Christina Corona is a transformational leader with over three decades of experience in engineering and operations, spanning semiconductor manufacturing, hardware solutions, and global R&D. As Head of Operational Excellence and Operations Chief of Staff at Emerson Test & Measurement, she drives strategic initiatives that enhance innovation and operational performance worldwide.

A first-generation college graduate and passionate advocate for STEM education, Christina holds a B.S. in Mathematics from St. Edward’s University and an MBA from UT Austin’s McCombs School of Business. Deeply rooted in the Austin community, she has served on multiple nonprofit boards and champions equity through local impact initiatives. Currently she is Chair-Elect/Treasure at Breakthrough Central Texas and Chair-Elect at Austin Community Foundation’s Hispanic Impact Fund.

In Austin, Robin started volunteering in the non-profit space focusing on Austin’s at-risk community. Robin has served in leadership roles on the boards of KIPP Austin Public Schools, Trinity Center, JDRF Austin, the Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, and Hillside Early Childhood Education Center. In addition, along with her husband and three sons, Robin established and for years attended a program every other Saturday designed to feed and entertain children experiencing homelessness in Austin. Robin has also donated her time to several non-profits in order to assist in growth and fundraising strategies including but not limited to Breakthrough Central Texas, The Other Ones Foundation, and Preservation Austin.

Robin also manages the Shepherd 5 Points Family Foundation. This Foundation was established by Robin and her husband a few years ago and is mainly focused on supporting the at-risk population in Austin, with special emphasis on entrepreneurial efforts in the education and housing arenas. The Foundation has supported a variety of efforts geared towards improving access to better educational outcomes for at-risk youth and better housing opportunities and wrap-around services for those experiencing homelessness.  Some of the grant recipients of this foundation include Foundation Communities, Breakthrough Central Texas, scholarships for first generation students at The University of Texas at Austin, Hungry Hill, Integral Care, and The Other Ones Foundation.

Robin is a Stephen’s Minister, a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin Fellows’ program, and a recent breast cancer survivor.  She is married to Gene and is a mother to three sons and multiple golden retrievers.

For three decades, Kirk Watson has been immersed in public policy, spanning local and state government in Texas. Watson served as Chair of a state agency as an appointee of Gov. Ann Richards. He was elected mayor of Austin in 1997. In 2006, he was elected to the Texas State Senate and served for over 13 years, leading on a wide range of issues including education, health care, transportation and government transparency.

During his previous tenure as mayor, Watson won praise for bringing different political sides together around transformative environmental and economic development initiatives. And as a Texas State Senator, he led the effort to build a new medical school at The University of Texas at Austin.

Since returning to the Austin Mayor’s office, Mayor Watson has been focused on stabilizing city government and improving basic city operations. He has been a leader on addressing affordability in Austin, including by increasing housing stock and creating opportunities for more Austinites to participate in Austin’s prosperity.

Phil started his career in the corporate finance department of Kidder, Peabody & Co.  He joined GTCR in 1992 and retired from GTCR in 2020.  Phil was the Managing Partner of GTCR from 2007-2015, served on GTCR’s investment committee from 1998 until his retirement and led/co-led the firm’s technology, media and telecommunications investing practice for two decades.  He earned an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BBA in finance with high honors from the Business Honors Program at the University of Texas. 

At the University of Chicago Phil serves as the Chair of the Booth School of Business Council and is a member of the Polsky Center Private Equity Council.  At the University of Texas, Phil serves on the Development Committee, and The Business Honors Program at the University of Texas was recently renamed the Canfield Business Honors Program in recognition of a generous gift from Phil and Mary Beth Canfield.

Phil and his wife, Mary Beth are very engaged in civic and political initiatives in central Texas and support organizations that focus driving better educational outcomes for K-12 students as well as organizations that focus on mental health, homelessness, public safety, parks and public services. 

Jeremiah is a proud first-generation college graduate from the McCombs School of Business at UT Austin and is currently pursuing his MBA at UT San Antonio. A former Breakthrough Central Texas student who joined the program in 6th grade, Jeremiah now pays it forward as the Internship and Bridges Program Coordinator at H-E-B. In his role, he helps design curriculum, advocate for systemic change, and support interns and partners in realizing their personal and professional goals. Driven by the same spirit of mentorship and opportunity that helped shape his own journey, Jeremiah is passionate about empowering the next generation of leaders.

As the daughter of President Lyndon Baines and Mrs. Lady Bird Johnson, Luci Baines Johnson’s roots run deep in public service. She has dedicated her life to issues of social justice, the environment, healthcare, education, and voting rights while also making an impact in the business world.

Luci’s work in the 1960s with Head Start, a federal program focusing on the education of preschoolers, allowed her a foray into the crucial field of early childhood education. From there, she helped to create Volunteers for Vision, a national organization that provided visual screening services to children in the Head Start programs.

Luci has served on many important boards and philanthropic campaign initiatives, including the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation, The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the Elizabeth Ann Seton Shrine National Leaders Council, the SAFE Alliance, University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, MD Anderson, and Dell Children’s Hospital. She is involved with numerous university initiatives from Austin to Boston and was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Georgetown University, her alma mater, in 2018.