2026 SMR Featured Mentors

MEET YOUR 2026 SMR FEATURED MENTORS!

As we celebrate WISE Houston’s 10th anniversary, we’re excited to elevate our 2026 Speed Mentoring Roundtables by welcoming former Women of Inspiration honorees as featured panelists—bringing their experience, leadership, and insight directly to our members.

RACHEL QUAN | Vice President of Special Events, Houston Astros (2022 WOI Honoree)


Rachel Quan joined the Astros in July, 2024 as their Vice President of Special Events.
 
Rachel’s background in production and events began as a festival director and then the National Director of Production and Arrangements for an international non-profit that conducted festivals around the country. She first oversaw one of their largest festivals to date in Houston and then went on to manage production in other festival cities. From here she headed up the Houston office for Mowalla Productions where she met her future business partner, who co-founded SBHH with her a number of years later. 
 
A large component of Rachel’s events career was in the co-founding of SBHH, an event management and production company where she was the managing partner. She, along with three other company partners, made a name for themselves in the large event space - including concerts, corporate conferences, sporting events, stadium events and large outdoor festivals. Through the company, Rachel managed various large-scale events for a myriad of clients including as the Vice President of External Operations for the HLOC with the three most recent NCAA Men’s Final Fours in Houston (2011, 2016, 2023) in addition to working on the 2018 and 2022 Men’s Final Fours. She sold her partnership in SBHH in 2022.
 
Rachel was a founding board member for WISE (Women in Sports & Events) in Houston in 2016, and the recipient of their Woman of Inspiration award in 2022. She was also the recipient of the Houston Business Journal’s Diversity in Business, Outstanding Head of Diversity award in 2023 while on the executive team for the Men’s Final Four. 
 

SALLIE SARGENT | President, Spectacular Partners, Inc. (2016 WOI Honoree)


Over the past 30+ years, Sallie Sargent has produced and managed dozens of major sporting events and hundreds more in the corporate and entertainment world. Six Super Bowls, 14 Fiesta Bowls, the NBA All-Star Game and Roast for Charles Barkley, a star-studded gala for MLB, and the very first College Football National Championship to name a few.
 
She has also served in key roles for the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, the 100th anniversary celebration of Ford Motor Company, and the Centennial Celebration of the State of Arizona. Her tradeshow and exhibition experience includes some of the largest and most recognizable conventions in the world including the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, and the World Energy Congress in Abu Dhabi.
 
Sallie’s career highlight to date was working with the City of Houston for 10 years to stage two mega-events starting with the bid for Super Bowl LI (51) and creating the financial and organizational structure once the game was awarded to Houston for 2017. She went on to become the president and CEO of the Houston Super Bowl Committee, raised over $75M, led 40 full time employees plus dozens of vendors and contractors, and recruited 10,000 volunteers. Super Bowl LIVE, the 10-day fan festival, along with the NFL Experience was attended by 1.3M people and focused a global media spotlight on Houston. Super Bowl LI was one of the most successful Super Bowls in history and generated $347M in economic impact for the Houston region.
 
Post Super Bowl, Sallie was tapped to lead the organizing committee that staged the 23rd World Petroleum Congress, a major global energy conference in 2021. She and her team raised over $30M to deliver this prestigious event that had not been held in the U.S. for 30 years.
Sallie’s ability to create successful sponsorship programs also led to working with the National MS Society to secure a million-dollar sponsorship for the well-known and highly popular MS 150 cycling event in Houston.
 
Sallie’s talents extend into communication and media, producing award-winning videos for major public events, employee communication programs, and tributes. She has won four Telly awards for direction and production. She has written and produced winning presentations for several destination marketing organizations competing for major events including Minneapolis, Phoenix, Houston, and Las Vegas. A career highlight was having the honor to work directly with the Vatican on the production of a videotaped message delivered by His Holiness, Pope Francis at the 2017 Super Bowl.
 
Sallie’s motivating leadership style, commitment to excellence and infectious enthusiasm are central to her success, resulting in what has been a very exciting and rewarding career.
Sallie is the inaugural WISE Houston Women of Inspiration Honoree in 2016.
 

GRETCHEN SHEIRR | President, Business Operations, Houston Rockets (2019 WOI Honoree)

Gretchen Sheirr

Gretchen Sheirr was named President of Business Operations of the Houston Rockets in May of 2021 following her 20th season with the team.  She began her stint with the Rockets as an account executive and worked her up, holding titles including Vice President of Sales & Service, Chief Revenue Officer, and Chief Operating Officer.
 
Early in her career, Sheirr spearheaded the implementation of a private-label ticketing venture, now known as AXS Ticketing, which garnered success for both the Rockets and Toyota Center.  Her comprehensive understanding of ticketing strategy and ability to forecast industry opportunities along with a commitment to digital innovation and fostering strong relationships within the Houston business community have been vital to the organization’s success.
 
Throughout her tenure, she has been responsible for growth of the revenue for both the Rockets and Toyota Center launching several key initiatives including the renovations of many hospitality spaces in the arena. She also implemented new global sales strategies leading to record revenues and implemented the Rockets jersey sponsorship platform. She now oversees all business operations for the Houston Rockets and Toyota Center, including finance, strategic planning, arena booking, facility management, marketing, media relations, sales, community and social responsibility and the Clutch City Foundation.
 
A native of Spring, Texas, Sheirr graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in marketing. She also was a four-year letter winner as a diver for LSU.  In 2017, she was named one of Sports Business Journal’s Forty Under 40, which annually recognizes the top young professionals in sports business.
 
Sheirr is a founding board member of WISE Houston, serves of the boards of March of Dimes Houston, Greater Houston Partnership, and Central Houston Inc. She and her husband, Ken, have twins, Zachary and Jordan, and live in The Woodlands.
 

MODERATOR: ANITA SEGHAL | Executive Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Houston Astros (2021 WOI Honoree)

Anita Sehgal

Anita Sehgal is currently in her 12th season with the Houston Astros, currently serving as Executive Vice President, Marketing & Communications. In her role, Anita provides strategic leadership for the ballclub’s retail, advertising, marketing, communications, broadcasting, and alumni relations, including support for a broad variety of sponsorship, ticket, special event, community, and the Astros Golf Foundation and Texas Children’s Houston Open initiatives.
 
Prior to joining the Houston organization, Anita spent over 20 years in various strategic marketing functions with several organizations, including FGL Sports, Best Buy and Academy Sports + Outdoors. Hailing from Canada’s Regina, Saskatchewan, Anita, who earned her United States citizenship in September of 2019, received a bachelor’s of business administration degree, with a focus in marketing and human resources, from the University of Regina.
 
She plays an active role in several Houston-based organizations, including her position as an Executive Committee Board Member of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Houston and a Board Member of WISE Houston.  She is also an active Marketing 50 member of World 50 and participates in Greater Houston Partnership Executive Women Program.   Anita serves as an Independent Board Director with Reitman’s Canada, Ltee, and Holley Inc – where she also serves as Chair for the Governance & Nominating Committee.  She is also a member of Women’s Corporate Directors and NACD.
 
In 2016, Anita was honored as one of Houston’s Top 15 Business Women by the National Diversity Council. In 2018, Anita was honored again by the National Diversity Council as the National Business Woman of the Year. She also received honors in 2018 as one of Texas Executive Women’s Women on the Move.  In November 2021, Anita was celebrated with the Woman of Inspiration award by WISE Houston, and she was also recognized in both 2021 and 2022 by the National Diversity Council as a Power 50, for her contributions and commitment to both business and community. In 2023, Houston Woman’s Magazine honored Anita as one of 50 Women of Influence.