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Photos by Olaf Growald
Tara Wilson
Tara Wilson Agency
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Photos by Olaf Growald
Lauren Cross
Artist and Professor at the University of North Texas
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Photos by Olaf Growald
Heather Laminack
Ferrier Custom Homes
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Photos by Olaf Growald
Jessica Christopherson
Visit Fort Worth + Fort Worth Film Commission
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Photos by Olaf Growald
Josie Villa-Singleton
Eat This Fort Worth Food Tours
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Photos by Olaf Growald
CJ Evans
Fort Worth ISD School Board
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Photos by Olaf Growald
Megan Henderson
Near Southside Inc.
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Photos by Olaf Growald
Gaby Natale
SuperLatina and AGANARmedia
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Photos by Olaf Growald
Dione Kennedy
Bass Performance Hall
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Photos by Olaf Growald
Holland Sanders
HOLLAND collective
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Photos by Olaf Growald
Devan Allen
Tarrant County Commissioner, Precinct 2
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Photos by Olaf Growald
Anel Mercado
Read Fort Worth
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Photos by Olaf Growald
Carly Burson
Tribe Alive
Powerful voices are shifting and progressing our city for the better. In the spheres of business, tech, education, politics, and art, barriers are being broken, glass ceilings are being shattered, and archaic power structures are being altered — all thanks to the leadership, innovation, and instigation of women in Fort Worth.
Tara Wilson
Tara Wilson Agency
Experiential Marketing is the buzziest term in business right now, but that’s no surprise to Tara Wilson. As CEO and founder of the Tara Wilson Agency, she’s already perfected this approach to brand activation, event marketing, and immersive corporate interactions for major clients like Nike and Samsung. Her team specializes in capturing and engaging audiences in creative ways — ways that ring up sales, build loyalty, and trend like crazy on social media. Although Wilson often works with clients headquartered in cities like New York or Los Angeles, she’s always appreciated her Fort Worth base. “This is truly a city where if you want to create and make opportunities happen, you can,” she says. She should know: Tara Wilson Agency earned top sector spots in the Inc. 5000 list of the country’s fastest-growing private companies in 2017 and 2018. But Wilson doesn’t just optimize opportunity for her company, she’s also passionate about helping other entrepreneurs achieve, especially women. “If I can share what I’ve learned or make introductions to my contacts, I do,” she says. Another Fort Worth perk? Location. Wilson never wastes time commuting. Her Meadows West home is seven minutes from work and seconds away from play. “As a triathalete, I love that I can walk out my front door and be running or biking on the trails in minutes,” she says. “It really is the ideal location.”
by Jenny B. Davis
Lauren Cross
Artist and Professor at the University of North Texas
Lauren Cross is a visionary filmmaker, teacher, curator, and interdisciplinary artist. But perhaps her most important role is that of community leader. Partnering with Fort Worth museums and artist collectives, Cross helps to push the creative community forward through projects that facilitate artistic expression. She’s part of the Carter Community Artist initiative at the Amon Carter Museum, which connects diverse audiences with the collection and provides pathways into the art world for students. As a senior lecturer at UNT, she knows how valuable this real-world guidance can be. “The most important idea that I teach is career and entrepreneurial development for artists, designers, and creatives. I find that it is a tool that empowers students the most,” Cross says. “I love encouraging students that they have a unique voice and their own specific contributions they can make into the world.” With summer teaching programs, her work with the Amon Carter, and a baby on the way — Cross is one busy visionary. You can see a new exhibition of her work later this year at the Carillon Gallery at Tarrant County College’s South Campus.
by Shilo Urban
Heather Laminack
Ferrier Custom Homes
In a land of “Bigger Is Better,” Heather Laminack of Ferrier Custom Homes has been a strong advocate of sustainability and energy efficiency. Founded in 1984, Ferrier Custom Homes has been ahead of the curve since the beginning by preaching the importance of smaller and well-thought-out homes. If you have ever driven where Merrick Street meets Byers Avenue, you may be familiar with one of their projects — two sister homes with a thoughtful, minimalist style designed by Daniel Van Kunschik. Heather is also the first female president of the Greater Fort Worth Builders Association. “GFWBA was nothing but encouraging and supportive,” Laminack says. “They recognize that it is very important to our industry to help equip young women with resources to bridge the gap, so they can see that these careers aren’t gender specific.” Heather recalls growing up helping with her small family business and noticing there weren’t any female architects, much less tradespeople. As a mother of two young sons, she hopes to be an example for her boys to crush gender norms in her field. “I feel like the tide is changing, and I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of that change,” she says.
by Rachael Lindley
Jessica Christopherson
Visit Fort Worth + Fort Worth Film Commission
Jessica Christopherson is spreading the message about the city’s expanding creative culture far and wide, attracting visitors and filmmakers alike. Christopherson is the head of the Fort Worth Film Commission and the assistant director of marketing at Visit Fort Worth, the hospitality bureau for tourists and conventions. Since the Film Commission was established in 2015, she has worked tirelessly to advance Fort Worth’s presence in the movie industry — and it’s starting to pay off. “There is a really exciting energy in the city right now, and travelers and filmmakers are taking note,” she says. “We want to spotlight the vibe that’s emanating not only from major institutions like the Kimbell Art Museum, but also musicians, artists, and chefs.” Visitors are quickly won over by Fort Worth’s legendary friendliness, laid-back vibe, and can-do creative community. But first they have to get the message, and Christopherson is making sure that they do. She is currently courting several high-profile film and TV projects, and Visit Fort Worth attracts more and more tourists every year. “We share the city’s welcome with the world.”
by Shilo Urban
Josie Villa-Singleton
Eat This Fort Worth Food Tours
To truly understand the soul of a city, you have to taste it — and in Fort Worth, that means tacos and margaritas, brisket and beer. Explore hidden-gem taquerias and next-big-thing hangouts on a foodie adventure with Josie Villa-Singleton, who introduced Eat This Fort Worth Food Tours this spring. Designed for locals and travelers alike, the bus tours deliver a lively, off-the-beaten-path experience of the city. “We have an amazing food culture here,” Villa-Singleton says. “I spent many weekends doing research for my taco tour and eating at dozens of taquerias, and I still haven’t even scratched the surface.” A first-generation American and Fort Worth native, her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs in the city is to reach out and network. “Fort Worth has a spirit of collaboration, and I have found the community here to be supportive of each other, especially the food community.” Up next? Singleton is partnering with Visit Fort Worth for a barbecue and brews tour, with more themed excursions arriving this fall. “It brings me great joy to share some of my favorite places in the city and tell the stories of what makes them special.”
by Shilo Urban
CJ Evans
Fort Worth ISD School Board
With three school trustees retiring this spring, Fort Worth voters dramatically reshaped the Fort Worth ISD school board. One of the newcomers: CJ Evans, a lawyer and West Sider who represents the district held for years by Judy Needham. The sprawling District 5 map includes parts of the Paschal, Arlington Heights and Western Hills high school feeders. Evans came into Election Day after running a strong campaign backed by an assortment of West Siders and having dipped into the robust Paschal and Arlington Heights, bases for donors and PTA activists, and won with 57 percent of the vote. Evans graduated from Baylor University in 1996 and Regent University School of Law in 2001. She facilitates a legal clinic at The Women’s Center of Tarrant County. Her four children are Fort Worth ISD students. Involved in her children’s schools, she also served on the FWISD’s District Advisory Committee and Como Leadership Academy’s Site Based Committee. Kent Scribner, the Fort Worth ISD’s superintendent, says the new board is already coalescing into a thoughtful professional group.
by Scott Nishimura
Megan Henderson
Near Southside Inc.
If you’ve strolled the booths at ArtsGoggle or chilled at Friday on the Green, then you’ve experienced the handiwork of Megan Henderson. As director of events and communications for Near Southside Inc., she makes magic happen. But Henderson’s favorite part of the job isn’t the parties — it’s connecting people. New businesses and developers. Entrepreneurs and local creatives. “It’s an amazing job,” she says. “There are so many talented people.” Her work ensures that development practices are equal parts economic and community, balancing small business support with neighborhood character. And it’s not just individuals she’s connecting. “What makes the Southside so special is that it is home to so many different cultures. We have all these great ethnic cultures, but we also have community cultures: brew culture, bike culture, dog culture.” She will bring them all together at a new festival next year, the South Main Parade of Cultures. While most parades celebrate one group of people, this event will include many different groups, much like the Near Southside itself. Henderson will be there with a smile on her face — just look for the magic glow.
by Shilo Urban
Gaby Natale
SuperLatina and AGANARmedia
Fort Worth serves as a center of Latin-market media and influence thanks in part to one woman: Gaby Natale. As the executive producer and host of the nationally syndicated “SuperLatina,” Natle has collected three Emmy awards. Her motivational book, El Circulo Virtuoso, published by Harper Collins, tops multiple best-seller lists, and the marketing and content development firm she co-founded and helps run, AGANARmedia, regularly works with Fortune 500 companies on national campaigns. Natale made Tarrant County her home base ten years ago after a TV executive lauded the area’s low cost of living and reasonable real estate prices. That advice, Natale says, “was 177 percent correct — which is the exact figure our real estate investments have appreciated by since then.” One of these investments — the building that houses her television studio — will likely require serious expansion, thanks to Natale’s just-launched company, a direct-to-consumer line of hairpieces and extensions called Welcome All Beauty that makes women camera-ready in minutes. While this may be Natale’s newest entrepreneurial venture, it certainly won’t be her last. “If it’s a creative act,” she says, “I’m always excited to get started.”
by Jenny B. Davis
Dione Kennedy
Bass Performance Hall
Dione Kennedy experiences a lot of drama at work. And also comedy, dance, and myriad musical genres. That’s because Kennedy is the president and CEO of Performing Arts Fort Worth, Inc., the nonprofit organization that owns and operates the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall. It’s her job to make sure the hall (and nearby McDavid Studio) fulfills its mission as home to the city’s major performing arts groups and host to cultural fare and educational programming that enriches Greater Fort Worth. In addition to the general public, more than 70,000 students and teachers come to Bass Hall every year to see a show. Often times, these student audiences include groups with physical, cognitive, and socio-economic challenges. Kennedy relishes the ability to connect people to different types of artistry. “The favorite part of my job is giving every child and every adult who walks through the doors at Bass Performance Hall an experience that could change their lives,” she says. “It’s exciting to present programming that appeals to a wide section of the local community and has an impact on how people view themselves through the lens of a live performance.”
by Jenny B. Davis
Holland Sanders
HOLLAND collective
By building a bridge between Fort Worth’s business community and its artists, Holland Sanders is creating the city where she wants to live. Since launching HOLLAND collective three years ago, the marketing agency has scooped up clients like Lone Star Film Festival and Novak Hair Studios. “We want to work with ‘yes’ people,” Sanders says — clients with an appetite for imaginative, out-there ideas. Her all-female team deals primarily with entrepreneurial spirits and smaller businesses, but helping clientele is just one facet of their mission. The agency’s newest campaign is Collective Consciousness, a program that offers free PR support to struggling artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit organizations. Sanders is also launching a feminist-inspired apparel company called NYOB (Not Your Ordinary Bitch), and HOLLAND collective will continue hosting “Afternoon Delight” pop-up galleries for underrepresented artists. “We’re doing something for people we care about,” Sanders explains. “Our goal is to create a better community that we all want to live in.”
by Shilo Urban
Devan Allen
Tarrant County Commissioner, Precinct 2
Gridlock may be gripping Washington, D.C., but here in Tarrant County, elected officials are working together to make decisions about issues like budgets, bridges, jails, judges, and hospitals affecting the lives of more than 2 million residents. Devan Allen represents a significant number of these people as County Commissioner of Precinct 2, an area that includes Arlington, Mansfield, Kennedale, Pantego, Dalworthington Gardens, and part of Grand Prairie. Allen won her seat last year after running a grassroots campaign anchored in voter outreach. She has continued to prioritize these personal connections since joining the five-member court. “My constituents remind me every day that I have to do what’s best for the greatest number of people that is equitable, practical, and sustainable,” she says. “I welcome opportunities to hear about what we are doing right, as well as any challenges they may have.” Allen’s election was a milestone for the county: She is only the third woman in the 100-plus-year history of the court to serve, the first African-American woman from Southeast Tarrant County to serve, and the youngest current serving member by 30 years.
by Jenny B. Davis
Anel Mercado
Read Fort Worth
Fort Worth has mounted a rallying cry, seeking to unite the community in attacking our low third-grade literacy rate — 37 percent of Fort Worth ISD third-graders read on level today — that threatens the strength of the city’s future workforce. Anel Mercado, recruited a year ago from a youth services agency she led in Phoenix, is one of the leaders of Fort Worth’s literacy initiative. She’s the second executive director of Read Fort Worth, in charge of directing community resources like volunteer organizations and groups and agencies that are willing to embed literacy curriculum in their programs. Mercado, using the same budget, has restructured the organization, hiked the number of community agencies using Read Fort Worth’s programming, and substantially increased the numbers of books it puts into elementary school classroom libraries. Fort Worth ISD and Read Fort Worth are stepping up their efforts, recognizing we’re behind in our goal of having all Fort Worth ISD third-graders reading on level by 2025. “Progress is a relative term; there’s a lot more work to be done,” Mercado says.
by Scott Nishimura
Carly Burson
Tribe Alive
From Fort Worth to India, Haiti to Honduras — Carly Burson is lifting women out of the cycle of poverty. An avid traveler who once worked for Anne Taylor and J.Crew, Burson was inspired to create Tribe Alive while on a trip to Ethiopia to adopt her daughter. Her fashion brand collaborates with female artisans around the globe to create handmade designs, empowering them with safe working environments and dependable incomes. Caring for the planet is key; you’ll find recycled cotton blouses and chemical-free dyes at Tribe Alive’s boutique on Magnolia. “It’s our hope at Tribe Alive that people will start to recognize that they’re casting a vote for the type of world they want through every purchase they make,” Burson says. Her chic, high-quality apparel and accessories are causing a stir in Fort Worth and the fashion world beyond. The company is doubling its workforce in India and Guatemala this year and exploring new partnerships in Mexico and Peru. “We have some really exciting collection launches on the horizon along with a few dream collaborations that we can’t wait to reveal in the near future. There’s so much to be hopeful for.”
by Shilo Urban
