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Mavens Talk

by Maven Collaborative

Season 2

Mavens Talk: Lori Houston

On this episode of Mavens Talk, we sit down with the incredible Lori Houston—a visionary leader whose impact can be seen throughout San Antonio. From helping lead transformative projects like the San Antonio River expansion to serving as Assistant City Manager, Lori has spent her career turning bold ideas into lasting community impact. Now, as President of The CE Group, she's leading one of San Antonio's most respected agencies into its next chapter while staying true to its remarkable legacy. We talk about career pivots, leadership, preserving culture during times of change, the future of our city, and why relationships remain at the heart of great work.

Mavens Talk: Nadege Souvenir

This is a conversation you don't want to miss. In the latest episode of Mavens Talk, we sit down with the amazing Nadege Souvenir, CEO of the San Antonio Area Foundation, for an inspiring and candid conversation about leadership, philanthropy, and creating real impact in our communities. From her journey from corporate attorney to nationally respected philanthropy leader, Nadege shares lessons on leading with purpose, navigating change, building trust, and why equity remains at the heart of meaningful community transformation. And we are especially grateful for her grace as she recorded a second time due to our technical errors on the first recording!

Mavens Talk: Crystal Cantu

Strong missions need strong leaders. This week on Mavens Talk, we’re joined by Crystal Cantu, President of Mission Road Developmental Center and a nonprofit leader with nearly 20 years of experience serving children, families, and our community. Crystal shares lessons on leadership and resilience, and what it means to create lasting community impact. Thoughtful, authentic, and inspiring—this is a conversation you won't want to miss.

Mavens Talk: Rhonda Mundhenk

On this week of Mavens Talk, we get to have an amazing conversation with Rhonda Mundhenk, CEO of Haven for Hope. It's an inspirational conversation about how she approaches her work with passion and how she leads with purpose. We packed so much in under an hour, from how she went from law school to health care to her work at Haven.

Mavens Talk: Ellie Morrison

What happens when storytelling, design, culture, fashion, and intentional living all collide in one conversation? You get this week’s episode of Maven’s Talk with the incredibly creative Ellie Morrison. From launching Voice of San Antonio to building Studio ELEANORA and exploring the idea that “life is art,” Ellie shares her journey and creative philosophy. This conversation is thoughtful, inspiring, stylish, and full of ideas about creativity, culture, storytelling, and building work that actually means something. We loved every minute of it—and we think you will too!

Mavens Talk: Vanessa Hurd

In this episode of Maven Talks, Vanessa Hurd brings both sharp insight and unmistakable passion as she shares her journey from leading major institutions like the DoSeum to founding The Rise School of San Antonio. Vanessa is equal parts visionary and builder — and this conversation proves it.

Mavens Talk: Lauren Mandel

We’re excited to welcome Lauren Mandel to the podcast today. Lauren is someone who really sits at the intersection of where things get built—literally and figuratively—in San Antonio. As President of the San Antonio AGC, she’s leading the charge for the commercial construction industry, but her background goes far beyond that. From working in county government to managing political campaigns and advising on public affairs, she’s spent her career bringing people together to get things done. We talked about her love for San Antonio, the community, the people, and the organizations that make it a great place to live, work and raise a family!

Mavens Talk: Emily Neff

This week on the pod, we’re joined by Emily Ballew Neff, the Kelso director of the San Antonio Museum of Art. We loved this conversation as Emily shares her journey as an art historian and museum leader, and how institutions like SAMA can bring communities together through creativity, storytelling, and shared cultural experiences. A conversation about art, leadership, and the future of San Antonio’s cultural landscape!

Mavens Talk: Asia Ciaravino & Dawn Cole

Asia Ciaravino returns to Maven Talks, joined by Dawn Cole, Board Chair of the historic San Pedro Playhouse. Together, they offer a candid look at leadership, storytelling, and what it takes to guide one of San Antonio’s most iconic cultural institutions into the future. With more than two decades in nonprofit and arts leadership, Asia has built a career rooted in community-driven work and creative vision. Dawn, Group Manager of CEO Communications at Whataburger, brings experience spanning education, television, and corporate communications—offering a powerful lens on governance, brand, and leadership. Together, they share what it takes to build a CEO–Board partnership grounded in trust, purpose, and shared vision. A conversation about vision, collaboration, and why the arts continue to matter in building strong communities.

Mavens Talk: Susan Thompson

On this episode of Maven Talks, we sit down with Susan Steves Thompson, Executive Director of the Hemisfair Conservancy and a lifelong San Antonian whose career spans more than 30 years in philanthropy and nonprofit leadership. From leading transformational work at AVANCE–San Antonio and the San Antonio Area Foundation to stewarding a bold vision for Hemisfair today, Susan brings deep perspective on what it takes to build community through place. With personal ties to HemisFair ’68, she shares how legacy, sustainability, and inclusivity are shaping the future of one of our city’s most meaningful gathering spaces—and why public spaces matter now more than ever.

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