An Immediate Sense of Belonging

City: Dallas

Neighborhood: Knox-Henderson

Company/Title: Weaver, Senior Associate II

When did you move here? Where from?
April 2018 from Melbourne, Australia.

What made you Say Yes to Dallas? 
In 2016, I lived and worked in Dallas for a short three months, and obviously liked it enough to move here permanently. During this time, I very quickly got a feel for Texan and Dallas culture and the region’s demographic, which I found very appealing. Texan culture is particularly inclusive – I felt an immediate sense of belonging in Texas like a jigsaw piece falling into its place. Dallas is a booming city with enormous economic growth, job opportunities and a vibrant social scene from sports to music, festivals and dining. I felt and continue to feel that Dallas offers limitless professional and social opportunities in an innovative and exciting landscape, while maintaining its southern salt-of-the-earth charm.

How did you choose where to live in the Dallas Region?
For the most part, I relied on my experience in Dallas during 2016; however, I also heavily researched each area online and reached out to Dallas locals and real estate agents. Deep Ellum, Uptown, Knox-Henderson and everything in between offer very similar living accommodations with slight differences in resident ages and life stages.

Tell us about your city/neighborhood. What do you like best? What makes it different?
At risk of sounding like a broken record – the demographic. I was eager to find a place and space where I would be surrounded by mid-twenty-year-old young professionals already progressing within their careers. Also, I enjoy the proximity to the city, bars, restaurants and the American Airlines Center (AAC) which I frequent. I would be hard pressed to find another city where I am able to live with the same level of comfort and amenities so close to the central business district and surrounded by such a lively social population.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to move here?
Carefully research the different neighborhoods of Dallas and speak to similar-minded locals. Rental prices vary significantly through the seasons and some careful planning can help this work in your favor. Perseverance is critical for those considering moving internationally. Dallas has a relatively small expat community and settling in processes/activities can be difficult at times – but not impossible! That aside, the rewards of moving to Dallas far outweigh the difficulties of the move. Pack your bags and head on over!

What would you miss most about the area if you had to leave?
I would miss having such immediate and convenient access to social opportunities with like-minded and similar-aged people.

Tell us about the work environment here.
At Weaver in Dallas, the work environment is challenging in the best possible way. A genuine care for each employee’s progression, personal and professional lives, and comfort is clear. The Dallas professional scene is competitive and filled with ambitious hard workers. However, Weaver respects each employee’s time and personal commitments and staff are trusted to balance their time appropriately without feeling pressured or exhausted.

Where do you go and what do you do on the weekends or days off?
During the summer I relish any weekend I can have by the pool. Dallas is hot and then it gets hotter. Over the winter I find myself in Deep Ellum, Knox-Henderson, or attending a variety of sports games.

What is your passion, and how does the Dallas Region help fulfill it?
I am passionate about meeting people and growing my social and professional networks. Dallas has infinite opportunities to continue to meet people in comfortable settlings.

Where do you feel most at home in the Dallas Region?
The Rustic or the Katy Trail Ice House. These restaurant/bars are lively, charming, social and casual. They blend a comfortable easy going social atmosphere with the outdoors, Texan culture and music.

How do you interact with your community?
I play on a volleyball league and another alternating sports league, frequent my religious community, regularly volunteer with the friendship circle, attend work-hosted social events and never miss a big sports watch party.

Do you travel often? Is it easier or harder to do here?
This year I have only travelled to Australia. For the most part this is easy (albeit long) as there are direct flights between Dallas and Sydney daily.




A Meaningful, Cultural Experience

City: Dallas

Neighborhood: Oak Lawn

Company/Title: Dallas Summer Musicals, Director of Individual Giving

When did you move here? Where from?
I relocated to Dallas in April 2018. I previously resided in Omaha, where I was the associate director of development, donor relations at Omaha Performing Arts.

Where else have you lived? 
I was born and raised in Pittsburgh and New York City. I went to college and graduate school in the greater Washington, D.C. area.

What made you Say Yes to Dallas? 
I have a BFA in Musical Theatre, an MS in Arts Management and a Certificate of Fundraising Management. The performing arts has always been my passion. With Dallas Summer Musicals’ recent partnership with Broadway Across America, and with one of the largest Broadway touring venues in the country – The Music Hall at Fair Park – the opportunity to relocate to Dallas for a newly created position was one I couldn’t pass up.

How did you choose where to live in the Dallas Region?
Honestly, on a whim! My partner Jimy and I love Oak Lawn because of the walkability to restaurants and nightlife, and because it provides a dog-friendly neighborhood for our three fur babies. It’s also less than 20 minutes, with minimal traffic during rush hour, to my office in Fair Park.

Tell us about your city/neighborhood. What do you like best? What makes it different?
I like that Dallas (and specifically, Oak Lawn) is not only diverse, but also equitable and inclusive. I often say to friends from the northeast that Dallas is the most diverse place I’ve ever lived—including NYC.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to move here?
Go out and do something new every chance you get. The museums, arts, food, culture, and recreation are why Dallas is a desirable, economical, cosmopolitan city.

How has your opinion of the Dallas Region changed since moving here?
I really had no idea how expansive the city was. It’s sprawling.

Tell us about the work environment here.
I am passionate about the arts and its role in understanding the human condition. Standing in the back of a dark theater at the end of the day, watching a child’s immersion as they watch “The Lion King” or “Beauty and the Beast” live on stage, makes any work hardship worth it for me.

Where do you go and what do you do on the weekends or days off?
We love to barhop on Cedar Springs or take trips to visit my partner’s mom in Fort Worth.

What is your favorite outside activity, and where is your favorite place to do it?
Walking our three dogs, two dachshunds and a husky mix, in Oak Lawn.

How do you interact with your community?
I love working performances at Fair Park because I see the entire community, coming together, for a meaningful cultural experience. It’s the best.

Do you travel often? Is it easier or harder to do here?
I do! With close proximity to Love Field and DFW, transportation to Pittsburgh and New York City is a breeze.

What would you miss most about the area if you had to leave?
The diversity, equity, and inclusivity of people I interact with every day.

What is your favorite restaurant in the Dallas Region?
We love Paul Martin’s—their happy hour is terrific. We also frequent Street’s Fine Chicken and Orno.




The elements of an Alkamist

Name: Sybil Mulokwa

What made you say “Yes” to Alkami?
When I was interviewing here, the most interesting thing about it was that it was a whole a new industry for me. Before I got here, the discipline of user research didn’t exist. Now, we’ve got a team on it. Another reason is the culture. Smart people work in the building, and  the amount of information they can remember and recall to get the job done always amazes me. We’ve got great clients too. Everything across the board was a check yes for me coming to Alkami.

What can you find at Alkami that you can’t find anywhere else?
First, an awesome founder of a company. Second, the culture and the complexity of the space. If you’re someone that likes to solve problems and look at things with different perspectives, angles and points of views, you can find that here. I like to challenge myself and stretch my thinking at Alkami. There’s such a mix of awesome people and solving tricky problems, and we solve it in different, interesting ways. You’re not gonna find that everywhere.

What are the benefits of Alkami being in the Dallas Region?
I’ve lived here for several years, but I’ve lived all over – Illinois, D.C., and Atlanta. The people here are amazing. I live in Flower Mound, but when I look at what’s here and what’s 30 minutes away, I can go to a great art or cultural event, and it’s not that bad of a commute. Compared to D.C., everything is very accessible and parking here is not an issue – it doesn’t sound like a big deal, but in D.C. it was $25/day for parking to go to work. I appreciate the wide open space that I’m used to now.

What does Alkami do to give back to the community?
We’ve got several programs. We’ve got one working with kids called Bold Idea where we have some kids come in and developers and engineers will teach these kids, which is amazing to see. We participate in the Feed the City program, which isn’t just a 2-3 person thing but a team of 10-15 employees that also bring their families to help making sandwiches or lunch bags for people in need. They do amazing work.

What is the company culture like at Alkami?
It’s a fast environment, but a fun environment – a work hard, play hard kind of place. We’re smart and bold. We make big investments and we value partnerships with our clients, and that’s embodied in the deals we make and customers that we have. There are people who are really savvy and always thinking about what the future looks like, so the company is the same way. We’re not going to be the same company today that we’ll be in two years. When I started almost two years ago, we were all sitting cramped on one floor and now we’re the biggest tenant in the building, and we’re still expanding. We’re constantly building and growing and excelling and thinking about our culture compounds. There’s so many things we value in each employee. We even have a culture ambassador – which shows how important it is to the company and that we believe a strong culture leads to success.

If you could describe Alkami in one word, what would it be?
I’d say innovative – in the way we approach our problems, in the problems we choose to solve, and the way we pull things together and pull them apart. If you look up the word “alchemy,” it’s about taking these elements and turning it into something magnificent, and that’s exactly what we do. We take the talent, the people. the culture, the technology, and mix it up together to end up with a gold standard in digital banking.

Learn more about Alkami >




Opportunities at Alkami

Name: Tyson Harding

Position: Senior Project Manager

What made you say “Yes” to Alkami?
I had been traveling to Texas for about eight years on and off for different clients, and I fell in love with Texas and the Dallas Region. I explored a couple of different opportunities along the way. When I was contacted by Alkami, there was just a really big, different feeling in environment and culture throughout the entire process, from the initial phone call to every interview and onsite visit. I was able to take a leap with me and my family get to Texas and it felt right at home to be able to come here.

What can you find at Alkami that you can’t find anywhere else?
Besides the daily catered lunches, their investment in employees and what Alkami is trying to accomplish. We’re growing really fast and there are some growing pains, but that also brings a lot of excitement. Everybody here is really excited about coming to work. We all want to work together to try and solve the problems that we have, so if I had to say one thing that Alkami has that you can’t find anywhere else, it’s the care and effort that goes into the everyday life here.

How has Alkami being in the Dallas Region benefitted you and your family?
Alkami gave me the opportunity to move to Texas from northern Utah. My whole family has enjoyed it – just being able to move here and be in a bigger city and the access to so many different things – a lot of different culture things. I’ve enjoyed it from a career and work perspective.

What does Alkami do to give back to the community?
One of my favorite things tat I’ve participated in is the Feed the City program. Once a month, we’ll go over to a restaurant and make sandwiches to feed the homeless. During Christmas, instead of a food drive, we were able to do a school supply drive and donate a bunch of school supplies to the teachers and schools that needed it. We also do a bunch and stay involved in programs that support STEM, like Women Who Code and Bold Idea.

What is the company culture like at Alkami?
Overall, the company culture is very exciting and diverse. You have the opportunity to meet a ton of different people with a ton different backgrounds, which makes it really fun. There’s never a dull moment as far as lack of conversation – you can always learn something new.

If you could describe Alkami in one word, what would it be?
I would say collaborative. Here at Alkami, you can’t succeed unless you collaborate. Everyone here is willing to share knowledge, and there’s a feeling of not being afraid to ask questions because you might have an answer for someone and they might have an answer for you. Everyone realizes the situation – that we’re all in it together regardless of your department, so everyone wants to help. On my key card, there’s a list of “essential compounds” for the company, and “caring and collaboration” is one of them. That’s one of our goals that we focus on, and I’d say that’s one of my favorite ones.




To do in Dallas: State Fair

One of the biggest events in the Dallas Region requires a little navigation. Here’s your ultimate guide to everything you need to know before, during, and after (plus some recap videos from previous years).

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Before

  • Get the best discount possible.

You can use code 19STATEFAIR to save $5 on a set of 2 tickets or $10 on a set of 4 tickets.

Our friends at CultureMap Dallas made a great and very detailed list for getting every discount possible for this year’s State Fair!

  • Interested in seeing a specific performance? Plan your days accordingly.

The State Fair wouldn’t be the same without live music, with a wide range of artists performing on the multiple stages in the park. All the performances are FREE to watch and included in your admission ticket for that day.

You can find the lineups for all stages on the State Fair of Texas website.

  • Map your route. Trust us, the place is huge.

Fair Park is HUGE and it is easy getting lost in the crowd if you have no idea where you’re going. Lucky for you, you can see an interactive fairgrounds map on the State Fair website and find the best possible route to try all of this year’s food winners.

  • The State Fair is known for its food and huge crowds.

Don’t limit your meal to the 2019 food winners – take a look at the list of finalists (and semi-finalists) for each category (sweet and savory) to expand your options. Don’t forget about the State Fair classics too – like the turkey legs and anything other food that could possibly be fried.

  • Know when, where, and how you’re getting there.

We’ll make this part easy. They’re open 9/27-10/20 from 10 AM-9 PM (for Fridays and Saturdays, 10 AM – 10 PM). The State Fair of Texas is located at Fair Park. If you’re driving there, parking is $20 in the surrounding official parking lots (don’t worry about parking near or far the entrance because there are tram stops throughout the parking lots that’ll pick you up and drop you off). If you live close, consider a rideshare that may end up being cheaper.

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During

  • Remember that there are some things you cannot bring, but also some helpful things that you can bring.

Be sure to check the official list of allowed/not allowed items.

Did you know you can bring your own wagon to wheel the little ones around the fairgrounds? You’re also allowed to bring in personal food and non-alcoholic beverages, but your coolers and ice chests will be searched.

  • For newbies: all food at the State Fair must be purchased with coupons.

And that’s what they call their tickets. Each coupon is $0.50 and you can buy them at booths throughout the Fair with credit cards or cash. However, we recommend bringing some cash because the paring-with-cash lines are usually shorter. It’s okay to buy too many – you can use them at future Fairs if you don’t finish them this year.

  • An important question: are you or are you not a football fan?

Make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into! The Cotton Bowl Stadium is located in the middle of Fair Park and is the home of 3 big football games – the biggest one being the AT&T Red River Showdown. If there are teams you’re wanting to support, buy your football tickets FIRST because Fair admission is included on game day.

Wanting to avoid the football crowd and visit on a less packed weekend? Make sure your visiting weekend isn’t the same weekend as the State Fair Classic (Sept. 28), the Red River Showdown (Oct. 12), or the State Fair Football Showdown (Oct. 19). If you’re determined to brave the crowd on those weekends, consider wearing relevant school colors.

  • There are some things you never even realized existed at the State Fair that you should definitely take advantage of.
    • You can listen, watch, and learn from the Dallas Region’s best and most popular chefs at the Cutco Celebrity Chef Kitchen (pro tip: stay until the end to try samples of what they prepare during the show!).
    • If you’re a wine person, you can visit winery tasting stations, featuring 3 different wineries per day (see schedule here). You can also try wines from all over Texas that won the GO TEXAN Blue Ribbon winners.
  • Whether you love it or not, you HAVE to see the Texas Auto Show.

Their display of cars will make you realize you want every single one in that building. Featuring 400 different models from the world’s leading manufacturers, you will be glad you walked into their room to escape the heat. There’s also interactive games and entertainment there to see once you realize you can’t drive any of those cars home.

 

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After

  • Share your visit with your friends!

We’re sure you had a blast. Don’t forget to use the Fair’s hashtags #StateFairofTX and #BigTex for a chance to be noticed – or even featured!

You can even use our hashtag #SayYesToDallas for a chance to have your picture featured on our social media!

  • Make plans for next year.

It’s never too early to start planning. The dates for the 2020 State Fair of Texas are September 25 – October 18, 2020.

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Videos

Check out our recap videos from last year!

📹 Videos by Jane Martens