Rania Mankarious is a fearless champion for the causes of public safety, the welfare of families and children, and the betterment of society. 

A native of Boston, Rania is now a Houston resident. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology, theology, and pre-medicine from Boston College; a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; and a Doctorate of Jurisprudence, which she completed at the University of Houston Law Center. Rania is the CEO of Crime Stoppers Houston.

Rania joined Crime Stoppers of Houston as an intern in 2006, even though she was an attorney with a master’s degree. She worked vigorously and became the organization’s director of marketing in 2008. In March 2013, she was chosen to lead the organization as executive director and by 2018, she was named the organization’s first CEO.

Working side-by-side with her incredible team, Rania’s legacy has been well established, elevating the organization to new heights. Her proudest achievement is the realization of the first Crime Stoppers’ headquarters in the world, which has been fully funded in record time. The Dave Ward Building, Crime Stoppers of Houston in Midtown officially opened in January 2017 as the first public safety crime-prevention facility of its kind, bringing together civilians and law enforcement, as well as students and community members, from all over Houston, the State of Texas, and the country.

Despite the odds, Rania and her team raised the funds to get the building completed. Between 2013 and 2020, they raised nearly $21 million for public safety related work in Harris County and within Texas. Through it all, Rania wove the organization’s brand and its work into the fabric of the community and created a trusted and true hub for community members, media, law enforcement, school administrators, mental health providers, community partners, and more. 

Additionally, she helped expand the Safe School Program into the first Crime Stoppers Safe School Institute – a direct-service program that has become a trusted resource of all things relating to school safety. The program was so successful, it got the attention of Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who asked Crime Stoppers of Houston to train all Crime Stoppers across the State of Texas in school safety. In 2019, Rania launched Crime Stoppers’ first webinar series with local, state wide, and national experts. Other of her firsts include, launching Parents Against Crime, the critically important Fallen Hero Program, the Victim Services and Advocacy Program, and the expansion of the Safe Community Program to now include Victim Services and the newly introduced Glenda Gordy Research Center.

Rania has written over 200 articles on public safety. In addition to this, she has also argued for school safety in front of the Texas House and Senate and had laws pertaining to camp safety in the State of Texas changed. Creative in her pursuit of keeping conversations going, Rania and her team created The Balanced Voice Podcast which has featured a number of local and nationally recognized guests, including Greg Kelley, Shepard Smith, Matthew McConaughey, Dave Ward, Dominique Sachse, Tamron Hall, Fran Drescher, and others.

Recognized nationally for her contributions, Rania is an expert for the Social Mama App, a guest writer for The Bark Blog, and a national adviser for Safe and Sound Schools. She has been seen and heard on local and national media, including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNBC, Inside Edition, the Tamron Hall Show, A&E, and more, as a legal, family, crime, mental health, and parenting expert. Recently, Rania launched a weekly CrimeTip Tuesday series with CW39. She also serves on the Advisory Council for the Organization for Social Media Safety. 

In 2021, Rania became a published author. Her first book, The Online World, What You Think You Know and What You Don’t, is a timely and evergreen resource for parents and young adults about how to navigate and stay safe online. 

Rania’s honors are many. In 2020, she was named CW39’s finalist for their Remarkable Women search in honor of Women’s History Month. In 2019, she was recognized as a Visionary Leader in the fight against human trafficking. In 2017, the U.S. flag was flown over the U.S. Capitol in recognition of her work, she was named among the city’s Most Stylish People by the Houston Chronicle, named Houston Business Journal’s Outstanding Nonprofit Business Leader, and named a Houston Hero by the Houston Intercontinental Chamber of Commerce. That same year, The Crime Stoppers Dave Ward building was a finalist for the Houston Business Journal’s Landmark Award. In 2016, Rania was named one of the Top 30 Most Influential Women of Houston and Houston Mom of the Year by Houston Moms’ Blog, was a Houston Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business honoree, and was named a 2016 Houston Hero by the Houston Chronicle. In 2015, Rania received the PRIME Living Reader’s Choice Award for Best Dressed Texan and was a Lights Camera Action’s Mother’s Day Honoree. In 2013, she was named one of Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women. 

The ambitious wife and mother of three has lifted a Houston institution to new heights. She maintains that her love for the Houston community, her family, and all families is what continually keeps her going.

It is for all the reasons mentioned above, and many more, that Rania Mankarious has been named a Top 20 Inspiring Woman Impact Maker for 2023.