Barrett Guillen is Chief Partnership Officer for Brené Brown Education and Research Group. With her team, Barrett supports both Brené and the organization by managing relationships and Dare to Lead client engagements. Barrett holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in kinesiology from the University of Houston. After more than a decade in education in the Texas Panhandle, Barrett and her family made the move back to the Houston area to join the BBEARG team in making the world a braver place. Having the opportunity to work with her sisters every day has been one of the great joys of her life. Outside the office, you can find Barrett spending time with her family (immediate and extended), enjoying her daughter’s games, floating in the water (any water!), or on the pickleball court.

Ashley Brown Ruiz is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker certified by the State of Texas. She received a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with a specialization in Early Childhood Education from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. Fueling a passion from working over a decade in a Title 1 school in Houston ISD, Ashley pursued a Master of Social Work from the University of Houston’s Graduate College of Social Work, where she now serves as an adjunct faculty member. As part of her role as Senior Director of The Daring Way, she leads The Daring Way Internship Program with students seeking a master’s degree in social work. Ashley works with the interns to run therapy groups at different agencies around the Houston area.
Her experience comes from working with women in residential recovery and adolescents in recovery. Ashley’s ability to model and teach vulnerability and courage allows her to help clients pull together the pieces of their lives to help them move toward the life they hope to create.