planning, and stakeholder management.
5 | alumni leadership day
As an associate, I focus on transaction due diligence, analytics and execution, and monitoring active portfolio companies. A typical week might include preparing quarterly valuations or completing an analysis in Excel to help inform a strategic decision for a portfolio company. If we are evaluating a new deal, I might be meeting with management teams, building a financial model for the opportunity, and presenting my analysis to the senior team.
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banking, finance & accounting
WILLIAM ISON ’17
energy / oil & gas
CULLEN CONE ‘08
MATTHEW HUSSEY ’08
VP Finance, Cloverleaf Infrastructure
Chief Operating Officer, Tri-C Resources Partners
Reservoir Engineering Manager South Texas, Crescent Energy
william.ison@cacgroup.com
mattiebellrthompson@gmail.com
cullen.cone@gmail.com
matthew.hussey@crescentenergyco.com
BBA Finance, The University of Texas at Austin Business Administration, The London School of Economics
BS Economics and Human & Organizational Development, Vanderbilt University
BS Petroleum Engineering, Minor Geology, Texas A&M University MBA, Rice University
B.S. Mechanical Engineering & BBA Engineering Route to Business, The University of Texas at Austin
Prior Employers: Markel, Chubb
Prior Employers: Barclays Capital, TES-H2
Prior Employers: Tri-C Resources, Energy XXI
Prior employers: Chesapeake Energy, SilverBow Resources
Every day is different! I am responsible for all internal and external financial reporting, capital allocation decisions, accounting, tax, budgeting, acquisitions & divestitures, business development. A typical day involves managing project execution, asset acquisitions and divestitures, preparing internal reports, and more.
As COO of Tri-C Resources Partners, I spend my days managing the operations and finances of our oil and gas portfolio across the Texas Gulf Coast. I oversee production data and field performance, coordinate with landowners and regulators, and make investment decisions on new acquisitions. Much of my time is spent modeling cash flow, reserves, and market scenarios to keep our investors informed and our strategy disciplined. Every day requires balancing the technical details of wells in the field with the broader goal of building a lean, profitable energy business.
I lead a team of engineers who work with a cross functional group of landmen, geologists, and other engineers to determine which wells to drill across South Texas to achieve company objectives. My primary job is to ensure my engineers and executives have the information and analytical tools they need to make good decisions. I previously worked in business development and operational roles allowing me to gain a broad understanding of the upstream oil and gas business.
Vice President for the Surety Practice, CAC Specialty
William joined CAC Specialty in May of 2023 as a Vice President for the Surety Practice. Prior to joining, he served as the Contract Surety Underwriter for Markel Corporation and was responsible for the underwriting for Markel’s Alabama Contract Surety book of business as well as major Houston brokerage firms. He spent a couple of years with Chubb Ltd., where he performed capitalization and liquidity analysis when underwriting surety bonds to predict probability of default on jobs within contractor’s work in progress.
7 | alumni leadership day
MATTIE RUTHERFORD THOMPSON ’07
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energy / oil & gas
HALEY EBEL O’BRIEN ’14 Enterprise Optimization Analyst, Chevron hbeobrien@gmail.com BA, Elon University MBA, University of Virginia, Darden School of Business Prior Employer: Gibson Energy Haley is currently part of Chevron’s finance and commercial management program. Prior to that, she worked at Gibson Energy, a Canadian midstream company where she focused on West Texas pipeline business development.
9 | alumni leadership day
engineering
ELIZABETH ROBINSON KENDRICK ’07
JOHN WATSON ’10
WILL ARCIDIACONO ’11
Co-CEO, Energy Ogre
Vice President, EnCap Flatrock Midstream
Director, Enterprise Change Management, Phillips 66
jwatson@energyogre.com
erkend1088@gmail.com
BA Economics, Davidson College MBA, Stanford University
BA Economics, Double Minor Corporate Strategy and Finance, Vanderbilt University
Prior Employers: Simmons & Company, Boston Consulting Group
Prior Employers: KPMG, PwC, Slalom, EPAM, MMI Agency As an Enterprise Change Management leader, my job is to help organizations through large changes and transformations. This could look like meeting with senior leaders and advising on upcoming changes for a new system or a new process or a new performance rating scale. This could also look like developing communications and content to send to employees or external to our organization. The intent is to ensure that organizations are aware, understand, enable and adopt the change.
Energy Ogre’s mission is to take the hassle out of managing residential and commercial electricity, saving Texans time and money. We evaluate thousands of plans to find the one that best aligns with each customer’s usage. My time is split between (1) fostering a company culture centered around delighting our customers (2) developing, implementing, and communicating long-term strategic priorities (3) prioritizing product development initiatives with our software developers, and (4) overseeing capital allocation and financial planning.
wa@efmidstream.com Mechanical Engineering, Southern Methodist University MBA, Rice University Prior Employer: Enterprise Products EFM is a small private equity firm focused on investments in midstream oil and gas assets. As a member of the investment committee, my responsibilities span three core areas: supporting new fundraises, evaluating and executing new investment opportunities, and managing existing portfolio companies from acquisition through exit. My background in engineering brings valuable technical insight to the team, particularly when it comes to diligencing new deals and optimizing operational performance across our portfolio.
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engineering
engineering
BINZ DEWALCH ’18
JOSH HAMAT ’14
AIDAN REED ’18
DAVID ZUMMO ’06
Mechanical Engineer, DeWalch Technologies
Senior Consultant, Deloitte Consulting LLP
Project Engineer, Datum Engineers
Vice President - Projects, Wood
bdewalchjr@dewalch.com
joshhamat@gmail.com
aidan.t.reed@gmail.com
dzummo@gmail.com
BSME, The University of Texas at Austin
BS Mechanical Engineering (Petroleum Emphasis), University of Southern California MBA, University of Houston Bauer School of Business
BS Civil Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
BS Mechanical Engineering, BA Plan II, The University of Texas at Austin
MS Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
Prior Employer: UniversalPegasus International
My career involves designing the structural system (beams, columns, foundations) for buildings. I collaborate with architects, other engineers, and contractors to create beautiful, efficient and cost-effective solutions for the public. A typical day for me could be designing the reinforcement in concrete foundations for a church in the morning, followed by modeling steel beam connections for a high school after lunch, and ending on a visit to a construction site to answer and review questions from the contractor.
I lead teams that design and build complex industrial projects. This involves engaging with customers and suppliers to understand their needs and industry trends, then developing project teams to turn concepts into operating facilities. A typical day includes working with other engineers and business leaders to solve problems, learning about new technologies and identifying ways to apply them with our teams, and testing new approaches to more effectively deliver projects.
As an engineer at a manufacturing company I split my time between managing projects, working on new product designs, and increasing the efficiency of our company’s production. On any given day I may test various new product designs in a 3D modeling system (solid works), design new tooling to produce our products, evaluate out of spec parts being made on one of our machines, or set up new manufacturing processes to make our products better, cheaper to produce, and faster to make. Another aspect of my job is managing a team of our engineers; I spend part of my day assisting other engineers with projects that they are working on, as well as managing which projects our engineering team is working on to ensure that we are able to meet the needs of our sales team and our production team.
11 | alumni leadership day
Prior Employer: USA Compression Josh is a Senior Consultant in Deloitte’s Supply Chain and Network Operations operating portfolio. We predominantly design and operate flexible digital supply networks that adapt to new market demands and technological advancements. We help clients move faster, with more agility, while optimizing business processes across the value chain.
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entrepreneurship
entrepreneurship
AUSTIN FATJO ’07
KATE HINNANT ’16
TAYLOR MATTINGLY ’10
KUNAL PASRIJA ’11
President & CEO, Waste Transfer Partners
Owner/Editor of The Scout Guide Houston Owner/Editor of The Scout Guide Brazos Valley Founder/Principal of Monarch Marketing
Co-CEO, Energy Ogre
Founder & Managing Partner, Wickdale Capital
kathrynhinnant97@gmail.com
Prior Employer: Deloitte Consulting
BS Visualization, Texas A&M University
As Co-CEO, I work across the business to ensure all business objectives are achieved. My primary focus is growing the business through business development, marketing, and customer experience initiatives.
austinfatjo@gmail.com BA Government, The University of Texas at Austin Prior Employers: Advanced Waste Solutions Waste Transfer Partners is a commercial waste collection company which primarily focuses on commercial construction projects in Houston. I started the Company from scratch in 2017 as the only employee with one truck and 19-containers. Over the last eight years we have grown to four trucks, 160-containers, and we have eight employees. As President and CEO of WTP, I am primarily head cheerleader and chief problem solver. I am responsible for forecasting, tracking market conditions, and overcoming obstacles in all areas of the business. I provide oversight to our team in four main categories: Administrative, Accounting, Sales, and Operations.
13 | alumni leadership day
As Owner & Editor of two Scout Guide markets and Founder & Principal of Monarch Atelier, I lead creative vision, brand strategy, and business development across multiple platforms. I balance highlevel strategy with hands-on execution— from curating and producing luxury publications, to designing and delivering marketing campaigns, to planning and executing signature events that bring communities and brands together. My work also includes client consulting, brand storytelling, and fostering long-term partnerships that drive both local and regional impact.
taylormmattingly@gmail.com BA Economics, Vanderbilt University MBA, Duke University
kunal@wickdalecapital.com BBA, Southern Methodist University MBA, Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management Prior Employers: RBC Capital Markets, Intrepid Financial Partners, Uber, Agility Recovery, Yahoo I am an entrepreneur pursuing a unique path called entrepreneurship through acquisition. Instead of starting a business from scratch, I raise money from investors to search for and buy an existing business to run as CEO. My typical day involves researching industries/companies that could be good acquisition targets; reaching out to business owners to see if they are interested in selling; analyzing financial data of potential acquisitions; meeting with investors and advisors; and negotiating deal terms when I find a promising company. Once I acquire a business, I will transition to full-time CEO. This path allows me to become an entrepreneur and business owner faster with less risk than a startup. the kinkaid school | 14
healthcare
healthcare
JEFFREY BERMAN ’08
KATELYN GAMBLE ’20
HANNAH ROSENTHAL ’06
MADI GOERINGER SIMON ’13
Interventional Cardiologist, Memorial Cardiology Associates
Data Impact and Governance Intern, MD Anderson
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Bilingual, Imagine Pediatrics
jberman31190@gmail.com
katelyngamble70@gmail.com
BBA Business Honors, BA Plan II, The University of Texas at Austin MD, Baylor College of Medicine
BS Neuroscience, Washington and Lee University Master’s in Bioscience and Health Policy, Rice University (current)
Space Medicine Fellow, UT Health Houston Emergency Medicine Physician, Memorial Hermann TMC & LBJ General Hospital Assistant Medical Director, Bellaire Fire Department
Prior Employer: Baylor College of Medicine A day in the life of a cardiologist is usually split between the hospital, clinic, and procedures. My day usually starts around 7:30am seeing patients in the hospital and doing procedures on them, followed by clinic in the morning and/or afternoon. I will read imaging studies such as EKGs, ultrasounds, and stress tests during downtime, and then swing by the hospital at the end of the day to wrap things up as needed. I am on call a few times per week, which means I am available for heart attacks or other emergencies and may have to rush to the hospital at a moment’s notice.
15 | alumni leadership day
Prior Employer: National Human Genome Research Institute In my role, I contribute to building data and AI literacy by conducting research, analyzing information, and helping design educational resources. I develop a variety of deliverables, including case studies, curated content, visual materials, and demos to simplify complex topics. I also take on independent projects and share insights that guide future program efforts. Additionally, I support the planning and coordination of events and materials for MD Anderson’s Data Literacy Month.
hrrosenthal@gmail.com BS English Literature, United States Military Academy at West Point MD/MBA, Dell Medical School & McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin Hannah commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant branch Military Intelligence in the US Army and served in the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division as a platoon leader and company executive officer in the Military Intelligence Company, and as a Battalion Intelligence Officer with the 1-504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Hannah deployed twice to Afghanistan, in 2012 and 2014, and became a master rated parachutist. After her military career, she decided to pursue medicine. Hannah graduated from Dell Medical School and the McCombs School of Business at UT Austin in 2021. She completed emergency medicine residency in Phoenix, AZ and a fellowship in emergency medical services with the Houston Fire Department and UT Houston. She is currently a space medicine fellow with UT Houston and works in the emergency departments at Memorial Hermann TMC and LBJ Hospitals.
madison.goeringer@gmail.com BS Child Development and Spanish, Vanderbilt University MSN, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing Prior Employers: ABC Pediatric Clinic, Legacy Community Health, Clinic Concierge Imagine Pediatrics is a tech-enabled, multidisciplinary, pediatrician-led medical group providing fully integrated virtual and in-home care to children with complex health care needs. I work three 12-hour shifts and one 4-hour shift per week providing virtual care to children who need it most across Texas. At Imagine, we engage and coordinate with medical providers, specialists, caregivers, and community partners to expand access to the integrated 24/7 medical, behavioral, and social care and support that children deserve.
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law
law
WILL ATNIPP ’16
ASHLEY ELLERIN BOYAR ’06
HANNAH FRED BRADLEY ’12
WILL FULLENWEIDER ‘12
Associate, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Tax Planning & Counsel, LyondellBasell
Associate, Latham & Watkins LLP
watnipp@gmail.com
ashley.boyar@gmail.com
Senior Attorney, Allen Boone Humphries Robinson
BA Political Economy, Tulane University JD, The University of Texas School of Law
BS Marketing & Retail Management, Syracuse University JD, University of Houston Law Center
Prior Employers: U.S District Court for the Western District of Texas, Hon. Alan Albright A typical day as an associate involves drafting motions, responding to discovery, reviewing documents, and conducting research. My practice is focused on commercial disputes in Federal courts across the country and Texas state courts. The types of cases I work on vary widely from patent infringement cases to restructuring to contractual disputes.
17 | alumni leadership day
Prior Employers: Deloitte, BBVA, NOV, ConocoPhillips As tax planning and counsel for an international chemicals company, I am looking at company structures and making sure business activities do not end up creating an unnecessary tax burden. My day involves legal research, writing memos for our files, reviewing contracts, and modeling how various scenarios will impact the bottom line.
hannah.fred.bradley@gmail.com BA Corporate Communications, University of Houston JD Summa Cum Laude, South Texas College of Law Houston Prior Employer: Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP I serve as general counsel and bond counsel for special purpose districts that provide for the financing and construction of water, sewer, drainage, road, and recreational facilities and other development infrastructure in Houston and surrounding areas. A typical day includes reviewing contracts between developers and local governments, as well as leading public board meetings for special purpose districts.
wfullenweider@gmail.com BA, Villanova University JD, The University of Texas School of Law Prior Employers: McGuireWoods LLP, Jones Day I advise private equity sponsors, their portfolio companies and other clients in a variety of corporate and transactional matters, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, leveraged buyouts, minority and preferred equity investments, joint ventures and general corporate matters. A typical day for me involves assisting in all areas of the deal process, including drafting and negotiating the transaction documents and conducting legal due diligence, as well as helping the client with corporate housekeeping and other internal matters.
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law
marketing & communications
SADI MORADI ’12
DUNCAN ROBINSON ’12
JULIA WOOD HARRIS ’08
MEGAN LAFORGE HEALEY ’13
Associate Attorney, White & Case LLP
Associate, Jackson Walker LLP
Director of Business Development, DEBNER
Brand & Seller Marketing Manager, Poshmark
juliawoodharris@gmail.com
meganlaforge623@gmail.com
BBA Marketing, Minor Spanish, Texas A&M University, Mays Business School
BA Business Administration, BS Theatre, Chapman University MS Integrated Marketing Communications, Northwestern University
sadimoradi@gmai.com BBA Finance and BA Economics, Southern Methodist University JD, Georgetown Law I provide tax advice in connection with cross-border mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, financings, and other investments across the traditional energy and renewable energy industries.
19 | alumni leadership day
drobinson@jw.com BA, Dartmouth College JD Cum Laude, Baylor Law School Prior Employers: The Chicago Cubs; Law Clerk to United States Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan, United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas I am a litigation and trial associate at Jackson Walker LLP focusing on general litigation matters. I help clients navigate the legal process and, ultimately, prepare them to win at trial. I also spend a lot of my time researching and writing briefs. As a former law clerk to a federal judge, I have a unique exposure to federal court. I have found that trial is what fills the competitive void left over from my career with the Chicago Cubs. My day-to-day, like trial and baseball, is predictable until it isn’t.
Prior Employer: Furniture Marketing Group and Sewell As Director of Business Development for a commercial interiors (furniture) company, my “day in the life” changes daily. I am responsible for strategic growth and market expansion, client engagement and relationship management, leading a team of sellers, our forecasting and pipeline management, and tracking sales and margins. I identify and cultivate relationships with companies that are on the move or growing their space, so we can partner with them to create unique furniture solutions to enhance employee productivity. I keep up with industry trends and new furniture releases to make sure our team’s knowledge and recommendations are on par with the architects, designers, contractors, and commercial real estate brokers we work with regularly.
Prior Employer: Francesca’s After earning my Master’s degree from Northwestern, I joined the product marketing team at Poshmark. Over the years, I have launched new tools like AI listing and seller ads, led international campaigns in Australia, India, and UK, and built partnerships with big brands like Reformation and Coach. Today, as a Seller & Brand Marketing Manager, I combine creativity and strategy to bring big ideas to life and help millions of people grow their businesses.
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marketing & communications
military & space
OLIVIA MARRUS ’19
ANABELLE READE WARD ’12
JAMES EILERS ’06
Public Relations Specialist, Transwestern
Account Executive, SaaS Sales, LTK
Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA)/Space Walk Operations Specialist, NASA
oliviammarrus@gmail.com BA Media Studies, University of Virginia Prior Employer: Dancie Perugini Ware Public Relations As a Public Relations Specialist, Olivia leads media relations, manages local social media channels, and supports both internal and external communications for the Houston, Austin and San Antonio offices. Olivia works to strengthen brand visibility and deliver impactful, strategic and curated communication strategies for Transwestern Real Estate Services and its clients in markets across Texas. Olivia has developed a strong understanding of the commercial real estate industry through supporting communications across all service lines. She contributes to a range of storytelling efforts, from highlighting market trends and transactions to profiling professionals and company initiatives. Her work regularly earns media placements in local outlets and trade publications alike.
21 | alumni leadership day
anabellereade@gmail.com BS Retail Merchandising and Consumer Sciences; Business Foundation Certificate, The University of Texas at Austin
jameseilers@gmail.com BS Computer Science, Georgia Tech MS Human Factors Engineering, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Prior Employer: BPCM
Prior Employer: U.S. Navy
I have been at LTK for seven years now, previously working directly with creators and many brands to manage their campaign contracts and build out their Marketing spend plans. I transitioned into an Account Executive role on our LTK Connect team, LTK’s self service platform for brands, when we launched this in 2023. I am on calls almost all day, with brands and agencies, educating them on how they can use our proprietary data insights, AI tools, creator management features and discovery capabilities to run successful campaigns within LTK Connect. I spend a lot of time working cross functionally with our product, onboarding, and creator teams.
The team I am with at NASA trains the astronauts in EVA or space walk operation: everything from how to operate and maintain the space suits to using tools and moving around in zero gravity. We also plan and execute all the space walks from Mission Control at Johnson Space Center.
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non-profit & education
non-profit & education
TX HARRIS ‘18
ALEXA LEACH ’09
KEL MABATAH ‘05
SARAH ATNIPP PARTIN ’08
Upper School Teacher & Coach, The Kinkaid School
Advancement Services Manager, The Kinkaid School
Founder & President, The ‘Kel Strong’ Mabatha Foundation
Senior Development Officer, Texas Public Policy Foundation
tx.harris@kinkaid.org
alexa.leach@kinkaid.org
kmabatah@gmail.com
saatnipp@gmail.com
BS Quantitative Analysis of Markets and Organizations, The University of Utah
BBA Marketing, The University of Texas at Austin
BBA Entrepreneurial Management, Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University
BA Political Science, University of Mississippi
Prior Employers: University of Utah, Applied Health & Performance Science Department; WorkForceQA LLC; Strategy Now LLC My position is a one-year fellowship that allows prospective educators to preview the classroom teaching experience and gain the skills to move smoothly into the profession. The program is designed for people interested in teaching who did not pursue a degree in education. I grew up with an educator in my home, giving me the unique position to see the rewards and challenges of teaching first-hand. I spent my recent years working in the fields of consulting, finance, and data analytics. I had the opportunity to work with student athletes at the University of Utah which spurred my interest in teaching.
23 | alumni leadership day
Prior Employer: Vinson & Elkins LLP My role can be described as “air traffic controller” of our fundraising team and our All In Campaign. Organization and efficient multi-tasking are a must! I prep our gift officers with research, data, and strategy and keep them on track to hit our fundraising goals through reporting and metrics tracking. I have my own fundraising portfolio as well. I serve as a liaison between various groups working on different parts of the campaign. I work closely with our business office, gift records team, volunteers, donors, consultant, advertising firm, construction team, architects, signage studio, etc. I coordinate all campaign meetings and am responsible for campaign signage, communications, documents, and processes. I also assist with donor stewardship and campaign events, and I help the Director of Advancement with special projects.
As the founder of a growing nonprofit, my day-to-day revolves around driving our mission forward. I focus on leading our fundraising efforts, ensuring we meet our yearly goals, and connecting with donors to share our vision. A big part of my role involves building partnerships with institutions that support our work with those affected by brain injuries, as well as organizing various fundraising events throughout the year. As a founder of a small, evolving organization, I wear many hats and do whatever it takes to ensure our success ultimately benefiting the people we aim to serve.
Prior Employers: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Holloway Consulting As a development officer, my primary responsibilities include fundraising and building relationships that support my organization’s mission. This can happen through event planning, meetings, online fundraising campaigns, grant writing, and more. Every day can look a little different, such as travelling across Texas for meetings with supporters or collaborating with my colleagues on upcoming events and reports.
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real estate & development
real estate & development
CHANNING FATJO ‘16
KENNEDY GAMBLE ’18
JARED ORKIN ’20
ROBERT SHIVELY ’18
Leasing Representative, Fidelis Realty Partners
Associate, JLL
Junior Financial Analyst, NewQuest Properties
Associate, Cushman Wakefield
channingfatjo16@gmail.com BBA Real Estate, The University of Georgia As a Leasing Representative, I’m responsible for driving occupancy, strengthening tenant relationships, and enhancing the value of our retail portfolio, which includes a mix of groceryanchored and power centers. Day to day, I collaborate with brokers and tenants, negotiate LOIs and leases with national and regional retailers, partner with our legal team to secure favorable lease terms that position our centers for long-term success, and oversee marketing efforts for both existing properties and new developments.
25 | alumni leadership day
kennedygamble112@gmail.com BA Economics, Stanford University MBA Rice University I find, negotiate, and secure office space that fits a company’s unique needs and goals. I conduct market research to identify available properties, analyze lease terms, and negotiate favorable agreements for my clients. I focus on aligning the space with their financial and strategic goals while minimizing risks. Acting as a trusted partner, I guide my clients through the entire leasing process, helping them make informed decisions that optimize their workspace and expertise.
jaredorkin314@gmail.com BBA Finance, The University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business I assist our finance team in projecting income and costs for existing properties that we own and for potential acquisitions. This involves ground up development of large grocery anchored retail shopping centers or redevelopment of existing shopping centers. I work with several different departments to gather assumptions and present the projected income and costs to the deal makers hoping to target a return on our investment that we as a company desire. I also assist our finance team in refinancing existing loans and loans for ground up construction.
robert.shively@cushwake.com BBA, The University of Texas at Austin Prior Employer: IPA I broker the sale of multifamily assets. My day-to-day centers around calling clients—either to present them with new investment opportunities or to better understand their plans for their existing properties. I also provide them with market knowledge, such as details on new apartment developments in their submarket or broader trends that could impact their asset’s performance.
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real estate & development
sports business
sports business
DAWSON SMITH ’15
GREG LABANOWSKI ’13
CLEMMIE PIERCE MARTIN ’12
EVAN WIND ’16
Senior Associate Broker, Avison Young
Manager, Operations & Planning Innovation, Nike
Founder, Beyond Bench
Battle Red Representative, Houston Texans
dawson.smith@avisonyoung.com BS Industrial Distribution, Texas A&M University Prior Employer: Shell Oil Company I specialize in leasing and sales for the industrial and office sectors in the Greater Houston market. I help my clients align their business strategies and real estate needs by providing data-driven market analysis, space/site optimization, economic advising, transaction management, and leading deal negotiations. When not serving existing clients, I spend time on business development and bringing new clients to our firm.
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greg.labanowski@gmail.com BS Business Administration, The University of Southern California MBA, The University of Texas at Austin Prior Employers: Playfly Premier Partnerships, United States Tennis Association Greg works in Nike’s Global Innovation group, where he drives opportunity exploration, strategy, and innovation incubation across the company’s operating model. He also leads external partner management—building relationships, fostering collaboration, and connecting Nike with industry leaders to help shape what’s next.
clempierce@mac.com BA Plan II Honors, BS Corporate Communications, The University of Texas at Austin Prior Employers: Teach for America, Houston Exponential As Founder of Beyond Bench, I am part of a group of investors bringing new capital, expertise, and visibility into professional women’s sports. Through our investment and ownership in the NWSL, I focus on building long-term franchise value, expanding market opportunities, and elevating the profile of women’s athletics. My role spans investor relations, strategic partnerships, and growth initiatives that connect our team with broader audiences and new revenue streams. Beyond Bench reflects my passion for combining strategic leadership with purpose-driven investment, helping to push boundaries and unlock potential in women’s sports.
evanwind@me.com BA Human Dimensions of Organizations, Minor in Business, The University of Texas at Austin BS Sports Administration, University of Houston (current) Prior Employer: Barstool Sports On game-day we are responsible for guest services and setting up the stadium for the fans. We are also responsible for breaking down the stadium after the game and are responsible for setting up the stadium for the Rodeo or any other concerts or bowl games. On non game-days, we help the Texans fill in gaps in multiple departments such as marketing, operations, sales, and community outreach.
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sports business
technology
technology
RYAN MATTINGLY ’11
GRAHAM GAYLOR ’10
RYAN KEKISH ’20
BEN THOMAS ’13
Associate Producer II, ESPN
Founder/CEO, VR Chat Inc.
Founder and CEO, Gatby
ryanmattingly13@gmail.com
graham.gaylor@gmail.com
Embedded Software Engineer, John Deere
BA Sports Broadcasting, Texas Christian University
BS Computer Science & Math, Vanderbilt University
A day in the life at ESPN for me revolves around creating and curating elements for our national broadcasts. I work with announcers and other producers to ensure that our crew is prepared for a broadcast to cover major storylines. The majority of my time is spent preparing video elements, graphics or even film breakdowns to educate and entertain the viewer. Once I arrive on site for the game, my job is to document the game in an instantaneous high-pressure environment. During the game, my job is to tell the producer which of our 15+ cameras provided the best angle for replay.
Prior Employers: GREE, Zynga (mobile game companies)
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In the early days of VRChat (2014/2015) most of my day was spent programming the core VRChat product, shipping changes, receiving feedback from our small community, and iterating. As we grew and hired more engineers, my role turned into whatever the company needed at the time- fundraising, HR, product management, strategic planning, and company management. Today, my days consist of team and product management (lots of meetings, design, review, roadmap discussions), interfacing with external partners (investors, technology partners), and sometimes getting hands on with critical projects (project scoping, QA feature).
rkekish.ela.4@gmail.com BS Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin Prior Employer: Texas Children’s Hospital Global Hopeg A typical day as an embedded software engineer at John Deere involves designing, developing, and testing software used in our tractors. This includes participating in meetings to share project updates, collaborating with team members on code design and testing, and addressing bugs and defects in our codebase. Most of my time is spent coding, debugging, and writing documentation for any features I make.
benji@gatby.com BBA Finance, Baylor University Prior Employers: Nutiliti, Morgan Stanley Energy Partners, Wells Fargo Investment Banking At a startup, every day looks different, but sometimes there is some structure. I try to spend time with each of our heads (CTO, COO, and CPO) and see where we are on product development, operations, and growth. I spend a lot of time evaluating new technologies that we can leverage to deliver a product experience to our consumers.
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technology
student notes
PAUL THOMPSON ’18 Software Development Engineer, Annapurna Labs (AWS) paul@thepaulthompson.com BS Electrical and Computer Engineering, Minor Entrepreneurship, The University of Texas at Austin Prior Employer: Amazon Web Services (AWS) I do Software/Hardware Co-Design for Amazon’s custom machine learning accelerator, Trainium. My work involves close collaboration with teams across the technical stack from RTL engineers, chip architects, to compiler engineers. A typical day for me ranges from whiteboarding and analyzing the performance of hardware blocks for future silicon to writing low level software to support new functionality for chips already in the EC2 fleet.
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student notes
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student notes
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schedule of events 8:45 – 8:55 Check-in
9:00 – 9:30 Assembly, George Auditorium 9:45 – 10:15 Panel 1 10:25 – 10:55 Panel 2 11:05 – 11:35 Panel 3 11:40 – 12:30 Roundtable Luncheon, Fondren Gymnasium The panel sessions will take place in the following rooms: 1. Arts & Creative Panel: Classroom 139 2. Banking, Finance & Accounting Panel: George Auditorium 3. Energy/Oil & Gas Panel: Classroom 246 4. Engineering Panel: Classroom 255 5. Entrepreneurship Panel: Classroom 243 6. Healthcare Panel: Classroom 253 7. Law Panel: Classroom 259 8. Marketing & Communications Panel: Classroom 192 9. Military & Space: Classroom 257 10. Non-profit & Education Panel: Classroom 143 11. Real Estate & Development Panel: Classroom 270 12. Sports Business Panel: Classroom 137 13. Technology Panel: Classroom 141
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