Sarah Steinmann is a young professional spending her days in Dallas, Texas. In 2024, she wrote The Dallas Good Neighbor Guide, a comprehensive resource designed to empower individuals and communities to foster stronger, more connected neighborhoods in Dallas. Sarah aims to impact her community by sharing the guide’s tangible steps with at least 1% of the population of Dallas, or 13,000 people.
Matt Goodman is the Online Editorial Director for D Magazine. He's written about a surgeon who killed, a man who paid for a submarine to travel to the deepest parts of the earth, followed a heart transplant from donor to recipient, and too many Dallas City Council meetings to count. He's been at D Magazine since 2014, and has also written for WFAA.com and The Dallas Morning News.
Kathy Wise is the Executive Editorial Director of D Magazine. A licensed attorney, she won a CRMA Award for reporting for “The Most Lawless County in Texas,” a feature about a wrongfully convicted Collin County judge, and a Folio Award for “The Rogue Shepherd,” a profile of Bonton Farms founder Daron Babcock. She's been at D magazine since 2016.
Krista is the Executive Director of Better Block, a nonprofit that educates, equips, and empowers communities and their leaders to reshape and reactivate built environments to promote the growth of healthy and vibrant neighborhoods.
Skye McDaniel is an Oak Cliff native who has cooked at some of the neighborhood’s favorite restaurants, including Boulevardier and Bolsa, and has worked throughout Dallas’ culinary culture for over twenty years. That deep-seated root in her community and heritage has taken her to this point—opening her own concept space that serves house-prepared, seasonally fresh food at La Bodega, inspired by her Italian heritage and travels through the Mediterranean.
John has served the Methodist Health System for over a decade, stepping into his role as president of Methodist Medical Center Dallas in 2018. Under his leadership Methodist Dallas has deepened its involvement in Oak Cliff through community initiatives and partnerships with other neighborhood organizations.
Hance Taplin is a designer, photographer, and creative director planted in Dallas. After transitioning out of the corporate design world in 2015, Hance founded By Way of Dallas, a streetwear fashion brand that's proudly made in Dallas, for Dallas.
Taylor Toynes, co-founder and executive director of For Oak Cliff, will be gave his talk, titled, "The Power of Proximity."
Jeff Rogers gave his Texas Talk titled, "The Power of Play." Jeff is a graphic designer and illustrator with a focus in typography whose work is heavily influenced by a background in music, painting, and fun.
Luis is the owner of Trompo Tacos, an award winning restaurant in Oak Cliff with deep roots in the neighborhood.
Monte Anderson is President of Options Real Estate Investments Inc, a multi-service real estate firm specializing in developing sustainable neighborhoods in Southern Dallas and Northern Ellis counties.
Andrew Snow give his Texas Talk titled, "7 Unpopular Truths About Generosity & Non Profits. Andrew is the co-founder and managing partner at Track 15, providing fundraising and development services to non profits.
Cindy Pedraza Puente give her Texas Talk titled, "Growing With Your Neighborhood. Cindy is the owner of CocoAndré, a chocolate shop that's operated in Oak Cliff since 2009. She is also opening Olmo Market this fall, a new grocery store in downtown Elmwood Texas Talks is a monthly lecture series presented by Wax Space focused on Ideas for the Neighborhood. Free to the public.
Join us Friday, October 7th, as we gather to hear Barak Epstein give his Texas Talk titled, "The Role of the Arts in Community Building." Barak is the owner of The Texas Theatre and Top Ten Records, and co-founder of The Oak Cliff Film Festival.
We gathered to hear Shannon Neffendorf give his Texas Talk titled, "Creating a Neighborhood Philosophy." Shannon is the founder of Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters, along with Davis Street Espresso, 5 Mile Chocolate, and Candor Bread.
Do Limitations Lead to Creativity? Being the only Black Creative in the Room. Texas Talks is a Monthly Lecture Series Presented by Wax Space Exploring Creativity & Craft. Free to the public.
On Friday, March 6th, Lindsey & Nkrumah Farrar, co-founders of CRWN Magazine, talked to Wax Space and the Oak Cliff community about their career journey and how it prepared them for their dream: founding a new kind of print magazine for Black women.
On Friday, February 7th, Matt Bull, founder of Kickstand Agency, waxed overly-philosophical about advertising and there was nothing we can do about it.
Eating with Your Eyes: Joy Macarons Texas Talks is a Monthly Lecture Series Presented by Wax Space Exploring Creativity & Craft. Free to the public.
April is the President and COO of the Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation, leading the development of the Southern Gateway Park, a “park with a purpose” currently under construction over Interstate 35E adjacent to the Dallas Zoo.
