Speed Mentoring Roundtables

 

Speed Mentoring Roundtables, a WISE Within signature mentoring event, this interactive event brings you up close and personal with industry veterans and peers to discuss career and professional development topics that are important to you.

This fast-paced, engaging event provides you with a seat at the table with a seasoned industry veteran and peers to discuss career and professional development topics that are important to you. Mentors will be featured during in-depth panel discussions and rotate among smaller groups to allow each attended to meet with multiple mentors and garner different perspectives. At WISE, we have seen firsthand that mentorship is more than a single one-to-one relationship. Speed Mentoring Roundtables brings mentoring to all WISE members — providing a platform to participate in meaningful dialogue and offering easy access for connecting with peers and building strong relationships.

Join us, our host Moderator Vanessa Richardson, ATTSN, and our Featured Mentors:

Kristine Bill – COO Playmaker

Katie Pryor – SVP & Chief Development Officer, Greater Houston Partnership

Cynthia Salinas-Salaiz – Owner, Houston We Have a Party

Hillary Hart – Executive Director, Theatre Under the Stars

Teresa Dickerson – Corporate Affairs, Kroger

Vanessa Scott – Vice President of Finance, Houston Dynamo & Dash

Alexandria Price – Director of Event Operations, Houston Astros

Stephanie Wilka – Director, Hutchinson Leadership Initiative in Sport Analytics; Rice University

 

Event Details:

WHAT: 2023 Speed Mentoring Roundtables

WHEN: Wednesday, February 22nd, Networking begins at 5:30 p.m., group photo at 6:15, followed by the Program.

WHERE: Tea Room, The Junior League of Houston – 1811 Briar Oaks Lane, 77027. Parking available in garage on-site.

WHO: WISE Houston Members and Potential Members

FEE:  Potential Members will pay a $40.00 Registration Fee. Members attend for a $5.00 Fee.

*Please RSVP using the email address associated with your WISE account.

 

 

Moderator Bio:

Vanessa Richardson – Sideline Reporter, AT&T Sports Net

Vanessa is currently the sideline reporter for Houston Rockets broadcasts on AT&T SportsNet, Houston’s regional network. She also hosts a weekly feature show, Rockets All Access. She fills in as a pregame and postgame host for Houston Astros broadcasts as well.

​Prior to the Rockets and Astros, she served as a sports talk host and NFL reporter for the ESPN Radio affiliate in Houston, making her one of the only women driving a daily sports talk show in a major media market. Vanessa spent two years as a sports anchor/reporter for the NBC affiliate in Houston. She also freelances, having recently covered auto racing on NBC.

Vanessa has covered every pro sports team in Houston at home and on the road; telling stories and creating content for both on-air and digital spaces, as well as breaking sports news. She has covered the World Series twice, the Kentucky Derby, the past eight Indianapolis 500s, and the Super Bowl.

​Her true passion is telling exciting human interest stories that go way beyond highlights and stats, be it in the studio or on the sideline.

Mentor Bios:

Cynthia Salinas-Salaiz – Owner/Operator, Houston We Have A Party

Cynthia Salinas-Salaiz is the owner and founder of Houston, we have a party. Cynthia has specialized in event planning since 2019 after planning her niece’s 2nd birthday that kick started her business by complete accident.

Her business has grown from the original Divine Creations TX to the now infamous Houston, we have a party. Her business quickly grew with the help of social media apps such as TikTok and Instagram. She has also been featured on local magazines such as Voyage Houston, Shoutout HTX, and Canvas Rebel.

Cynthia has also been seen on news channels across the U.S. as part of the small business organization led by TikTok. Her accomplishments grew quickly over a short time and continue to do so, she can’t wait for what the future holds but more than anything is grateful for how far she’s come.

 

Kristine Bill – COO, Playmaker

Kristine has over a decade of sports marketing & media experience working for teams, agencies, and brands across content, partnerships, experiential, talent, and strategic marketing.

She joined Playmaker in July 2022, where she most recently served as Senior Vice President of Marketing & Events. In her current position as COO, she leads all initiatives related to marketing, public relations, social media, creator content and e-commerce.

Prior to joining Playmaker, she held roles with STN Digital, Blast Motion Inc. and GMR Marketing.

 

Alexandria Price – Director of Event Operations, Houston Astros

Alexandria N. Price is an event operations project manager, with the keen ability, extensive experience, and expansive skill set to plan VIP special events to multi-level sporting events, ranging from collegiate to private and professional. She is currently using her skill set as the Director of Special Event Operations for the Houston Astros, where she hires, oversees, and manages the entirety of the event operations team.

Alexandria graduated from Louisiana State University – Baton Rouge, with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology/Sports Administration and a minor in Sports Leadership. In 2023, she will receive a Master of Business Administration, with a focus in Entrepreneurship.

She is one of the founders of the New Orleans and Houston chapters of Black Sports Professionals, currently serves as the VP of the Houston Chapter and has previously served on the Warren Easton High School and McDonough 35 Academy’s Hospitality & Tourism Advisory Board. She was also a key member of the inaugural HBCU Legacy Bowl Planning Committee, etching her name, with distinction, in the sports event planning field.

 

Vanessa Scott – Vice President of Finance, Houston Dynamo

Vanessa Scott serves as the Vice President of Finance for Houston Dynamo FC and the Houston Dash. In her current role, she oversees all accounting and finance operations related to the MLS and NWSL clubs in Houston, Shell Energy Stadium, the Houston Sports Park, and Dynamo & Dash Charities.

During her time with Houston Dynamo FC, Scott has been instrumental in building out the finance department and leading various system implementations to support organizational needs. She currently serves as the Executive Sponsor for the Hispanic/Latino Employee Supporter Group (Unidos) and has been a major contributor to organizational.

Scott is a native of Houston, Texas. She graduated from Tulane University as a scholarship student-athlete in Track and Field where she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degree in Finance. She plans to receive her second master’s degree in Accounting in May of 2023.

 

Hillary J. Hart – Executive Director, Theater Under the Stars

Hillary J Hart joined Theatre Under the Stars in January 2017 as the Executive Director.  Her primary responsibility is leadership of the organization from a financial and operations perspective; with oversight of finance, marketing, development/fundraising, human resources, operations, intellectual property and union contract negotiations.

She is President-Elect of the Executive Board of NAMT (National Alliance for Musical Theatre) and as Chair of Theatre District Houston a

nd Board member of Central Houston, Hillary promotes the interests of TUTS, the Theatre District, and arts and culture to the larger business community in Houston.  Hillary has worked for notable institutions such as Alvin Ailey, Flat Rock Playhouse, Guthrie Theatre, and Dallas Theater Center.

She has been married to her husband, Jarrett Hook, for 20 years and together they are raising a dynamic fourteen-year-old son.

 

Katie Pryor – Chief Development Officer/Sr. VP, Greater Houston Partnership 

Katie Pryor is the chief development officer and senior vice president of the Member Engagement Division of the Greater Houston Partnership (Partnership), the Houston region’s primary business advocate and driver of economic prosperity. In that capacity, she oversees membership development and retention, business and professional development programs, major event planning, sponsorships and production and episodic fundraising campaigns.

 Since joining the Greater Houston Partnership in 2020, Pryor is devoted to several innovative member focused activities which have contributed to increased member involvement, enhanced services and member experiences and additional funds to the organization.  Today, the Greater Houston Partnership is one of the nation’s most influential business organizations, representing the interests of the Houston region’s enterprises – from the local entrepreneur to the global Fortune 500 companies.

 Pryor majored in Public Relations (minored in English) at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.  She is married to Ryan Pryor, vice president at KLP Commercial – Construction Supply.  They are proud parents of two, son Lawson and daughter, Leighton.  Katie loves travelling with family, health and wellness (including hiking, yoga, cycling), cooking, music and anything outdoors and family friendly.

 

Teresa Dickerson – Corporate Affairs Manager, The Kroger Co. Houston Division

Teresa is the Corporate Affairs Manager for Kroger Houston, a division of The Kroger Co., the largest traditional grocer in the United States.  Teresa is responsible for leading all aspects of public relations, government, and community relations as well as crisis communications for 108 stores in the East Texas and Louisiana.

Before joining the Kroger team, Teresa served as the Director of Community Investment with the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA for twelve seasons.  Teresa started the Grizzlies first Read to Achieve Celebration to recognize over 3,000 elementary students.  This is still the longest running community event in Grizzlies franchise history.

She has a Master of Science Degree in Education from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism from The University of Memphis.  During her time at The University of Memphis, Teresa pledged the prestigious Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Epsilon Epsilon Chapter.

Currently, Teresa lives in Spring, TX with her husband Demone, son Noah dog Corduroy.

 

Stephanie Wilka – Director Hutchinson Leadership Initiative in Sports Analytics, Rice University

Prior to joining Rice University’s Hutchinson Leadership Initiative in Sport Analytics, Stephanie spent 16 years in Major League Baseball, holding various roles in scouting, international baseball operations and law. During this time, she oversaw the construction of two little league fields in the Dominican Republic as the leader of a Boston Red Sox philanthropy project, submitted the 1-1 pick for Carlos Correa in the 2012 draft while with the Houston Astros, and built the first baseball operations compliance program in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres.

Stephanie has also negotiated several MLB facility renovation contracts as well as the acquisition, relocation, and construction of a minor league affiliate. She has managed contract review and compliance for hundreds of sponsorship deals ranging from naming and entitlement rights to co-branded community-impact programs to content development and distribution across all media channels. Stephanie currently advises TruMedia Networks, Inc. as a legal and business strategist.

A graduate of Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Stephanie went on to earn her Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine University School of Law.