2024 East End Women in Business

Connect, Learn and Grow!

Panel

Linda Lorelle

Founder
Lorelle Media
Moderator

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Denise Hamilton

HELLO! I’M LINDA.

I am a journalist who relishes giving voice to people’s stories. I am an entrepreneur, founder of an education non-profit, keynote speaker, wife, mother, daughter, sister, dancer and lover of life — and my country.

Although I left the broadcast airwaves a while ago, I still have a lot to say. About who we are. About who we can be. About this beautiful life and how I want to spend my remaining days on this planet trying to bring us together. Connecting. Encouraging. Reminding us of our common humanity through my passion for storytelling.

How did I get here?

My backstory begins on the South Side of Chicago (a few blocks away from Michelle Obama) where I dreamed of one day being a professional dancer. After I graduated from Stanford University, that dream came true. My dad, the doctor, wasn’t all that happy about my career choice.

I danced in modern, jazz and African companies in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago and Denver, once performed with Maya Angelou and Ray Charles (on the same night), and auditioned for “A Chorus Line” and other major musicals on Broadway.

I got my Actor’s Equity card doing musical theater…playing a man. Ballroom is my most recent dance passion; before I majored in Italian I was fluent in French; and at one time I considered being a professional tennis player. Instead, I became a news anchor.

The University of Missouri J-school Masters program prepared me well, catapulting me from the Columbia campus to the CBS affiliate in St. Louis, and on to the NBC affiliate in Houston where I gained my so-called claim to fame.

Fast forward to 2009. My passion for giving a voice to the voiceless and finding a good story to tell in a memorable way led me to found Linda Lorelle Media, a multimedia production and communications consulting firm. I love the lightbulb moment when a client gets that it’s not about the message…it’s about the story!

My passion for storytelling took a different turn in late 2018 when I launched Our Voices Matter Podcast. And now, the Linda Lorelle EncourageX Collection builds upon my life theme of connection, encouragement and love.

Which leads me to one more thing — the love of my life, Lou Gregory, and I have a talented, beautiful daughter named Lindsey, an adorable grand puppy named Layla — and 350+ additional “kids” to whom our non-profit, Linda Lorelle Scholarship Fund (LLSF), has awarded more than $4 million in college scholarships since 1991.

Ok, this is really the last thing.

My bucket list includes attending all four tennis grand slam championships, being a contestant on Dancing With the Stars (PLEASE call me!!), and ensuring that the LLSF will live on long after Lou and I are gone. Now that five former Lorelle Scholars and Lindsey are on the board of directors, there’s a good chance I can check that one off the list!

Let’s create something magical together. The world needs us.

Lisa Helfman

Senior Director of Public Affairs
H-E-B

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Raquel Boujourne

Lisa Helfman

Lisa Helfman is the Senior Director of Public Affairs Houston for H-E-B Grocery Company and served previously as their Director of Real Estate. Prior to joining H-E-B in 2014, Lisa served as Director of Real Estate Services at Texas Children’s Hospital where she created the Real Estate Services Department in order to centralize the hospital’s real estate operations. Lisa worked at Texas Children’s for seven years after leaving Vinson & Elkins law firm where she represented many urban redevelopment clients, non-profits, and government entities in financings, real estate, and other legal matters. Lisa received her JD Magna Cum Laude from the University of Houston Law Center and her BA Cum Laude from Tulane University.

When she isn’t representing H-E-B in the community, she is pushing kale smoothies to children all over underserved communities as the Founder and Board Chair of Brighter Bites. In the fall of 2011, Lisa and her family took part in a weekly fruit and vegetable co-op, and she watched her children’s eating habits transform—for the better. So much so that her little boy rejected a piece of cake at a birthday party, asking instead for the blueberries he’d grown fond of eating at home. Like most moms, Lisa realized this was a fairly significant decision for a six-year-old, and she wondered what kind of influence regular access to fresh produce might have on all children.

She was inspired to replicate this type of positive change in underserved communities where obesity was high and access to fresh produce was low. Because nutrition education in these communities is often equally lacking, Lisa’s vision was to bring a produce co-op to schools in these neighborhoods that included an educational component while also making it fun. She created a collaborative partnership with Dr. Shreela Sharma at the University of Texas School of Public Health, and launched the program now known as Brighter Bites in 2012. Eleven years later, Brighter Bites has delivered over 50,000,000 pounds of fresh produce and 100,000s of education materials to more than 500,000 individuals (including teachers!) across 200+ participating schools in Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, New York City, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Northern California, Phoenix and Southwest Florida.

In 2019, the Houston-Galveston chapter of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship named Lisa its Humanitarian of the Year, Newcomb College at Tulane University also named Lisa its Community Service Alumni of the Year and Business Insider named her and Shreela to their list of top 100 Coolest People in Food and Drink. In 2020, her alma mater Kinkaid named Lisa the Alumna of the Year. In addition to chairing the Board of Brighter Bites, Lisa also serves on the boards of the Houston Food Bank, the Kinkaid School, the Jung Center and Buffalo Bayou Partnership. She has two children, Drew (18) and Nathan (15), who continue to inspire her every day.

Maria Rios

President & CEO
Nation Waste, Inc., Nation Waste El Salvador

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Victoria Chen

Maria Rios

Maria Rios is the first Hispanic owner of a multi-million-dollar business in solid waste, recycling, and waste to renewable energy management. For the past 20 years, the company has served municipal, state, national, international, consumer, commercial, and construction clientele.

In 2016, in partnership with IBM she created an innovative technology division at Nation Waste. Services include waste management and recycling IoT and AI productivity technology, waste to energy, smart cities, and high speed 5G and WIFI.

Recognized over 100 times worldwide as a champion in thought leadership and innovative waste management, several nations have recognized Maria Rios in international forums throughout Russia, Switzerland, Colombia, Turkey, Israel, UK, Tunisia, Belgium, Thailand, Qatar, and Dubai, among others.

Maria Rios Awards and Recognitions in Waste Management:

Bloomberg 2023, One of 50 Women of Impact 2023
Forbes 2022, One of 100 Most Powerful Women 2022
Appointed to y he Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award. December 4, 2022, President Joe Biden.
The Smithsonian Institute Maria Rios Exhibit, 2022. The Smithsonian Institute is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex. 2022 The Smithsonian Institution the world's largest museum, education, and research complex. I exhibited the story and the first iconic work helmet ⛑ of María Ríos, other stories chosen Carolina Herrera, and Celia Cruz.
Maria Rios Day named by the United States Congress, 2021, September 7 is declared and named. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, presided.
Appointed to the National Women's Business Council (NWBC) 2019 NWBC provides annual advice and policy recommendations to the U.S. President, Congress, and the administrator of the Small Business Administration on issues of economic importance to women entrepreneurs and business owners in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. And elected to the committee of access to capital and opportunities for Entrepreneur's in the United States.
White House Gold Medal, 2017, 2013, 2006, Named official advisor to the Presidency of the United States, Recognition by former presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump, for their trajectory and success of entrepreneurship.
Fortune 2019, Cover of Fortune, One of the Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs (#7) of 100.
In 2019, Forbes One of the most outstanding Businesswomen in Central America.
Meet the 2013 Fortune Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs of Fortune
2015 Goldman Sachs Most Intriguing Entrepreneur Award.
2015 Maria Rios was filmed to the CNBC episode Blue Collar Millionaires, Maria Rios - Cast | Blue Collar Millionaires | CNBC Prime,
Global Ambassador of IWEC International Women's Entrepreneurial Challenge, The members of the Foundation represent some of the most influential women entrepreneurs from the world's leading emerging and established regions. $44 Billion, US Annual Revenue
Appointed advisor Board Member of different organizations in Houston, the State of Texas, and Washington DC. Texas Business Association. The Texas State Chamber of Commerce, The University of Houston, Community College Foundation, Houston Hispanic Chamber, and U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Texas Governor awarded Maria Rios and Nation Waste Inc. as outstanding waste management business leader each year during the past 10 years.

Maria Rios is living the American dream, when she began her journey to the United States emigrating from El Salvador as a 13-year-old girl. Her family came to the U.S. (City of Houston State of Texas) to seek education and escape the civil war. Through confidence in faith, a relentless work ethic and determination, Rios graduated from high school and studied at Houston Community College and earned her bachelor's degree in business administration and management from the University of Houston. As a strong advocate for education and professional development, Maria has led by example, having graduated from Stanford University's Entrepreneurship Educational Scaling Program, and Dartmouth College's Executive Education Program. Goldman Sachs 10K Small Businesses program. She credits her parents for instilling in her the importance of education and dreaming big.

Annue Rupani

Founder
Cacao & Cardamom

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Mayra Moreno

Annie Rupani

Coming from a South-Asian background, the smell of cardamom, cumin, coriander, and fennel were spices that flowed through the house of Chocolatier, Annie Rupani, but were rarely appreciated until she began to explore the intricacies of food in college. During her time at Boston University, she studied abroad in London and Amman with stops in Italy, Greece, Lebanon, Egypt, and China. During her travels around the world, she gained a special appreciation for food and began her love affair with the culinary arts.

After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and Religion, she began studying for her law school admissions exam, and took breaks by reading books about chocolatiering. This led to ordering 30 lbs. of coverture chocolate, a mini-tempering machine, and a very messy kitchen. Three days after the test date, Annie made her way to Pakistan where she spent the next six months working on her family's foundation. With chocolate constantly on her mind, she found a pastry school in Malaysia and attended a week of chocolatiering courses in Kuala Lumpur. Once she completed her projects in Pakistan, she made her way back to Houston determined to get her hands back on chocolate again. What was just a weekly break from the LSATs turned into a passion for the art of chocolate.

Sunday Shepherd

General Manager, Corporate Strategy, Chevron Strategy & Sustainability
Chevron Corporation

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Tifanie Steele

Sunday Shepherd

Sunday Shepherd leads Chevron’s Corporate Strategy group, with accountability for corporate strategy development and alignment, enterprise risk management and investment governance. Sunday is passionate about building collaborative relationships within Chevron and across industry to ensure all voices are heard and to drive value. She was a part of starting Chevron’s early career network XYZ in 2000, chaired Chevron’s Executive Women’s Group in Houston from 2016-2019, and currently serves as management sponsor for Chevron’s Black Employee Network in Houston. Sunday’s passion for the arts and quality education for all has led her to represent Chevron on the Houston Ballet’s Board of Trustees and serve on OneGoal Houston’s Board of Directors.

Sunday joined Chevron in 2000 as a geologist and has worked in exploration and reservoir management assignments in the United States, Venezuela and Singapore. Prior to her current role in Corporate Strategy, Sunday led Chevron’s MidContinent Applied Reservoir Management team. Sunday’s prior roles include Exploration and Regional Manager roles in US Gulf of Mexico, Exploration Advisor for Chevron’s Asia Pacific E&P headquarters in Singapore, Development Geologist in Chevron’s Latin America Business Unit on a heavy oil field in Venezuela, and Earth Scientist and Team Leader in Chevron’s Energy Technology Company consulting on reservoir issues on many global projects.

Sunday earned a Bachelor of Science in Geological Sciences from Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina (an Historically Black University where she received a minority scholarship) and a Master’s in Geological Sciences from The University of Texas at Austin. Sunday currently lives in Houston where she enjoys exploring the city’s food and arts scene and competing in Tripoley marathons with her three children and husband Ryan Miller.

Gold Sponsors

Centerpiece Sponsor

Social Media Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Amegy Bank of Texas
Gulf Winds International, Inc
Giant Texas Distillery/Cadeco Industries, Inc.
H-E-B - Gulfgate Center
Houston Pilots Association
ILA Local 1351
Indi Construction Partners, LLC

LyondellBasell
Port Houston
San Jacinto College
The Gonzalez Law Group, PLLC
Truist
TPC Group Inc
Valero - Houston Refinery
West Gulf Maritime Association

Expo Tables

Bayside Printing Company Inc
Texas House of Representatives, District 143
Houston Independent School District
Kacal's Auto & Truck Service
L.I.F.E. Houston
La Lydia Garden Boutique
Miradela
Navarro Insurance Group
Primeway Federal Credit Union
Renewal by Andersen
Shell Federal Credit Union
Space City Credit Union
Sunshine Personnel Solutions, LLC
The Gonzalez Law Group, PLLC
Tx. Trendy Knots
University of Houston - (HUB) Operations Department
Watson Wealth Management
Workplace Safety Screenings / Port Health

2024 East End Women in Business

Connect, Learn and Grow!

Panel

Linda Lorelle

Lisa Helfman

Maria Rios

Annue Rupani

Sunday Shepherd

Gold Sponsors

Centerpiece Sponsor

Social Media Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Expo Tables

Printing Sponsor

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