Texas Woman of the Year

Bauer College Executive Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) student Raquel Bonds is the Texas Woman of the Year.

Honored recently at the Fourth Annual Female Executives of Texas Awards, Bonds was recognized for her work within the community as a real estate investor, business owner, educator and speaker. With more than 20 years of experience in real estate, her mission is to empower families and entrepreneurs by guiding them in building financial stability.

The Texas Woman of the Year Award was voted on by the public, which made Bonds feel all the more honored by it.

“It was very emotional,” Bonds said. “I was excited to learn that’s what people think of me.”

In addition to her real estate ventures, Bonds is also the founder of Vessana...to heal!, a company that helps people by offering accessible resources that may assist with mental health. Their mission is to encourage personal growth and mental wellness through digital courses, self-reflection journals and self-help books.

Bonds founded Vessana after navigating her own personal healing journey, she said, and seeking to be the person for others that she needed when she was experiencing hard times.

“I hope to be an inspiration by living a life that people can recognize. When I share my story, I want them to see I made it through and think to themselves, ‘if she can do it, so can I.’”

Raquel Bonds

In the Executive DBA program at Bauer, Bonds has dedicated her time and research to foster success for all people through the lens of prison reformation.

In her dissertation, “From Prison Bars to Business: A Pathway to Reduce Recidivism,” Bonds works with returning citizens to learn their stories and the resources that would have made their transition back into society easier.

Sustainable employment and housing are just the tip of the iceberg, but the real challenge lies in eliminating negative stereotypes surrounding people with a criminal history, she said.

“Everyone deserves a second chance... but if the moment they re-enter society we start knocking them down again, is that really a second chance?” she asked.

Throughout her time at Bauer, Bonds has developed a strong relationship with her peers. As a member of the inaugural cohort of the Executive DBA program, she said she felt herself grow alongside the program.

Studying with a group of dynamic students who were all supportive of each other on their academic journeys was also helpful in her development, she added.

“Your cohort is like a family,” Bonds. said.

She will be graduating in the upcoming spring commencement ceremony after defending her dissertation.