D CEO

D CEO announced the winners of its 2024 Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship Awards at a private event last night at The Factory in the Deep Ellum. Presented in partnership with Communities Foundation of Texas, the program celebrates the company’s influential and robust nonprofit organizations and the companies and leaders who support their efforts. This year’s program received a record number of nominations—a testament to the robust nonprofit community in North Texas and the philanthropic spirit ingrained in North Texas’ business community. Winners are selected by D CEO editors, and all finalists are featured in the August issue of D CEO.

Dallas has a lot going for it—its can-do spirit, business-friendly environment, and relatively low cost of living are all frequently cited as strengths. Another advantage that doesn’t get mentioned as much is the region’s thriving nonprofit community. In recognition of the important role arts, education, healthcare, social, and other organizations play in our local economy and quality of life, the editors of D CEO are launching Greater Good, a digital publication that covers the intersection of business and nonprofits in North Texas. We believe it perfectly aligns with our mission of connecting C-Suite executives—and using our megaphone wisely. Distributed every other Friday, content includes profiles of nonprofit leaders and organizations, features on area executives and their volunteer activities, gala recaps and photo galleries, news briefs, fundraising reports, a calendar of top upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and more. Greater Good builds on the success of our Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship Awards. This year, the program attracted nearly 800 nominations. It’s a testament to the influence and impact of regional nonprofits—and the companies and leaders who support them. Today’s edition of Greater Good features a story on the winners of our 2024 program, which was held last night, along with a report on a headquarters deal involving The Stewpot and CitySquare (and what’s ahead for both organizations), a feature on 2024 Dallas Symphony Orchestra gala chairs Laura Harris-Means and Patrick Means, a conversation with The Family Place’s new CEO Tiffany Tate (McDaniel), LCSW-S, a calendar of upcoming events, and more. Nonprofit organizations in Dallas-Fort Worth are supported by one of the most giving business communities in the nation. Don’t take my word for it; listen to Wayne White, president and CEO of Communities Foundation of Texas. “The philanthropic scene here in Dallas is truly amazing,” he says. “There isn’t another city I’m aware of where there is this level of generosity—and the nonprofits benefit. I love the way vision and effort come together here; it really speaks to the synergies that exist.” Those synergies are what inspired us to launch Greater Good. We’re looking forward to sharing more news about the intersection of business and nonprofits in North Texas—and hope you will be a part of it. There’s no cost to subscribe to Greater Good. Just sign up here: https://lnkd.in/esgJhmg7. We’d love to hear your story ideas, too. Please send your suggestions and news tips to [email protected]. (That’s also the email address to use if you’re interested in securing one of the limited sponsorship opportunities.)

Meet the Dallas 500: Chris Cassidy, National Medal of Honor Museum Chris Cassidy is used to having big jobs. He stands as one of the only people to ever be a Navy SEAL and a NASA astronaut. Now, he’s leading the upstart of The National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington as its president and CEO. The museum, which boasts a price tag of $270 million, is set to open in March 2025 and will showcase Medal of Honor recipients and their stories of valor and inspiration in the face of impossible odds. As an astronaut, Cassidy was featured in Disney ’s Among the Stars docuseries that chronicled Cassidy and his crew’s quest to find the origins of the universe. Today, he stands at the forefront of the museum’s partnership with the NFL and EverFi that will help produce Medal of Honor curriculum that will reach 250,000 children each year. Visit the link below to learn more about more about Chris Cassidy. #DCEO #Dallas500

Claudia Mirza grew up in Cartago during the height of Colombia’s violent drug wars. Job loss and a chance encounter led her to co-found her global venture, Akorbi. Read how Mirza used her way with words to launch the translation powerhouse at the link below.

This week in personnel moves: Yooz appoints John Gronen as its next CFO and Jay Deubler joins as chief revenue officer; Flix North America finds new general counsel in James Bristow, Texas Women's Foundation announces Carrie Freeman Parsons, Cris Zertuche Wong, Hattie Hill, Jana Etheridge, Lisette Méndez, NACD.DC, Chrysta Castañeda, and Karen Hughes White as new board; and more at the link below. #DCEO #PersonnelMoves

GLP-1s are all the rage today, and the medication is in high demand for patients who have Type II diabetes and are looking for weight loss solutions. The medication is being publicized for weight loss by people like Oprah Winfrey and Kelly Clarkson, and other coverage is suggesting its ability to improve different conditions beyond weight, including addiction and mental health. The drug has made Novo Nordisk Europe’s most valuable company and will likely become the world’s first trillion-dollar pharmaceutical company. But like most “miracle drugs,” there are unintended challenges. They are relatively expensive, and as they become more in demand and are prescribed for more diagnoses, they could bankrupt payers like Medicare and employers who subsidize their employees’ healthcare. Additionally, there isn’t longitudinal data on the long-term impact of these drugs, and research shows that as soon as people are off the medication, they gain the weight back. But if people can use the medication to lose weight while changing their lifestyle to keep it off when they are off the drug, it could be a game changer. Join D CEO on August 22 for an engaging and insightful discussion with C-suite leaders providing perspectives from the physician, insurance, employer, and pharmacy point of view to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the world of GLP-1s. Panelists include Dr. Shealynn Buck, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Lockton, Marianne Fazen, PhD, Executive Director at DFW BUSINESS GROUP ON HEALTH, Dr. Rick Snyder MD, FACC, President at HeartPlace, and Tony Willoughby, CEO at Stellus Rx. Tickets to the in-person event are $60. Breakfast will be provided.

Last month, Wells Fargo shared some research from a new national study that looks at the economic clout and impact of women-owned businesses. The study ranked North Texas as the No. 2 market for women-owned enterprises in the country. No other Texas metro made the top 10. D CEO editors decided to dig deeper into the topic for a special report that ran in our latest issue. In it, we featured perspectives from established entrepreneurs like Mahisha Dellinger, a former Intel exec who launched the natural haircare company CURLS. We also write about three women in their 20s who are running their own companies. Managing Editor Ben Swanger talked with two of the region’s most successful women business owners—Jamie O’Banion of BeautyBio and Merrilee Kick of Buzzballz, LLC / Southern Champion—both of whom recently sold their flourishing enterprises. Associate Editor Audrey Henvey interviewed three women who “got off the hamster wheel” and left careers at large corporations to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. Senior Editor Will Maddox brought the package together with an overarching story that pulls in the data and examines the region’s history in supporting women business owners—from Sarah Cockrell to Mary Kay Ash—to where things stand today. He found that although North Texas and the rest of the country still fall woefully short when it comes to gender equity in the corporate C-suite—Lori Ryerkerk of Celanese is the region’s lone female CEO at the helm of a Fortune 500 company—it provides a rich environment for entrepreneurial growth. The latest issue of D CEO is filled with women who provide real-life examples behind the Wells Fargo research, including feature stories on innovators Taylor Shead of Stemuli and Claudia Mirza of Akorbi. They show why in DFW, like Aretha Franklin and the Eurythmics once sang, “sisters are doing it for themselves.”

Lori Ryerkerk has logged more than 500 dives in exotic destinations around the globe, ranging from the Red Sea to the Maldives. It’s a far cry from her first experience—in a cement quarry filled with freezing water in the middle of Iowa. Despite the conditions, she was hooked. “I like nothing better than to be underwater,” Ryerkerk says. “I find it very relaxing, very calming. As someone who has a lot going on in their head all the time, it is a way for me to instantly destress.” That said, early in her career the Celanese CEO struggled to find time to travel for diving as she rose through ExxonMobil, Hess Corporation, and the Royal Dutch Shell. In 1983, Ryerkerk, who is Dallas’ only female Fortune 500 CEO, moved to the south and started to dabble in snorkeling. Once her daughter Kate turned 12, Ryerkerk set her up with diving lessons to become scuba-certified. When her son, Grant, came of the same age, he also earned his certification. “It was a way to connect with my kids in their teenage years,” she says. “I may not have been cool about a lot of stuff. But diving, to them, was cool.” Some of Ryerkerk’s favorite adventures include swimming through underwater canyons with Kate in Bali and diving in the Red Sea with Grant alongside 30 sharks—beasts she has come to admire. “I love to dive with sharks—except I never want to be near a Great White,” she says. “Sharks are just beautiful creatures.” Up next for the Ryerkerk family? The Caribbean and the Sea of Cortez off the coast of Cabo on Mexico’s west coast. According to Ryerkerk, who typically plunges about 25 meters deep but has gone as low as 40 in Belize, diving is a lot like business. On two occasions, both of her children ran out of air while diving, causing Ryerkerk to spring into action. “I had to give them my supplemental air and go to the surface, but that’s what you prepare for when you train to dive,” she says. As a CEO, she takes a similar approach to guiding a $10.9 billion corporation. “There will be emergencies when leading a business, but the key is to train people,” she says. “If you have 90 percent of a situation planned for, you have the capacity to deal with the 10 percent that is unexpected.”

North Texas is known for being an innovation hub and ideal place for launching a startup. This holds especially true for women entrepreneurs. Wells Fargo recently ranked the region as one of the best places in the country for female CEOs, and that honor is built on the success of many women leading growing companies here. Leaders like Emily Shack Wickard and Lisa M. Ong, PCC, CPA have gotten off the corporate hamster wheel and fulfilled their entrepreneurial dreams. Others, including Jamie O’Banion and Merrilee Kick, are entering new eras after selling the companies they founded. The next generation of women business leaders in Dallas are taking notice. D CEO's Layten Praytor and Celie Price recently spoke with three female owners 30 years of age and under who stand out: Anisha Holla of FoodiFy, Nicole Craven of Après Hours, and Addison LaBonte of Sweet Addison's.

D CEO is proud to once again recognize the region’s top in-house attorneys with its annual Corporate Counsel Awards. Now in its 15th year, the 2024 program received an abundance of nominations. Judges have reviewed the entries and selected finalists. All finalists will be featured in the October issue of D CEO and recognized at an exclusive awards event this fall, where winners will be revealed. Please join us in congratulating the 2024 honorees, presented in alphabetical order at the link below.