Carl Dorvil

As the son of Haitian immigrants, Dorvil graduated from SMU with a unique triple major in Public Policy, Economics, and Psychology with distinction. He also received his MBA from the prestigious Cox School of Business. Throughout his career, Dorvil has led multiple companies across various industries—such as education, energy, finance, and insurance—from start-up stages to multi-million dollar enterprises. His entrepreneurial focus has been on social enterprises. In 2004, he founded Group Excellence, a socially conscious business providing mentorship and tutoring to K-12 students nationwide. Initially funded by the Texas Instrument Foundation, Group Excellence became one of the largest tutoring companies in Texas, delivering over 800,000 hours of tutoring services and creating more than 2,000 jobs. In 2011, Dorvil sold the company but continued to contribute to its social and non-profit initiatives. He reacquired the business in 2013 for 10% of its original sale price and later sold it again. In 2016, Dorvil led his first company to go public. He was honored by US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross as the youngest African American to take a company public in US history. Under his leadership, the company's revenue increased tenfold, leading to recognition from The Dallas Morning News as the fastest growing public company in North Texas. Currently, Dorvil serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Arete Advisory, an insurance brokerage and advisory firm dedicated to assisting individuals, families, and businesses in finding the best insurance plans suited to their unique needs and budgets.