“Kawana Mayes Smith is CEO and Founder of Venture Next, LLC. Under her leadership, she developed R.E.S.E.T., a youth sports program dedicated to empowering and inspiring young athletes. She’s a retired athlete whose portfolio includes stints as a Special Education Inclusion Teacher for Dallas and DeSoto Independent School Districts. A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and Jack and Jill of America she attended Paul Quinn College and then went on to receive her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Texas at Dallas and a Master’s Degree in Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management from the University of Houston-Downtown. Kawana is a born leader and community servant, volunteering for the CRAB5 Foundation, Von Miller Day, Brown’s’ Kids Foundation, Rock T Youth Foundation, Josh Howard Foundation and Dallas Sports Commission.
