Make Your Success A Reality
Seminars are geared toward African-American and Hispanic high school and middle school students of promise – youth who may be straddling the fence between academic complacency and meaningful engagement.
Through moderated panel discussions, students are provided the opportunity to learn from and interact with successful business and community leaders who speak with authenticity and cultural credibility while reinforcing the Compelling Why pillars of the importance and value of education, self-motivation, personal responsibility and active engagement.
The pillars are reinforced through panelist personal stories and strategies for surmounting obstacles. Panelists provide inspiration and motivation to youth who too often are without positive role models in their lives.
Students are challenged with a call-to-action to engage in programs that prepare them for success in college and career. Academic enrichment and youth development programs, already available on their campuses and in their communities, are featured during an Opportunity Fair – think college career fair setting – so students can easily and immediately learn more about those programs and enroll.
Seminars are held at partner university campuses and segmented by gender and ethnicity to help maximize impact on participants.
Due to the uncertainty in how schools will reopen this school year due to the coronavirus pandemic, The Compelling Why is modifying its programming to allow delivery through traditional in-person, virtual or hybrid models.
Now more than ever, Compelling Why connections to authentic role models are needed to amplify school strategies to engage and empower students to overcome academic, social, and emotional barriers to their success and equip them with the leadership attributes employers desire in an ever-changing globally competitive environment.
African American Men
African American Women
Hispanic Men
Hispanic Women
| Randy Bowman | President, MW Logistics |
| Patrick Briggs | Texas State Director, AVID |
| Baine Brooks | Owner, Two Rows Restaurant Councilmember, City of Allen |
| Carl Dorvil | President/CEO, Group Excellence |
| Nakia Douglas | Exec Director – TRIO and Pre-Collegiate Programs, University of North Texas at Dallas |
| Derrick Evers | Managing Partner/CEO, Kazien Development Partners |
| Art George | Principal/The George Development Group Retired Texas Instruments executive |
| Matt Houston | Principal, MLH Enterprises |
| Coach Brian King | CEO & Founder, iGlobal Coach |
| Dale Long | Sr. Community Relations Coordinator, City of Dallas |
| Terrence G. Maiden | CEO, Russell Glen Company |
| Marcus Martin | CEO, 2M Research Services |
| Prentis Murphy | North Texas Retail Client Relationship Executive, Deloitte |
| Michael D. Pegues | Shareholder, Polsinelli |
| Fred Perpall | CEO, The Beck Group |
| Byron Sanders | President & CEO, Big Thought |
| Ronnie Spellman | COO, Mbroh Engineering, Inc. |
| Joel Vilmenay | President & General Manager at WDSU-TV, New Orleans |
| Ronnie Wilson, Jr | Lead Technology Project Manager, GKN Aerospace |
| Tiffany M. B. Anderson | Assistant Professor, Texas A&M Commerce |
| Annika Cail | Managing Director, Deal Value |
| Tiffani Evans | Sr. Project Manager, AT&T |
| Lyria Howland | President, Howland PR |
| Torrey Littlejohn | SVP, Jones Lang LaSalle |
| Gabrielle Madison | Director, Community & Scholars Relations, Thomson Reuters |
| Angela Martin | President, Chase Merchant Services, JPMorgan Chase |
| April Martin | Corporate Affairs Manager, Kroger |
| Deanna Naugles | Senior Mgr, Strategic Program & Operations, Accenture |
| Alfreda B. Norman | SVP, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas |
| Cheryl Richardson | Enterprise Account Mgr, Cisco Systems |
| Yinka Robinson | Managing Director, Regional Communications and Public Affairs, Teach for America |
| Sandra Phillips Rogers | Group VP, General Counsel, Toyota North America |
| Christa Sanford | Partner, Baker Botts LLP |
| Michelle R. Thomas | VP, Philanthropy & Community Relations, JPMorgan Chase |
| Tamara Urquhart | Recruitment Director, Teach for America |
| Nicole Washington | Director of Innovation and Growth, OCTANe |
| Frances Cudjoe Waters | National Speaker, Writer, Minister and Life Coach |
| Rafael Anchia | Texas State Representative |
| Manuel Aybar | Manager, Industrial Engineering, Qorvo |
| Jose Bowen | Former President, Goucher College Former Dean, Meadows School, SMU |
| Andy Canales | Executive Director, Greater Houston Latinos for Education |
| Jorge A. Corral | Dallas Office Managing Director, Accenture |
| Marcus Duron | Principal, Rocky Duron & Associates |
| Jorge Luis Estrada | Community Outreach Representative, Dallas Police Dept. |
| Edwin Flores | Managing Partner, Chalker Flores LLP |
| Richard Garza | Principal, Garza Program Management |
| Victor Garza | Financial Advisor, Amicus Financial Advisors |
| Adan Gonzalez | Executive Director, Puede Network! |
| Alfonso J. Herrera | Attorney at Law, Rad Law Firm |
| Pete Lerma | Principal & Founder, Richards/Lerma |
| Jaime Luna | Material Program Manager, Raytheon |
| Chris MacFarland | Executive Chairman and CTO, Masergy |
| R. Mateo Magdaleno | Chief Education Officer, IDQ Group |
| Carlos Morales | Partner, Freidman & Fieger |
| Mauricio Navarro | President, RAIZ Inc. |
| JJ Ponce | SVP of Community Development, Texas Capital Bank |
| Arturo Sanchez, III | Deputy Director, External Relations, NASA Johnson Space Center |
| Rawly Sanchez | Former, Assistant Superintendent, Tyler ISD |
| Alejandro Sanchez Sobrino | Former, GM Telemundo, Orlando, ZGS Communications |
| Miguel Solis | Deputy Director, Coalition for a New Dallas |
| Joe Posada | Director, Student and Partner Engagement, University of North Texas at Dallas |
| Jeronimo Valdez | Managing Partner, Valdez | Washington |
| Isaul Verdin | Counselor, Verdin Law |
| Luis Zambrano | Partner, Miller, Eagan, Molter & Nelson, LLP |
| Diana F. Aguirre | Director of Development and Alumni Relations, University of Texas at Dallas |
| Lily Anderson | Manager, Sales Development, Mercuri International |
| Michelle Bobadilla | Senior Associate VP for Outreach Services, UT Arlington |
| Mary Elizabeth (Liz) Cedillo-Pereira | Director, Office of Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs, City of Dallas |
| Patricia Rodriguez Christian | President, CRC Group |
| Hilda C. Galvan | Partner-in-Charge Dallas, Jones Day |
| Florencia Velasco Fortner | President & CEO, The Concilio |
| Cassandra Gandara | Lawyer, Gandara & Gonzalez |
| Gloria Lopez | CEO, Trinity River Mission |
| Ashley Paredez | Reporter, KDFW Fox4 News |
| Alice Rodriguez | Managing Director, Head of Community and Business Development, JPMorgan Chase |
| Gail Salcido | VP, General Counsel, Fluor Corporation |
| Natalie Solis | Anchor / Reporter, KDFW Fox 4 |
| Nina Vaca | Chairman & CEO, Pinnacle Group |
| Abigail Williams | President & Founder, United to learn |
| Ashley Zárate | Financial Representative, TD Ameritrade |
| Ivonne Zambrano | VP, Residential Sales, Wingert Real Estate |
Recent Panelists
Director of Development, University of Texas at Dallas
Manager of Sales Development - Mercuri International
Assistant Professor, Texas A&M Commerce
Senior Associate VP/Assistant Provost The University of Texas at Arlington
Managing Director, Deal Value
Dallas Office Managing Director - Accenture
CFO, FCW Strategic Consulting
National Speaker and Educational/Parenting Expert
Director – City of Dallas I Office of Welcoming Communities & Immigrant Affairs
Chief Executive Officer & President - GEX Management, Inc.
Exec Director – TRIO and Pre-Collegiate Programs, University of North Texas at Dallas
Chief Executive Officer - Kaizen Development Partners
Partner-in-Charge Dallas Office - Jones Day
Certified Financial PlannerAmicus Financial
Advisors, LLC
External Engagement Partner – The George Development Group
Retired Senior Vice President & Manager – Texas Instruments
Attorney at Law, Rad Law Firm
Principal – MLH Enterprises
President, Howland PR
CEO/Founder, iGlobalCoach
Executive Director, Orange County Educational Arts Academy
Senior Vice President – Jones Lang LaSalle
CEO, Trinity River Mission
Material Program Manager - Raytheon
Director, Community & Scholars Relations, Thomson Reuters
CEO, Russell Glen Company
Chief Educational Officer – IDQ Group
Corporate Affairs Manager, Kroger
North Texas Retail Client Relationship Executive
Deloitte Consulting LLP’s Strategy and Operations
Senior Management & Improvement I Strategic Operations Programs - Accenture
Reporter, KDFW Fox4 News
Chief Legal Officer, Toyota North America
Senior Vice President, Texas Capital Bank
Director, Student and Partner Engagement, University of North Texas at Dallas
Managing Director, Regional Communications and Public Affairs, Teach for America
Head of Community & Business Development, Managing Director, JPMorgan Chase
Managing Director, Business Development & Latino Leadership Initiative, SMU Cox School of Business
Lecturer, University of Texas at Arlington
President & CEO – Big Thought
Partner, Baker Botts
Deputy Director, Coalition for a New Dallas
COO, Mbroh Engineering, Inc.
Chairman and CEO, Pinnacle Group
Founder and Managing Partner, Valdez | Washington LLP
President & GM, WDSU-TV (New Orleans)
Director of Innovation and Growth, OCTANe OC
Executive Director, United to Learn
Lead Technology Project Manager at GKN Aerospace
Vice President, Residential Sales, Wingert Real Estate
Financial Representative, TD Ameritrade
The Impact of Compelling Success Sessions
- Increase each student’s level of engagement. Research shows students who are behaviorally, emotionally and cognitively engaged in school are more likely to achieve positive academic outcomes.
- Expose students to accomplished role models with whom they relate to culturally. Students served seldom see themselves reflected in the myriad of careers and occupations to which they might aspire.
- Connect students to the resources needed to achieve their college and career goals.
In Their Own Words
Listen to these speakers share words of wisdom on education and achieving success. View all videos.
