Make Your Success A Reality

Our Success Session seminars are geared toward African American and Hispanic students – 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, purpose, 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.

To provide schools the most flexibility, The Compelling Why now offers virtual programming options that complement our traditional in-person delivery.

To learn more, contact us here.

African American Men
Randy Bowman President, MW Logistics
Patrick Briggs Texas State Director, AVID
Baine Brooks Owner, Two Rows Restaurant Councilmember, City of Allen
Carl Dorvil Entrepreneur
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 Chief of Staff | Hybrid Solutions & Incubation, 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
African American Women
Tiffany M. B. Anderson Assistant Professor, Texas A&M Commerce
Annika Cail Principal, Convince Capital Partners
Tiffani Evans Sr. Project Manager, AT&T
Lyria Howland President, Howland PR
Torrey Littlejohn Managing Director, JLL
Gabrielle Madison Director of Community Relations, Thomson Reuters
Angela Martin Managing Director & General Manager, US Strategic Distribution Group, JPMorgan Chase
April Martin Head of E-Commerce Corp Affairs and Communications, Kroger
Deanna Naugles Strategic Program & Operations Senior Manager, Accenture
Alfreda B. Norman SVP, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Cheryl Richardson Enterprise Account Mgr, Cisco Systems
Yinka Robinson Regional Head, External Communications & Marketing (North America), Hitachi Rail
Sandra Phillips Rogers Group VP, General Counsel, Toyota North America
Christa Brown-Sanford Dept. Chair – Intellectual Property (Firmwide) Partner
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
Hispanic Men
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 Founder, Owner and CCO, Garza Financial Planning
Adan Gonzalez Executive Director, Puede Network!
Alfonso J. Herrera Attorney at Law, Rad Law Firm
Pete Lerma Principal & Founder, Richards/Lerma
Jaime Luna Associate Director, Supply Chain, 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
Joe Posada Director, Underserved Student Services
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 Chief of Staff, The Commit Partnership
Jeronimo Valdez Managing Partner, Valdez | Washington
Isaul Verdin Counselor, Verdin Law
Luis Zambrano Partner, Miller, Eagan, Molter & Nelson, LLP
Hispanic Women
Diana F. Aguirre Director of Development and Alumni Relations, University of Texas at Dallas
Lily Anderson Go To Market Strategy Consultant, Rixon Technology
Michelle Bobadilla Senior Associate VP for Outreach Services, UT Arlington
Patricia Rodriguez Christian President, CRC Group
Marisha Davis Manager, Corporate Events|Technology, Keurig Dr Pepper
Hilda C. Galvan Partner-in-Charge Dallas, Jones Day
Florencia Velasco Fortner President & CEO, The Concilio
Cassandra Gandara Lawyer, Gandara & Gonzalez
Gloria Lopez Founder & Co-CEO, Josephine Torres Cultural & Comm Ctr
Ashley Paredez Nightside News Reporter at ABC15 Arizona
M. Elizabeth Cedillo-Pereira, Esq. Assistant City Manager, City of Dallas
Ana Rodriguez Executive Director, Latino Leadership Initiative, SMU Cox School of Business
Alice Rodriguez Senior Advisor, Managing Director, 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
Ivonne Zambrano VP, Residential Sales, Wingert Real Estate
Ashley Zárate JD Candidate, Baylor University School of Law

View Compelling Why Success Session

Recent Panelists

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.

See our results

In Their Own Words

Listen to these speakers share words of wisdom on education and achieving success. View all videos.

Support The Compelling Why

Comments are closed.