TXWSW Committees

Texas Wall Street Women is run by an all-volunteer staff from our Board of Directors, Advisory Board, Angels and Committee Members. Take a moment to get to know us and we look forward to meeting you at an upcoming event!

City Heads

Colleen W Dean, CFP® Managing Director, Private Bank, JP Morgan, Board Member & Co-City Head, San Antonio

Colleen Dean has 35 years of experience in the financial services industry. In 1986, she began her career by joining the J.P. Morgan Chase Commercial Banking Officer Development Program in Houston, Texas.   In her most recent position as a Managing Director in the San Antonio office of the J.P. Morgan Private Bank, she advised a variety of clients, including corporate executives, entrepreneurs, retired professionals, and those in need of fiduciary and trust services. Colleen led strategic planning initiatives in banking, investments and lending in order to achieve legacy and sustainability goals. With a career in finance spent entirely with J.P. Morgan, Colleen’s background includes experience in credit analysis, commercial lending, Human Resources and loan review. She has been in the Private Bank since 1992, an area that suits her desire to work directly with clients on their most meaningful goals.

Colleen is focused on community issues, believes strongly in the power of supporting other professionals, particularly women, and has served in a variety of leadership positions over her career. Colleen is very well-connected in the community and often hosts diverse groups to advance professional relationships. Colleen is a Director and past Board Chair for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio. She is an Advisory Board member for the Texas State University’s McCoy College of Business as well as the United Way of San Antonio.  She was recently elected to the Board of Texas Wall Street Women/San Antonio Chapter.
 
Colleen is a graduate of Texas State University, where she earned a B.S. in Fashion Merchandising with a minor in Business. She received an M.B.A. in Finance and Accounting from The University of Texas. Colleen is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and holds series 7, 9, 10, 63 and 24 licenses.
 
Married with two grown children, Colleen and her husband, Jake, enjoy getting out and spending time with family and friends. For fun, she has stepped up activities involving her passion for painting and hiking.

Abigail Floyd Vice President, Frost Bank – Banking, Investments, Insurance, Dallas City Head

Abigail Floyd is a Vice President on the Middle Market lending team at Frost Bank. She began her career with the firm in 2013 as an Analyst and now manages banking relationships for Frost’s ultra-high net worth, family office and private equity clients in the North Texas region.

Abigail graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Finance where she was a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Honors Society. She is currently pursuing her MBA at Southern Methodist University where she will major in Finance with a focus on investments and a minor in accounting.

Active in the community, Abigail currently heads up all marketing efforts for the Great Investors Best Ideas Symposium and is on the advisory board to the Beta Sigma chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta at SMU.  

Abigail currently serves as City Head for the Dallas.

Alison Hermann, CAIA Investment Professional, Endowments, Trinity University, Board Member & Co-City Head, San Antonio

An endowment professional with experience investing across asset classes, Alison joined Trinity University’s $1.4bn endowment in San Antonio in 2019. She focuses on monitoring, due diligence and sourcing investment managers of all mandates as well as several operational initiatives to continue institutionalizing the university’s Office of Investments. Previously, she was a member of the Marketable Alternatives team at UTIMCO for seven years, providing qualitative and quantitative research and monitoring across hedge fund strategies. Alison began her career in asset management at Austin Capital, a former hedge fund of funds based in Austin, TX. Prior she held positions in fixed income and capital finance. She received her MBA from Butler University and Bachelors of Science from Indiana University. She holds the Chartered Alternatives Investment Analyst certification and has been active in the Texas Wall Street Women organization since its launch, including serving as Austin’s Education Committee Chair.

Alison and her husband, Will, live in the San Antonio with their three girls- Julia (11), Sophie and Whitney (6).

Sheel Patel Board Member & Houston City Head

Sheel is an experienced executive with a record of leading strong finance and accounting operations and collaborating with clients and cross-functional teams. Her versatile skillset has allowed her to quickly adapt to various industries and new or changing environments.

She started her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she spent almost eleven years and advanced to senior manager. She is a CPA with a Master’s in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Kent State University.

Sheel has experience working with nonprofits, both at PricewaterhouseCoopers and more recently as CFO for one of TIAA’s endowment management businesses, Covariance Capital Management, which partnered with nonprofits to operate as their full-service outsourced chief investment officer.

Sheel is currently Board of Trustee for the Houston Ballet and serves on the Investment Committee. She is serving as Houston City Head for TXWSW. After growing up in the Midwest, she now calls Houston home, where she lives with her husband, two children and goldendoodle.

Becky Reeder CPA, Partner, Audit Investment Funds, Board Member & Fort Worth City Head

 Becky is an audit partner in the investment funds practice at Weaver where she began her career in 2005. She has over 15 years of public accounting experience overseeing financial statement audits for investment management and hedge funds; private equity and venture capital funds; broker-dealers; financial institutions; and manufacturing and distribution companies.

She is a certified public accountant and active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA) and a current board member of Texas Wall Street Women (TXWSW). She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from Hardin-Simmons University.

Becky is also involved in the community through her service on the boards of E.A. Young Academy and the Weaver Foundation. Becky also enjoys spending time traveling with her husband and two kids.

Sarah Markell Richardson Tax Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Austin City Head, Head of Philanthropy & Volunteerism, Austin

Sarah is a native of upstate New York who spent 9 years in Boston after graduating. Sarah soon realized that the cold New England winters were not for her and traded in her snow boots for cowboy boots and moved to Austin in 2012.

Sarah is a Tax Director in the Asset & Wealth Management practice, specializing in state and local taxes. She has 13 years of public accounting experience and serves clients that sit in the fund of fund, private equity/venture capital and real estate space.

Sarah holds a BS in Business Administration and a MS in Taxation from Northeastern University. Sarah is a licensed CPA in Massachusetts and Texas, as well as a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

In additional to her passion for state and local taxes, Sarah has a love for animals. She is active with the Heart of Texas Lab Rescue, a local animal rescue in Austin, where she serves as a foster mom to labs waiting to find their fur-ever home.

Programming Committee

Anida Akhmurzina Senior Manager, Deloitte & Touche LLP, Austin

Anida is an audit senior manager in the Financial Services practice, specializing in investment management and broker-dealer audits. Anida has twelve years of public accounting experience, including 6 years of experience overseas (IFRS). She served hedge funds, fund of funds with various capital structures and strategies, venture capital, broker-dealer (both introducing and clearing brokers) and other financial services companies. Anida is a licensed CPA in Texas, Connecticut and Alaska, as well as member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Kellie L. Bobo Partner, Haynes and Boone LLP, Austin

Kellie Bobo is a partner in both the Investment Management and Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Groups in the Austin office of Haynes and Boone.

Kellie’s practice focuses on mergers, acquisitions, private equity investments, and corporate compliance and governance. Kellie also regularly advises investment funds, registered investment advisors, and commodity pool operators and traders with regards to RIA transactions, the formation, organization and operation of hedge funds, venture capital funds and private equity funds and their compliance with applicable federal and state laws. In addition, Kellie represents clients across a broad range of industries in various corporate and securities matters, including the preparation of securities filings with the SEC.

Mariko Boswell, CFA, CAIA Executive Vice President, Institutional Client Management PIMCO, Austin

Mariko Boswell joined PIMCO in 2010 and focuses on institutional client service and business development as part of PIMCO’s public funds practice. In this role, she works with US public fund clients and prospects to better understand their investment objectives, deliver appropriate solutions and deepen partnerships.

Prior to joining PIMCO in 2010, she worked as an equity research associate on the energy team at Credit Suisse and as a senior associate covering utilities in the corporate finance group at Moody’s Investors Service.

Mariko holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business as well as an undergraduate degree from Yale University. In addition to her involvement with Texas Wall Street Women, she currently serves as a member of the board of directors of the YMCA of Austin.

Susan Chen Managing Director, University of Texas Investment Management Company, Austin

Susan Chen is a Managing Director responsible for UTIMCO’s investments in public equities across developed and emerging markets. She is a member of UTIMCO’s Investment Committee and Leadership Team, and chair of the Co-Investment Committee.

Prior to UTIMCO, Susan was a Managing Director at a $5 billion alternative investment firm affiliated with Highbridge Capital, where she was a portfolio manager and analyst for distressed debt, event-driven equity, private debt, and special asset investments. She started her career in investment banking at Merrill Lynch. Susan earned an MBA, JD, and AB in economics from Harvard. She serves on the Investment Committee for St. David’s Foundation.

Lidiya Deane Director - Valuation & Financial Opinions, Stout, Co-Head of Programming, Houston

Lidiya Deane is a Director in the Houston Valuation Advisory group with Stout. She has extensive experience in transaction support services, business valuation disputes, corporate transactions, financial reporting, shareholder and succession planning, and trust and estate. She has substantial experience providing valuation services for fairness opinions, estate and gift taxation, board of director’s advisory services, shareholder and corporate transaction disputes, and divorce litigation. Her client base ranges private equity funds, hedge funds, private and public clients, law firms, accountants, and financial institutions. She earned an M.B.A (Finance Concentration) from University of Houston and B.B.A (Finance and Banking) from Sam Houston State University.

Abigail Floyd Vice President, Frost Bank – Banking, Investments, Insurance, Dallas City Head

Abigail Floyd is a Vice President on the Middle Market lending team at Frost Bank. She began her career with the firm in 2013 as an Analyst and now manages banking relationships for Frost’s ultra-high net worth, family office and private equity clients in the North Texas region.

Abigail graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Finance where she was a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Honors Society. She is currently pursuing her MBA at Southern Methodist University where she will major in Finance with a focus on investments and a minor in accounting.

Active in the community, Abigail currently heads up all marketing efforts for the Great Investors Best Ideas Symposium and is on the advisory board to the Beta Sigma chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta at SMU.  

Abigail currently serves as City Head for the Dallas.

Saaniya Grover University Liaison, The University of Texas at Dallas

Saaniya Grover is a Senior majoring in finance at The University of Texas at Dallas, graduating in May 2021. She is an Incoming Associate Developing Financial Advisor at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Saaniya has previously worked at North Inc., a sales and consulting firm, as well as D.R. Saur Financial as a private wealth intern serving 400 clients during her time there. She has also worked in Venture Capital as an associate investing $50,000 in technology startups in the DFW area. Her last internship was with Merrill Lynch as an Analyst in the private wealth management department.

In her time at UT Dallas she was an executive officer for the Financial Leadership Association, a member of the Professional Program in Finance, and a placeholder in the Securities and Analysis Competition.

Shule Han Senior Manager, Ernst & Young LLP, Dallas

Shule Han is a Senior Manager in the asset management tax practice and has over 12 years of experience in the Financial Services industry.  She has extensive experience in the private equity and hedge fund industry providing tax compliance services in conjunction with client specific investment strategies, researching and creating effective solutions. 

Shule has worked with various private equity, hedge fund and family offices to ensure tax efficient structuring.  She has managed numerous client engagements relating to Tax Compliance, State and Local tax planning, International tax compliance and Management Company Tax Provisions.

Shule also has extensive experience in the Oil and Gas industry and a wide range of entity structures.

Shule received her Masters of Science in Accounting from the May School of Business at Texas A&M University.  She currently serves as the networking Committee for Texas Wall Street Women.  She is also active in For the Love of the Lake every Saturday for monthly Shoreline Spruce Up at White Rock Lake Park and local animal shelter.

Kelly KlingamanCFP®, RLP®, Founder and Financial Planner, Kelly Klingaman Financial Planning

Kelly is the Founder and Financial Planner of the independent, fee-only RIA firm Kelly Klingaman Financial Planning. She provides ongoing financial planning and investment management help to busy professional women and dual-career couples, particularly those working in finance, engineering, and tech or receiving equity compensation.

Before founding KKFP, she spent nearly 12 years building a career in the investment management industry at Dimensional Fund Advisors, a large asset manager whose long-term approach to investing relies on financial science instead of attempting to guess where markets are going next. Most recently, Kelly was a Regional Director and Vice President on the sales team and Lead Chair of the Women’s Inclusion Network for employees.

Kelly received a degree in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business and also holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Registered Life Planner® designations. She volunteers to mentor undergraduate business students at her alma mater, most recently via the Wealth Management Center Mentorship Program. Kelly focuses on mentoring young women interested in becoming financial advisors one day. Besides mentorship, Kelly has been an active member and volunteer with the Texas Wall Street Women’s Austin chapter since 2014, planning networking and educational events for members and supporting the organization’s long-standing partnership with the Young Women’s Preparatory Network.

Julie La Pata Consulting Manager, J.Taylor & Associates, LLC, Head of Programming, Fort Worth

Julie La Pata is a Manager in the Consulting division at J.Taylor & Associates, LLC, a CPA firm in Fort Worth, TX. Julie’s emphasis is in the healthcare industry, wherein she assists multi-specialty physician practices, hospital health systems, physician management companies, and private equity firms with business valuations and due diligence efforts related to mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining JTaylor in 2017, Julie worked in the Assurance Practice at Ernst & Young, LLC in Fort Worth, TX, with a focus in the Oil & Gas industry. In this role, she performed audit work for several Fortune 500 companies.

Julie is a graduate of Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Masters of Accountancy. She is a certified public accountant and an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA), Texas Wall Street Women (TXWSW), the Junior League of Fort Worth (JLFW), and the TCU Young Alumni Board.

Valerie Marquez Senior Client Service Associate, Tolleson Wealth Management, Co-Head of Programming, Dallas

Valerie Marquez, serves as a Senior Client Service Associate at Tolleson Wealth Management. She works on the Client Advisory Team to provide operational and administrative support to clients of substantial wealth. Valerie also coordinates information requests for client investment accounts and other business activities in addition to providing concierge services and other account assistance.

Prior to joining Tolleson Wealth Management in 2017, Valerie worked at JPMorgan Chase as a Private Client Banker and worked alongside financial advisors to assist with client planning. Prior to JPMorgan Chase, Valerie worked in various private banking roles since starting her career in 2012.

Valerie graduated from the University of California-San Diego with a degree in Political Science. She enjoys traveling, spending time with friends, and adventures with her German Shepherd named Draco.

Jackie Meister Associate Vice President, Frost Bank, Dallas

Jackie Meister is an Associate Vice President on the Commercial Real Estate team at Frost Bank. She joined the bank in 2018 as an Analyst and supported several Bankers that covered the Bank’s North Texas territory. Now, Jackie helps manage the banking relationships of real estate developers and investors for Frost.

Jackie attended the University of Kansas where she earned a degree in Finance. During her time at KU, she participated in multiple leadership roles including serving as a Senator on the University’s Student Senate. At Frost, Jackie enjoys mentoring and coaching new hires as well as helping to develop the Bank’s onboarding and training programs for new analysts

Jena Michels Investment Manager, Blueprint Local, Junior Board Member & Programming Committee, Austin

Jena is an Investment Manager at Blueprint Local, a national investment firm focused on real estate and operating business investments. Prior to joining Blueprint Local in early, Jena was an Associate Director at the University of Texas Investment Management Company (UTIMCO) where she worked from 2013-2019. At UTIMCO, Jena focused on sourcing, underwriting and monitoring of investments across long/short equity, distressed credit, event, multi-strategy and global macro hedge fund strategies. Prior to UTIMCO, Jena held similar positions at Ascension Health, a large non-profit hospital system based in St. Louis, Missouri and the University of Arizona Investment Office. She holds a B.S. in Business Administration and an M.S. in Finance from the University of Arizona.

Martha Nelson, CPA Manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Dallas

Martha Nelson is currently a Manager in the Private Company Services group at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP (PwC). She brings a trusted business advisor mindset to her clients, which include companies of all sizes as well as high-net worth individuals. Martha specializes in providing tax compliance and consulting solutions for privately-held companies and their owners, and is actively involved in the firm’s training, recruitment, diversity, and digital upskilling/technology initiatives. Prior to her current role, Martha provided comprehensive tax and estate planning solutions to ultra-high net worth individual, closely-held business, and family office clients, and previously served alternative energy, oil & gas, entertainment, and ETF publicly traded partnerships. 

Martha is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the State of Texas and is a member of several professional and non-profit organizations. Martha graduated from Southern Methodist University with a BBA in Accounting with Honors in the Liberal Arts and an MSA with dual concentrations in Assurance/Advisory and Taxation. During her time at SMU, Martha served in numerous leadership roles, including Student Ambassador to the University Admissions Committee, Secretary for the MSA Student Leadership Group, and Student Senate. She was also elected Student Body Secretary and named a National Merit Scholar.

Kathryn Pothier Head Of Investor Relations, Trive Capital, Dallas

Kathryn is the Head of Investor Relations for Trive Capital. She is responsible for maintaining and enhancing relationships with Trive investors, strategically evaluating the institutional landscape, and cultivating relationships with potential future investors.

Prior to joining Trive Capital, Kathryn was VP of Business Development for Silver Oak Services Partners, a Chicago-based private equity fund focused on lower middle market services companies. Prior to Silver Oak, Kathryn was Director of Investor Relations and Business Development at Black Maple Capital, an event-driven hedge fund, and Stark Investments, a global multi-strategy hedge fund, both based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Kathryn began her career as the Director of U.S. Operations for UJAM, Inc., a cloud-based music technology start-up company, in San Francisco, California.

Kathryn received a Master’s degree in International Relations from Cambridge University. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree, Summa Cum Laude, in Music Composition and East Asian Studies from Vanderbilt University.

Catherine Anne Prideaux Senior Associate, Kainos Capital, Dallas

Ms. Prideaux is a Senior Associate at Kainos Capital, a food & consumer focused private equity firm.  In her role, she focuses on evaluating and executing investment opportunities as well as monitoring existing portfolio companies along with other members of the deal team.  She is also actively involved in recruiting activities. Prior to joining Kainos in 2018, she served as an investment banking analyst in the Oil & Gas group at Morgan Stanley in Houston. Catherine Anne graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in Plan II Honors and a B.B.A. in the Business Honors Program.

Victoria Ridgway Investment Advisor, Head of Client Service & Technology, Champion Advisors LLC, Houston

Victoria is a licensed Investment Advisor Representative & has been with the wealth management firm Champion Advisors LLC since 2014. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History & is currently working through Creighton University’s graduate program in Behavioral Finance & Financial Psychology. 

Julie Sanders Director, Kainos Capital, Dallas

Julie is a director at Kainos with a focus on investor relations. In her role, she leads investor communication and reporting, maintaining and forming new relationships with investors, and fundraising efforts. She is also a leader of the firm’s ESG initiatives and is actively involved in recruiting activities and supporting business development and deal sourcing efforts. Prior to joining Kainos in 2017, she served as a member of the Consumer and Corporate Officers’ practices at Russell Reynolds Associates, a global executive search and leadership advisory firm. Previously, Julie served as a management accountant at Oak Hill Advisors, a private investment firm, and she began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in the Assurance Practice servicing primarily banking and capital markets clients.

Julie received a B.S. in Business Administration at Washington and Lee University, as well as a Master’s in Accountancy at the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce.

Hiral Shah, CFA Director, Advisory Services, Grant Thornton LLP, Dallas

Hiral Shah is a Director for Grant Thornton’s Advisory Services in Dallas focusing on business valuations.  Hiral assists clients with business enterprise valuations, common and preferred stock valuations, mergers and acquisition analysis, and intangible asset valuations.

Hiral’s clients range from multinational corporations to start-up companies. She advises clients for financial and tax reporting, litigation support and strategic planning purposes. Prior to joining Grant Thornton in 2016, Hiral worked as a Senior Manager with Duff & Phelps, a global valuation consulting firm.  Prior to her time with Duff & Phelps, she has worked with Healthcare Appraisers, a boutique healthcare consulting firm and prior to that with CBIZ Valuation Group, a national independent valuation firm.  Hiral is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and holds a Masters of Business Administration in Finance from University of Texas, Arlington and a Bachelor of Engineering, Computer Science from University of Mumbai.

Kristen Sprenger Branch Manager, UBS Private Wealth Management, Houston

Kristen started her career at UBS in 2011 as a Client Service Associate after graduating from Penn State University with a degree in economics. She rose steadily, taking on management responsibilities as Executive Team Assistant and then as Administrative Manager.

In 2016, Kristen joined Private Wealth Management as a Supervisory Officer eventually rising to become the Assistant Market Head for the Texas region. In April 2020 Kristen was promoted to Branch Manager of the Houston Private Wealth Management office where she works with Private Wealth Advisors to deliver the full range of UBS’ capabilities, expertise, and solutions to ultra-high net worth clients.

Kristen’s experience playing Division I soccer at Penn State helps her juggle the multitude of responsibilities that come with the job. Outside the office, Kristen serves on the Council for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Athletic Association, is an active member at the George W. Bush Presidential Center.

Donette Stubblefield Managing Executive, Wealth Management, American Bank, Co-Head of Programming, Houston

As a senior executive in the Wealth Management, Private Banking and Fiduciary Services industry, Donette Stubblefield Manley has demonstrated an impressive ability to build and lead complex teams to ensure that high net worth clients receive the understanding, commitment and insight needed to grow and protect their assets. In her current role as Managing Executive, Wealth Management, at American Bank, she is focused on developing and implementing the bank’s significant Wealth Management strategy, including Trust and Financial Planning, Wealth Advisory, Investment Management and Private Banking.

Donette brings experience from other large regional banks, most recently serving as Houston Global Wealth Market Executive and Chief Fiduciary Officer for a large Texas regional bank. 

Stubblefield continues to be involved in the Houston community, serving several boards and non-profits, both within the financial and fine arts communities. 

Jazz Walker Senior Tax Associate, Ernst & Young LLP, Co-Head of Programming, Dallas

Jazz Walker is a senior tax associate in the Wealth and Asset Management (WAM) group at Ernst & Young, LLP. Currently she is involved with the EY Dallas Black Professionals Network as a board member, and sits on the board of National Association of Black Accountants DFW as the secretary. She loves teaching and mentoring and gives back through the Junior Achievement Program and the Big Brother Big Sister Program.

Jazz attended Clark Atlanta University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting as well as a Master of Science in Accounting. While in college she learned the importance of giving back and taking on challenges with an “I’ll find a way or make one” approach.

Jazz is the oldest of 7 siblings and grew up a military dependent which she feels helped contribute to her open-mindedness and her love for travel.

Ashleigh B. WhiteCPA, Audit Senior Manager, KPMG, Board Member & Co-Head of Programming, Dallas

Audit Senior Manager, KPMG
Chairman Education Committee, Dallas

Ashleigh White is a Senior Manager in the Asset Management practice of KPMG. Mrs. White began her career with Rothstein Kass in 2009 where she worked with various domestic and offshore clients within the alternative investment industry, including hedge funds, fund of funds, private equity funds and management companies.  She joined KPMG as part of the Rothstein Kass acquisition in 2014 and maintains her previous responsibilities.

Mrs. White received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Baylor University and a Master of Science in Accounting from The University of Texas at Arlington. Mrs. White is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA), Texas Alternative Investments Association (TAIA) and Texas Young Professionals – Dallas Chapter (TYP).

Mrs. White serves as the Treasurer for TAIA, has acted as a formal mentor to high school girls through the Foundation for the Education of Young Woman’s mentorship program and volunteers at the TurnAround Agenda Food Pantry.

Meredith McKay Zevallos Executive Director, J.P. Morgan Private Bank, Dallas

Meredith has almost 20 years of experience in the finance and real estate industry.  She is currently a Banker in the Dallas office of J.P. Morgan Private Bank where she serves as an advisor to wealthy families. Meredith began her career working in the real estate principal investing groups at both Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. After several years working in Madrid, Spain for Santander Investment, she served as head of Business Development for Matador Capital, a Latin American hedge fund based in Dallas. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Meredith worked as a Wealth Planner for UBS Texas Private Wealth. She has achieved the designation of Certified Financial PlannerTM and is licensed by the Texas Department of Insurance as a General Lines Agent.  A native of Arkansas, Meredith graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BBA in Business Honors and Finance.  She currently lives in Dallas with her two children, Sabrina and Nico.

Philanthropy & Volunteerism

Rianna Carter Experienced Assurance Senior Associate, BDO, Dallas

Rianna Carter is an experienced Senior assurance associate for BDO, LLP, an international public accounting firm. Rianna serves as the engagement in-charge for clients from various industries. Her primary focus involves audits for private equity funds. She graduated from Southern Methodist University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Oklahoma City University with a Master of Science in Accounting.

Ana Coscia Tax Partner, Baker Tilly US LLP, Head of Philanthropy and Volunteerism, Fort Worth

Ana Coscia is a tax partner with Baker Tilly with almost twenty years of experience. She coordinates tax services; brings timely, value-added tax strategies; and provides on-going proactive planning advice to her clients. Her clients include companies in high growth mode or going through significant change. Ana’s experience includes time in industry that provides a unique perspective on client service.

Ana graduated from Texas Christian University with her Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and Accounting, and Master of Accounting.

Ana is a Certified Public Accountant and an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA) and Texas Wall Street Women (TXWSW).

Ali Daubert, CPA Director – Business Advisory Services, Baker Tilly US, LLP, Dallas

Ali’s primary discipline is transaction services with a focus on buy, sell-side and carve-out engagements. Her background also includes founding and building-out Baker Tilly’s fund administration platform (private equity and real estate), working on strategy and management consulting engagements, and developing key accounts throughout the US. Ali also focuses on identifying and serving private equity firms and their portfolio companies.

Ali has actively participated in or consulted on 150+ transactions with total deal value over $5bn.

Prior to joining Baker Tilly, Ali was an investment professional at Rubicon Technology Partners in Menlo Park, California, where she focused on completing private equity transactions, collaborating closely with management teams on operational initiatives, and active management of several investments. Working at a start-up private equity fund was an experience that is foundational to who Ali is today to see transactions through the eyes of a private equity investor, a truly unique perspective in transaction advisory.

Ali began her career at PwC and MCG in audit. Ali was also a manager in Grant Thornton’s Transaction Advisory Services group working on both transaction diligence and integration. 

Ali also leads Baker Tilly’s GROW (growth and retention of women) chapter in North Texas and is truly passionate about creating an environment at Baker Tilly for women to grow, develop, and ultimately thrive.

Mindy Jones Managing Principal, Pyxis Care Management, Board Member & Committee Member, Fort Worth

Ms. Jones founded Pyxis Care Management, a healthcare advocacy firm. Daily, she pairs her passion for improving lives with health industry expertise and 20 years of management and corporate experience with extensive senior management background in business analysis, sales, and marketing. Mindy is a Texas Certified Guardian, a Certified Senior Advisor, and was named a “Healthcare Hero” by the Fort Worth Business Press. Community service plays an important role in her life. Not only is she a mother, she is also a lifetime member of Girl Scouts of America and a member of National Alliance on Mental Illness. She and her husband are active in their church and in scouting as well as in their children’s schools. Mindy has been an active member of Texas Wall Street Women since 2015 and is an active member on the board.

Jahaira Lazo Vice President, Wealth Advisor, Regions Private Wealth Management, Head of Philanthropy & Volunteerism, Houston

Jahaira Lazo is a Wealth Advisor in the Regions Private Wealth Management group.  As part of the Private Wealth Management group, she draws on her extensive banking background, which includes working with affluent, high-net-worth individuals as well as mid-size commercial businesses.  Her experience has provided her with the knowledge and skills to understand not only the personal financial needs of her clients, but also the business and economic trends that affect them.  Prior to joining Regions Private Wealth Management, Jahaira spent 5 years with Chase and 8 years with BBVA, where she was exposed to Commercial, Retail and Wealth lines of business.  She received a Bachelor in Business Administration in Finance from the University of Houston.  She is married and has three sons. 

Liliya Leontyeva Private Wealth Advisor, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Co-Head of Philanthropy & Volunteerism, Dallas

Liliya works as a Private Wealth Advisor on a team that serves high net-worth individuals in the Southwest United States.  Before joining Goldman Sachs, she worked at Deloitte Consulting, advising Forbes 100 companies.  Liliya holds her BBA and MBA from Southern Methodist University.

Katya Long Associate, Johnston Clem Gifford, Co-Head of Philanthropy & Volunteerism, Dallas

Ekaterina (“Katya”) G. Long is an experienced complex commercial trial lawyer. She focuses her practice on banking and finance litigation, partnership and ownership disputes, and trade secret litigation. Katya litigates such cases as breach of contract, fraud, theft of trade secrets, breach of fiduciary duty, defamation, and business disparagement. She has substantive experience in anti-SLAPP litigation, obtaining dismissals of business and commercial lawsuits at the pre-trial level.

She is known for providing effective and efficient client service. Clients select Katya when they need a tenacious and sophisticated counsel who is aligned with their business goals and is able to deliver the desired results in an ethical manner.

Katya attended the University of Dallas, where she earned a B.A. in English and Business, summa cum laude and was a part of Phi Beta Kappa 2010.  She also graduated from Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law, J.D., 2016

Katie Marshall Vice President, Business Development Officer, PNC Business Credit, Dallas

Katie Marshall is Vice President, Business Development Officer for PNC Business Credit, PNC’s senior secured lending group. She is responsible for identifying and executing on lending opportunities with existing and prospective clients in North Texas and Oklahoma. Katie has been with PNC Business Credit since graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 2006 and has held many different roles within the organization since joining in June 2007, including collateral, credit and origination based roles. Katie graduated with Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree, majoring in Finance and Accounting and minoring in French.

Outside of PNC, Katie is involved with many different professional and non-profit organizations. She currently serves as a board member for the DFW Chapter of the TMA, co-chairing the University Relations committee. Additionally, Katie serves on the Women’s and Young Professionals’ Committees of the DFW ACG and on the Philanthropy Committee of Texas Wall Street Women’s Dallas chapter. Katie is a supporter of the arts and enjoys traveling, running and reading in her spare time.

Sonja Massak Vice President, Wealth Advisor, Regions Private Wealth Management, Houston

Sonja Massak is a Wealth Advisor with Regions Private Wealth Management. Sonja takes an unbiased approach to designing a customized wealth plan for her clients. She builds long lasting relationships with all her clients, which in turn, lets Sonja build a legacy of clients. Prior to Regions, Sonja worked as a Private Banker for Frost Bank for almost 7 years. She also worked at BBVA. Her career in banking began at Chase Bank in 2005. Sonja understands the value of a genuine and personal relationship with her clients. Sonja worked in luxury retail at Neiman Marcus before joining the financial services industry.  Sonja is a proud Aggie, where she received her B.A. She also completed her Masters at the University of Houston. Sonja is fluent in German, being a native of Vienna, Austria. She lives in Houston with her fur babies, Howard and Fiona.

Irene Minderhoud Senior Mortgage Banking Analyst, CBRE, Committee Member, Fort Worth

Irene Minderhoud is a Senior Mortgage Banking Analyst at CBRE, a global leader in the commercial real estate industry. Irene joined the commercial agency closing group in February 2017 as an insurance analyst and became a Senior Closing Analyst in June 2018.

Ms. Minderhoud manages multifamily agency closing transactions with brokers and real estate firms across the country. Her expertise includes representing both Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae as well as institutional borrowers. She also manages loan origination, funding, closing and purchase. Ms. Minderhoud is instrumental in establishing, documenting, and implementing policies and procedures. She also contributes to the development of software programs related to closing and servicing to improve efficiency and excellence as one of the top producing teams within CBRE.

Ms. Minderhoud received her B.S. in Finance from Trinity University and is currently pursuing her Texas Real Estate License.

Ms. Minderhoud is active in the Dallas/Fort Worth community. She is a member of several organizations, including The Junior League of Fort Worth, CBRE Women’s Network (Dallas), and Texas Wall Street Women.

Rebecca Montes Client Specialist, Edge Capital Partners, Dallas

Rebecca Montes is a Client Specialist, for Edge Capital Partners. Rebecca works with Portfolio Managers and Senior Investment Advisers to meet clients’ daily needs. Rebecca previously worked as an Investment Analyst in San Antonio, Texas and is a CFA Level II Candidate. She is born and raised from El Paso, Texas and attended St. Mary’s University in San Antonio where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Finance. In addition to her involvement in Texas Wall Street Women, Rebecca actively encourages women to pursue careers in finance through her volunteer work with CFA Dallas/Fort Worth.

Sarah Markell Richardson Tax Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Austin City Head, Head of Philanthropy & Volunteerism, Austin

Sarah is a native of upstate New York who spent 9 years in Boston after graduating. Sarah soon realized that the cold New England winters were not for her and traded in her snow boots for cowboy boots and moved to Austin in 2012.

Sarah is a Tax Director in the Asset & Wealth Management practice, specializing in state and local taxes. She has 13 years of public accounting experience and serves clients that sit in the fund of fund, private equity/venture capital and real estate space.

Sarah holds a BS in Business Administration and a MS in Taxation from Northeastern University. Sarah is a licensed CPA in Massachusetts and Texas, as well as a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

In additional to her passion for state and local taxes, Sarah has a love for animals. She is active with the Heart of Texas Lab Rescue, a local animal rescue in Austin, where she serves as a foster mom to labs waiting to find their fur-ever home.

Shoshana Thoma-IsgurAssociate General Counsel, FirstCash, Board Member & Committee Member, Fort Worth

Shoshana Thoma-Isgur is Associate General Counsel at FirstCash, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCFS), the world’s largest, international, publicly traded, pawn lending and resale company. Shoshana currently oversees the company’s U.S. legal operations. Before Shoshana joined FirstCash, she was a Principal Consultant at ACA Compliance Group where she worked with investment advisers to promote their compliance with SEC regulatory requirements. Prior to joining ACA, Shoshana was a partner at two international law firms, where she helped investment management clients with SEC regulatory requirements, private fund formation, and securities, compliance, and enforcement matters at the federal and state level. She also coordinated a firm legal team to assist health care clients with investment structures subject to federal health care fraud-and-abuse laws. Prior to that, Shoshana spent almost eight years as an SEC Enforcement Attorney conducting securities law investigations and was a member of the SEC’s Asset Management Unit. Shoshana started her career at a regional law firm in Fort Worth, Texas.

Shoshana earned her law degree, cum laude, from St. Mary’s School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Shoshana has also served on the board of the Texas Oklahoma Plains Girl Scouts Council.

Heather Traeger General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Teacher Retirement System of Texas, Austin

As General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, Heather Traeger is responsible for all legal services and compliance for the sixth largest public pension fund in the United States, including those related to the retirement system’s pension plan and two health care programs. She serves as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for the headquarters located in Austin, Texas and the foreign office located in London.

Ms. Traeger’s legal practice includes a strong regulatory background, with significant experience advising a variety of financial institutions. She has nearly 23 years’ experience in the financial services industry, including as Senior Counsel to Commissioner Roel Campos at the Securities and Exchange Commission, Counsel to Commissioner Isaac Hunt, and Senior Counsel in the Division of Market Regulation (now Trading and Markets).
Prior to joining TRS, Ms. Traeger was a partner at O’Melveny & Myers LLP, in Washington, D.C., in the Financial Services Practice and served as an Associate Counsel at the Investment Company Institute (ICI). Currently, she is a member of the US Investment Performance Committee, a subcommittee of the CFA, is co-chair of the NSCP Regulatory Advisory Committee, and serves on the Board of the Association of Securities and Exchange Commission Alumni. Ms. Traeger is a member of the Texas and District of Columbia bars

Onboarding & Accountability

Kristen Binkley Director, Market Leader, BlackRock, Head of Volunteerism, TXWSW

Kristen is a Market Leader for the Registered Investment Advisor Team at BlackRock, covering key relationships in Texas and Louisiana.

Prior to joining BlackRock in 2015, Kristen was part of Lord Abbett where she was a Regional Manager with the Advisor Services Group responsible for working with financial advisors, investment advisors, and wealth managers throughout northeastern Texas.

Ms. Binkley has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. She earned a BS in business administration from the State University of New York at Albany in 2000 and holds series 7, 63 and 65 licenses.

In addition to her involvement with Texas Wall Street Women, she also serves on the board for the Society of International Business Fellows where she is Co-Chair for the state of Texas.

Kristen and her husband reside in Dallas with their son.

Development & Marketing

Bianca B. King President & Creative Director, Seven5 Seven3 Marketing Group, Marketing Director, TXWSW

Bianca has served as the Marketing Director of Texas Wall Street Women since 2017. She is the President and Creative Director of Seven5 Seven3 Marketing Group, a digital marketing agency serving business clients nationally since 2008. Bianca is known for her results-driven creative marketing strategies. She has been featured in several online and nationally recognized print publications. Bianca has also written for online publications, including The Story Exchange.org, Women’s Forum.com, and the National Association of Women on the Rise.com. She is a founding and former board member of the Something for Kelly Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit fighting to end eating disorders, where she served as a marketing strategist for five years.

Before launching her digital marketing agency, Bianca worked at Cushman & Wakefield for almost a decade. During her time with the real estate firm, she served as a Brokerage Associate and Financial Analyst, where she was part of the investments sales team that sold over $1.4 billion in real estate assets.

With over 20 years of marketing experience and an MBA in eCommerce Marketing, Bianca brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her clients.  Bianca resides in Dallas with her husband and loves trying new recipes, gardening, and traveling.

Table of Contents

Interested in Volunteering?



If you would like to learn more about getting involved as a volunteer, you may reach out to any of us or email us at info@txwsw.com

Learn more about becoming a TXWSW Sponsor