Sponsor Spotlight - Wallis Bank

Platinum Sponsor

2026 HCC Business Plan Competition

Wallis Bank Shows Long-Term Dedication & Support to HCC & Houston Entrepreneurs

Wallis Bank is a full-service community bank committed to serving customers ranging from small rural businesses to large international companies with personalized service and relationship-based banking. Established in 1906 in Wallis, Texas, the Bank proudly celebrates 120 years in 2026, marking more than a century of supporting businesses, communities, and customers through every stage of growth.

Over the years, Wallis Bank has expanded into Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Phoenix while continuing to grow its digital banking solutions, including Wallis 360 and the Wallis Bank Mobile App. As an SBA Preferred Lender, Wallis Bank has consistently ranked among the top SBA lenders in Houston and nationally. Other accolades for the Bank include the Exemplary Local Economic Boost Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration and consistently being included in the Independent Banker “Best of the Best” list.

Wallis Bank continues to grow and exceed customers’ expectations, all while being recognized for outstanding accomplishments.

To learn more about the Wallis Bank experience, please visit wallisbank.com

Wallis Bank has been a recurring sponsor of the HCC Business Plan Competition since 2013 and shines as Platinum Sponsor in 2026!

We deeply thank Asif Dakri, Musa Dakri, Gary Owens and Nasr Khan for their dedication to our efforts.

Yearly Support - We also thank the numerous Wallis Bank loan officers who give their time and experience to advise teams in the competition and those who review business plans.

Special thanks to Nasr Khan who spoke at our 2026 awards ceremony and Marianne Plant who served as a judge in our finals. Special thanks to Sheila Patterson who has served as an advisor every year since 2013 and to Terrence Hurley who served as an advisor several years as well!

Wallis Bank will also waive the SBA packaging fee of up to $2,500 for eligible SBA loans with all alumni graduate team leads from the HCC Business Plan Competition. This includes competition alumni grads from 2026 and all years prior.

Advising & More - By design, the HCC Business Plan Competition and our sponsors empower every entrepreneur who graduates from the competition from the advising and training that happens throughout the Spring. All graduating teams come out with more refined and implementable business plans to seek funding and accomplish launch and growth! For more on the 2026 HCC Business Plan Competition and all our winners & grads: http://tiny.cc/2026HCCBPCAwards

Wallis Bank - Here for the long-term for HCC and for Houston entrepreneurs. For fourteen years now, top leaders at Wallis Bank and numerous others within their ranks have worked with HCC, as we serve together to educate and prepare small business owners for greater success.

HCC is proud to put Wallis Bank in front of proposed, startup and existing entrepreneurs and alumni moving through programs like our HCC Business Plan Competition and the HCC Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. We celebrate our long-term relationship with Wallis Bank and the synergy that comes from our combined efforts to empower entrepreneurs throughout Houston!

A Look Back – HCC and Wallis Bank

We celebrate Wallis Bank with a review of the past year and with a peek back at the earlier years. Wallis Bank and HCC gather with entrepreneurs and our entrepreneurial partners throughout the year at HCC, at Wallis Bank and around the Houston Entrepreneurial Ecosystem.. 

At the 2026 U.S. Small Business Adminstration (SBA) Awards Luncheon on 05 06 26, we celebrated together with HCC alumni entrepreneurs honored, and with partners:



L to Right: Nasr Khan pictured with Tim Jeffcoat, Sandra Louvier and Dr. Maya Durnovo. Haaris Dakri, Wallis Bank, Gary Henderson, Stellar Bank, Asif Dakri, Wallis Bank, Sandra Louvier, HCC & Gary Owens Wallis Bank.

Wallis Bank speaks at HCC events and meets with proposed, startup and existing entrepreneurs, both virtual and onsite, throughout the year, including Financial Workshops and webinars, SBA Lender Borrower Matchups, the HCC Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program and more.

Pictured to the right is one of three financial workshops / webinars delivered this past January.

These events are prerequisite financial training for all applicants of the annual HCC Business Plan Competition.

The events were onsite and virtual and drew nearly 200 proposed, startup and existing entrepreneurs.

Wallis Bank hosts events for partners like the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, pictured next with Nasr Khan speaking to a crowd of entrepreneurs and community partners like HCC, inviting us to speak to the attendees and mix & mingle..

HCC hosts Wallis Bank and the SBA at our SBA Lender Matchmaking event at HCC Alief Hayes on 05 19 26, where Wallis Bank exhibited, provided breakfast and held one-on-one meetings with prospective borrowers.

Nasr Khan, Chief Lending Officer, addressed our HCC Board of Trustees last year when HCC recognized and thanked Wallis Bank and all sponsors of our Glenda & David Regenbaum Ctr for Entrepreneurship and HCC Business Plan Competition.

Before closing, we give a nod to the early years in 2015 and 2016 when Wallis Bank hosted our HCC Newspring Business Plan Competition Season Opening Reception at their headquarters, and we held our events at HCC Spring Branch. 

Such growth for HCC, Wallis Bank and our alumni entrepreneurs throughout the years! Profound thanks to Wallis Bank and all involved for our longstanding relationship over the past 14 years! We look forward to more ahead with Wallis Bank!

About the Glenda & David Regenbaum Center for Entrepreneurship

HCC Northwest

OUR MISSION: To help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses.

We do this by offering workshops, seminars, summits, classes and competitive training and advising, while also providing practical knowledge, resources and connections. We are also known for three Signature Programs: the Annual HCC Business Plan Competition, now in its 19th year; the HCC Small Business Success Series; and the HCC Mattress Mack School of Selling. 

Our Center for Entrepreneurship is part of the Houston City College Entrepreneurial Initiatives, HCC District. HCC Entrepreneurial Initiatives was established to build and sustain the Houston business community through effective and relevant educational initiatives to help businesses grow in revenue, personnel and business opportunities. HCC Entrepreneurial Initiatives leads and coordinates all business and entrepreneurial initiatives by providing system-wide support, and leadership to fulfill HCC’s Strategic Agenda to “Cultivate and Entrepreneurial Culture Across the Institution.”

HCC Entrepreneurial Initiatives has been honored with a number of prestigious awards. For more on awards in recent years; https://conta.cc/4nXEyuG

On behalf of all of our entrepreneurial programs and staff, we thank all of the entrepreneurs, partners, sponsors, volunteers, students, and HCC faculty and staff who have contributed to our efforts! Without your support and dedication to our programs, these awards wouldn't have been possible!

Contact our center at c4e@hccs.edu or 713-718-6650