Realizadores

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.

Anga L. Sanders é licenciada pela Southern Methodist University em Dallas, onde obteve os graus de bacharelato e mestrado.

Anga é fundadora e diretora executiva da FEED Oak Cliff, uma iniciativa sem fins lucrativos que visa perturbar e erradicar os desertos alimentares do sul de Dallas. A FEED Oak Cliff está atualmente envolvida em actividades concebidas para resultar na construção de uma mercearia comunitária e de um bistrô de bairro saudável.

Também fundou o Dallas VegFest, o festival anual da FEED Oak Cliff que promove a nutrição e uma vida saudável e que atrai participantes de todos os Estados Unidos.

É diretora executiva da Global HR Solutions LLC, uma empresa de consultoria de recursos humanos que presta serviços de RH externalizados a nível nacional e mundial. É detentora da designação Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), o nível mais elevado de certificação na sua área, há mais de 23 anos.

Anga é atualmente Presidente do Conselho de Administração do Community Council of Greater Dallas, uma organização de beneficência com 80 anos de existência, dedicada a proporcionar mobilidade económica, serviços para idosos e bem-estar comunitário. É também Vice-Presidente do Conselho de Administração da Greenspace Dallas, uma organização de recuperação e desenvolvimento ambiental.

Anteriormente, foi membro do Conselho de Antigos Alunos da SMU e do Conselho de Antigos Alunos Afro-Americanos da SMU, onde foi uma força motriz por detrás da criação da Bolsa de Estudo para Antigos Alunos Negros da SMU. Em 2016, foi criado um prémio anual na SMU em sua honra. O prémio Anga Sanders Community Impact Award é atribuído todos os anos a um estudante da SMU que tenha demonstrado consistentemente dedicação e ativismo pessoal no campus ou serviço na comunidade local.

No seu tempo livre, Anga dedica-se a uma variedade de actividades interessantes, incluindo ler, viajar, alimentar os sem-abrigo, fazer parasailing e tirolesa.

Conheça o Chef Amber Williams - Oak Cliff, TX nativo, cultivado em casa em uma mistura de cultura e sabores do Texas e da Louisiana, que despertou seu imenso amor e paixão por fazer da comida uma experiência inesquecível como o trabalho de sua vida.

Desde 2014, o CEO e Chef Executivo de sua empresa Le Rouge Cuisine, tem curado experiências culinárias elevadas para sua clientela corporativa, privada / exclusiva e de eventos especiais para desfrutar - tudo com um toque de fusão crioula e charme sulista.

A Chef Amber, um produto de um deserto alimentar, ampliou seu alcance dando uma mãozinha a comunidades como aquela em que ela cresceu e que sofrem com as disparidades alimentares por meio de seu mais novo empreendimento - Surviving the Food Desert Project - um centro de recursos de equidade alimentar com foco no fornecimento de alimentos sustentáveis e saudáveis & Ferramentas educacionais de estilo de vida, programação e produtos. Em novembro de 2023, Amber lançou seu primeiro projeto sob a iniciativa, um livro de receitas e guia de recursos amigável para o deserto alimentar intitulado "Surviving The Food Desert Cookbook & Resource Guide"."

Depois de compartilhar sua experiência e conhecimento culinário em estações de notícias locais, televisão nacional e meios de comunicação, como Food network, USA Today e Essence Magazine, a culinarista agora espera unir forças e apoiar corporações e organizações a preencher o acesso a alimentos saudáveis e sustentáveis por meio de sua nova iniciativa para usar o conhecimento culinário e alimentar para trazer uma abordagem holística para mudar a mentalidade e a vida daqueles que sofrem com as disparidades alimentares.

A missão da Chef Amber não é apenas criar experiências que coloquem a boa comida de volta no centro das experiências de entretenimento e jantar, mas também espalhar uma mensagem de desenvoltura e resiliência para aqueles que desejam e merecem uma qualidade de vida elevada, alimentada pela aprendizagem do seu corpo e pela exploração de alimentos frescos que são saudáveis e deliciosos!

Com mais de 15 anos de experiência no desenvolvimento de empresas sociais, a perspicácia e a amplitude de conhecimentos de Elizabeth Wattley permitem-lhe liderar a Forest Forward com uma profunda experiência. Dedicada a impulsionar o desenvolvimento económico no Sul de Dallas/Fair Park, mantendo a rica história, cultura e orgulho da comunidade, Elizabeth é uma arquiteta da comunidade.

Quer seja a escalar o que funciona, a pensar em formas inovadoras de aumentar o impacto através de organizações sem fins lucrativos e empresas, a curar estratégias de desenvolvimento ou a construir redes de impacto coletivo, ela dedica-se à infusão de recursos nas comunidades mais carenciadas de Dallas.

Antes de se juntar à Forest Forward, Elizabeth liderou iniciativas transformadoras na CitySquare como Diretora de Iniciativas Estratégicas e no Paul Quinn College como Diretora de Aprendizagem de Serviços. Durante o seu tempo no Paul Quinn College, ela liderou o esforço para transformar o campo de futebol não utilizado da faculdade numa quinta orgânica reconhecida nacionalmente para combater o acesso aos alimentos. Nessas funções, ela foi capaz de catalisar o crescimento concentrado no sul de Dallas, enquanto levantava milhões de dólares para lidar com as desigualdades em educação, alimentação, moradia e saúde.

Devido ao seu compromisso com Dallas e seus residentes, em 2020 o Dallas Business Journal concedeu a Elizabeth o cobiçado prêmio 40 Under 40. Em 2021, Elizabeth foi homenageada com o prêmio SMU Cox Outstanding Young Alumni e, na primavera de 2022, Elizabeth foi nomeada uma das 78 mulheres que tornam Dallas excelente pela DMagazine. Em 2024, Elizabeth foi nomeada uma Axios Dallas Power Player, que reconhece os jovens que estão criando o futuro do norte do Texas. Elizabeth completou seus estudos de graduação em economia no Spelman College em Atlanta e obteve seu MBA na SMU Cox School of Business com concentração em estratégia e empreendedorismo.

Jess Garland é uma cantora, compositora, gravadora e artista de Dallas. É uma multi-instrumentista que combina harpa e loops de guitarra para evocar a sua marca única de pop avant-garde celestial com tons etéreos de jazz. Jess tornou-se recentemente membro da Recording Academy. Ela foi recentemente apresentada na Modern Luxury Magazine como uma Power Player de dezembro de 2023/janeiro de 2024 pela Visit Dallas. Em maio de 2024, recebeu o prémio Entreprenista do Ano de 2023 do Chase Bank. Ela também esteve recentemente na capa da Guitar Girl Magazine e da Dallas Weekly em junho de 2023. Jess partilhou recentemente o palco com o Dr. Opal Lee e Erykah Badu para o Juneteenth Freedom Walk em Fair Park para o Visit Dallas. Jess abriu para The Suffers no Tulips em abril de 2024 e também actuou com Kam Franklin de The Suffers e The Bayou City Comeback Chorus no Wortham Theater com Performing Arts Houston em janeiro de 2024. Produziu e actuou na temporada 22-23 do Elevator Project no Wyly Theatre, estreando a sua harpa laser impressa em 3D. Jess abriu para Dru Hill na Festa do Bloco de 2023 da Fundação Deep Ellum. Jess se apresentou e apresentou uma palestra para o TEDx intitulada, Enfrentando a música: Finding Your Purpose em outubro de 2022. Jess também abriu para o artista da Stones Throw, MNDSGN, e para a artista do Warner Music Group, Adia Victoria. Ela se apresentou no histórico Kessler Theater em 3 de junho. Jess esgotou um concerto no Undermain Theatre em 19 de fevereiro de 2022. Em 2021, Jess fez a abertura para Jackie Venson e Hayden Pedigo. Ela também abriu para Gingger Shankar e Madame Gandhi. Jess também actuou com The Suffers e The Seratones. Recentemente, Garland recebeu o prémio Local Legend em Nashville, TN, do Diretor Criativo da Wild Turkey, Matthew McConaughey, por manter a música viva em Dallas.

Em maio de 2021, Jess lançou "Harp & Sol", um filme de arte e composição musical centrado no racismo ambiental em Dallas e no feminismo negro. Jess co-produziu o filme e compôs música para Their Lives Mattered: A Dialogue Honoring Stolen Lives by Dallas law enforcement.

Jess fez uma parceria com a She Shreds Media e foi apresentada na Guitar Girl Magazine e na Kyser Presents Locals. Jess também trabalhou com outras marcas de guitarra, como a D'Addario, para financiar e fornecer cordas para a Swan Strings. Jess patrocinou o álbum de vinil Sounds of Deep Ellum 100 da Deep Ellum a ser lançado pela Idol Records. Como artista de gravação, Jess foi destaque no álbum + 2 do Ataraxia Trio "Nights Enter" lançado pela Ayler Records em março de 2021. Ela também foi destaque na faixa-título do Projeto Truth to Power da Billboard, uma iniciativa local de arrecadação de fundos lançada no Record Store Day em junho de 2021. Ela é a harpista em destaque no álbum Slaves for Gods de These Machines are Winning, bem como no álbum de Sunshine Village, The Buffalo Trees Saved The Children of The Sun. O seu single de estreia, "Glow", já foi lançado. O seu single mais recente, "I Tried (Live Again)", já está disponível em todas as plataformas de streaming.

Jess é também Presidente e Diretora Fundadora da Swan Strings e foi recentemente nomeada Diretora Executiva da Girls Rock Dallas. Ela faz parte do Conselho de Administração da Decolonizing the Music Room, Friends of WRR 101.1 FM e Girls Rock Camp Alliance. Ela atuou no conselho milenar da The Black Academy of Arts & Letters, no conselho auxiliar do AT&T Performing Arts Center e no Conselho de Artes da Booker T. Washington High School of Performing and Visual Arts. Jess também participou da Coorte Racial Equity Now 2023-2024 em Dallas Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation.

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.