The 1911 Group | SMU Stories

The 1911 Group
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Business

SMU Stories features weekly conversations between Mitch Brown, co-founder of The 1911 Group, and accomplished SMU alumni who are building companies, leading institutions, and shaping the Dallas business community. Each episode goes beyond the resume. Guests share how they got their start at SMU, the risks they took on their way to success, the career paths and lessons that shaped them, and their advice for the next generation of Mustangs. From founders of fast-growing consumer brands to university deans and investment leaders, every conversation offers an honest look at what it takes to build something that lasts. New episodes release every week. The 1911 Group is a members-only professional network for SMU alumni in Dallas. Learn more at the1911group.com.

  1. 3d ago

    How an SMU Grad Built a Retail Brand and a Wealth Firm

    This week on SMU Stories we sat down with Scott Boyles. Scott Boyles, CFP®, BBA ’00, is the founder of Vonera Wealth, a fee-only wealth management firm based in Austin. For more than two decades, Scott has worked with families, executives, and business owners as they navigate the decisions that come with building wealth, running businesses, planning for taxes, and preparing for what comes next. Vonera Wealth was built around a straightforward idea: good financial advice should look at the whole picture and be aligned with what matters most to each client. Before founding Vonera, Scott spent more than 20 years helping build and operate an independent wealth management firm and co-founded Gameday Cloth, a retail business that grew to multiple locations and an online presence. His experience building and running businesses continues to shape how he works with clients today. Scott lives in the Texas Hill Country with his wife, Jana, and their daughter, where they enjoy everything the Hill Country has to offer.

    How an SMU Grad Built a Retail Brand and a Wealth Firm

  2. Sep 30

    From KPMG Auditor to Leading the Largest Tribal Government in the US | Lacey Horn

    Lacey Horn, BBA ’04, MSA ’05, is a globally recognized financial executive and entrepreneur whose career has focused on advancing the economic future of Indigenous peoples. A citizen of the Cherokee Nation, she is the Founder and CEO of Native Advisory, where she advises Tribal governments and companies seeking to work effectively with Indigenous communities. Lacey previously served eight years as Treasurer of the Cherokee Nation, helping lead the financial strategy and operations of the largest Tribal government in the United States. She serves in national governance roles including current board service with the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, former Board Chair of the Native American Rights Fund, and former Chairperson of the U.S. Treasury Tribal Advisory Committee. She began her career as an auditor with KPMG in Chicago and as a Hunt Oil intern in Dallas. Lacey is a CPA and a private pilot.  SMU recognized Lacey with its 2017 Emerging Leader Award, honoring the impact she was already making early in her career. More than two decades after graduation, she remains deeply connected to the Hilltop as a longtime donor and active member of the SMU community. Lacey loves to attend football games with her son Jack and husband Jerry.

    From KPMG Auditor to Leading the Largest Tribal Government in the US | Lacey Horn

  3. Sep 23

    From Interior Design to Building Avenue 8 Cocktails

    This week on SMU Stories, we sat down with Tiffany Jones, founder of Avenue 8 Cocktails and an SMU Cox School of Business MBA alumna. Avenue 8 is a Dallas-based premium cocktail brand making organic, spirit-based ready-to-drink cocktails built on ingredient transparency, quality, and elevated design. The brand is 100% female founded, developed, and owned. Since entering retail in 2025, Avenue 8 has expanded across Texas, earned six industry awards including Best New RTD at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and picked up national recognition including coverage in Forbes. Before launching Avenue 8, Tiffany spent more than two decades as founder and principal of a high-end residential interior design firm. Earlier in her career she worked in New York and Dallas across banking, fashion, cosmetics, and advertising, experiences that shaped how she approaches brand building today. She earned her undergraduate degree from The University of Texas at Austin and her MBA from SMU Cox.

    From Interior Design to Building Avenue 8 Cocktails

  4. Sep 16

    Building a School from Scratch with Shelly Sender

    This week on SMU Stories, we sat down with Shelly Sender, founding Head of School at The Compass School of Texas, to talk about 45 years in education and what it takes to build a school from scratch. Shelly Sender is the founding Head of School at The Compass School of Texas, with more than 45 years in education. She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from Southern Methodist University and holds master's degrees from The University of Texas at Dallas and Grand Canyon University. From 2007 to 2023, Shelly served as Early Childhood Education Director at Temple Emanu-El in Dallas. Guided by the Reggio Emilia philosophy, she led the school through its third cycle of NAEYC accreditation, supported the implementation of the International Baccalaureate program, and reinstated its kindergarten. She has also held leadership positions on local and national child-advocacy boards. At Compass, Shelly is building a school grounded in five core values, Family, Community, Leadership, Purpose, and Resilience, that pairs academic rigor with outdoor education, nature-based learning, and purposeful exploration. Her belief is that education should do more than prepare children for the future. It should help them discover who they are, understand how they can contribute, and build the character to lead lives of meaning.

    Building a School from Scratch with Shelly Sender

  5. Aug 27

    How Layne Tenenbaum Built Le Bloom in Dallas

    This week on SMU Stories, we sat down with Layne Tenenbaum (’21), founder and creative director of Dallas’s go-to floral studio, coffee, and matcha concept, Le Bloom. An SMU Cox graduate with a background in marketing and digital content strategy, Layne drew inspiration from California farmers markets to bring a fresh, elevated flower-stand experience to Texas. What began on Mother’s Day weekend in 2023 with a signature custom blue flower cart on Knox Street quickly blossomed into high-profile brand installations, mobile coffee catering, and a permanent brick-and-mortar storefront. Today, Layne leads creative direction and daily operations as Le Bloom continues to grow—blending modern floral design, curated beverages, and community-centered hospitality across Dallas–Fort Worth. Tune in to hear her journey, key lessons in young entrepreneurship, and what’s next for the brand.

    How Layne Tenenbaum Built Le Bloom in Dallas

  6. Aug 20

    Michael S. Harris | Dean, Simmons School of Education

    This week on SMU Stories, we sat down with Michael Harris, Leon Simmons Endowed Dean of the Simmons School of Education and Human Development. Simmons offers graduate and undergraduate degree programs spanning education, sport management, applied physiology and health, counseling, educational leadership, liberal studies, and more. As dean, he leads one of the nation’s top-ranked private schools of education, providing strategic leadership for the school’s academic programs, research enterprise, enrollment growth, and philanthropic initiatives. Harris also serves as SMU’s Faculty Athletics Representative, representing the University to the Atlantic Coast Conference and the NCAA. A member of the SMU faculty since 2012, Harris has held numerous leadership roles across the University and has championed academic excellence, shared governance, strategic investment, and organizational capacity-building to advance institutional success.

    Michael S. Harris | Dean, Simmons School of Education

  7. Aug 6

    The Brand Builder | Caroline Wright Turnipseed

    This week on SMU Stories, we sat down with Caroline Turnipseed, Founder of CWT Consulting Group, a boutique marketing agency that partners with retail and lifestyle brands to create strategic marketing initiatives that drive measurable growth. Since launching the firm in 2020, Caroline has helped brands acquire new customers, strengthen customer loyalty, and increase sales through thoughtfully executed brand partnerships, influencer marketing, email campaigns, product launches, and experiential events. CWT Consulting Group's past and present clients include Hunter Bell, MacKenzie-Childs, Tuckernuck, Addison Bay, Oliphant, Vineyard Vines, and Look Linen Co., among others. The agency is nationally recognized for developing creative, results-driven campaigns that blend strategic thinking with authentic brand storytelling. Before founding CWT Consulting Group, Caroline held in-house marketing roles at Lilly Pulitzer, Victoria's Secret, and Julia Berolzheimer's Gal Meets Glam, where she gained extensive experience building and scaling consumer brands. Caroline lives in West Palm Beach, Florida, with her husband, Mitchener, and their two children, Wright and Annie.

    The Brand Builder | Caroline Wright Turnipseed

  8. Jul 22

    25 Years of Raising Capital: What's Changed | Michael Romo, ACORE Capital

    This week on SMU Stories, we sat down with Mike Romo. Mike is Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Capital Raising and Investor Relations at ACORE Capital, where he oversees the firm's global investor relations and product development efforts. He brings more than 25 years of experience across business development, marketing and fundraising.Before joining ACORE, Mike spent nearly nine years as a Partner at Torchlight Investors, leading marketing for the firm.  Earlier in his career, he worked at Hawkeye Partners — where he sat on both the Management and Investment Committees while heading new manager sourcing and marketing — and at Giuliani Partners.Mike holds a BBA in Finance from Southern Methodist University.

    25 Years of Raising Capital: What's Changed | Michael Romo, ACORE Capital
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About

SMU Stories features weekly conversations between Mitch Brown, co-founder of The 1911 Group, and accomplished SMU alumni who are building companies, leading institutions, and shaping the Dallas business community. Each episode goes beyond the resume. Guests share how they got their start at SMU, the risks they took on their way to success, the career paths and lessons that shaped them, and their advice for the next generation of Mustangs. From founders of fast-growing consumer brands to university deans and investment leaders, every conversation offers an honest look at what it takes to build something that lasts. New episodes release every week. The 1911 Group is a members-only professional network for SMU alumni in Dallas. Learn more at the1911group.com.

Information

  • Creator
    The 1911 Group
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    64
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The 1911 Group | SMU Stories
  • Show Website
    The 1911 Group | SMU Stories

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