Truss, a Houston startup specializing in digital community engagement has added two big names in Houston innovation to its board of directors.
GHWCC Members Sandy Wallis and Gina Luna will both be key in moving forward Truss as new board members. Sandy Wallis is the co-founder and managing director of Weathergage Capital and the managing director of the HX Venture Fund, and Gina Luna is CEO of Luna Strategies and active member of several boards of directors.
Truss, which rebranded from FanReact in September, appointed Gina Luna and Sandy Wallis to its board of directors, according to a Nov. 19 press release. The board additions come as Truss aims to grow and enter new markets, according to the company.
“Our new board members are leaders in the Houston technology and innovation community, and their joining the Truss team is a testament to our compelling mission and broader market potential,” said Patrick Schneidau, CEO of Truss.
Luna is CEO of Houston-based Luna Strategies, which consults with business owners, C-level executives and investors on growth opportunities. Luna is also founding chairman of the board of Houston Exponential, or HX, a tech- and entrepreneur-focused nonprofit aimed at growing the Bayou City’s innovation ecosystem. She also serves on the boards of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Houston Branch and is chairman of the board of CHI St. Luke’s Health System. Luna also is a former chairman of the Greater Houston Partnership.
Prior to her work in consulting, Luna worked with JPMorgan Chase & Co. for 22 years, per the release. Her roles within the bank included COO for regional commercial and investment banking; chief marketing officer of the national commercial banking business; and regional chairman, among others.
“Truss is leading in digital community experiences for athletics and is in a high-growth phase as they expand into other sectors,” Luna said in the release. “I’m excited to join the board to help propel the mission and future direction of the company.”
Wallis is a co-founder and managing director of Weathergage Capital, a venture capital fund of funds that manages around $1 billion in VC partnership commitments, per the release. Wallis also serves as managing director of the HX Venture Fund — a $30 million fund of funds aimed at bringing outside VC investors into the Houston market. The HX Venture Fund approved its first investment in April when it invested $5 million in Austin-based LiveOak Venture Partners’ LiveOak Venture II fund.
Prior to founding Weathergage Capital, Wallis served as a principal of Knightsbridge Advisers, another fund of funds, per the release. Wallis serves as a board member of Lawndale Arts Center and as a trustee for the University of the South, Sewanee.
“Truss is for organizations and their audiences who want better user experiences and levels of engagement in their digital communities,” Wallis said in the release. “The market is ready for Truss’s privacy-focused platform to serve these organizations. I appreciate the focus on diversity at the company and its passion for hiring the best talent across the board — goals from the company’s leaders I look forward to seeing continue long term.”
Truss hired Schneidau, the former chief marketing officer of Houston-based Pros Holdings Inc. (NYSE: PROS), as its CEO in March. In conjunction with Schneidau’s appointment in March, the firm spun out its esports subsidiary, Mainline, into its own standalone company. Truss has an office at 4200 Montrose Blvd.