CAROL GUESS Senior Chair, Board of Directors - GREATER HOUSTON BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

General counsel at the Guess Group, a attorney at the Guess Firm, PLLC, Attorneys and Counselors at Law, where she practices in wills and probate law. She is a member of the Texas Bar and its Real Estate, Probate and Tax Law section. She also serves on the board of the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 9 for the South Post Oak area. She is an inaugural member of the Thurgood Marshall School of Law National Alumni Board.

HEATH BUTLER Partner - MERCURY FUND

The Mercury Fund in an early stage venture capital fund. Prior to joining Mercury, Heath co-founded Gestalt Theory Venture Partners, a venture studio and angel investing group. He was a founding investor in the start-up hub Station Houston and most recently co-founded Urban Capital Network, an angel investor group focused on democratizing the investment ecosystem for a broader range of investors and entrepreneurs.

JERRI BROOKS CEO & Lead Strategist - ONE WORLD STRATEGY GROUP, LLC

Brooks was named a Top 100 Hired Gun lobbyist by the 2019 Capitol Insider's Texas Lobby Power Rankings. Her clients include entrepreneurs, start-ups, global companies, governments and authorities.

She has worked for a variety of elected officials, most notably former Houston mayor Annise Parker, for whom she served as political communications director. She has more than 25 years of experience in public affairs, engagement and relations, which has gained her a reputation as a strategic problem solver.

ED RYLAND CEO & Author - ARVO REALTY ADVISORS

Vice chair of the National Minority Business Enterprise Input Committee and former president of the Houston Black Real Estate Association and Texas Association of Real Estate Brokers. He has been recognized by several organizations for community and business leadership, including a lifetime achievement award from CoreNet, an international corporate real estate organization. His book, The Secrets to Building A Successful Minority-Owned Company, was published in 2019.