Our Founders
About
John Hartsfield
Co-Founder
John W.W. Hartsfield is a social philanthropist with rich expertise in nonprofit, business, and community leadership. Raised in El Paso, Texas, John learned early on the principles of integrity and grit when he held sports leadership positions at his alma mater, Louisiana College.
John combined his commitment to the community and business by co-founding Icon Talks, a national platform that celebrates diverse leadership and empowers people through the sharing of unique life stories of icons, including celebrities, musicians, and political leaders. John also co-founded and sits as incumbent executive director of Icon to Ican, a charitable 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to create and foster long-term equity for Black and Brown communities through philanthropic interventions.
As a servant leader committed to youth development, he sits on several boards of charitable nonprofits, including Breaking Down Walls, Ferrari Kids of San Antonio, and Plant A Seed, where he works on empowering and uplifting at-risk kids and children facing terminal illnesses in Texas. John lives in Texas with his wife, Melissa Hartsfield, and their son, Preston.
John Burns
Co-Founder
John Burns is an attorney, television and radio personality, host, legal analyst, and community activist. He has over 20 years of experience in cultural marketing and communications, event activations, multicultural engagement, and brand positioning.
John is a long-standing philanthropist. He is one of the co-founders and serves as secretary of the Icon to Ican Foundation, a non-profit created to provide mentorship, resources, and inspiration to at-risk children living in poverty, diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions, or facing other disabilities.
Additionally, John is a professor at the Omega School of the Applied Arts and Sciences. He has been honored by Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rainbow Push Coalition as a Top Inspirational and Engaged Leader. Currently, he sits on the Mid-Atlantic Board of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.
John studied Economics and International Affairs at the University of Westminster in the UK and graduated from Tufts University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then received his Juris Doctorate from the Georgetown University Law Center
Rudyard Hilliard MD
Co-Founder
Dr. Hilliard is an emergency medical physician and a partner at Complete Emergency Care, one of the largest freestanding emergency care companies in Texas. He also is co-owner and founder of Halcyon Medspa & Wellness Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. As a respected leader in the industry he served as Medical Director at both Otto Kaiser Memorial Hospital and Family First Care Clinic.
He co-founded Alamo Healthcare Partners, a real estate development company focused on building infrastructure to address the healthcare needs of underserved communities in the greater San Antonio area. Dr. Hilliard has served on the Board of Governors for TMI, The Episcopal School of Texas and is a mentor with the MLK Academy. He is a member of the Van Courtlandt Social Club, CA Whittier Medical Society, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from The University of Texas at Galveston, and his Bachelor of Science from Howard University.
Mike Burns
Co-Founder
Michael “Mike” Burns is a seasoned executive, coach, and former army officer with over 30 years of experience in strategic leadership, diversity, equity, and inclusion, self-assessment, culture-shifting, and organizational behavior.
Prior to The Burns Brothers, Mike served as the chief diversity officer of Conduent, a $5 billion technology-focused services business. Before Conduent, Mike led global diversity at Citigroup, one of the world’s largest banks.
Mike joined corporate America after serving 13 years in the US Army, initially as a helicopter pilot and civil-military advisor with the 101st Airborne. He concluded his military career as the head of diversity, recruitment, and enrollment for the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Mike attained an MBA from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Business Management and Leadership from Webster University, a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and earned executive coaching certifications from Columbia University.