Her Story
About Mercedes
Mercedes Gillon-Gantt, MBA, is a dynamic business professional and former collegiate athlete and coach whose career bridges sports, leadership development, and sales management. Based in Houston, she currently serves in a leadership role at Enterprise Mobility, where she has progressed from Manager Trainee to Assistant Branch Manager and now Station Manager. In this capacity, she oversees and mentors a team of emerging leaders, focusing on performance management, sales growth, and employee development. Her leadership style is rooted in accountability, mentorship, and creating pathways for others to succeed in competitive, performance-driven environments. Before transitioning into the corporate sector, Gillon-Gantt built a strong foundation in women’s basketball, both as a standout student-athlete and a coach. A graduate of Talladega College, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Management and later completed her MBA in Marketing. During her playing career, she and her team went to multiple conference championships and a national tournament appearance. She went on to coach at institutions including Talladega College, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and Langston University contributing to winning records and postseason success. Her excellence in coaching and community impact earned her the prestigious Southern States Athletic Conference Woman of the Year honor. Beyond her professional roles, Gillon-Gantt is the founder of Dream Classic Academy, an initiative dedicated to supporting student-athletes—particularly women—in their transition from sports to the professional world. Through this platform, she champions mental health awareness, professional development, and female empowerment while creating networking and mentorship opportunities. Her work has brought together industry professionals and organizations such as the Los Angeles Sparks to support and inspire the next generation. Driven by purpose and a commitment to giving back, Gillon-Gantt continues to leverage her experiences to uplift others and expand opportunities for young women in sports and business.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Mercedes
01What do you attribute your success to?
I pay homage to the women who didn't have the resources or the exposure that I've had. I do it as a return on their investment and I do my best to pay it forward to the next generation.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Be where your feet are. So many times, we are always looking in the future, and we never get to experience the journey of it all, because we're so caught up in the build and what’s next. Experience the moment, and everything else is gonna work itself out.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Being in a sales-driven, performance-based, and male-dominated industry, you have to walk in with a chip on your shoulder. Trust the process, make yourself marketable, continue to brand yourself, network, and remember - it's not just what you know, it's about who you know and who knows you.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Right now, the challenge is having the right people in the right positions, making the plan and executing. We want to be able to supply the demand. The World Cup is coming to Houston, TX we want to be able to win the next 3 months for the high demand.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
For me, it's being authentically yourself. If you're a square, don't try to put yourself in a circle. Find something that aligns with who you are as a person, because if that organization sees you, you will go far. But if you continue to try to bend and break in a mold that doesn't align with who you are as a person, you'll be betraying yourself. So be authentically you, and find what aligns with you.
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