Past Events

Please join us for a day at the ballpark. Ticket includes a $20 voucher!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Carrie Colbert, Founding and General Partner of Curate Capital

About Carrie Colbert:

Where color and capital gains intersect, you can find Carrie Colbert. The founder of Curate Capital has let her intuition, penchant for risk, and zest for life lead her to personal and professional successes beyond her wildest imagination.

From a small town in the Texas panhandle, Carrie was the first in her family to graduate from college when she received her degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. She then earned her MBA as a Longhorn as well while pursuing a successful career in the oil and gas industry for nearly two decades. While rising in the ranks at Hilcorp, the largest privately owned oil and natural gas producer in the U.S., having equity and ownership during a time of great company growth was life-changing for Carrie. So life-changing, in fact, that in 2016 Carrie was able to “retire” from that industry at age 38.

The small-town girl who had found success following all the rules was now free to choose her own next steps. Carrie quickly tapped into her creative side, amassing a following of over 85,000 via her @carriec Instagram account and thousands of monthly visitors on her carriecolbert.com website. After discovering a plethora of women-owned businesses in her online endeavors, she began investing her own money into female-founded companies like Packed Party and more. In just five short years, that generated a 10x ROI.

With an overflowing pipeline of great deals, Carrie officially launched Curate Capital in 2021. Curate Capital is a venture capital fund that invests in businesses by women for women. With their first fund closing in the summer of 2022, Carrie and team exceeded their goal by over 50% with a $15million dollar raise. The fund was primarily supported by individual, female investors, further solidifying Carrie’s purpose of helping more women invest in the dreams of other women.

In addition to her work at Curate Capital, Carrie mentors and advises a large community of women in business. Additionally, she proudly serves as an officer for The University of Texas Cockrell School of Engineering executive advisory board. In 2013, she received the Outstanding Young Engineering Graduate Award, a distinguished alumni award reserved for one rising star each year. She is also a sought-after speaker at conferences and events for female entrepreneurs.

She is most proud to be known as mommy to her five-year-old daughter Elle and her two-year-old son, Luke. As they say in their family, “teamwork makes the dream work!” – and she is truly grateful for the partnership she and Mark have in raising their family and building this business.

Lindsey Leigh Hohlt, Founder of Lindsey Leigh Jewelry, what it is like starting a business being a female, balancing a family, the struggles of it all, basically anything and everything!

About Lindsey Leigh Hohlt:

Being a female in a male-dominant industry, Lindsey Leigh Hohlt wanted to set a new standard for custom jewelry design. The industry was in desperate need of an experience that's comfortable and relaxed, but also very chic and elevated. Breaking free of outdated jewelry practices, Lindsey created something fresh, new, and modern. So, in 2018, she launched Lindsey Leigh Jewelry (LLJ) in a duplex in Houston, TX, where both she and her husband lived and worked. Since LLJ's humble beginnings, Lindsey has persevered through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, laid roots in Houston with a brand-new headquarters, grown a team of expert jewelers, and expanded her collection to include elegant, everyday jewelry. Clients who start out with a one-time engagement purchase continually come back for an LLJ-spin on statement pieces, special keepsakes to memorialize milestones, and one-of-a-kind, custom classics. What set Lindsey up for entrepreneurial success: her background in fashion merchandising and business at LSU and her General Manager role at a local Houston jewelry boutique. Well, that, and a lot of grit and determination. While working at a previous employer, she put herself through Gemological Institute of America to receive her GIA certification. Family is everything to Lindsey, including her husband John, son Henry, daughter Lilly, the LLJ team, and their little ones who are frequently seen running around the showroom. Currently, she is involved in She Has Hope, an organization dedicated to restoring a life of hope to vulnerable girls and women in Asia and Africa. As part of She Has Hope, Lindsey has participated in several mission trips to Nepal to teach women how to make jewelry. Lindsey is a frequent public speaker, loves to spend time with her family at the lake, and her work has been featured in Houston Chronicle, Houston Business Journal, The New York Times, and Texas Weddings.

Jennifer Ostlind (Interim Director of the Planning & Development Department for the City of Houston) and Marsha Murray (Director at City of Houston Office of Business Opportunity) will provide a Houston market overview.

Jennifer Ostlind

Jennifer Ostlind is Interim Director of the City of Houston’s Planning and Development Department. With over 25 years of service to the city, she has contributed to many of the programs that make Houston a place people proudly call home. Her experience includes community engagement, neighborhood planning, transportation planning, demographic analysis, and administering the City’s platting, off street parking and site plan standards. She serves as Secretary for the Houston Planning Commission and Houston Archeological and Historic Commission. Jennifer earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Public Administration from Indiana University and the University of Pittsburgh respectively. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Marsha E. Murray

Marsha E. Murray, Esq., was appointed by Mayor Sylvester Turner and confirmed by City Council to serve as the Director of the City of Houston’s Office of Business Opportunity (OBO) in April 2020, after having served as OBO’s Interim Director and Deputy Director. As Director, Ms. Murray is responsible for leading the City’s supplier diversity, workforce development, and inclusion efforts, with a focus on administering programs and initiatives that increase access to economic opportunity for historically underutilized businesses and disenfranchised individuals. Ms. Murray’s commitment to public service spans almost two decades. Prior to joining the City of Houston, she served as legal counsel to New York City’s government for 10 years.

Ms. Murray has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and Spanish from Colgate University and a Law Degree from Villanova University School of Law.

Know about the legal issues you face and what you can do about them.

• Define stories related to sexual harassment, discrimination, hostile work environments that female executives face in the workplace
• Learn about what you can do about it
• Discuss why you should do something about it and the consequences of not doing so
• Learn about the importance of protecting your mental health through the legal rights available to you and the protections you are afforded

About Bridget Truxillo:

Overwhelmed and frustrated female executives can leverage Bridget’s 30 years of wellness, leadership, law enforcement, and legal training and experiences for a blueprint on how to feel more comfort, ease, and support for increased balance and joy in life. Bridget is passionate about helping powerful, successful, and hardworking women discover their ability to find happiness daily, regardless of the environment or circumstances surrounding them. Bridget is an attorney, former Deputy Sheriff (SWAT and undercover narcotics), and the founder and CEO of Protective Wellness and the Lady Law Shield Law Firm.

Membership Kick Off Happy Hour

Tuesday, February 13th

4:00 - 7:00 PM

To be held at:
Kirby Ice House - Upper Kirby
3333 Eastside St
Houston, Texas 77098

Come out and join us for drinks and lite bites and learn more about becoming a member of WFE!  Learn about our events that are scheduled for 2024 and the available committees that you could join.  Do not forget to bring a friend, colleague, or prospect!

Jesse Thompson, Senior Business Economist at the Dallas Fed, Houston Branch will present on macroeconomic trends across regional industries and discuss what local economic data tell us about prospects for 2024.

About Jesse Thompson:

Jesse Thompson serves as senior business economist at the Houston Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Thompson, who joined the Bank in 2010, performs research and analysis on issues affecting the Houston and Gulf Coast economy. In particular, he studies issues surrounding area hydrocarbon industries. He also collects information for the Dallas Fed’s Beige Book summary of current economic conditions. He is author of the monthly Energy Indicators, the Houston Economic Indicators, and contributes to the quarterly publication Southwest Economy. Thompson earned an MA in economics, with emphasis on empirical microeconomics, and BA in philosophy and economics from the University of Houston.

Tickets can no longer be purchased online. Please reach out to Kim Marek (kmarek@melton-melton.com) or Katie Price (kprice@bdo.com) with any questions.   

We welcome women AND men in the finance industry to support a great cause.  100% of the ticket sales will be donated to Ben Inizio and Dress for Success.

Details about this event:

3:00 - 3:30pm: Networking

3:30 - 4:00pm: Pickleball Clinic

4:00 - 5:00pm: Pickleball Session

About Dr. Elyse Cho

Elyse is a certified nurse midwife, and has been serving women for the last 11 years. She has a Doctor of Nursing Practice with a specialization in nurse midwifery and women’s health from Baylor University. Elyse is certified in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. She strives to help all women, regardless of age or life stage, find a hormonal balance that allows them to have the best quality of life! She believes womanhood is a beautiful thing, and should be cherished.

Outside of work, Elyse has been blessed with two sweet babies, that she loves more than anything! Being a Mama is her favorite job of all. She likes to spend as much time as she can with family, baking all the things, beach time, and wouldn’t trade a good puppy or kitty snuggle for too much else. She is a Baylor Bear through and through, and grateful for the opportunity to be a participant in your care!