HKEC Team

Luis Martins

Director of the Herb Kelleher Entrepreneurship Center | Herb Kelleher Chair in Entrepreneurship | James B. Goodson Professor of Business

Research Areas: Strategic Cognition; Entrepreneurship; Innovation; Organizational Change; Diversity in Organizations

Luis L. Martins is the Director of the Herb Kelleher Entrepreneurship Center, the Herb Kelleher Chair in Entrepreneurship, and the James B. Goodson Professor of Business at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. He earned his Ph.D. in Management from the Stern School of Business at New York University. Prior to joining UT Austin, he was on the faculty of the College of Management at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and before that at the School of Business at the University of Connecticut.

Dr. Martins conducts research on the cognitive underpinnings of entrepreneurship, innovation, organizational change, team dynamics, and work performance. His research has appeared in several top management journals, and has been covered in major newspapers such as the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune.

Dr. Martins teaches strategic innovation and entrepreneurship, change management, leadership, and managing teams in the McCombs School’s full-time and professional MBA programs, and is a popular instructor on these topics in its executive programs. He has won several teaching awards, including the Jim Nolen Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching, the Houston MBA Professor of the Program Award, the Joe D. Beasley Award for Teaching Excellence in the MBA Curriculum, and the Fawn and Vijay Mahajan Teaching Excellence Award for Executive Education, at the McCombs School of Business, and is routinely on the Faculty Honor Rolls of the Full-Time MBA Program as well as the Working Professionals MBA Programs in Austin, Dallas, and Houston.

His consulting and executive development clients include Accenture, AT&T, BBVA Compass, Coca Cola, Dun & Bradstreet, Essilor, FBI Crime Labs, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, Lower Colorado River Authority, McKesson, NASA, National Instruments, Petrobras, Samsung, SXSW, Waffle House, and WEG Electric.

Contact Luis:
Luis.Martins@mccombs.utexas.edu
512-471-5287

Barrett Pearce

Barrett is an impact-focused entrepreneur, creative marketer, and Gallup Certified CliftonStrengths Coach. She has 10 years of experience in leadership development with a focus on talent, wellness, and entrepreneurship consulting in Higher Education. Her previous work experiences include Apple, Obama For America, Disney, and more. Within each role, she values transformational servant leadership, building authentic relationships, and modeling a growth mindset. Barrett has been asked to speak at multiple national conferences on topics such as career growth, team leadership, and organic marketing strategies.

Contact Barrett

Barrett.Pearce@mccombs.utexas.edu

512-471-0707

Ali Arnold

Ali Arnold is the Communications Specialist of the Herb Kelleher Entrepreneurship Center. In her role, she manages the Center’s communications strategy, creates promotional content, and executes programmatic campaigns.

Prior to her career in Higher Education Marketing, Ali spent 7 years honing her craft as an artist, during which she received several awards and recognitions for her work, most notably having her work showcased in the Mississippi Museum of Art. In a strategic pivot away from fine arts, Ali received her Bachelor’s Degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from the University of Mississippi.

Ali’s unique blend of creative and analytic thinking is what drives her passion for understanding the consumer perspective and using data-driven insight to develop brands that truly resonate. Before joining the HKEC in 2022, Ali worked with family on a specialty foods startup, overseeing the creative development and web design. In addition to her role with the HKEC, Ali offers freelance graphic design services and brand workshopping to Austin-based startups. In her free time, Ali can be found wandering the aisles of Trader Joe’s, with her nose buried in a book, or taking selfies with her cat, Stella.

Contact Ali:

Ali.Arnold@mccombs.utexas.edu

512-232-6885

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Hello, It's Nice to Meet You!

Luis Martins

Barrett Pearce

Ali Arnold

Luis Martins

Barrett Pearce

Ali Arnold

THE HERB KELLEHER ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTER Making Entrepreneurship Accessible to All Longhorns

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Inspiration

Resources

Opportunities

THE HERB KELLEHER ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTER Making Entrepreneurship Accessible to All Longhorns

FOLLOW US

Inspiration

Resources

Opportunities

Luis Martins

Director of the Herb Kelleher Entrepreneurship Center | Herb Kelleher Chair in Entrepreneurship | James B. Goodson Professor of Business

Research Areas: Strategic Cognition; Entrepreneurship; Innovation; Organizational Change; Diversity in Organizations

Barrett Pearce

Ali Arnold

THE HERB KELLEHER ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTER
Making Entrepreneurship Accessible to All Longhorns

THE HERB KELLEHER ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTER
Making Entrepreneurship Accessible to All Longhorns