DBA Cohort | Fall 2026

Tolu Agboola is a Senior Financial Crime Consultant at Citibank, with 17 years of professional experience across banking, consulting, and enterprise risk management. He is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (ACAMS) and Project Management Professional (PMP). Tolu is pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration to help shape the regulatory policy and business decisions that keep systemic risk in check across banking and financial technology. His research interests focus on how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are reshaping transaction monitoring, as well as how terrorism financing raised through social media and crowdfunding platforms can be proactively deterred and investigated using red-flag indicators and behavioral typologies to identify small-value, dispersed solicitation before funds are transmitted. Tolu’s professional achievements include contributing to various complex financial crime projects, including AML lookback reviews, KYC remediation programs, sanctions screening and investigations, and his active mentoring of professionals entering and advancing within the financial crimes field. Outside of work, Tolu enjoys road trips, watching soccer, and spending time with family and friends.

Marie Alexander is an experienced global business and technology leader with more than 30 years of experience spanning consulting, professional services, oil and gas, information technology, healthcare, and government, including senior leadership assignments. At KPMG International, BP, and Hewlett-Packard she led global teams and complex operations at the intersection of technology, business, and people.  Marie is pursuing a DBA to better understand how leadership, ethics, and technology shape decision-making and to translate that knowledge into better leadership practice. Her developing research interests focus on the intersection of leadership, ethics, organizational behavior, and emerging technology, particularly questions of judgment, accountability, bias, transparency, and the appropriate balance between human and technology-enabled decision-making.  Marie considers her greatest professional accomplishment to be the body of work, relationships, and people she helped develop throughout a career in which technology, organizations, and leadership have changed dramatically. For Marie, effective leadership requires curiosity, adaptability, integrity, and an understanding of people. Outside of work, Marie is an enthusiastic foodie and traveler who enjoys experiencing new cultures through their food, customs, traditions, and relationships.

Nader Algouneh is the CEO and Chairman of Infostar / DSVC Business Solutions, a software company he built from the ground up, and also serves as CEO and Chairman across an international group of commercial real estate and jewelry manufacturing companies. His experience spans enterprise software, commercial real estate, and jewelry manufacturing, and he is a CCIM designee and past President of the CCIM Central Canada Chapter with an engineering degree and an MBA from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Nader is pursuing a DBA to formalize the strategic instincts he has developed through a career moving fluently between industries as an entrepreneur and executive. His research interests focus on digital transformation and technology adoption in owner-led businesses outside the technology sector. His greatest professional accomplishment has been growing his software company into one that clients trust with their core operations while continuing to lead ventures in real estate and manufacturing. Outside of work, Nader is married with three grown children and enjoys advanced diving, golf, and flying.

Rehan Ashrafi, M.B.A., M.Acc., is the Director of Business Services & Outsourcing at BDO USA LLP, with experience across public accounting, professional services, energy and utilities, hospitality and tourism, government, construction, manufacturing, nonprofits, insurance, banking and financial services, healthcare, real estate, automotive, technology and software, transportation and logistics, and retail and e-commerce. He is pursuing a DBA to build on his MBA in Finance and Master’s in Accounting, with a focus on the future of business, particularly AI implementation and its potential to improve efficiency, decision-making, and financial performance. His research interests center on how businesses can effectively implement AI to improve operations, financial performance, and decision-making, with a long-term goal of building a consulting firm specializing in practical, measurable AI implementation. Rehan’s greatest professional accomplishment was leading accounting and operations at Brown & Brown Insurance, where he improved processes, strengthened accountability, and enhanced efficiency while maintaining accuracy and excellent service. Outside work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, traveling, going to the gym, and giving back to his community.

Jason Bessonette is a Staff Engineer at Lunar Solar Group, with experience across telecommunications, e-commerce, healthcare, and nonprofit organizations. He is pursuing a DBA because businesses are entering a transformational period and he sees an opportunity to add advanced research capabilities to his professional toolkit. His research interests focus on the application and real-world implications of artificial intelligence for businesses and software engineering departments. Jason’s greatest professional accomplishment was leading technology at a startup from seed stage through acquisition. Outside of work, he loves playing and watching sports, especially soccer, and traveling with his wife and three children. Music is another big passion of his, whether he is producing tracks, DJing, or going to live concerts and festivals.

Alex Bodenham is Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing and Communications at SUNY Morrisville. For the past 20 years, he has worked in higher education, beginning as a branding consultant and moving into leadership roles involving strategic planning, marketing, recruitment, enrollment coaching, student finance, and discounting. Alex is pursuing a DBA to research the dramatic changes occurring in higher education and help institutions adapt their strategies to a changing market. He is particularly interested in the growth of large nonprofit online institutions and the challenges traditional institutions face in serving post-traditional and adult students, including the millions of Americans who have earned college credit without completing a degree. His doctoral work also supports a long-standing interest in teaching, with the goal of having greater flexibility to serve as a lecturer or professor of practice. Outside his administrative career, Alex has a background in music and voice performance and sang for nearly 20 years with the Washington National Opera chorus as a tenor.

Gregory W. Bondy is an enterprise IT leader overseeing performance engineering at Enterprise Mobility, with more than 30 years of corporate IT experience in the mobility and transportation services industry. His technical and leadership work has spanned infrastructure, performance engineering, observability, operational measurement, and complex system optimization, including more than nine years in management. Gregory is pursuing a DBA to study rigorously how organizations measure whether technology investments create meaningful operational value and to translate research into better measurement practices. His primary research interest is operational measurement capability: how organizations define meaningful outcomes, collect useful operational data, and turn it into credible evidence for technology decisions, including in emerging AI-enabled workflows. His greatest professional accomplishment has been leading the evolution of performance engineering at Enterprise Mobility from a late-stage checkpoint into a capability that teams plan around, establishing shared tools and standards and connecting performance data with production observability. Outside of work and school, Gregory enjoys traveling with his wife, spending time with his children and grandchildren, and improving his home.

Jeannie Chung is the Chief Financial Officer at Terra Altai, with an extensive background in finance and strategy across the oil and gas, energy, and industrial services sectors, including roles at Aramco Americas and Hess Corporation.  Her experience spans FP&A, controllership, strategic finance, financial advisory, and executive leadership. She was named the 2025 Controller of the Year in Datarails’ Office of the CFO Awards. She is pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration to bridge her executive finance experience with applied research and develop evidence-based solutions to complex business challenges. Her research interests include AI-enabled financial decision-making, strategic performance management, and organizational value creation. Jeannie is also a recipient of the 2023 Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) International  Prestigious Service Award and continues to contribute to the business and energy community through professional leadership and service, including involvement with the Financial Executives International (FEI) Houston Chapter.

Roger Cruz is a Lifecycle Marketing Manager at Beautiful.ai, with deep experience in SQL, query languages, data analysis, lifecycle marketing, and marketing operations across large publicly traded financial institutions and startups in technology and healthcare. He is pursuing a DBA because he is a lifelong learner drawn to education that goes beyond theory, and he values the opportunity to blend theoretical knowledge with real-world business application. His research interests focus on artificial intelligence and how companies are deploying resources to integrate AI into their operations, including the effects on employees, roles, workflows, and skill requirements. Roger’s greatest professional accomplishment was deploying to combat zones as a United States Marine and helping build critical communications infrastructure from the ground up under pressure and uncertainty, an experience that taught him discipline, resilience, leadership, and complex problem-solving. Outside of work, he also serves as an adjunct professor of marketing at a small college in Houston and enjoys discussing what is new and evolving in business, especially marketing, technology, and AI.

Nick Freyaldenhoven is the Vice President and Controller at Scouting America, with experience spanning state government, public accounting, higher education, and nonprofit finance. He is pursuing a DBA to strengthen his ability to lead complex organizations, apply research to practice, and drive large-scale transformation grounded in data and evidence. His research interests center on how financial leadership, systems modernization, and process transformation shape organizational effectiveness. Nick’s greatest professional accomplishment has been leading ERP implementations and enterprise reporting modernization efforts that reshaped financial operations across several enterprises. Outside of work, Nick is a Scouting volunteer and troop leader, founded a nonprofit supporting local Scouting programs, and enjoys being a husband and father.

Albert Hoelscher is Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at Cision, bringing more than 15 years of experience across public, private, and government sectors. His career has included cybersecurity, information technology, business operations, governance, risk management, and compliance, including executive leadership of global teams and enterprise transformation initiatives. Albert is pursuing a DBA to strengthen his executive leadership capabilities, prepare for future corporate board service, and better address the growing cybersecurity accountability facing executives and directors. His research interests focus on how Information Security and Governance, Risk, and Compliance functions can demonstrate measurable business value, as well as how artificial intelligence can support cybersecurity operations, risk management, and executive decision-making. Albert's most notable professional achievement was co-founding a company and ultimately leading its successful sale to a private equity firm. Outside of work, Albert enjoys road cycling, traveling, mentoring aspiring cybersecurity professionals and entrepreneurs, and serving as a panelist and moderator for industry organizations.

Kenny Kane is the CEO of Firmspace and the Testicular Cancer Foundation, as well as Co-founder and CTO of Gryt Health, with experience in executive leadership, entrepreneurship, technology, nonprofit healthcare, commercial real estate, and business operations. After more than 15 years working alongside professionals with different licenses, degrees, and certifications, he saw the DBA as a natural next step to deepen his work. His research interests focus on organizational durability, particularly how technology-enabled operations, process documentation, and knowledge transfer can help founder-led and executive-dependent organizations scale sustainably and remain resilient through leadership transitions. Kenny’s greatest professional accomplishment has been building and leading organizations that combine entrepreneurial thinking with meaningful impact, particularly expanding support and advocacy for people affected by cancer. Outside of work, he is grateful for his supportive wife and growing family, including a five-year-old daughter, a two-year-old son, and a third child expected in January 2027.

Maayan Kaplan, MBA, MS, is Senior Director of Customer Success at SPS Commerce, with more than 15 years of experience across supply chain, retail, manufacturing, and SaaS. Her roles have included customer success leadership, sales and operations planning, demand and supply planning, inventory optimization, and enterprise process transformation at organizations including SPS Commerce, Emerson, Johnson Controls, and Anixter. Maayan is pursuing a DBA to study the gap between what organizations know should work and what they are actually able to sustain. Her research interests focus on how leadership systems, decision rights, and performance management influence the adoption and long-term success of strategic operating models, including why some organizations institutionalize learning and change while others rely on individual heroes. A major accomplishment has been building and leading a global Customer Success organization from the ground up, including a new segment-aligned strategy and a Philippines-based team providing round-the-clock coverage. Maayan began her career as a First Lieutenant in the IDF and later served as a judicial clerk. She enjoys travel, new cultures, and cuisine.

Michael Knight is a Key Account Executive at General Mills, with experience in consumer packaged goods and retail as a national account manager, regional sales manager, business consultant, and category manager. He was motivated to pursue a DBA in part by the example of his younger brother, a strong supporter of education who passed away during COVID, and he also wants to develop his capabilities to teach and move into senior management roles at General Mills. His research interest is global business issues. Michael’s greatest professional accomplishment has been developing people by supporting and mentoring multiple direct reports, including three team members who were promoted into mid-level or field leadership roles. Outside of work, he volunteers as a children’s soccer coach and enjoys traveling and fishing.

Bryan Leaver is the Founder and CEO of Alpha Strat Advisors, with experience in financial services, consumer lending, and payments as a CEO, CFO, and Chief Risk Officer. He is pursuing a DBA as part of a second career in education, with the goal of becoming a clinical professor in business or finance. His research interest focuses on the impact of AI efficiency in allowing small and midsize banks to compete with large national banks. Bryan’s greatest professional accomplishment has been coaching and leading diverse teams from around the world and watching them succeed. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, following college sports, and participating in community service focused on educational advancement.

Markus Leonard is an Advisor at FedEx Freight, with experience across high technology, communications, management consulting, and logistics in roles including engineer, consultant, manager, and advisor. He is pursuing a DBA to challenge and strengthen his approach to research and problem-solving in complex organizations. His research interests focus on the execution-governance tension and why governance structures can systematically suppress or distort the organizational signals needed for effective decision-making and adaptation under transformation pressure. Markus’s greatest professional accomplishment was leading the turnaround of a global enterprise messaging infrastructure while building and managing a geographically diverse team from the ground up. On weekends, he can be found tending to his smoker and testing custom spice blends.

Li Luo is an Assistant Accounting Professor at State University of New York at Oneonta whose career centers on public service, nonprofit leadership, and education. For more than 16 years, Li has worked with IRS SPEC partners in VITA/TCE programs and serves on national IRS editorial teams developing training publications and certification materials supporting more than 100,000 volunteers and coordinators nationwide. As a CPA, Li has also served in senior leadership and treasurer roles for national, state, and community nonprofits. Li is pursuing a DBA to bring stronger research, organizational strategy, and evidence-based leadership to service-learning and community programs. Her research interests include nonprofit sustainability, organizational strategy, and the role of AI in strategic decision-making, resource allocation, and sustainable operations. A major accomplishment has been building a college-based VITA/TCE program into a broader service-learning network that has generated nearly $6 million in economic benefits for underserved communities. Li enjoys community projects, connecting people, and seeing small initiatives grow into larger impacts.

Albert Lyne is the Deputy Chief Strategy Officer at Houston METRO, with more than 15 years of executive and management experience spanning public transportation, local government, maritime operations, and public accounting. His work has included strategic planning, finance, business analytics, enterprise data governance, grants management, organizational performance, and project management. Albert is pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration to bridge executive leadership with applied research and develop practical solutions to complex challenges facing public transportation agencies. His research interests include public transportation systems, transportation networks, business analytics, artificial intelligence, and organizational decision-making, with a focus on evidence-based solutions that improve transit performance and resource allocation. Albert considers his greatest professional accomplishment to be building a career dedicated to improving public service through strategic leadership, financial stewardship, and data-driven decision-making. Outside of work, he serves on the Board of Directors for Leadership Houston, enjoys distance running, and believes lifelong learning, discipline, and continuous improvement are essential to personal and professional success.

Alejandro Marroquin is the Chief Operations & Data Officer at Broxel, with experience in financial services, education, telecommunications, software, and startups across data and analytics, product management, software development and delivery, payments operations, cloud infrastructure, and project management. He is pursuing a DBA to evolve from executive intuition to the highest level of academic and research rigor and to transform his practical experience in technological innovation and product portfolios into scientifically validated solutions for industry. His research interests focus on strategic solutions for the digital economy, particularly frameworks that use Natural Language Processing to analyze the voice of the customer in unstructured data and reduce innovation risk. Alejandro’s greatest professional accomplishment was leading the end-to-end launch of a new fintech product line during his tenure as Chief Technology & Data Officer at Broxel, taking it from inception to market success in just four months while building a highly secure and scalable ecosystem. Outside of his professional endeavors, he enjoys hiking and capturing the dynamic essence of urban environments through architectural and street photography.

LeKisha McKinley is a Consultant and Program Manager for Career Planning & Talent Enablement at Dell Technologies, with more than 20 years of experience across technology, consulting, public sector, and workforce development. Her leadership and consulting work has focused on business operations, transformation, talent development, organizational change, and process improvement, including roles with Dell Technologies, NTT Data, and the Texas Workforce Commission. LeKisha is pursuing a DBA because her experience has shown her that the greatest challenge in transformation often lies not in processes or technology, but in helping people navigate change and reach their full potential. Her research interests include leadership, organizational change, workforce development, and operational excellence, particularly how organizations can design cultures and systems that support employee growth, adaptability, and healthy professional mindsets. Her greatest professional accomplishment has been leading transformational professional development initiatives that improved operations while helping people grow professionally. Outside of work, LeKisha is passionate about lifelong learning, mentoring, and community service, guided by a mission to help people embrace who they are while continually progressing toward their potential.

Abraham Menkes is the General Manager at OMOD AI, with experience spanning data centers, digital health, fintech, remote sensing, and SaaS, particularly in product-market fit, go-to-market strategy, and strategic partnerships. He is pursuing a DBA to develop a rigorous new method for measuring GRIT in founders and CEOs of early-stage ventures, a trait he believes is widely credited for venture success but rarely measured with precision. His research interests focus on the GRIT of startup founders. Abraham’s greatest professional accomplishment is founding and building two technology companies, PetPace and SandLinks, after five formative years serving as a naval SEAL in the Israel Defense Forces. Outside of his professional commitments, he devotes considerable time to fitness training and cold-water immersion.

Quinton Pugh is a Cybersecurity Lead within the Defense Sector with 20 years of experience spanning the military, government and technology industries. He brings expertise in cybersecurity leadership, cloud engineering, information security, governance, risk management, compliance and IT operations. He is pursuing a DBA to bridge cybersecurity and executive business leadership through applied research that helps organizations manage technology risk, strengthen governance and improve strategic decision-making. His research interests include the strategic implications of cybersecurity governance, AI governance, quantum technologies and enterprise risk management, with a focus on helping executives make informed decisions in an evolving technology landscape. Quinton’s greatest professional accomplishment has been successfully transitioning from military service into cybersecurity leadership while building expertise across technical, governance and management disciplines and leading organizational cybersecurity initiatives. Outside of work and research, he enjoys sports, fitness, professional networking events, traveling, working toward his private pilot license and is passionate about lifelong learning and leadership development.

Jeremy Reis is the President of Serving Orphans Worldwide, with experience spanning nonprofit leadership and fundraising, IT consulting, and logistics. After two decades in nonprofit fundraising, he was motivated to pursue a DBA because he repeatedly encountered important questions being answered by gut feel rather than evidence and wants the research training to test what works. His research interests focus on the psychological, relational, and organizational factors that determine whether a first-time donor becomes a long-term partner, particularly at mid-sized faith-based nonprofits. Jeremy’s greatest professional accomplishment was helping grow the monthly donor base at Food for the Hungry from about 9,500 to 145,000 over eight years while increasing private fundraising revenue from $26 million to $72 million annually. Outside of work, Jeremy and his wife, Jennica, are raising nine children ranging in age from 23 to 3.

Stacey Sanders is an Assistant Professor of Instruction at Texas State University with experience in higher education spanning marketing, teaching, business operations, finance, research administration, and student success. She currently teaches marketing and previously served as Director of Business Operations for the Division of Student Success. Stacey is pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration to connect her professional experience with research and teaching and become a stronger practitioner-scholar. Her research interests focus on the intersection of marketing, decision-making, and professional effectiveness, particularly how critical thinking, adaptability, communication, and analytical reasoning influence individual and organizational success. Stacey’s greatest professional accomplishment has been transitioning into a full-time faculty career in marketing, allowing her to translate years of practical leadership and business experience into applied learning experiences that prepare students for their careers. Outside of work, she volunteers with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s Medical and Safety Committee and serves on the board of SciArt Exchange.

Michael Tasner is the Founder and CEO of Parent Marketing Group, with experience working with businesses in more than 100 niches and industries, ranging from childcare centers, dance studios, gymnastics centers, theme parks, and e-commerce to financial services and manufacturing. He is pursuing a DBA because he wants to become an expert at conducting deep research and finding solutions to some of the biggest challenges in order to help as many people as possible. His research interests focus on the core reasons why many small businesses fail and what they can do to improve their odds of success. Michael’s greatest professional accomplishment was becoming the Chief Marketing Officer for Guerrilla Marketing International and working alongside Jay Conrad Levinson. Outside of work, Michael describes himself as an amateur pyro and enjoys setting off fireworks a few times a year.

Jussi Tinnemeyer is the Executive Director of Associated Students of Chico State, with experience in university and hospital auxiliary support services and the retail industry. He is pursuing a DBA to build on his leadership experience while developing a deeper understanding of what drives organizational success and how leaders navigate technological, financial, and societal change. His research interests include organizational design and how leadership, technology adoption, and organizational strategy can enhance customer experience and long-term organizational success. Jussi’s greatest professional accomplishment was redesigning organizational structures and developing alternative lines of business that allowed his organization to avoid layoffs during the pandemic. Originally from northern Germany and a Texas resident for more than 20 years, Jussi now enjoys exploring Northern California with his wife and their dogs, spending time outdoors, and attempting to rediscover his golf game after a 15-year hiatus.