Dallas Mavericks out CEO and Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Welts will headline the 2026 Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) Conference this October, joining more than 1,200 MBA students, alumni, business professionals, executives, entrepreneurs and corporate leaders from across North America for three days of leadership, recruiting and connection in Dallas.
Welts became CEO of the Dallas Mavericks in 2025 after a career spanning more than four decades at the NBA league office and three NBA franchises. He made history in 2011 as the highest-ranking executive in men’s professional team sports to publicly come out as gay and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.
Also taking the stage will be Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, whose keynote, “$70 and a Dream: My Unlikely Path to CEO,” brings their story back to Dallas. Black will share their journey from arriving in Dallas with just $70 to becoming a CEO, and the lessons on leadership, authenticity, and opportunity they learned along the way.
“Rick and Jaymes bring two extraordinary leadership stories to this year’s conference — and both have a meaningful connection to Dallas,” said Dr. Ryn Skultety, executive director of Reaching Out MBA. “Their journeys show what can happen when people have the opportunity to lead authentically and open doors for those coming behind them.”
One of the nation’s premier business leadership and recruiting conferences, ROMBA will feature leadership development, networking and recruiting opportunities.
ROMBA’s investment in Dallas began months before the conference. Since selecting the city as its 2026 host, the organization has partnered with the North Texas LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce, Visit Dallas, SMU Cox School of Business and Resource Center. Earlier this year, ROMBA hosted its national Club Leadership Summit at SMU, bringing MBA student leaders from across the country to Dallas. Conference attendees will also engage with local businesses and organizations throughout conference week, including an evening event at the Round-Up Saloon.
“The ROMBA Conference brings together exactly the kind of talent, employers and entrepreneurs that strengthen a regional economy,” said Tony Vedda, President and CEO of the North Texas LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce. “We’re proud to welcome attendees to Dallas and connect them with the businesses, organizations, and people that make North Texas such a dynamic place to live and work.”
For more information or to register, visit their website.
— from staff reports