2018 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
Samina Farid is a leading energy and technology entrepreneur in Houston and co-founder of Merrick, a global provider of software to the oil and gas industry.
Samina’s extensive experience in the energy industry spans over three decades and includes managerial and executive positions with ESSO Eastern, Inc., Pakistan, HNG/Enron, Cabot Transmission and Brooklyn Interstate Natural Gas Company.
In the late 1980’s, she recognized a gap in the marketplace and began to develop software to address challenges faced by energy companies; launching Merrick Systems in 1992. Merrick has grown to be one of the largest software development companies in Houston with offices in Oslo, Calgary, Bogota and Singapore.
Touching 20% of all oil and gas wells in the US, today Merrick is a global business focusing on operational solutions to improve production operations, extend oil and gas producing asset life, decrease lifting costs and increase production.
Recognized for fast growth, business excellence and innovation, Merrick has won numerous prestigious awards including consistent rankings in the “INC. 5000”, Software Magazine’s “Software 500”, Houston Business Journal’s
“Fast 100” and many more.
Samina serves on the Board of the Houston Achievement Place, as well as the Advisory Board of Houston Independent School District’s Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy.
Honored by Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce as one of the “2012 Breakthrough Women” and inducted to its Board, Samina was also named among Houston’s Most Influential Women in 2012 by Houston Woman Magazine.
In 2013, Samina was recognized by the National Diversity Council as one of the Most Powerful and Influential Women in Texas.
Brigitte Kalai grew up in Houston and loves being a part of this wonderful community. She graduated with a BSN in nursing from The University of Texas and worked as a pediatric nurse at Texas Children’s Hospital.
Her plans to attend medical school changed as she and her husband, Bashar Kalai, started a family and their company, Amerapex – a global engineering and technology firm in the oil and gas space. Brigitte and Bashar have been married for 25 years and have two sons, their eldest Alexander, and their youngest, Remy.
Brigitte champions causes that help with finances due to medical issues because of her deep understanding of the financial and emotional toll it can take on a family due to her nursing background as well as her own struggle with rheumatoid arthritis.
She serves on the board of Interfaith Ministries, UNICEF Southwest Region, Nora’s Home, The Sheriff’s Advisory Board and Crime Stoppers, and has broken records for almost everything she has chaired.
She has co-chaired Nora’s Home Gala, The Audrey Hepburn Society Ball for Unicef, Crime Stoppers Gala, and the St. Jude’s Luncheon, among many others.
Brigitte and Bashar fund the Kalai Family Workshops at Rice University, contribute to the Kinkaid Capital Campaign, and are founding members of Methodist TRI and support Small Steps, Operation Smile, SPA , Know Autism, UNCF, and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Brigitte was named as one of the Fifty Most Influential Women, Houston Chronicle’s Best Dressed by The March of Dimes and received the John Conner Humanitarian Award.
Among all her accomplishments, she feels her greatest is her family.