Grace Topete

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Grace Topete is passionate about helping people and organizations grow effectively. As a Client Relationship Manager at Helio Risk, Grace manages all aspects of an organization’s captive journey, from exploration of a captive solution to fully operational captive company.

She is particularly focused on nonprofit clients. Grace is active in CICA, helping organize webinars with the Next Gen Education Subcommittee, and speaking at the 2025 annual conference on a panel related to professional development. Grace divides her time between the Oklahoma City and Dallas offices, and works for clients across the U.S.

Before joining Helio, Grace worked in nonprofit consulting, where she spearheaded the launch of the Nonprofit Impact Institute at SVP Dallas, a best practices resource for board members, nonprofit leaders, and social impact consultants in North Texas. She also ran the Dana Juett Residency, a hands-on capacity building training program for young professionals of all industries to contribute their expertise to social impact organizations. She is a Licensed Consultant for the Standards for Excellence.

Before working in social impact, Grace worked in education at various levels. From teaching freshman biology to joining an educational video game startup, her work has focused on finding innovative ways to foster growth and self-determination in individuals as well as companies. Grace was a Eugene McDermott Scholar at UT Dallas, and the inaugural graduate Charles Butt Scholar at SMU.

Grace is deeply involved in community service, currently as the President of the McDermott Alumni Association, a member of the UT Dallas Executive Board, a City of Richardson Community Inclusion and Engagement Commissioner, and UT System Centurion. She and her spouse are proud to support the arts, especially film, as well as environmental and social justice causes. They live in Dallas with their family.

Heather McClure, Managing Partner