Speakers

Sophia Ortega is a dynamic young leader in the hospitality industry, serving as the Director of Communications at H Town Restaurant Group. Sophia, the daughter of renowned restaurateur Tracy Vaught and Chef Hugo Ortega, grew up in the vibrant world of Houston's restaurant scene. She has been immersed in the business since childhood, giving her a deep understanding of the culinary world, which is reflected in her hands-on approach to creating memorable experiences for guests and staff alike.

Sophia specializes in marketing and IT and oversees holiday and special event planning, website design, guest communications, social media, email campaigns, and menu design and development. She has recently started stepping back from her marketing duties to focus on harnessing her leadership skills. She leads staff meetings, projects monthly sales, calculates and tracks labor costs, and shadows her mother and CEO, Tracy Vaught, to learn more about finances, leases, deals, loans, and land ownership. Sophia is a proud graduate of Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business and the University of Houston’s Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership. She holds a Master of Science degree in Hospitality Management, which complements her rich industry experience.

With her unique blend of creativity, business awareness, and family tradition, Sophia continues to shape the future of the H Town Restaurant Group brand and ensure its place at the forefront of Houston's culinary landscape.

Blake is the youngest person to be inducted into Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty Circle of Excellence. He is a recipient of the Houston Association of Realtors "Top 20 under 40" award, and has been recognized as a "Rising Star Real Estate Agent" by Five Star Professional. Blake is a proud supporter of all Houston sports teams and attends UH Cougar football games when he can. A long-time musician, he plays guitar in his free time.

Jan Smulcer is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of Values through History, an educational nonprofit in Houston, Texas. She has a background in historical research and writing, business management, curriculum development,and graphic design, multi-media productions, restoration, and historic preservation.  She is the c0-author of " Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route and the Franco-American Alliance 2018" and ¨ Essential Allies 2024."  Her associations include the American Friends of Lafayette, American Society of the French Legion of Honor. the NSCDA Colonial Dames. the Daughters of the American Revolution. the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. and the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Association.  A graduate of the University Houston in Liberal Arts Studies,she ahs has a certification from Rice University in Leadership Excellence for Non-Profits. 2004She will be speaking on Lafayette.

Mr. Shaw is retired but previously worked for the United States Air Force, NASA, Rockwell Space Systems and Boeing Space Exploration.

Do's and Don'ts of curbside, financials, contamination, recycling myths, rates of recovery, reasons to recycle.

Have you ever looked at abstract art, scratched your head, and felt utterly confused? As an
artist, Mallory Agerton will share ideas on how to understand abstract art and enjoy it. In addition, she will talk
about a few of her paintings, and will bring some special tools that she uses to apply paint.

Ms. Agerton is a Signature Member of the National Oil & Acrylic Painters Society (NOAPS); and an Associate Member, Oil Painters of America, (OPA). Her works have won numerous awards, including the Best Painting Award--NOAPS Best of America national juried exhibition, Signature & Masters Division, Principle Gallery, Charleston, SC, in 2023.  She was the featured artist in Southwest Art magazine, April/May 2022, and exhibits her work at the Ella Walton Richardson Fine Art gallery in Charleston, SC, and the Foltz Fine Art gallery, Houston, TX (Realist landscapes only).  Her educational accomplishments include being a Graduate of Creative Visionary Program (CVP) with Nicholas Wilton and Faculty, 2024; completing the Abstract Painting Workshops with Jenny Nelson and Larry Moore; being a Graduate of The Landscape Atelier, 2015; completing Post-Graduate studies at the Art Students League, New York, NY: 1976-1978; and receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts, summa cum laude, from the University of Texas, Austin: BA in 1976 where she was a member of the Friar Society.