Andrea Lazar is a successful entrepreneur who began her career in arts management. After earning her undergraduate degree from The University of Texas at Austin (B.A./Plan II) and dual graduate degrees from Southern Methodist University (M.B.A. and M.A. in arts administration), she worked in both large and small non-profits including the Dallas Museum of Art, Houston’s DiverseWorks ArtSpace, The Arts Company in Boston and the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London; her experience extends into the commercial sector to include art gallery work and film production.

After moving back to Houston in 1995, Lazar spent the next 12 years as a successful business owner, developing a broad range of expertise in concept development, operations, strategic growth plans, marketing plans and community partnerships. She also engaged local artists in all aspects of designing the four restaurants she developed with her business partner, award-winning chef Monica Pope.

In 2008, Lazar founded her independent consulting company, The Real Smarty Pants, to advise small businesses on start-up processes. Currently, she is collaborating with Wesley Henderson on a biography of John Saunders Chase, the first African American architect to be licensed in Texas (to be published by The University of Texas Press).