Our Welcome to the City networking event in Austin will feature inspiring alumni, each recognized as a leader within the Bobcat community! They'll share key moments from their professional journeys and guide interactive networking activities to help you make meaningful connections with fellow alumni.
Aaron Barker, JD
Managing Partner - Austin Office and Head of Venture Best, Texas
Michael Best & Friedrich LLP
Aaron advises clients on a broad range of corporate and transactional matters, with a focus on equity and debt financings, private equity and venture capital investments, and strategic transactions such as mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations, spin-outs, and asset sales, along with general corporate law and governance. He also supports public companies with offerings, SEC compliance, and reporting. Aaron works closely with technology, life sciences, consumer brands, and other emerging growth companies from formation through exit, guiding both management teams and boards. Prior to joining Michael Best, he served as a Corporate and Securities Partner and Chair of the Emerging Companies Group at a Texas-based national law firm and was previously a senior corporate and securities attorney at an AmLaw 50 firm in Austin.
Jessika Zamora
Associate Director - Visual Merchandising
Four Hands Furniture
Jessika Zamora is the Associate Director of Visual Merchandising at Four Hands and a graduate of Texas State University. She leads visual merchandising strategy and execution across major industry trade shows, including High Point Market, Las Vegas Market, and Boutique Design New York (BDNY), as well as customer retail programs and brand experiences. Throughout her career, she has partnered with cross-functional teams to create impactful showroom environments, drive customer engagement, and support millions of dollars in sales opportunities.
Passionate about leadership and professional growth, Jessika has built a career rooted in creativity, collaboration, and continuous learning. Outside of work, she is a wife and mother of two who values family, health, and travel. She enjoys mentoring emerging professionals and sharing her journey from Texas State University to leadership, encouraging graduates to embrace new opportunities and remain open to the unexpected paths that shape a successful career.
Rodolfo Jimenez, PhD
Senior Program Manager - AI Healthcare Security Operations
Amazon
Dr. Rudy Jimenez currently works at Amazon in healthcare security operations, where he oversees AI initiatives to ensure the safe delivery of medication and medical care. Prior to Amazon, he spent over 10 years in higher education working as a consultant for Trellis Company, a Retention Officer with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, and as a Director at UT Austin. Rudy obtained his PhD from UTSA in cellular and molecular biology. He graduated from Texas State in fall 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. Outside of his professional career, Rudy has served on boards for the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in the Sciences, the Pflugerville Education Foundation, and Leadership Austin. He also served as a Commissioner for the Hispanic Quality of life Commission for the city of Austin. He is originally from Edinburg, TX in the RGV. Currently he lives in Pflugerville, TX with his wife Jessika, his two children and two beagles.
See you in Austin!
Welcome to the City will foster meaningful connections that support a strong transition from student to young professional within the Bobcat network.