Born in Croatia and raised in America, Dali Rajic now leads Wiz, one of the hottest cloud-security companies in tech—growing so fast that even Google decided they needed to buy it for billions of dollars. Dali is a master at taking good ideas and turning them into huge global businesses. Over the past 25 years, he’s built powerhouse teams, coached industry leaders, and driven innovation across sectors.
Matt Flake leads Q2, a fast-growing company that helps banks and credit unions bring their services online—so customers can bank from any device. Under his leadership, Q2 grew from a small startup to a business serving over 1,000 financial institutions and now trades with a market value over $4 billion.
Will Hurley—better known as “Whurley”—is an Austin legend famous for bringing wild tech ideas to life—like skateboards controlled by your brain and helmets that can record crashes. And now Mr. Hurley is taking on another ambitious project in tech.
Jason Becker leads the Austin branch of Central National Bank, a hometown favorite that’s become a financial powerhouse across Central Texas. Today he’s the go-to bank leader who’s as comfortable in his community as he is meeting big-dollar clients.
Everyone that’s spent more than 5 minutes in Austin has eaten (and loved) tacos from Tacodeli. Mr. Espinosa moved from Mexico City to Austin as a kid but never lost his love of authentic Mexican flavors. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, he had a dream of opening a restaurant by age 30.
We are all giant fans of YETI, a homegrown Austin icon! The rugged, high-quality gear that’s become the gold standard for outdoor adventures. Roy and Ryan Seiders, founders of YETI, are coming to Pathfinders to share their story firsthand. And as Gray’s uncles, there’s an extra level of connection to our group.
Chase Heard co-founded Howler Brothers, a unique Austin-based brand that mixes surf, fishing, travel, and western style into clothing that’s equal parts functional and stylish. What started in 2010 as a passion project and side hustle is now a multi-million-dollar brand—not just in Austin, but across the U.S.
Xuan Yong grew up in Texas and has spent his career reshaping how skilled workers connect with jobs and training. After graduating from Texas A&M, he started out at Goldman Sachs, a high-stakes finance job where he learned how money and markets move. But in 2014, Xuan gave it all up to create a company to help people who work in construction, solar, and defense.
Tony Fonk is the CEO of SpotSee, a global tech company making headlines for high-tech sensors that protect everything from vaccines to spaceship parts. In industries like medicine and aerospace, catching small changes in temperature or shock can mean the difference between success and disaster.
If you’d met William “Bill” Reid back in high school, you might not have guessed he’d become one of the top trial lawyers in the country. He was one of the poorest kids in his New York high school, with long hair and not much polish — but what he did have was grit, curiosity, and an unstoppable work ethic.
How is it that he has started three successful tech companies without being the “techiest” guy in the room? Well at just 5’9”, he became an unexpected basketball standout in high school and later hustled his way onto his university’s team. Known for his grit, humor, and ability to work with anyone, Shae proves you don’t have to be the obvious winner to win.