CRAIG HALL
Craig Hall is chairman and founder of Dallas-based HALL Group. Mr. Hall’s career in business and as an author, civic leader and philanthropist reflects the highest qualities of entrepreneurship. He formed HALL Group in 1968 at age 18 with $4,000 saved from small ventures begun at age 10. Today, HALL Group’s diversified business interests include active operations in commercial real estate ownership, development and management, structured financial lending, winemaking and early-stage investments in promising start-ups.
Craig actively supports new entrepreneurs, nurtures young start-ups and often speaks publicly about the importance of encouraging entrepreneurship worldwide. Together with his wife Kathryn Hall, he funded the Fulbright – Kathryn and Craig Hall Distinguished Chair for Entrepreneurship to teach entrepreneurship in Eastern Europe. Craig also founded the Dallas Regional Office of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship. He is the author of seven published books, including his most recent, BOOM: Bridging the Opportunity Gap to Reignite Startups.
Craig consistently contributes time and resources at local, national and international levels to support a variety of community causes with an emphasis on art, education and entrepreneurship. He has served on the Board of Trustees of the American University in Bulgaria, the American-Austrian Fulbright Board and the Board of the Horatio Alger Association for Distinguished Americans.
A lifelong art collector, Craig believes art nourishes the human spirit and can make a profound difference in people’s lives. Throughout his businesses, pieces from Craig’s personal art collection, the HALL Collection, are on display for the public’s enjoyment. Important works by artists from all over the world can be found at HALL Park in Frisco, Texas, at the HALL Arts development in the Dallas Arts District and at HALL St. Helena and HALL Rutherford, his two destination wineries in Napa Valley.
Craig and his companies are often recognized for significant achievements and civic and charitable contributions. In 2006, Hall received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mortgage Bankers Association. In 2007, Hall was named a lifetime member of the prestigious Horatio Alger Association for Distinguished Americans and currently serves on its board of directors. He was also inducted into the North Texas Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame and the Entrepreneurs Foundation of North Texas’ Ring of Honor. Hall was named the 2013 Dallas Real Estate Executive of the Year and in 2016 he was inducted into the Junior Achievement of Dallas Business Hall of Fame.
In 2017, Hall and his wife Kathryn were co-awarded the 2017 “Master Entrepreneur of the Year” award for the Southwest Region from the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year program. In 2019, Hall received the Pioneer Award from D CEO magazine for his contribution to the Dallas real estate community, and in the same year he also was recognized with the Business Council for the Arts Obelisk Award for his partnership with and service to the arts community.
