Ron Weiss has been a restaurateur in Austin since 1975. He is a founding partner of Jeffrey’s Restaurant and Cipollina West Austin Bistro, and has been the operating partner of both. He is also the operating partner of O’s Campus Café (currently with ten locations) on the University of Texas at Austin campus, jointly owned with his wife Peggy. Jeffrey’s was inducted into the Fine Dining Hall of Fame by Nations Restaurant News and received the Distinguished Restaurants of North America award. Peggy and Ron were named to Who’s Who in Food and Wine in Texas by Texas Monthly and the Texas Department of Agriculture. In 2000, Ron collaborated with David Garrido to establish a branch of Jeffrey’s at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C.

A native Texan, Ron grew up in Galveston. He attended the University of Texas at Austin, earning an undergraduate degree in Biology, Chemistry & Physics. He then received a Master’s Degree in Communication and went on to do further post-graduate work in the American Studies department.

In recent years, Ron has served as Chair of the Texas Book Festival and on the advisory board of Explore Austin, an organization that mentors and provides outdoor adventures for underserved teenage youth. He also served on the University of Texas Libraries Advisory Council. Ron lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, children and grandchildren. Over the past ten years, Ron has been an avid rower, competing in local, regional and national regattas.

Marc Winkelman is president and CEO of Calendar Club, LLC, which operates seasonal stores and kiosks selling calendars, games, toys, and musical giftware. Marc is currently the secretary of The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity and the secretary of the National Jewish Democratic Council. He also serves on the board of trustees for the St. David’s Community Health Foundation and on the Advisory Council of the University of Texas Press, as well as the board of advisors for the Texas Book Festival.

CHRIS TOMLINSON grew up in Dallas and became a reporter in 1994 covering the end of Apartheid in South Africa. He has reported from 50 countries and nine war zones, including Rwanda, Somalia, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Iraq. He now lives in Austin with his wife Shalini Ramanathan and writes for The Houston Chronicle. Before joining the Chronicle, he spent 20 years with The Associated Press reporting on politics, conflicts and economics from more than 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. He’s also the author of the New York Times bestseller Tomlinson Hill, and he produced the award-winning documentary film by the same name. Both examine the history and consequences of race, politics and economics in Texas.

DJ Stout is a sixth generation Texan, born in the small West Texas town of Alpine. He studied graphic design at Texas Tech University, where he was honored as a distinguished alumni. DJ began his graphic design career in 1981 working for Robert A. Wilson Associates in Dallas. In 1987 he moved to Austin, where he was the award-winning art director of the nationally respected and critically acclaimed Texas Monthly magazine. In January 2000 DJ joined Pentagram as a partner in the Austin office.

During his tenure at Texas Monthly the publication was nominated for ten National Magazine Awards and was awarded the prestigious prize three times. In a special 1998 issue, American Photo magazine selected DJ as one of the “100 most important people in photography” primarily because of the impressive body of original photographic works that he commissioned and art directed during his thirteen years at Texas Monthly.

At Pentagram DJ’s wide-ranging expertise encompasses the design and redesign of a variety of publications including magazines, books and catalogs. He and his team also specialize in identity design, branding, packaging, exhibitions and website design. DJ’s work has been widely published and has won countless design awards. In 2004 I.D. (International Design) magazine profiled DJ as one of its “Fifty American Designers” He is frequently asked to speak at design conferences and events and to judge competitions all over the world.

DJ’s design work is represented in several permanent collections including Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA), The Contemporary Austin, the Southwestern Writers Collection and the Southwestern and Mexican Photography Collection in the Witliff Collections at Texas State University, the Harry Ransom Center (HRC) at the University of Texas, and the Library of Congress.

Terry Quinn is a fifth-generation Texan and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. She has worked as a volunteer and professional for over 20 years to raise funds to support many nonprofit organizations in Austin and around Texas, most recently The Nature Conservancy of Texas and The Contemporary Austin. Terry coordinates the activities and outreach to the Circle Level members of The Texas Tribune and the individuals whose philanthropy make the mission of the Tribune possible.

President and Founder of PPDS since 1989, Janna directs and oversees company activities and personnel. Her expertise allows her to manage project budgets and schedules to ensure that the highest quality of professional interior design services are provided. A Registered Interior Designer, Janna has over thirty-two years experience in the operations, design and directing of corporate and residential interiors work. She currently sits on the Texas Book Festival Advisory Council and is on the President’s Cabinet for the Paramount Theatre. Born in Abilene, Texas. Favorite color is PPDS blue. Hobbies include travel, food and golf. Favorite book is Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.

Wolfgang is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of DynEvolve Capital.  He has worked in the asset-backed growth equity space for the last 12 years, having been a principal at two bespoke firms in Austin.  His expertise over several funds and direct-deals has been in real estate, oil & gas, and federally-chartered CFI banking.  In that time, Wolfgang has spearheaded deal flow, crafted fund/deal sponsorship economics, capital markets/fundraising, operational group efficiencies, and maximized LP exits.  His overarching theme throughout the investment life-cycle is to de-risk deals from start to finish, from people to assets, from markets to governments.  Prior to this, Wolfgang owned a successful wealth management practice under the American Express/Ameriprise franchise umbrella.  There, he fostered multi-generational investment portfolios into the next phase of family office platforms.

Mr. Niedert is also an Adjunct Lecturer in upper-division finance at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas, from which he holds two degrees.  Wolfgang serves as an Executive Sec. of the Board of Directors of the Texas Exes (UT-Austin alumni association) where he also served on the I.C. of its nation-leading endowment.  Statewide in Texas, Wolfgang is the inaugural President of the Aguila Alliance, an initiative between the Texas and the government of Mexico where he promotes housing and banking opportunities for the Mexican-American population in Texas primary/secondary markets.  To help direct resources and regulatory change to affordable housing and multi-family properties, he has served under three Austin City Councils as the Bond Oversight Commissioner.  He is a current or prior Board of Directors member of the Texas Book Festival, U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, ClubCorp Company, the UT System Chancellor’s Executive Committee, the Ransom Center for the Humanities, the LBJ School of Public Affairs-Strauss Center, and the Austin Chamber of Commerce-Economic Development Council.  This has afforded Wolfgang a proprietary network of deep political connectivity, access to capital, and regulatory foresight.

Harris L. Kempner Jr., known as “Shrub,” is President and Portfolio Manager at Kempner Capital Management, Inc. Harris Kempner has been KCM’s President since the firm’s inception in 1982. He was President of U.S. National Bancshares and Chief Investment Officer for Frost Bank of Galveston — formerly United States National Bank — from 1969 to 1982. He received a B.A. from Harvard University in 1961 and an MBA from Stanford University in 1963.

Suzon Spiller Kemp, Austin investor, received her education from the University of Texas at Austin where she graduated with Honors and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She worked at the Library of Congress, and for United States Senator Albert Gore Sr. in Washington, D.C. She was Director of Hospice and Volunteer Services for Girling Health Care Inc., in Austin. She served both civic and social leadership roles, being recognized for her services by the City of Austin for her contribution on the Human Relation Commission and the Police Community Relations Advisory Board. Later, she worked within charitable organizations such as Women’s Resources Class of 2011 Leadership Texas and the Tranquility Garden University Medical Center Brackenridge steering committee, the City of Austin Parks and Recreation/UT Memorial Museum Dino Pit steering committee and served on the Board of Directors of The Settlement Home for Children, Home of the Holy Infancy (Marywood Adoption Agency), Travis County Integral Care New Milestone Foundation, Mental Health America of Texas, in addition to many others. She currently serves on the University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts Advisory Council, Texas Book Festival Board of Advisors, UT Austin College of Liberal Arts Department of Psychology Advisory Committee, The University of Texas Elementary School (Little Longhorns) Management Board, Board of Directors of Austin Child Guidance Center, UT Austin College of Liberal Arts History Department Visiting Committee, and St. Gabriel’s Catholic School Board of Trustees.