Heather Gilker is the founder and principal of Tokalon Advisors LLC. She is also the North Texas Chapter Lead of the SWAN Impact Network, an angel network focused solely on making early-stage impact investments. She brings over 25 years of experience in investing, community involvement, and strategy with a focus on sustainability. She focuses on driving impact and sustainability through facilitating funding for social enterprises, driving strategic planning and business development for social enterprises, and providing outsourced services to family offices.
Prior to Tokalon Advisors, Heather led development of the Southwest region for Fidelity Family Office Services for close to 8 years, working with family offices and their networks. She has also served as a portfolio manager at a family office, an allocator at two investment firms, an equity analyst, and a commercial banker. She is a graduate of the Cox School of Business at SMU, where she currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Alternative Asset Management Center. Lyda Hill Philanthropies tapped her to act as one of a panel of judges for the Lone Star Prize, which recently awarded $12.5 million to innovative solutions aimed at building healthier, stronger communities throughout Texas – including $10 million to The Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. A partner at SVP Dallas, Heather also serves on the Advisory Board of the Center for Brain Health at UT Dallas and is a Mentor at the Texas Capital Factory where she likes to advise female founders.
On a personal note, when she is not working or spending time with her family she also enjoys mentoring women founders, traveling, playing tennis and pickleball.