Financial Women in Texas upcoming events

FWIT Austin April Group Meeting (04/16/2026)

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:30:00 GMT

FWIT Austin Members,

We are excited to invite you to our April Member Meeting, which happens to fall on the date of a special milestone: FWIT Austin’s 12th Anniversary!

Please join us on Thursday, April 16th, from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM at RSM in Downtown Austin (3rd & Colorado). We’ll celebrate the history of the Austin group, while sitting in on a panel discussion about The Art of Effective Public Speaking, featuring renowned guest speakers, Jessica Lovell and Olivia Hayden!

Don't miss your chance to join us for lunch, networking and an engaging panel session with Q&A! To ensure you and your guests are prepared ahead of time, please see the 'Event Details' section below for important parking and check-in details pertaining to this event.

If you have any questions prior to the event, please do not hesitate to reach out to Nicole Noto at nicole.noto@horizon.bank, or (512)770-5403.

Featured Session

Owning the Room: The Art of Effective Public Speaking

This session features two powerhouse leaders who built their careers from the ground up. Olivia, VP of Product at Credit Mountain, began her journey bagging groceries at Whole Foods before rising to lead digital strategy for their microlending nonprofit. Today, she is an Executive MBA candidate at UT Austin and a passionate advocate for financial empowerment. She is joined by Jessica Rae Lovell, SVP and Director of Customer Experience at First National Bank Texas and Founder of Raevolution Speaking. A TEDx speaker and 2025 ABA Emerging Leader, Jessica started as a part-time teller at age 18 and has spent 27 years transforming banking culture through authenticity and purpose. Together, they bring a wealth of experience in fintech innovation, service leadership, and the career-changing power of finding your voice.

Event Details

Date & Time: Thursday, April 16th, 2026 | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Location: RSM (300 Colorado Building)

300 Colorado Street, Austin, TX 78701

Parking/Security Check-In: Parking garage entrance/exit is located on the East side of the building - enter off 3rd Street and Colorado and take a ticket at the gate. Please bring your parking ticket and your ID in with you (for security check in). Building parking will be validated at the RSM reception desk on the 16th floor.

There are 12 levels of parking spaces. You can park in any space that is NOT marked 'RESERVED' for up to 2 hours. Take the parking garage elevator to level 1 to enter the building lobby, then present your ID to security at the front desk to check-in and get a visitors badge.

Meeting will be held on floor 16th floor where attendees will be greeted by RSM before being directed to the conference room/meeting space.

Due to the building security and accessibility, all member and guest registration for this event is REQUIRED. Members are still encouraged to bring a new or potential member as a guest at no cost (for first time attendees), but each guest will be required to register individually in order to have their name listed with security.

Event Registration

To help cover event costs, there is a registration fee of $20 for FWIT members and $25 for non-members.

First time guests are always encouraged to attend and will receive complementary registration for their first group event (please select 'first time attendee' when completing registration).

Members are always encouraged to bring one guest per event.

Registration is required for all attendees.

Please RSVP online by April 14th to secure your spot!

No Show/Cancellation Policy

In the event that your plans or circumstances may have changed, we kindly request that you update your registration prior to April 14, 2026.

Cancellations received prior to the RSVP deadline are eligible for a full refund or credit towards a future event for you or an attendee in your place.

Late cancelations made after the RSVP deadline and no-show attendance will still be charged for registration.

Payment Options

Event registration fees are due on or before April 14th, 2026.

We accept cash, check, or Venmo (see QR code below).

If you have any questions, please reach out to Priscilla Cavazos @ pcavazos@plainscapital.com

We hope you’ll join us for this exciting opportunity to connect, learn, and grow with the FWIT Austin community. We look forward to seeing you there and celebrating 12-years of FWIT Austin!

FWIT Virtual Event: Wed, April 22, 2026 - Patrick Murphy - Professor, LSU (04/22/2026)

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Patrick Murphy, Professor LSU

Strategic Vision + Operational Excellence = Sustained Growth

Currently serving as the AVP of MSO Channel Sales at Assurant, Patrick Murphy has spearheaded initiatives that tripled account revenues and delivered over $2B in top-line revenue throughout his career. His leadership has consistently transformed channels into high-performing, profitable segments, earning him multiple promotions and recognition as one of Assurant’s top leaders within the Performance Optimization sector.

An MBA graduate from Louisiana State University, Patrick combines strategic vision with operational excellence to deliver sustained growth. His expertise spans strategic partnerships, revenue optimization, market expansion, and leadership development, making him a trusted advisor and mentor within the industry. Patrick is also an MBA instructor for the LSU Flores MBA program as part of their concentration in leadership. He believes people are the key to all organizational success and has a passion for growing the careers of those around him. Committed to fostering talent, mentoring aspiring leaders, and driving competitive advantage, he continues to shape the future of sales and marketing partnerships.

Event Details: April 22, 2026

Event Time: 12:00PM - 1:00PM CST

Platform: Zoom Meeting Link

FWIT 2026 Leadership Forum XII (04/24/2026)

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:00:00 GMT

12th Annual Leadership Forum

Fear Less. Achieve More

Plan to join us for an unforgettable day of inspiration, leadership, and networking.

Reservations for overnight accommodations may be made at

AC HOTEL WACO DOWNTOWN

600 Mary Ave, Waco, TX

A special $179 room rate block has been set aside for FWIT members.

Room rate extends 4/20-4/27, based on availability.

The deadline for making your reservation is Monday, March 30, 2026.

Reservation Link

NOTE: The Reservation link is for April 22-April 25. If you need to add additional nights, please reach out to FWIT Director of Education: Miranda Barcena who will contact the hotel directly and request your additional nights.

What exactly is Magnolia in Waco, TX?

If you’re not familiar with Chip and Joanna Gaines’ runaway success of an HGTV show, Fixer Upper, it’s hard to imagine a home improvement show that has sparked a brand encompassing everything from a restaurant to an entire district of decor shops, all centered around some abandoned agricultural equipment … And yet, that’s exactly what Magnolia Market, AKA Magnolia, AKA the Silos, is.

VENDOR OPPORTUNITY

Limited Vendor Booth Spaces Available contact Leslie Rhodes for more information!

FWIT Virtual Event: Thur May 7, 2026 - Dan Sitton, Guardian Technology Group (05/07/2026)

Thu, 07 May 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Dan Sitton, Founder, Guardian Technology Group

Translating Cybersecurity Confusion into Executive Clarity

Dan Sitton is the founder and Chief Guardian of Guardian Technology Group, a veteran-owned, Texas based, cybersecurity consultancy. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran and former CISO/CIO for a $7 billion financial institution, Dan brings 26 years of hard-earned experience to the front- lines of Cybersecurity leadership.

Dan has led high-stakes security and IT operations across regulated industries—resolving 92 audit findings in under six months, rebuilding security governance, and managing IT during billion-dollar mergers. In the past two years alone, he has served as the post-incident lead for five major ransomware and Cyberattacks events, helping leadership teams navigate chaos, communicate clearly, and face regulators head-on.

Dan's Core Message:

“Cybersecurity isn’t a tech issue. It’s a leadership mandate.

If your Board can’t explain your security posture, you’re not compliant—you’re exposed.”

Event Details: May 7, 2026

Event Time: 12:00PM - 1:00PM CST

Platform: Zoom Meeting Link

FWIT San Antonio May Meeting (05/14/2026)

Thu, 14 May 2026 16:30:00 GMT