Rena Menard

I would say my greatest accomplishment has been founding Parent Advocates of Texas in the early 2000s. It was a free resource where we advocated between parents, schools, and kids who had disabilities or outbursts and needed attention in their IEPs where they were not getting what they needed. We challenged our state to do better in these areas and to make sure that every kid had a fair opportunity to learn in the way that they could learn, not in the way that people could teach. There were so many families that we helped, guiding kids in the school system because they were getting expelled at a high rate and not really getting what they needed. I spent 14, 15 hours in meetings in schools. Everything we did was free, and that work took me to the Department of Education where we worked with Arne Duncan when he was secretary. We were able to send kids to the White House and do question and answer seminars with Arne Duncan. We worked with the Department of Education and Disabilities, and I went into Dallas to the Civil Rights Division to work on cases. It was really eye-opening and life-changing. That area is an opening where people need to jump in and help, especially with public schools not performing at their greatest right now. Being able to help kids graduate and walk across the stage and have the opportunity to participate in their educational environment while bringing parents along - that was probably the highest height of my career, because you're changing lives and generational curses. Another major highlight was getting the call to come and be a part of the inauguration for Barack Obama in African American policy. And I had a meeting with Lisa Osteen Combs, Joel Osteen's sister, and she prophesied a lot of things on my life that actually came true.

Stay humble and ready for opportunity, and have a good mentor. I know everybody's not in the faith walk, but one of the things that I did was pray. When I was starting my business, I didn't even have money for my building - I didn't have anything, if I'm gonna be honest with you. I was on my way downtown and I saw a sign on a building for lease, and something, I feel like it was God, said call. I'm like, I'm not calling, I ain't got no money. But something just kept saying make the call. So I called, and a young man named Brian answered. I asked about the building and he said would you like to see it? I said well, I'm on my way to court, but when I come back I can call you. All the things that defy us from moving forward was in my mind because I didn't have any money. But I went and looked at it, and he said keep the key and show it to your husband and let me know. When I came back with my husband and the mother of my church, Brian said 'you really like this building?' I said Brian, I cannot tell you, I'm not ready, I'm just trying to get my feet in my company, I don't have money for lease or anything. He said it's okay, you come on in and get started, and then we'll talk about rent and all that stuff. I didn't even have a desk. Come to find out Brian worked for his mom, Carol Falk, who is one of the lifetime vice presidents of the Houston Livestock Rodeo. Her commitment to me was we'll never go up on your rent, and you won't pay a light bill here. I've never paid a light bill in my building, and she has kept my rent mainly the same all these years. If I had to tell a young woman anything, remain humble and in a spirit of expectation. One moment will change your life, and it changed mine. That young man believed in me, and he didn't even know me.

Key challenges include economic instability and systemic issues in public education and community development that often overlook the needs of people. At the same time, there are strong opportunities in expanding vocational and job-readiness programs, supporting alternative monetization pathways like NIL, and preparing entrepreneurs to build and adapt through business structuring and emerging technologies like AI.

I value humility, faith, service to my community, mentorship, and empowering others in ways that uplift them without seeking to take or benefit unfairly in return.