Who We Are
WENDI R W McGOWAN, Solopreneur
Wendi R W McGowan has over 18 years experience in launching new businesses, marketing consulting, executive-level management, branding, and revenue generation planning. She has built and sold two of her own businesses, served as a board director or in-the-trenches advisor to five start-ups, and invested in over fifty start-ups. Wendi has consulted to Fortune 500 firms and over seventy-five start-ups. She is a published author and sought-after panelist.
She began her career before graduating from The University of Texas at Austin with a BA in Economics by founding an independent marketing and business development consulting company called MWIGroup in 1990. She led this company for 10 years, first as CMO and then as CEO, subsequently converted it to a web site design and e-marketing company, and finally, sold it to a local ISP that became Internet America in January, 2000.
Over the past 8 years, Wendi has held various senior marketing management, online marketing, and business development consulting positions with firms such as UBS Wealth Management, PSINet, Texas Instruments, La Quinta, Gold’s Gym International, and TXU Energy.
For the past 5 years in a row, Wendi has spoken at the annual University of Texas at Austin, MBA Women’s Club, “Women in Business Leadership Conference” on topics ranging from starting a successful business to corporate branding. Running against the CMO’s at Neiman Marcus, Wyndham International, Cadbury Schweppes and Rent-A-Car, Wendi was a Dallas Ad League Finalist Nominee in 2006 for their “Best Brand Manager” award. She is an active member of the National Association of Professional Women, SuccessNorthDallas, the Dallas Chapter of Texas Exes (University of Texas, Austin, Alumni Association), and the Junior League of Dallas.
JAMES BALLARD, Creative Consultant
James Ballard has over 17 years of experience in advertising as a leader, mentor, art director and designer. He has helped companies develop comprehensive branding campaigns, launch new products and create breakthrough, effective advertising.
Throughout his career, he has developed ad campaigns for Fortune 100 companies to regional and local accounts including: Radioshack and its many strategic partners (including Sprint, Verizon, DISH, SIRIUS, Motorola, Samsung, Nokia, HP and Monster Cable) Pizza Hut, Pepsi, American Airlines, Harrah’s Casino’s, Verizon, Gaylord Hotels, and a variety of other retail and business accounts.
He most recently held senior management positions for Circle R Group and TracyLocke where he led creative teams, consulted with strategic partners and streamlined processes. Previously, he held Art Director positions at agencies in Texas and Michigan. James has a BFA in Design Communications from Texas Tech University.