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Great Investors’ Best Ideas Foundation was founded by John Neill and Fredrick E. “Shad” Rowe in the spring of 2007. Having been friends and neighbors for over 20 years, John and Shad decided to create the greatest investment symposium to benefit causes they were passionate about. From this, Great Investors’ Best Ideas Foundation was born.

Fifty percent of the proceeds from the GIBI investment symposium will directly benefit the much-needed youth development programs supported by the Vickery Meadow Youth Development Foundation; the other fifty percent will benefit The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

Shad Rowe
Greenbrier Partners, Ltd.

Shad Rowe was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in December of 1998. Parkinson's is a complex disease that varies greatly among affected individuals. The most common symptoms of the disease are rigidity and a small tremor. In short order, Shad decided to literally keep moving. He spent two years being treated in an experimental drug trial at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas; unfortunately, the trial was halted despite anecdotal evidence that the drug was working. Shad then decided to become more proactive in the fight to find a cure and/or better treatments. Shad endorsed the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research because he believed it had the most potential to achieve its goal (and his goal) of finding a cure. Presented with the opportunity to join the board of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Shad eagerly accepted.

In the fall of 1985, Shad started Greenbrier Partners, Ltd., a private partnership, which invests primarily in publicly traded securities. Shad is a member of the executive committee of Texans for Lawsuit Reform and is the President and Trustee of Investors for Director Accountability Foundation. His articles have appeared in Forbes, Fortune, The American Banker, Southpoint, Texas Monthly, D Magazine, and Grant’s Internet Rate Observer. Shad lives in Dallas with his wife Michele of 32 years. They have four grown children.

John Neill
Telesis Company

John Neill became actively involved in the Vickery Meadow community when he and his partner, Steve Rush, built Walnut Place Nursing Home across from Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas in 1980. At the time, Vickery Meadow thrived with a population of young professionals. However, due to changes in housing laws and an economic downturn in Dallas real estate in 1986, a steady influx of low-income families began moving to the area. The population grew to more than 50,000 residents within a three-mile radius. Unfortunately, the infrastructure of Vickery Meadow was not designed to accommodate this population increase, nor did it provide the basic services needed by these new families. In 1993, John joined with other Vickery Meadow property owners to form the Vickery Meadow Improvement District (“VMID”), with a goal of providing critical social and safety services for Vickery Meadow’s residents. Since formation, VMID and the Vickery Meadow Youth Development Foundation (“VMYDF”) have been catalysts for uniting the public, private, and social agencies now serving Vickery Meadow.

VMYDF’s youth development programs focus on academics, sports, character development, and early childhood development for children living in Vickery Meadow. Summer camps, after-school activities, and junior college scholarships are also funded by the Foundation. The mission of the foundation is to bridge the gap of inequality for these children, born into poverty, and help them develop to their full potential.

John Neill co-founded Telesis Company in 1969 with Steve Rush, whom he met at Harvard Business School while obtaining his MBA. Telesis provides the Dallas metroplex with senior housing care (including retirement apartments, assisted living facilities, nursing care, and Alzheimer care units). John received his undergraduate degree from Yale, and he is also a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator. Both John and Steve continue to be personally involved in the daily operations of Telesis. John lives in Dallas with Barbara, his wife of 40 years. They have three grown children. By donating time and resources, John’s family plays an integral role in helping Vickery Meadow’s youth achieve a higher quality of life and a future filled with hope.