Dan Dillard is a serial entrepreneur with deep roots in Austin and a passion for storytelling.

He founded foundingAUSTIN in 2016 from a desire to help established and aspiring entrepreneurs manifest their unique innovations and enjoy the freedom, creativity, and purpose that he has found through his multiple ventures.

Dan witnessed the inefficiency, inadequacy, and extreme cost of traditional post-high-school educational routes firsthand. As a longtime resident of the entrepreneurial ecosystem that is Austin, Dan knew many people who took the road less traveled and built something successful independent of these conventional professional pathways. He wanted to create a space for these individuals to share their stories – the good, the bad, and the ugly – and talk about the challenges, successes, and lessons they experienced throughout their journeys. Dan hopes that anyone considering an alternative path to success will find inspiration, education, and community at foundingAUSTIN.

In addition to the work he does for fA and founding_media, Dan also manages the wealth of a select group of clients at NEST Financial and is dedicated to expanding the accessibility of financial education. When Dan isn’t mentoring others and encouraging people to follow their passion, you can find him hanging out with his daughter, wake-surfing, smoking barbecue, and exploring the great outdoors.

Deborah Hamilton-Lynne is a writer, editor, and marketing and media consultant who has been in love with words her entire life. Hamilton-Lynne has been a published writer and columnist for more than three decades and is a playwright and author. She arrived in Austin — the city of her heart — more than 20 years ago, and hopes never to leave.

She served as editor-in-chief of Austin Woman and ATX Man magazines from 2011 to 2015, and has been part of foundingAUSTIN since the early days of the magazine in 2016. She is a fountain of knowledge for all things Austin and specializes in politics, civic engagement, professional and corporate profiles, travel, leisure, and informational and creative content. When she’s not scoping out a new story or writing a riveting article, she enjoys spending time with her family and traveling to experience new cuisine and art exhibits.

Julie Martin, Director of Marketing & Operations

As the Director of Marketing and Operations for foundingAUSTIN, Julie is our Jill-of-all-Trades and Master of Most. She organizes the team and our processes to ensure that everything happening behind-the-scenes runs efficiently. Julie has an MBA and over a decade of experience running marketing and operations for all sorts of creative industries, from retail to music. As an herbalist, rancher, serial entrepreneur, and mother, Julie doesn’t have a ton of free time. When she’s not crossing t’s and dotting i’s for foundingAUSTIN, you might find her building one of her multiple ventures, caring for the plants and animals on her ranch, or exploring the community with her daughters and husband.

Lynn Wise, Copy Editor

Lynn Wise is a proud sixth-generation Texan and an almost-native Austinite — meaning she has a solid frame of reference for how special the capital city is! She is passionate about sharing the stories of the people who make Austin such a special oasis, and serves foundingAUSTIN as a Copy Editor.

Always drawn to people and their stories, Lynn started her career in foreign policy and digital media. She has since changed course to focus full time on real estate, as Realtor with Regent Property Group and as partner in several residential investment ventures in town. Like most people who consider themselves writers, Lynn has never been able to give up the craft. She continues her search for good stories and writes them down whenever given the opportunity.