できる人たち

Chad Mantooth is the Associate Publisher and Advertising Director of Dallas Voice, the Head of the Cedar Springs Wine Walk, a proud Board Member of the Cedar Springs Merchants Association, and a familiar face (and voice) as the host of the Pride in Dallas Parade. In 2025, he was named the LGBTQ Chamber Champion Award Winner, though he’s quick to point out that it’s really the community he champions that deserves the spotlight.

As part of his work with the Cedar Springs Merchants Association, Chad helped support the recent funding of Dallas’ rainbow crosswalks, a colorful symbol of pride and inclusion in the heart of the city. For the past seven years, he has also volunteered his time with the Caven Christmas Show, helping raise thousands of dollars every year for underprivileged kids in Dallas. Known for his passion for bringing people together, he has made it his mission to showcase the vibrancy and visibility of the nation’s 5th largest LGBTQ community. Whether he’s rallying merchants, raising a glass at the Wine Walk, or keeping the Pride parade energy high, Chad’s work is about building connections, creating joy, and making sure Dallas’ LGBTQ community gets the recognition it deserves, all with a wink, a smile, and maybe a refill of your glass.

And if you don’t recognize him at one of these events, don’t worry…. he’s the guy lost in the middle of Cedar Springs trying to remember which meeting, show, or happy hour he’s supposed to be at.

Cindy Pedraza is the co-owner of CocoAndre Chocolatier and the visionary behind Olmo Market, a dynamic cultural and creative space in Oak Cliff, Dallas. As a proud firstgeneration Mexican-American entrepreneur, Cindy has helped shape the future of artisan chocolate by intertwining legacy, craftsmanship, and community through her work with CocoAndre, which she co-founded with her mother, master chocolatier Andrea Pedraza.

Under Cindy’s leadership, CocoAndre has earned national acclaim, winning Best Chocolatier in D Magazine’s “Best of Big D” multiple years in a row and ultimately being inducted into the Best of Big D Hall of Fame. Her entrepreneurial journey has taken her to the White House’s United State of Women Summit not once, but twice during the Obama administration and earned her recognition from the Tory Burch Foundation. She has led collaborations with notable brands including Kia Latino, Siete Foods, and most recently, Uniqlo, where she launched a custom CocoAndre-Uniqlo merch experience at the Dallas Galleria flagship store.

In 2023, Cindy won the UPS “Deliver Your Pitch” competition, sharing the stage with NFL legend Emmitt Smith and Dallas Cowboys’ star CeeDee Lamb. The following year, she was invited back not as a contestant, but as a guest judge, sitting alongside Emmitt and her self-proclaimed "bestie," CeeDee Lamb, to help select the next round of winners. Cindy and her family were also featured in a Puma sneaker campaign, thanks to the incredible team at Politics sneaker boutique, who recognized the Pedraza family's deep involvement and longstanding impact within the Oak Cliff community. The campaign celebrated their legacy and cultural influence, blending streetwear with storytelling.

Cindy’s commitment to cultural celebration and community organizing runs deep. She is the founder of the first-ever Dia de Los Muertos celebration in Oak Cliff, a beloved annual tradition now entering its second decade. She also co-founded the first Oak Cliff Orgullo (Pride) event in partnership with TX Latino Pride, helping carve out inclusive spaces that reflect and uplift queer Latinx voices in her community.

Beyond chocolate, Cindy is the creative force behind Olmo Market, which began as an extension of CocoAndre and has evolved into a vibrant neighborhood hub. Olmo hosts everything from small business pop-ups and art shows to social justice conversations and heritage-centered events. Through this space, Cindy has cultivated a platform for local makers, artists, and entrepreneurs especially women and BIPOC creatives to be celebrated and supported.

Whether she’s on stage with NFL legends, at the White House, or hand-pouring chocolate in Dallas, Cindy leads with authenticity, vision, and a deep commitment to uplifting her community all while building legacy, one bar (or bold move) at a time.

Curtis King is a visionary arts leader, director, and producer best known as the founder and president of The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL), one of the nation’s most esteemed cultural institutions. Established in 1977 from King’s dining room table with just $250, TBAAL has since generated more than $150 million under his leadership to support its capital campaigns, programming, and operations. Located in the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas, the institution now spans 250,000 square feet and welcomes more than 250,000 patrons annually. Its mission—celebrating and preserving African, Caribbean, and African American contributions to the arts—has flourished through King’s tireless vision, shaping Dallas into a national hub for cultural expression.

Often called the “King of Tributes,” King has produced and directed hundreds of acclaimed plays, concerts, and cultural events, collaborating with legends such as Maya Angelou, Cicely Tyson, Erykah Badu, Phylicia Rashad, and Stevie Wonder. His Emmy-winning Black Music and the Civil Rights Movement concert has become a Dallas tradition, blending artistry with activism and earning national recognition. He has also staged major productions like Bethune starring Esther Rolle, The Amen Corner starring Helen Martin and Juanita Moore, and the national touring show Don’t Start Me to Talkin’ or I’ll Tell Everything I Know. His work has extended to international stages in Paris, Addis Ababa, and Istanbul, amplifying Dallas’ reputation as a global cultural player.

Beyond his productions, King has curated unforgettable events that highlight history and social impact. These include I Remember…The March on Washington at the Kennedy Center featuring Dan Rather, Halle Berry, and Eartha Kitt; Symphony with the Divas saluting African American women in Congress; and the Riverfront Jazz Festival, which attracts more than 40 national and international musical artists each Labor Day in Dallas. His ability to bring world-class talent to the city while mentoring the next generation of artists showcases his unwavering commitment to creativity, community, and cultural preservation.

LaDondra Wilson serves as the Dallas Wing's Vice President of Social Responsibility and the inaugural Executive Director of the Dallas Wings Community Foundation. LaDondra leads the organization's community engagement efforts, advises leadership on the diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and leads the social justice committee. A proud graduate of Leadership Southlake, and the inaugural class of Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy, LaDondra is a proponent of professional development and servant leadership.

After graduating from Texas State University, LaDondra worked as a Master level social worker, emphasizing Advanced Administrative Leadership for non-profit organizations. LaDondra's work has focused on addressing macro social problems and leadership development, non-profit management, program development, and evaluation. Ms. Wilson has been named the 2013 Tarrant County Case Manager of the Year. She obtained a certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Center of Nonprofit Management (CNM), an Executive Sports Philanthropy Certificate from George Washington University, and a Diversity and Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University.

A proud native of South Oak Cliff in Dallas, TX, currently LaDondra serves on the Engage Dallas , Educate Dallas, Parkland Health Foundation, and Rainbow Days Board of Directors. LaDondra serves on the UNT Sport Entertainment Management Advisory Board, Texas A&M-Commerce Sport & Recreation Management Board, Women in Sports and Events, and the Black Sports Professionals of North Texas Board of Directors, and an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc as the Public Relations Chair of her chapter. LaDondra was named a 2019 Millennial to Watch as a Community Server, a 2020 Community First Award recipient from the Parkland Health Foundation, the 2021 Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Graduate Good Citizen Award, and a 2021 Dallas Business Journal 40 Under 40 award recipient. In 2023, LaDondra was named a Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce 40 under 40 recipient. Also in 2023, she was awarded a Women in Sports and Events 2023 Woman of Inspiration honoree. In 2024, LaDondra was a Cosign Sports Executive of the Year nominee and a PoliChic Bravery Brunch honoree. In 2025, LaDondra was named a DCEO Nonprofit Leadership Excellence Finalist.

Through sports, LaDondra champions diversity, drives equity, and builds inclusive spaces where all individuals are empowered to thrive.

Brittany Grignon Hays is the founder and creator of SESSION Pilates, the Dallas-born, music-driven reformer Pilates brand she launched in 2016 with its first studio in the Knox-Henderson area. Under her leadership, SESSION evolved from a single studio into one of North Texas’ most recognizable boutique fitness concepts, defined by a high-intensity, beat-based 50-minute method and a strong, community-first culture.

Recognized for brand building as much as for product, Hays and SESSION have earned multiple “Best Pilates Studio” honors, including D Magazine’s Best of Big D and Dallas Observer Readers’ Choice, with ClassPass also naming SESSION among its U.S. standouts. Her operator-led approach centers on instructor excellence, continuing education, and an incentive model that aligns the team around client outcomes—principles that fueled SESSION’s swift digital pivot during the pandemic with SESSION@Home and continue to underpin its growth.

Today, SESSION comprises six studios across Dallas-Fort Worth and, in 2025, expanded into Nashville’s Green Hills—debuting to sustained sell-outs, waitlists, and a surge of earned attention. Hays continues to scale SESSION while stewarding its culture, community partnerships, and philanthropic touchpoints—such as ongoing donation-class initiatives—alongside a commitment to rigorous instructor development. As SESSION nears its 10-year anniversary in 2026, Hays is launching the SESSION Foundation — a foundation that will support and uplift female entrepreneurs across the region. Her vision remains clear: deliver an elevated, modern Pilates experience that keeps studios full, clients loyal, and the brand unmistakably SESSION.

アンガ・L・サンダースはダラスのサザンメソジスト大学を卒業し、学士号と修士号を取得した。

アンガはFEEDオーククリフの創設者兼事務局長であり、ダラス南部の食の砂漠を破壊し根絶することを目的とした非営利イニシアティブである。FEED Oak Cliffは現在、コミュニティ食料品店とヘルシーな近隣ビストロの建設を目指した活動を行っている。

また、FEED Oak Cliffが毎年開催する栄養と健康的な生活を促進するフェスティバルであるDallas VegFestを創設し、全米から参加者を集めている。

グローバルHRソリューションズLLCのCEOを務める。グローバルHRソリューションズLLCは、国内外に人事アウトソーシングサービスを提供する人事コンサルタント会社である。この分野で最高レベルの資格であるSenior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)を23年以上取得している。

アンガは現在、経済的流動性、高齢者サービス、地域社会の福祉を提供することを目的とした80年の歴史を持つ慈善団体、Community Council of Greater Dallasの理事長を務めている。また、環境修復・開発団体であるグリーンスペース・ダラスの理事会副議長も務める。

過去には、SMU同窓会理事会およびSMUアフリカ系アメリカ人同窓会理事会のメンバーを務め、SMU黒人同窓会奨学金創設の原動力となった。2016年、彼女にちなんでSMUで毎年授与される賞が創設された。アンガ・サンダース・コミュニティ・インパクト賞は、学内での献身的な活動や地域社会での奉仕活動を一貫して実践してきたSMUの学生に毎年贈られる。

自由時間には、読書、旅行、ホームレスへの給食、パラセーリング、ジップライニングなど、さまざまな興味深いことに取り組んでいる。

アンバー・ウィリアムズ・シェフの紹介 - テキサス州オーククリフ出身、テキサスとルイジアナの文化と味が融合した家庭で育ち、それが彼女のライフワークである食を忘れられない体験にすることへの絶大な愛と情熱に火をつけた。

2014年以来、彼女の会社ル・ルージュ・キュイジーヌのCEO兼エグゼクティブ・シェフは、企業、プライベート／エクスクルーシブ／特別なイベントの顧客に楽しんでもらうために、クレオール・フュージョンのフレアと南部の魅力にあふれた格調高い料理体験をキュレートしてきた。

アンバー・シェフはフード・デザート出身で、彼女の最新のベンチャーであるフード・デザート・プロジェクト（持続可能で健康的なフード＆ライフスタイルの教育ツール、プログラム、製品の提供に焦点を当てたフード・エクイティ・リソース・ハブ）を通して、彼女が育ったような食の格差に苦しむコミュニティに手を差し伸べることで、彼女のリーチを広げた。2023年11月、アンバーはこのイニシアチブの最初のプロジェクトとして、フードデザート（食の砂漠）に優しい料理本＆リソースガイド「Surviving The Food Desert Cookbook & Resource Guide」を発表した。"

地元のニュース局や全国ネットのテレビ、Food network、USA Today、Essence Magazineなどのメディアで彼女の専門知識と料理の知識を紹介した後、料理研究家は今、力を合わせ、料理と食の知識を活用して、食の格差に苦しむ人々の考え方や生活を変えるホリスティックなアプローチをもたらす彼女の新しいイニシアチブを通じて、健康的で持続可能な食へのアクセスの架け橋となる企業や団体を支援したいと考えている。

アンバー・シェフの使命は、素晴らしい料理をおもてなしや食事の中心に戻すような体験を創造するだけでなく、自分の体を知り、健康的で美味しい新鮮な食べ物を探求することによって、より質の高い生活を望み、それに値する人々に、機知と回復力のメッセージを広めることである！

社会的企業の開発で15年以上の経験を持つエリザベス・ワトリーは、その鋭い洞察力と幅広い知識により、深い専門性をもってフォレスト・フォワードをリードしている。地域社会の豊かな歴史、文化、誇りを維持しながら、サウスダラス／フェアパークの経済開発を推進することに専心するエリザベスは、コミュニティ・アーキテクトである。

効果のあるものを拡大することであれ、非営利団体や企業を通じてインパクトを増大させる革新的な方法を考えることであれ、開発戦略をキュレートすることであれ、集団的インパクトのネットワークを構築することであれ、彼女はダラスの最も恵まれないコミュニティにリソースを注入することに専心している。

フォレスト・フォワードに入社する前、エリザベスは戦略イニシアチブ担当ディレクターとしてシティスクエアで、またサービス・ラーニング担当ディレクターとしてポール・クイン・カレッジで、変革的イニシアチブを主導した。ポール・クイン・カレッジ時代には、同カレッジの未使用のサッカー場を全国的に有名なオーガニック農場に変え、食料へのアクセスと闘う取り組みを指揮した。これらの役割において、教育、食料、住宅、医療における不公平に対処するために数百万ドルを集めながら、ダラス南部の集中的な成長を触媒することができた。

ダラスとその住民に対する彼女のコミットメントが評価され、2020年、ダラス・ビジネス・ジャーナルは、エリザベスを切望される40歳未満の40歳に贈る賞を授与した。2021年、エリザベスはSMU Cox Outstanding Young Alumni賞を受賞し、2022年春にはDMagazine誌の「ダラスを偉大にする78人の女性」の一人に選ばれた。2024年、エリザベスはテキサス北部の未来を創る若者を表彰するAxios Dallas Power Playerに選ばれた。アトランタのスペルマン・カレッジで経済学を専攻し、SMUコックス・スクール・オブ・ビジネスで戦略と起業家精神を専攻してMBAを取得。

ジェス・ガーランドはダラスを拠点に活動するシンガーソングライター、レコーディング・アーティスト。ハープとギター・ループを組み合わせたマルチ・インストゥルメンタリストであり、幽玄なジャズを基調とした独自のアヴァンギャルド・ポップを展開している。最近、ジェスはレコード・アカデミーの会員になった。彼女は最近、Visit Dallasによる2023年12月／2024年1月のPower PlayerとしてModern Luxury Magazineに掲載された。2024年5月には、チェース銀行の2023年度アントレプレニスタ・オブ・ザ・イヤーを受賞。また、2023年6月には『Guitar Girl Magazine』と『Dallas Weekly』の表紙を飾った。ジェスは最近、Visit Dallasのためにフェア・パークで行われたジュネーテンス・フリーダム・ウォークで、オパール・リー博士やエリカ・バドゥとステージを共にした。2024年4月にはTulipsでザ・サファーズのオープニングを務め、2024年1月にはパフォーミング・アーツ・ヒューストンのワーサム・シアターでザ・サファーズのカム・フランクリンとバイユー・シティ・カムバック・コーラスと共演した。ワイリー・シアターで開催されたエレベーター・プロジェクトでは、3Dプリンターで製作したレーザー・ハープを初披露した。2023年、Deep Ellum FoundationのJuneteenth Block PartyでDru Hillの前座を務めた。ジェスはTEDxで「Facing The Music」と題した講演を行った：2022年10月、「Facing The Music: Finding Your Purpose（音楽と向き合い、自分の目的を見つける）」と題したTEDxの講演を行った。また、ストーンズ・スロウのアーティストMNDSGNやワーナー・ミュージック・グループのアーティスト、アディア・ヴィクトリアの前座を務めたこともある。6月3日には歴史あるケスラー劇場でコンサートを行った。2022年2月19日、アンダーメイン・シアターでのコンサートは完売した。2021年、ジェスはジャッキー・ヴェンソンとヘイデン・ペディゴの前座を務めた。また、ギンガー・シャンカールやマダム・ガンジーの前座も務めた。また、The SuffersやThe Seratonesとも共演している。最近、ガーランドはテネシー州ナッシュビルで、Wild Turkeyのクリエイティブ・ディレクター、マシュー・マコノヒーから、ダラスで音楽を存続させた功績を称えられ、Local Legend賞を受賞した。

2021年5月、ジェスはダラスにおける環境人種差別と黒人フェミニズムに焦点を当てたアートフィルムと作曲による「Harp & Sol」を発表。ジェスはこの映画を共同制作し、『Their Lives Mattered』の音楽を担当した：

ジェスはShe Shreds Mediaと提携し、Guitar Girl MagazineやKyser Presents Localsでも紹介されている。ジェスはまた、ダダリオのような他のギター・ブランドとも協力し、スワン・ストリングスへの資金援助や供給を行っている。ジェスは、アイドル・レコードからリリースされるディープ・エルム100のレコード・アルバム『Sounds of Deep Ellum』のスポンサーを務めた。レコーディング・アーティストとしては、2021年3月にアイラー・レコードからリリースされたアタラクシア・トリオの＋2アルバム『Nights Enter』に参加。また、2021年6月のレコード・ストア・デイにリリースされ、ビルボードチャートにランクインした地元の募金活動「Truth to Power Project」のタイトル曲にもフィーチャーされている。These Machines are Winningのアルバム『Slaves for Gods』、サンシャイン・ヴィレッジのアルバム『The Buffalo Trees Saved The Children of The Sun』ではハープ奏者としてフィーチャーされている。デビュー・シングル「Glow」は現在発売中。最新シングル「I Tried (Live Again)」は全ストリーミング・プラットフォームで配信中。

ジェスはスワン・ストリングスの社長兼創設ディレクターでもあり、最近ガールズ・ロック・ダラスのエグゼクティブ・ディレクターに任命された。彼女は、Decolonizing the Music Room、Friends of WRR 101.1 FM、Girls Rock Camp Allianceの理事を務めている。Black Academy of Arts & Lettersのミレニアル委員会、AT&Tパフォーミング・アーツ・センターの補助委員会、ブッカー・T・ワシントン・ハイスクール・オブ・パフォーミング・アンド・ビジュアル・アーツのアーツ・カウンシルも務めている。ジェスはまた、Dallas Truth, Racial Healing & Transformationの2023-2024 Racial Equity Now Cohortに参加した。

Jim Neil, Chief Executive Officer, USL Super League Dallas Team (Dallas Trinity FC) 
Co-founder and CEO of Churchill Capital Company (established 1995). Churchill is a Real Estate Investment Bank which also invests for its own account (based in Dallas). Jim has been in the commercial real estate business in Dallas since 1980.
Jim received his MBA from the Harvard Business School and his BA from Yale University and has been a guest lecturer at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
Jim played Varsity Soccer and Baseball at Yale, 1973-1976.  He was a starter on Yale’s first soccer team to compete in the NCAA postseason tournament in 1973, where Yale was eliminated in the round of 16. 
Jim has also been heavily involved in coaching youth soccer and baseball in Dallas for over 35 years.  He is past President of the Dallas Amateur Baseball Association and coached two youth girls’ soccer teams.  Jim has also been a major donor/supporter of the US Deaf National Women’s and Men’s Soccer Teams for the past 20 years.  
Jim and his wife Jean were also instrumental in helping Ursuline Academy (Dallas) develop a girls soccer field in 2014.  The Neil’s assisted in a 15-year process to get the necessary approvals and entitlements and then joined a capital campaign to pay for the state-of-the-art facility.
Jim (with his partners at Boxer Property Company) also acquired and redeveloped a 1.2 million square foot shopping mall in Fort Worth and turned it into an Hispanic themed town center catering to the local Hispanic Community, generating scores of jobs for local minority communities, and producing many millions of dollars of additional revenue for the City of Fort Worth.  

Charlie Neil, President, USL Super League Dallas Team (Dallas Trinity FC) 
Charlie Neil serves as Club President for USL Super League Dallas. Born & raised in Dallas, Charlie was an 8-time varsity letter winner in soccer and baseball at Yale University before being drafted in the 2012 MLB Player Draft, spending time as a professional baseball player in the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals player development systems. A graduate of Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, Charlie worked in the League Economics and Operations group at Major League Baseball’s Office of the Commissioner before spending time in Baseball Operations with the Texas Rangers. Most recently, Charlie served as a senior executive for a sports technology company specializing in customer data insights & generating revenue for major league sports teams, leagues, and media companies.

Trip Neil, Chief Operating Officer, USL Super League Dallas Team (Dallas Trinity FC)
Trip played soccer in North Texas for Comets ’85.  He graduated from St. Mark’s School of Texas and went on to play at Johns Hopkins University.  His teams went 68-8-10, setting a record for fewest losses.  He collected 2 ECAC Championships, 2 Centennial Conference championships, and made the NCAA Sweet 16 and Elite 8.  
Trip holds a BA in economics from JHU and an MBA from Duke University.  He is a Partner for Churchill Capital Company. 
In 2004, Trip was selected to the US Deaf Men’s National Soccer Team.  He has attended 2 Deaf Pan American Games, 4 Deaf World Cups, and 3 Deaflympics.  He holds the record for most International Caps of any US Deaf soccer player (50), most consecutive international tournaments with a goal (5), most consecutive matches earning a cap (43), oldest player to score a goal (39), and longest tenured captain (10 years). He captained the team that won the 2019 Deaf Pan American Championships.
Trip served on the board of USA Deaf Soccer Association from 2010-2023, including time as President.  He has extensively supported both the women’s and men’s deaf national teams.  In 2022, he successfully led the Deaf National Teams into the US Soccer Extended National Team program where all players are now treated equally (funding, staff, gear, access, opportunities, competitions, etc.).
Trip serves on the board of PowerSense, a North Texas nonprofit, which helps create communities for deaf and hard of hearing children, family, and friends.
He was elected to US Soccer’s Athletes’ Council in 2023.  His wife (Whitney) worked for the Dallas Mavericks from 2012-2018, after time at the NBA, WNBA, and Duke Athletics.  They are die-hard Dallas sports fans and proud parents to 2 girls and a boy.

Dori Neil Araiza – Dallas Trinity FC Founder & Principal 
Dori Neil Araiza, an SMU alumna, began her professional career in 2009 in marketing at L’Oreal in New York before founding her own advertising firm in 2011. Neil Media Group represented various publications such as Allure Magazine, Inc. and Modern Luxury’s National Portfolio. Beyond her professional achievements, Dori is actively involved in her community as the former President of the Preston Hollow Early Childhood Association, current committee member for Cattle Baron's Ball, and co-chair of the Catholic Foundation, where she helped raise over $1 million for charitable causes. Balancing her entrepreneurial pursuits, Dori is also a mother of four children - two of whom she coaches in soccer, alongside her dad, Jim Neil. As passionate advocates for sports and for championing their community, Dori and her family founded Dallas Trinity FC, Dallas’ first professional women’s soccer team, deeply rooted in family values. Her commitment to philanthropy and community leadership underscores her dedication to making a positive impact both on and off the field.

Jenny Glenn – Dallas Trinity FC Founder & Principal 
Jenny Glenn grew up in Dallas, TX where she was a two-time soccer state champion at Ursuline Academy. She then went to continue her soccer career at Rhodes College in Memphis, TN where she played soccer all four years and met her husband, David Glenn. At Rhodes, Jenny majored in Business and was also a member of the Tri Delta sorority. After graduation, Jenny moved back to Dallas and started her career in banking. She then joined Goldman Sachs in their Private Markets Investment and Lending division where she underwrote over $2 Billion in financing commitment for alternative investment managers across private credit, private equity, and other asset classes. After three years at Goldman, Jenny joined her father Jim Neil’s company Churchill Capital. In her first year at Churchill, Jenny closed over $56 million in principal and brokerage transactions generating over $700,000 worth in fees to the company.
When Jenny is not working on real estate transactions or helping her family launch the first professional women’s soccer team in Dallas, she enjoys spending time at her family Ranch in Graford Texas. She and her husband love traveling, going out to dinner with friends, and playing with their nine (9) nieces and nephews.