From Vision to Impact: Women Building, Leading, and Thriving

Rita is the founder and owner of Eye Do Eye Wear®, a Dallas-based optical eyewear brand known for delivering fashionable, high-quality eyewear at an accessible price point. Born and raised in Oak Cliff, Rita’s deep roots in the Dallas community continue to influence both her entrepreneurial vision and her commitment to service.

Founded on the belief that style, quality, and affordability should coexist, Eye Do Eye Wear® is dedicated to helping customers look confident, bold, and uniquely themselves—while receiving exceptional, personalized customer service. Community connection is central to the brand’s mission, with a strong emphasis on giving back and uplifting others.

Rita is a founding member of The Village Giving Circle at Texas Women’s Foundation, supporting initiatives that advance the legacy of African American women’s philanthropy and positively impact communities across North Texas.She also volunteers with The Otis and Rosie Brown Foundation, which recognizes individuals and organizations that use everyday resources to strengthen families and communities. She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

Rita resides in Dallas with her husband, Rick, and enjoys traveling and creating meaningful memories with family, including their son, Corey, who lives in Fort Worth.

Simone Kendle is Managing Director of Emerging Brands at Cain & Co, where she advises early-stage founders on capital strategy and go-to market positioning. A serial entrepreneur and Wharton MBA graduate, 

Simone most recently served as CEO of venture-backed jewelry company Wove, achieving 107% year-over-year growth and gaining global attention when Taylor Swift wore Wove's patented diamond friendship bracelet. Previously, she was co-founder and CMO of Parfait, an AI powered beauty-tech startup backed by Serena Ventures and Ulta Beauty, earning recognition as one of Vogue Business' 100 Innovators.  As a mother and advocate for authentic leadership, Simone champions a values-driven approach to building sustainable businesses that honor the full complexity of women's lives.

Dallas-based entrepreneur and designer Marty McDonald left her job in corporate America to first create a media company Boss Women Media. Like many, she wants to live her best life, so she decided to leap after her dreams of creating a community of empowerment, change, and freedom after an 11-year corporate career with various fortune 500 companies. She took an idea based on connection and turned it into a movement including the multi-city Black Girl Magic Tour, the annual Boss Woman of the Year Summit, and a loyal community of more than 100,000 women. Marty’s plan is to continue to expand the growth of the community of women she is building and to help them empower one another through connection, networking, and workshops. Marty knows that most women are allowing fear to hold them back from accomplishing the goals they want to achieve. She is on a mission to help women achieve more and remove fear as the barrier to the women who have big goals & big dreams. Marty believes we can chase and achieve them every single day.

Marty also recently started a children's wear brand focusing on black girls up to age 5, Elle Olivia, which is carried in over 400 Target locations nationwide. Elle Olivia was created from the a personal obstacle during her pregnancy. In 2021, When Marty was 24 weeks pregnant, her daughter was diagnosed with Congenital Dyaphranic Hernia that would cause her lungs to be covered by her liver, spleen and intestines. This disease would cause her to have immediate surgery when she was born, and she would be placed in the NICU for 35 days to heal. During the time in the NICU Marty quickly realized that advocacy and representation are two key ingredients that her daughter, Elle Olivia, will need to navigate the world. She and her husband dedicated their energies to solve some systematic issues Black parents face bringing new life into this world.

Marty launched Elle Olivia in 2022 to show Black Girls big possibilities through the clothes they wear. It started with a Valentine's Day launch of inspirational sweatshirts which sold out quickly, leading to the creation of a staple collection that moms and dads could use functionally, but showcased representation. In May of that year they launched their Lay and Play sets that would allow babies and toddlers to sleep in the soft bamboo fabric or play with ease and a polished look. In 2023 Target picked up the line exclusively and will begin selling it nationwide in their stores and online in October.