能干者

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 毕业于达拉斯南卫理公会大学，获得学士和硕士学位。

Anga 是非营利组织 FEED Oak Cliff 的创始人兼执行董事，该组织旨在破坏和消除达拉斯南部的食品荒漠。

她还创办了达拉斯素食节（Dallas VegFest），这是 FEED Oak Cliff 的年度节日，旨在促进营养和健康生活，吸引了来自美国各地的参与者。

她是 Global HR Solutions LLC 的首席执行官，这是一家人力资源咨询公司，在国内和全球提供人力资源外包服务。

Anga 是大达拉斯地区社区委员会（Community Council of Greater Dallas）的现任董事会主席，该委员会是一个有 80 年历史的慈善组织，致力于提供经济流动性、老年人服务和社区健康服务。她还是达拉斯绿地（Greenspace Dallas）理事会的副主席，这是一个环境恢复和发展组织。

，她曾担任SMU校友理事会和SMU非裔美国人校友理事会的成员，是创立SMU黑人校友奖学金的幕后推手。2016 年，SMU 为纪念她设立了一个年度奖项。安加-桑德斯社区影响奖每年颁发给在校园或当地社区服务中表现出奉献精神和个人积极性的SMU学生。

在闲暇时间，安加从事各种有趣的活动，包括阅读、旅行、喂养无家可归者、滑翔伞、滑索。

自 2014 年以来，作为其公司 Le Rouge Cuisine 的首席执行官和行政主厨，她一直致力于为企业、私人/独家和特殊活动客户提供高水准的烹饪体验，让他们尽享克里奥尔融合风味和南方魅力。

主厨 Amber 是食物沙漠的产物，她通过最新的创业项目--食物沙漠生存项目（一个食物公平资源中心，专注于提供可持续的健康食物和生活方式教育工具、计划和产品），向她成长的社区等遭受食物差异之苦的社区伸出援助之手，从而扩大了她的影响力。2023 年 11 月，安布尔发布了她在该计划下的第一个项目--食物沙漠友好型食谱和资源指南，名为 "食物沙漠生存食谱和资源指南"（Surviving The Food Desert Cookbook & Resource Guide）。"

在当地新闻台、全国性电视台和媒体（如《美食网络》、《今日美国》和《精华》杂志）上分享了她的专业技能和烹饪知识后，这位烹饪大师现在希望通过她的新举措，联合和支持企业和组织，利用烹饪和美食知识，为那些饱受食物不均衡之苦的人们提供一种全面的方法，以改变他们的心态和生活，从而为他们提供获取健康和可持续食物的桥梁。

主厨 Amber 的使命不仅是创造体验，让美食重新成为娱乐和餐饮体验的中心，而且还要向那些渴望并理应获得更高的生活质量的人们传播足智多谋和坚韧不拔的信息，通过了解自己的身体和探索健康美味的新鲜食物来提高生活质量！

伊丽莎白-瓦特利（Elizabeth Wattley）拥有超过 15 年的社会企业发展经验，敏锐的洞察力和广博的知识使她能够以深厚的专业知识领导森林前进组织。

伊丽莎白致力于推动南达拉斯/费尔公园的经济发展，同时保持该社区丰富的历史、文化和自豪感，她是一位社区建筑师。

无论是推广有效的方法，还是思考通过非营利组织和企业提高影响力的创新方法，无论是策划发展战略还是建立集体影响力网络，她都致力于为达拉斯最缺乏服务的社区注入资源。在加入森林前进组织之前，伊丽莎白曾在 CitySquare 担任战略计划总监，并在保罗奎恩学院担任服务学习总监，领导变革性计划。在保罗奎恩学院工作期间，她领导将学院闲置的足球场改造成国家认可的有机农场，以解决食物获取问题。在担任这些职务期间，她推动了南达拉斯地区的集中发展，同时筹集了数百万美元用于解决教育、食品、住房和医疗保健方面的不平等问题。

由于她对达拉斯及其居民的承诺，2020 年，《达拉斯商业杂志》授予伊丽莎白令人羡慕的 "40 Under 40 "奖。2021 年，伊丽莎白荣获 SMU Cox 杰出青年校友奖；2022 年春，伊丽莎白被 DMagazine 评为使达拉斯变得伟大的 78 位女性之一。2024 年，伊丽莎白被提名为 Axios Dallas Power Player，该奖项旨在表彰创造北德克萨斯州未来的年轻人。伊丽莎白在亚特兰大斯贝尔曼学院（Spelman College）完成了经济学本科学业，并在 SMU 考克斯商学院（SMU Cox School of Business）获得 MBA 学位，主修战略与创业。

杰斯-加兰是一位来自达拉斯的创作型歌手、录音师和表演艺术家。她是一位多乐器演奏家，将竖琴和吉他循环相结合，唤起了她独特的带有空灵爵士音调的天体前卫流行音乐品牌。杰丝最近成为了美国录音学院（Recording Academy）的成员。最近，《现代奢侈品》杂志将她评选为 "2023 年 12 月/2024 年 1 月达拉斯旅游局最佳球员"。2024 年 5 月，她荣获大通银行 2023 年度企业家奖。最近，她还登上了 2023 年 6 月《吉他女孩》杂志和《达拉斯周刊》的封面。最近，Jess 与 Opal Lee 博士和 Erykah Badu 同台参加了达拉斯旅游局在费尔公园举办的 "六一自由行 "活动。2024 年 4 月，杰斯在郁金香音乐节为 The Suffers 担任开场嘉宾；2024 年 1 月，她还与 The Suffers 的 Kam Franklin 以及 Bayou City Comeback Chorus 一起在沃瑟姆剧院与休斯顿表演艺术协会合作演出。她还制作并参加了 22-23 年在 Wyly 剧院举办的 "电梯项目 "演出季，首次展示了她的 3D 打印激光竖琴。Jess 在 Deep Ellum 基金会 2023 年六一街区派对上为 Dru Hill 开场。杰丝在 TEDx 上表演并发表了题为 "面对音乐 "的演讲：2022 年 10 月，杰斯在 TEDx 发表题为 "面对音乐：寻找你的目标 "的演讲。杰斯还曾为 Stones Throw 唱片公司艺人 MNDSGN 和华纳音乐集团艺人阿迪亚-维多利亚担任开场嘉宾。6 月 3 日，她在历史悠久的凯斯勒剧院进行了演出。2022 年 2 月 19 日，杰斯在 Undermain Theatre 举办的演唱会场场爆满。2021 年，杰斯为杰基-文森（Jackie Venson）和海登-佩迪戈（Hayden Pedigo）担任开场嘉宾。她还为金格-尚卡尔（Gingger Shankar）和甘地夫人（Madame Gandhi）担任过开场嘉宾。杰斯还曾与 The Suffers 和 The Seratones 合作演出。最近，Garland 在田纳西州纳什维尔获得 Wild Turkey 创意总监 Matthew McConaughey 颁发的 "本地传奇奖"，以表彰她在达拉斯保持音乐活力。

2021 年 5 月，Jess 发布了一部名为 "Harp & Sol "的艺术电影和音乐作品，聚焦达拉斯的环境种族主义和黑人女权主义。杰斯与他人共同制作了这部电影，并为 "她们的生命很重要 "创作了音乐：

杰西与 She Shreds Media 合作，并在《吉他女孩杂志》和《Kyser Presents Locals》上发表过作品。杰斯还与其他吉他品牌合作，如 D'Addario 为 Swan Strings 提供资金和用品。杰斯赞助了 Deep Ellum 100 的《Sounds of Deep Ellum》黑胶唱片，该唱片将由 Idol Records 发行。作为一名录音艺术家，杰斯在 2021 年 3 月由 Ayler Records 发行的 Ataraxia Trio's + 2 唱片 "Nights Enter "中出现。她还参与了美国公告牌排行榜上的 "Truth to Power Project "专辑的主打歌，该专辑是在 2021 年 6 月 "唱片店日"（Record Store Day）发行的一项本地筹款活动。她还是 These Machines are Winning 的专辑《Slaves for Gods》和 Sunshine Village 的专辑《The Buffalo Trees Saved The Children of The Sun》的竖琴演奏者。她的首支单曲 "Glow "现已发行。她的最新单曲 "I Tried (Live Again) "现已在所有流媒体平台上推出。

Jess 还是 Swan Strings 的总裁兼创始董事，最近被任命为 Girls Rock Dallas 的执行董事。她还是音乐室非殖民化组织（Decolonizing the Music Room）、WRR 101.1 FM 之友（Friends of WRR 101.1 FM）和女孩摇滚营联盟（Girls Rock Camp Alliance）的董事会成员。她曾在黑人艺术与文学学院（The Black Academy of Arts & Letters）千禧董事会、美国电话电报公司表演艺术中心（The AT&T Performing Arts Center）辅助董事会和布克-华盛顿表演与视觉艺术高中（Booker T. Washington High School of Performing and Visual Arts）艺术委员会任职。Jess 还参加了达拉斯真理、种族愈合与变革组织的 2023-2024 年种族平等计划。

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.