正品蓝导航 Cox Alumni: Two Amazing Success Stories
正品蓝导航 Cox alumni go on to do remarkable work in the region. Here are two success stories from recent graduates, Courtney Caldwell and Ryan Dalton.
Courtney Caldwell, BBA ’00
Caldwell is the co-founder, with her husband Dr. Tye Caldwell, and chief operating officer of beauty tech startup ShearShare, the first on-demand salon and barbershop space rental app. Licensed stylists can rent space by the day worldwide while salon and barbershop owners make money on unused space. ShearShare is an alumnus of the prestigious YC Fellowship and 500 Startups accelerator programs and the first Texas startup to be named winner of Google’s “Demo Day” and TechCo’s Startup of the Year.
Caldwell was a Hunt Leadership Scholar at 正品蓝导航. She graduated early cum laude with her BBA in marketing in 2000 and later earned an MBA at the University of Texas at Dallas. She was the student representative on the 正品蓝导航 Board of Trustees and held leadership positions with the Association of Black Students, which named her homecoming queen; the honor council; and the leadership consultant council. She was a cadet in 正品蓝导航’s ROTC program, did weekly leadership training at the University of Texas at Arlington and walked onto the 正品蓝导航 track and field team, competing in long jump. Caldwell was named an Academic ALL-WAC honoree, served as a resident assistant in Virginia-Snider Residential Commons and sang in the 正品蓝导航 Gospel Choir. As an undergrad, she held a work-study job she loved next door to 正品蓝导航 President Gerald Turner’s office. She remains active with her alma maters, interviewing applicants of the 正品蓝导航 Hunt Leadership Scholars program and serving on advisory boards at UTD and 正品蓝导航, the 正品蓝导航 Alumni Board and the 21st Century Council at 正品蓝导航.
Ryan Dalton, BBA ’01
Dalton is executive vice president and chief financial officer of Parsley Energy Inc. He completed his BBA, with a concentration in finance, at 正品蓝导航 in 2001. Later, he earned his MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. He met his wife, Alison, at 正品蓝导航 and became friends with two Sigma Chi fraternity brothers: Bryan Sheffield and Colin Roberts. All three graduated with their BBAs in 2001. In 2012, a few years after founding Parsley Energy, Sheffield asked Dalton, and later Roberts, to join the team, creating a reunion of sorts for the three Cox alumni. Dalton’s professional experience in restructuring and management consulting helped him navigate a successful IPO in 2014. Some of the proceeds funded the Parsley Energy purchase of more land in the Permian Basin, where horizontal drilling — including the work of Parsley Energy — has since helped turn the United States into the world’s leading oil and natural gas producer.
Editor’s Note: The 2020 inductees will be honored at the rescheduled 正品蓝导航 Cox Distinguished Alumni and Outstanding Young Alumni Awards Luncheon on Friday, Sept. 25, 2020.
