Advisory Committee

Mark Caracio is President and CEO of The Harvard Group [THG], a management and marketing consulting firm providing outside insights and guidance on issues of strategy, marketing, technology and operations from C-level client executives to leading technology firms. They are a leader in the field of external executive advisory, leadership and governance. THG’s corporate client roster includes AT&T, Cisco, IBM, SAP, Lenovo, HP, Lufthansa, Samsung and Symantec. Additionally, Mark is Managing Partner of FutureCities, LLC a technology event and media company based in Dallas.

Mark has spent over twenty-five years in the IT industry including senior positions with AT&T, MCI, Cable & Wireless, 3Com, and Philips Electronics N.V. Mark holds a bachelor of science in business administration from the University of Tulsa and a graduate certificate of finance from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University.

Growing new business ventures is a passion for Mark. He is a co-founder of FutureCities, LLC that produces nationally recognized Smart Cities IoT programs; Director for Exaeris Water Innovations who owns US patents for atmospheric water generation; and a Corporate Advisor to Analitiqa Corporation that has pioneered a market leading IT Infrastructure Intelligence solution that is enabling enterprises to achieve unprecedented resource utilization and game changing cost reduction.

Mark participates in community support through his service on the Board of Trustees to Good Shepherd Episcopal School of Dallas, the Cybersecurity Advisory Committee at Southern Methodist University, and as a member of Tech Titans, the technology association for North Texas.

Esmeralda de la Cruz serves as the Business Retention & Expansion Manager for the City of Plano. She is responsible leading the City of Plano Economic Development Department in the retention and expansion of existing businesses. Through a robust program and key partnerships, create a healthy local business climate, support the retention and creation of high impact jobs and encourage business investments in Plano. Esmeralda has a passion for public service with over 17 years of experience. She began her career as an Urban Planner working in areas of transportation, development and redevelopment of communities throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. She has built successful partnerships to support residents, organizations and businesses.

She received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of Texas at Arlington. She is a member of the Texas Economic Development Council, International Economic Development Council, and American Planning Association (APA [American Planning Association] ).

Dr. Fishman has served at the organizational interface for industry, government and academia.

Prior to the Texas Research Alliance, he served as Associate Vice President for Applied Research at the University of Texas at Dallas. Dr. Fishman built the full range of high performance computing, additive and subtractive manufacturing and mechanical design and prototyping capabilities that supported both industry and faculty. At Penn State University, he held the industrial and government agency portfolios for the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL), a DoD level University Affiliated Research Center (UARC). His work covered both classified and unclassified programs with government and industry partners. Prior to his retirement and for the last six years of his tenure, Dr. Fishman served as Head of the Washington Office with responsibilities across ARL’s government and industry sponsor base. Dr. Fishman has held significant industry leadership positions in pharmaceuticals, environmental monitoring, technology transfer, and new technology development and commercialization. Dr. Fishman serves on the board of the National Defense Industrial Association. He served in the U.S. Army, separating after six years at the rank of Captain. Dr. Fishman holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin, an M.S. degree from Clemson University and an undergraduate B.S. degree from the University of Miami, Florida.

Geoff is the managing partner of GWG a private investment firm that targets proven small and medium size companies with sustainable EDITA growth. Our investments include growth capital investments, partial buyouts and acquisitions.

Mr. Green was previously CEO and co-founder of Netvious Networks, a leading-edge mobility solutions provider specializing in providing secure, high-performance wireless solutions across educational institutions, large public venues and enterprise accounts. In 2016, Netvious was recognized by Inc. Magazine as the 138th fastest-growing company in the United States, and the 7th fastest-growing company in Texas.

His corporate career highlights include financial services marketing and strategy roles with Fortune100 firms such as American Express, GE Capital, and Citigroup, as well as operating roles at AIG, including leading a global joint venture which promoted insurance and financial service products in 27 countries worldwide. Geoff has successfully worked across a broad range of geographies and cultures including China, Asia, Europe, Russia, and Latin America.

Geoff received the Dallas Business Journal 2017 Minority Business Leadership Award. He has been featured in a variety of publications, including The New York Times, Dallas Morning News, Chicago Tribune, Dallas Business Journal and Inc. Magazine.

Mr. Green’s board experience includes Visit Dallas, Hack the Hood, Dallas Contemporary, and Rainbow Days, a non-profit organization serving at-risk children. Geoff was also Board Chair of the Urban League of Southwestern Connecticut. Geoff holds a BA in Economics, as well as a BA in Chinese History from the University of California, and an MBA from the University of Michigan where he was an Exxon Fellow.

Ray Hemmig has more than 40 years of executive and board experience in the retail and restaurant industries. Including: J. C. Penney; Hickory Farms of Ohio; Grandy’s; Ace Cash Express; Buffet Partners, LP (Furr’s Fresh Buffet); in the capacities as COO; EVP; CEO; and as an independent director, as well as an Executive Chairman and Non-Executive Chairman of the Board (COB). He also founded and manages Retail and Restaurant Growth Capital, (RRGC) and Hemmig Investments, LTD (HIL) based in Dallas, TX.

Ray has served in an investor, board member and management roles in multiple, successful M&A transactions: Grandy’s to Saga Corp. in ‘83; On the Border’s to Brinker in ‘96; the sale of Ace Cash Express in ‘06; the sale of Restoration Hardware in ‘08; and multiple private company transactions at RRGC. Current/recent ventures are: Snappy Salads; and MITRA QSR – based in Dallas, TX; and The PGA Tour Super Stores based in Atlanta, GA.

Ray has extensive (40+) corporate Board experiences. He has served on multiple public company boards: Communications World (COMW); Party City (PCTY); On the Border (OTBC); Ace Cash Express (AACE); Restoration Hardware (RSTO/RH); Full House Resorts (FLL); MobileSmith (MOST); as well as numerous other privately held company boards in the US and abroad. Ray is also an active member and board member of the North Texas Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), where he holds the highest “Leadership Fellow” Director status; he was a Director of The University of Texas at Dallas’s, Institute for Excellence in Corporate Governance (IECG), the Chair of the Jindal School of Management Advisory Board at UTD, and is also currently on the Executive Board for the University. He is also a frequent speaker on the topic of corporate governance, as well as the retail/restaurant trade industries.

Ray has also served on various Industry & Nonprofit affiliations such as: Dallas Restaurant Association (Past President); Texas and National Restaurant Associations (Director); International Franchise Association; International Shopping Center Association; FiSCA (formerly NaCCA); Board Member and Past President (2x) North Texas Food Bank among many other educational, community service and charitable entities.

SAAZ (SAAZ Micro Inc – Leaders in Advanced Image Sensors) design advanced electro optical/infrared imaging sensors, camera systems and platforms for space, airborne and defense applications. A seasoned technology professional having lived and worked in 3 continents, Vishwanath was earlier the Chief Innovation Officer at Lycamobile, the world’s largest MVNO. He has 3 plus decades of experience in the Automotive, IT Services, Telco and Semiconductor industries, with the TATA Group, Infosys, Lycamobile and Saaz Micro; in research/IP commercialization at The University of Birmingham, UK, and in incubating start-ups in the UK, USA and India.

Vishwanath was an invited member of the International Business Forum at UK Trade & Investment, a United Kingdom government department that facilitates foreign investment and export trade. He is a Member, India Council on Competitiveness, World Affairs Council DFW, the Economic Development Advisory Committee, the Research & Innovation Advisory Council, as well as the Jindal School of Management Advisory Council, all of them at UT Dallas.

Vishwanath was honored to receive an invitation from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in 2014, in recognition of his decade-plus public service and contributions to UK Trade & Investment, now renamed the Department for International Trade. A global thought leader, he is also a Board Member and Mentor at Technology Start-ups.

James Weichel has been in the banking industry for over 30 years and is currently the Texas Retail Division Manager for WaFd Bank. WaFd Bank is a $20 billion dollar bank with over 230 locations throughout the Northwest and Southwest United States. As the Retail Division Manager, he gets to lead his teams to success by overseeing the Texas retail, mortgage lending and small business lending for WaFd Bank.

James has served the Metrocrest Chamber of Commerce for over a decade and is a former Chairman of the Board. In 2022 he was named Citizen of the Year by the Metrocrest Chamber of Commerce. He is very involved in the community and has sat on the board for Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD Education Foundation, Rotary Club of Park Cities and Metrocrest Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves on the Metrocrest Services Finance Committee and the UTD Economic Advisory Committee. Additionally, he enjoys volunteering with nonprofits like North Texas Food Bank, Meals on Wheels and, Big Brothers Big Sisters. James has found his passion of helping others through financial literacy education, mentorship, and volunteering.

James lives in Rockwall, TX and has been happily married to his wife, Kristen, for 29 years. They have two children: Anna-Kate (age 24) who is a recent graduate of The University of Oklahoma and Griff (age 17) who is a Junior at Rockwall-Heath High School.