Juuhi Ahuja is the Founder, President & CEO of Wise Men Consultants. Since its inception in 1997 Wise Men has grown from an IT Staffing firm into…

Honoree 2017, Dr. Margaret Jeanelle Allen was born in Lafayette Louisiana, the youngest of nine children. Dr. Allen knew in high school that she wanted to work…

Johnte’ Archer, JD is the CEO of J. Archer Insurance Group/Archer Commercial Insurance Group, a multi-national independent insurance brokerage.   Founded in 2009, the affluent firm, is a…

Honoree 2017, Karina Barbieri was born in Venezuela, daughter of doctors and the youngest of six. She is married to the love of her life, Carlos Barbieri, an…

For over 30 years, Lea Bogle has been a trail blazer in the wireless industry and has served as President and CEO of Premier Wireless since 1993…

Dr. LaQuita Carter is a passionate educator who has been touching the lives of children and families for more than 25 years. Influenced by her life-story; she…

Twila Carter enters her fourth season as Executive Director of the Astros Foundation and Senior Vice President of Community Relations for the Astros.  She made the transition…

Honoree 2017, In 2012, Cynthia Cisneros was appointed Vice President of Community Affairs at ABC13. She was hired at ABC13 in 1989 and while no longer filing…

Shauna Johnson Clark runs one of the world’s five largest combined global law firms and manages its US operations. A born leader, she has long managed many…

Debra Clark Stewart is Director of Supplier Diversity and Diversity Outreach for Shell.  In this role, she leads a team responsible for developing and implementing strategies and…

 Tamar, known as the muse and favorite singer of her mentor Prince, gained notoriety for beingThe music legends “Protégé” while co-writing their Grammy-nominated duet “Beautiful, Loved and…

Cheryl L. Duncan, BSN, RN, CVRN – Founder of the Ashley Jadine Foundation (AJF).  AJF was started in loving memory of Cheryl’s daughter, Ashley Jadine Duncan, who died by…

When you look at the way Deborah Duncan grew up, it is no surprise that she ended up in the communication business. Raised in a military family,…

Diane Englet is Senior Director of Corporate Community Relations for CenterPoint Energy. She leads the company’s philanthropic efforts, volunteer activities, and community and education outreach initiatives. In…

Diedra Fontaine is the Executive Director of the Office of Development for Prairie View A&M University. Fontaine previously served as the Director of Diversity for United Airlines…

In 1994 when Judge Vanessa Diane Gilmore was sworn in, she was then the youngest sitting federal judge in the nation. The native of Silver Spring, Maryland…

Honoree 2017 Karina Gonzalez is a native of Caracas, Venezuela and a silver medal winner of the New York International Ballet Competition in 2007. She trained at…

LaTreace Harrison grew up in Houston, Texas and graduated from Jack Yates Sr. High School.  After graduating from Yates High School, Harrison went on to pursue both…

Dr. Hill was raised in Columbus, Ohio and was number 7 of 8 children.  Her siblings set a high bar for education and career accomplishments and continue…

Fueled by a passion for her God given purpose, Dr. Jacqueline Horton-Cobbin has thrived as a multi-dimensional entrepreneur with an influential role in the field of education…

Carneta Hunte-Larkin was born on the beautiful island of Christiansted, St. Croix- United States Virgin Islands (USVI) and was raised in Baytown, Texas. Hunt-Larkin serves as President…

Antoinette M. “Toni” Jackson is a commercial real estate partner at the law firm of Jones Walker concentrating in affordable housing and community development law. Ms. Jackson…

Ige Johnson​ is celebrated as the broker and owner for the RE/MAX of Texas 2016 Rookie office of the Year, for RE/MAX Generation. Ige Johnson, a Houston…

Being a wife, mother and church leader are at the core of this astonishing woman of God. Torsha Johnson is spiritually gifted in leading women to the heart of…

Carla Kuaiwa has been married for 22 years and has two children in college attending Texas A&M in College Station. She owns a Consulting Firm, Cross OD…

Monica Lewis is a leading expert in the industry of etiquette and protocol. She is also an avid believer that social presentation and behaviors are important to…

Paula McHam currently serves two roles for Cigna in the Houston market.  As Account Executive working with the City of Houston, a Cigna client, she is the…

Regina Mellinger is President and CEO of Primary Services. Mellinger stands for creating an expanding world where people are valued, their opportunities are realized, and their contributions improve…

Cydonii Miles is a prominent corporate lawyer, with almost 20 years of corporate finance, governance and securities law experience. As Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and…

Mary Moreland is the Director of Strategic Planning – Latin America, at Quanta Services, Inc. Quanta Services safely provides engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services for comprehensive infrastructure…

Dr. Nguyen currently works as the Director of Development and Marketing for Institute for Civic Education in Vietnam (www.icevn.org), a US based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization specializing in…

Ms. Delesa O’Dell-Thomas, a distinguished educator with 26 years of education expertise in teaching and administration. She has successfully educated, motivated and encouraged students to succeed despite…

Honoree 2017, Carrin Patman is chair of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County. She is METRO’s first woman chair, appointed in 2016 by Mayor Sylvester Turner…

Nicole Streeter is a native Houstonian with an exceptional background and strong commitment to community service in her hometown.  Ms. Streeter has been a young leader in…

State Representative Shawn Thierry represents House District 146, a district that covers numerous communities in the Southeast and Southwest parts of greater Houston. Representative Thierry is a…

Rep. Senfronia Thompson’s legacy is one built from strong principles of faith, an unwavering defense of freedom, and a staunch belief in fairness. She exemplifies the American…

Courtney Johnson Rose is the Principal Broker of George E. Johnson Properties LLC, an affiliate company of George E. Johnson Development Inc. GEJ Properties is a full…

Ann Stern is President and CEO of Houston Endowment, a private foundation whose mission is to enhance the vibrancy of greater Houston and advance equity of opportunity…

Kim Stith has practiced employment law for over 26 years and is currently Vice President and General Counsel at Waste Management contributing to the Company’s Employment Law,…

Kristin Tassin’s passion for equal opportunities and a high-quality education for all children has guided both her personal and professional life. Her personal experiences with her own…

As founding Partner and Chief Executive Officer, Kelley Taylor oversees strategic growth projections for TCM. Her executive oversight spans accounting, administration, staff development, legal, and marketing for…

Dawn Ullrich grew up in Barron, Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, majoring in political science and business administration.  During college, she worked…

Honoree 2017, Barbara Vilutis has over 30 years of financial experience.  Vilutis joined Amegy Bank in 2002 to establish the Wealth Management Group.  She currently is the…

A product of private, catholic, and public schools, Mary Young breezes through life knowing her strength comes from above. She graduated from James Madison Senior High School…