Forum on Entrepreneurship Series

Gawlik is a dynamic leader with 25 years of experience in the government contracting domain, of which she has spent the last 15 years in various CFO roles. She is currently the Chief Financial Officer of the Electronics Segment of Arxis, Inc., having served as CFO of Arxis predecessors Quantic Electronics and Qnnect. Arxis, Inc. launched its initial public offering on the NASDAQ stock exchange earlier this year.

Arxis is a leading designer and manufacturer of proprietary, mission-critical electronic and mechanical components engineered for cutting-edge performance in extreme environments, serving the Defense and Space, Commercial Aerospace and Industrial Technology markets.

Prior to Arxis, Gawlik was the CFO of BEI Precision, the leader in encoder-based motion control systems for high-reliability applications. During Gawlik’s 5 years with BEI Precision, the company achieved 3 times revenue and 4 times EBITDA growth through both mergers and acquisitions and organic activity, before the company’s sale in 2021 to Quantic Electronics.

Before that, Gawlik was CFO of VT Group, a mid-sized government contracting services provider and held successive financial and accounting roles at VT Group, Lockheed Martin and U.S. Civil Service, where she started her career after graduating from St. Mary’s.

At St. Mary’s, Gawlik was active in the Beta Sigma Phi sorority and the Society of Honors Scholars (SMUSHS), as well as the Accounting Honors Program. Gawlik currently resides in New Braunfels, Texas with her husband Matt and her rescue beagle Willie Ray.

René Dominguez is the President and COO of the Texas Research and Technology Foundation (TRTF) and VelocityTX, where he leads initiatives that drive innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth in San Antonio. A proud St. Mary’s University alumnus, René earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the university and has built a career dedicated to community development and business advancement.

Before joining TRTF and VelocityTX, René served as Director of Economic Development for the City of San Antonio, helping attract major companies, support local business growth and generate thousands of jobs and billions in investment. Today, he is focused on transforming San Antonio’s East Side into a thriving hub for bioscience, technology and startup innovation, making a lasting impact on the region’s economic future.

Peter Holt serves as the CEO and General Manager of HOLT Group, a values-based, family-owned company serving the industrial world.

Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, HOLT Group includes companies such as HOLT CAT®, Texas First Rentals® and HOLT Truck Centers®. Holt is also a Managing Partner of Ironspring, a network-driven venture capital firm based in Austin, Texas. Additionally, he is the Chairman and Managing Partner of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs.

Holt is the great, great-grandson of Benjamin Holt, who introduced the first practical track-type tractor in 1904, which he named the Caterpillar®. Holt and his sister Corinna Holt Richter represent the fifth generation of the Holt family business and are proud to carry the distinguished HOLT legacy of service and innovation into the 21st century.

Holt is passionate about community impact through his work in education, nature conservancy and overcoming generational poverty. He resides in San Antonio with his wife, Lauren Kate and their children. Holt, along with his family, enjoys outdoor activities, traveling, hunting and anything related to the game of basketball.

Ajay Gupta has served as CEO of Stirista since founding the company in 2010 at the age of 26 and has overseen the data-driven, marketing services company’s rapid year-to-year financial growth as it has progressed from two employees to a team of nearly 200 spanning three continents. Gupta is an avid sports enthusiast and former NCAA athlete. When not working, he can be seen playing various company sports: tennis, soccer and sand volleyball.

Gupta holds a Bachelor’s degree in financial economics and creative writing with a minor in mathematics from St. Lawrence University, as well as an MFA in creative writing from Texas State University. He has been named a Marketing EDGE Rising Star and was part of the San Antonio Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list. Under his leadership, Stirista has won and Ad Age Best Places to Work Award, Deloitte Fast 500 and 7 straight Inc. 5,000 awards.