By Gertrude G. Van Horn, SVP & CIO, Cien.ai    

Unsung Founders of the Digital Frontier

We talk a lot about tech founders—but rarely about  the pioneers who were building transformational technology around the dot-com boom, especially women. Rarer still? A woman doing it from Texas, not Silicon Valley.  Margot Lebenberg Carter —was one of them. At  just 27, she helped lay the digital foundation that  today’s AI and automation rely on. 

A Big Law NY corporate finance, M&A attorney by training, Margot helped launch FYI/ Sourcecorp, (now Source  HOV), a roll-up of electronic imaging companies that digitized massive volumes of paper records. Long before  “cloud storage” or “digital transformation” became buzzwords, FYI was helping hospitals, banks, government  agencies, and law firms shift from filing cabinets to searchable digital systems.  

The company caught the eye of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, and became an investment he still considers  one of his best. At the NYSE Texas inauguration at AT&T Stadium on August 20, 2025, Margot joined Jones and  Governor Greg Abbott to welcome Wall Street to the Lone Star State. Reflecting on their shared business history,  Jones reminisced that his investment in FYI Incorporated-a Dallas based business, where Margot played a key  leadership role as part of the founding management team, turned out to be one of the best investments he made.  It’s easy to see why. FYI’s digitization wasn’t just operational, it was foundational. It transformed static documents  into structured data, paving the way for today’s artificial intelligence and large language models (LLMs).

Fast Forwarding the Future 

During the last three decades, Margot has earned numerous accolades, but in many ways her story remains  largely under the radar. Contributions in shaping the infrastructure that modern AI and automation now rely on  are just part of the quiet, visionary drive of Margot Carter. Her journey –from scanning documents to decoding  revenue and sales signals– reflects a deep understanding of how to make data not just accessible, but intelligent  and valuable. 

Today, as President of Living Mountain Capital, Margot invests in and advises growth-stage companies, including  Cien.ai, which was recently named 2025 Top AI Innovator by D CEO Magazine. She co-founded Cien.ai nine  years ago with Rob Kall and Ben Strum. The company’s AI analytics platform delivers go-to-market data and  advanced RevOps insights to drive growth, unlock revenue, and enhance decision-making.  

Her work has helped Cien.ai identify over $1.6 billion in revenue opportunities for leading management consulting firms, private equity backed and B2B businesses worldwide.  

Spotlighting the real innovators 

As part of her legacy, Margot has built businesses, taken companies public (two in Dallas, Texas), raised capital,  and navigated complex markets. She’s led IPO’s, negotiated deals and acquired or sold hundreds of companies.  She is a business builder, entrepreneur, board director, public speaker, mentor, and AI trailblazer.  

“You don’t need permission to innovate,” she said. “You need grit, great people, and the courage to keep going— especially when it’s uncomfortable.” 

Margot challenges how leaders think about innovation, governance and growth. As a featured panelist on AI at  Nasdaq MarketSite, NYC, the NACD Forum in DC, and PDA’s annual meeting in Chicago, she addressed  institutional investors and board members on numerous topics including Boardroom agility in the face of AI  disruption, balancing innovation with risk, and championing diversity not just in demographics, but in mindset.  

Her insights blend start-up grit with strategic clarity, grounded in execution and boardroom experience. She  currently serves on three public company boards:  

• Installed Building Products (NYSE: IBP) 
• Eagle Materials (NYSE: EXP), a Founding Member of the NYSE Texas Exchange, and
• Tyler Technologies (NYSE: TYL). 

“Boards are stewards of strategy, innovation and culture,” she said. “Leading boards are asking: how do  we embrace AI and govern transformation, while increasing revenue, cutting costs and decreasing risk?”

Showcasing a new era of success

Margot’s leadership isn’t just respected—it’s recognized. She has been honored as:  

• Top AI Innovator in DFW by D Magazine 2025 
• Top Innovator and Disruptor by D Innovates 2024 
• One of the Most Powerful Business Leaders in Dallas-Fort Worth (2021–2025) by D CEO Magazine 

These accolades confirm what those of us who work with her already know: Margot is a rare leader who blends  visionary strategy with disciplined execution—pushing boundaries while never losing sight of what matters most.  As both a strategist and a seasoned operator, she is actively shaping the future of technology, driving innovation  while reinforcing the guardrails of governance.  

Success today means visionaries like Margot are no longer behind the scenes. It means young people in Dallas  can see a future in tech-and role models-without moving to Silicon Valley. It looks like Y’all Street ringing the bell  in DFW and Cien.ai pushing the frontier of AI-powered Rev-Ops from the heart of Texas.  

And it looks like Margot-still innovating, still leading, and still inspiring the next generation to challenge the status quo. From her beginnings in law and imaging software to co-founding an AI-native tech company and mentoring  the next generation, she’s always seen what’s next-and forged the path to get there.  

Margot is a stealth powerhouse. Her story proves that real innovation isn’t loud. It’s lasting. 

About the Cien.ai Data Exec Series

This article is part of the Cien.ai Growth Essentials Series, inspired by our work with B2B
business leaders, growth consultants, and PE operating partners. These articles focus on the
non-technical aspects of improving GTM performance. For the analytical and technical
methods used to quantify these concepts, explore our Practical RevOps Analytics Series.