Ruby Martinez-Berrier is a San Antonio native and works as an Outreach Analyst II for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, San Antonio Branch. Her primary functions include collecting, analyzing, and reporting on business conditions in the community as well as facilitating speakers and events on behalf of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas in the 11K region.
Ruby was recently a 2023 NABE Scholar and serves as a board member on the San Antonio Business and Economics Society. Ruby has professional experience in research, economic development, and finance. Additionally, she holds an Adjunct Professor role at the University of the Incarnate Word where she teaches introductory macro- and micro-economics.
Ruby received a BA in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin and an MS in Local Economic Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Richard Fetchick is the Vice President of Business Insights at greater:SATX Regional Economic Partnership. He has worked internationally and at the state, regional, and local level to further community economic development.
Richard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from The University of Chicago and a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from Florida State University. Richard resides in City of San Antonio, having returned in 2021 after growing up in the region.
Jesse Evans is the COO and Co-Founder of Maverick BioMetals, an innovative biotech startup developing sustainable lithium and critical metal refining technologies. Their proprietary BioExtraction aims to reduce the negative environmental impacts and high costs of traditional metal extraction and processing.
Jesse has worked at several early stage startups in operations and business development prior to starting Maverick BioMetals. He has a diverse background in finance, environmental science, geology and music. Jesse is an avid traveler and SCUBA diver.
Taylor Collins is the Chair of the Department of Economics and Management at University of the Incarnate Word. He teaches Principles of Economics, Econometrics, Game Theory and Strategic Applications, Macroeconomic Forecasting, Managerial Economics, and the MBA Capstone. His research is primarily in the field of energy economics, with a slant toward macroeconomic analysis; he has presented at state, national, and international conferences.
Taylor received his PhD in Economics from the University of Houston in 2017 and is a casual golfer and a not-so-casual college football fan.
Stephanie Phillips is currently the Senior Deconstruction & Circular Economy Program Manager at the City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation. She leads the administration of the largest deconstruction ordinance in the United States, which aims to maximize building material salvage for reuse while advancing the San Antonio’s climate action, public health, affordable housing, cultural heritage, and workforce development goals. Additionally, she develops strategic partnerships focused on building material recovery and reuse, which has helped launch the Material Innovation Center at Port San Antonio; create a research partnership with UT-San Antonio; and integrate deconstruction contractor training into city workforce development initiatives.
Stephanie is also the co-founder of Circular San Antonio and am a 2023 J.M.K. Innovation Prize awardee.
Stephanie also loves forging interdisciplinary, silo-busting partnerships that help build local, equitable, and inclusive reuse ecosystems. (After all, the landfill doesn’t deserve reusable materials — our communities do!)
