"The Career Pivot" - A Virtual Networking Event

The past year has been pivotal, to say the least. Many folks in the workforce are considering some sort of career change - whether it is going to graduate school mid-career, switching industries, or rolling up their sleeves and starting a company. What better way to understand these career moves than to hear from our fellow PAAH members. This spring, we will be hosting a virtual networking event featuring a heavy-hitting panel of alums Alison Weaver '93, Will Garwood '05, and Travis Pena '10.

After a panel discussion moderated by Tony Mayer '82, we will be going into breakout rooms to network in smaller groups and hear more from Alison, Will, and Travis individually.

Below is a bit more about each of our panelists and moderator:

• Alison Weaver '93 - Alison is the founding Executive Director of the Moody Center for the Arts at Rice University. After obtaining a BA from Princeton, an MBA from Yale, and advanced degrees in art history from Williams College and City University of New York, she spent time at McKinsey & Company and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York before returning home to Houston in 2015.
• Will Garwood '05 - A native Houston, Will worked for JP Morgan as an Investment Banking Analyst after Princeton. He then got his MBA from University of Texas and worked in Supply Chain Management at Energy Alloys. In 2014, Will and his business partner launched W2 Development Partners, a real estate company specializing in the acquisition, development, and management of commercial real estate properties in Houston. W2 owns Houston landmarks White Oak Music Hall, Raven's Tower, and Sideout Volleybar.
• Travis Pena '10 - Travis worked for Schlumberger as a field engineer after his graduation from Princeton. He then went to get his MBA from Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania. After graduation, Travis spent 4 years in Management Consulting - primarily in the Oilfield Services sector - and traveled around the world working with international clients. In September 2020, he joined McKinsey & Company here in Houston.
• Tony Mayer ’82 - Tony spent 30 years in the corporate insurance and risk management arena with Marsh and McLennan in their Houston, London and New York offices and Arthur J. Gallagher here in Houston. In 2013, he moved into the nonprofit world and has worked at The WorkFaith Connection, Prison Entrepreneurship Program, and most recently with The Philanthropy Roundtable. He has served on six nonprofit and one corporate board, and has a strong interest in nonprofit and philanthropic leadership and strategy.