Explore Austin is pleased to announce Wendy Papasan has joined the Board of Directors. A growth-focused visionary and co-founder of several companies in the real estate sector, Wendy’s philanthropy and prior board service have focused primarily on women and children.
Said Wendy, “Kathleen Schneeman [CEO of Explore Austin] has been a dear friend for 15 years, and when I found out she was leading Explore Austin, I immediately wanted to learn more. The mission perfectly aligns with my own! I’m excited to help make an impact on the lives of young people in Austin.”
Wendy is an avid traveler and adventurer who caught the bug fresh out of college when she spent 18 months solo backpacking her way around the world. In joining the Explore Austin Board, she’s now looking forward to bringing together her love of adventure with her passion for empowering youth to reach their full potential.
Wendy has run the Papasan Properties Group since she co-founded the business in 2009. A full-service real estate consulting firm that operates out of Austin and San Antonio, Papasan Properties Group at Keller Williams Realty has helped more than 1,800 families, totalling more than $750 million in home sales. Last year, Real Trends ranked Papasan Properties number 21 for teams out of 120,000 realtors in Texas. Additionally, Wendy is a six-time winner of the Platinum Top50, an elite group of real estate professionals selected for their real estate production and charitable giving and volunteerism in their communities.
In addition to her real estate business, Wendy is the co-founder and chairman of the board for Her Best Life, a million-dollar startup that helps women build big businesses and even bigger lives. She also serves on the board of KW Kids Can, a nonprofit that helps young adults think bigger and find their mission. Together, she and her husband, Jay Papasan, have helped raise more than $1 million for children with cancer.
Wendy is also the co-host of the award-winning podcast Empire Building, which received the Inman Innovator’s award in 2021 and has more than 750,000 downloads. She is a sought-after international real estate speaker and trainer who has been a featured guest on multiple podcasts including Bigger Pockets, The ONE Thing and Dave Ramsey’s Entreleadership.
In her spare time, Wendy enjoys international travel and being active through weight lifting, hiking and biking, naming the trails around Lady Bird Lake and the Barton Creek greenbelt as some of her local favorites. Family time is also important to her – she and her husband are the proud parents of two teenagers and a dog named Taco.
Please join us in welcoming Wendy to the Explore Austin family!