McCombs Made
The McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin isn't just one of the top business schools in the country. It's a place where chances are taken, dreams are born, and boldness is celebrated. Perseverance, drive, and a welcoming sense of encouragement are at the center of Texas McCombs. To celebrate that spirit of ingenuity, the McCombs Made podcast features interviews with trailblazing McCombs alumni and friends, highlighting successes, reflecting on mistakes, and sharing advice for the next generation of world-changers.
Episodes
Lisa Gagnon knows entertainment. More specifically, she understands sports entertainment. After earning her BBA degree from Texas McCombs in 1997, she went on to earn a MBA in marketing from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill before heading up the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee as vice president of marketing. Today, she is the chief marketing officer for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which ...
John C. Goff graduated with his BBA from McCombs in 1977 and proves that a curious mind paired with keen instincts can change the world. Currently, John owns and operates the investment firm Goff Capital, which he founded in 2009, and is the vice chairman and CEO of Crescent Real Estate. But rewind to his young life growing up in Lake Jackson, Texas, and you'll find a kid happily running the roads on his bicycl...
Alissa Bayer graduated with her MBA from McCombs in 2004 and quickly launched Milk and Honey Spa. After over 20 years in business and 10 locations nationwide, in this episode she reflects back on the lessons she learned at McCombs, what it's been like to navigate changing social norms and how she hopes her business sparks joy in the wider community.
Albi Zoga graduated with his BBA from McCombs in 2022, and inside of the last three years, opened not one, not two, but three restaurants at the ripe old age of 25. A graduate of the entrepreneurship program, he has taken what he learned at McCombs and parlayed it into three thriving restaurants, the last of which just opened in Boerne recently.
Jeremy Tsui graduated in 2015 with a BBA from McCombs as part of the honors program. He had a startup with friends before he even graduated and now is the CEO and co-founder of Finley, which is a tech company redefining the ways startups get funding. In this episode, he talks with host Miranda Bradley about his journey from cellist to business mogul, wannabe to McCombs, grad to young CEO, and exactly what that experience has taugh...
Gilbert Aranza (BBA '74) is the President and CEO of Star Concessions, Ltd., which owns and operates food and beverage and retail concessions at airports, primarily Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
In this episode, host Miranda Bradley chats with Chris Bake, who retired in 2024 from his executive duties on the board of Vitol, a global energy and commodity trading company. Bake is also the founding donor of the Global Sustainability Leadership Institute at UT. He received his BBA in international business and marketing from McCombs in 1988.
John Harkey, BBA '83, is the founder of JDH Investment Management, LLC and the Harkey Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies. Host Mahlah Freeman sat down with John to discuss building businesses with purpose, his journey from law to restaurants and the arts, and the value of saying "yes" to every opportunity.
Alana Williams is the founder and Chief Financial Officer of Founding Principals. Previously, she worked in investment banking and business development at companies like Apple, Evercore, and Whole Foods.
After receiving her JD from the University of Baltimore, she joined McCombs to attain her MBA in 2018. In this conversation, host Firdous Khezrian spoke with Alana about her personal and professional career, the wisdom she's gained...
Energy moguls Marcie and Bob Zlotnik are invested in student success at McCombs, with their names on spaces in UT's Rowling Hall and the AT&T Center. In this episode, host Miranda Bradley speaks with Marcie and Bob about their time in the energy industry, their relationship and family, and the legacy they hope to leave behind.
Marissa Jarratt is currently the chief marketing and sustainability officer at 7-Eleven. She's also a two-time graduate from the McCombs School of Business, obtaining both a BBA in Finance and an MBA in Marketing. She also received a BA in Spanish.
Among her many accolades and roles, she is currently a member of the Dean's Advisory Council for the McCombs School of Business. She is also a member of the Executive Committee for t...
In this episode, hear from Arthur Mills IV, who graduated from the McCombs School of Business with his BBA in 1996 and his MBA in 2004, before graduating from the Yale School of Management in 2012. His passion for giving back has led him to serve on the McCombs Advisory Board, for which he serves as Chair Emeritus. Arthur talks about his many different career pathways, the importance of education and how he is paving the path for o...
Gay Gaddis is a proud Longhorn who received her Bachelor's of Fine Arts in commercial and advertising art in 1978 at the University of Texas at Austin.
After graduating from UT, she founded the Think Tank, also known as T3, a digital marketing agency which she grew for 30 years, leading it to be the largest independent female-owned agency in the United States. Among her many titles and accomplishments, Gay is the author of the ins...
Bill Cunningham has worn many important hats as a Longhorn leader, like chancellor of the University of Texas Systems and president of the University of Texas at Austin. In this episode, host Mahlah Freeman talks to Cunningham about his time at UT, the many influential leaders he met as president of the University and what he wants his legacy to be.
For this episode, host Mahlah Freeman spoke with Kelly Steckelberg, a powerhouse McCombs alumnae who earned her MBA in 1991. She went on to become the CFO of Zoom and a staunch McCombs supporter.
We talked about how philanthropy plays a role in her life, how the lesson she learned at McCombs shaped her, and how she's paying it forward for the next generation.
For the first episode of season two of "McCombs Made," hear from Neal Golden. He's a University of Texas alumnus who continues to be a guiding force at McCombs. Mr. Golden is a very active Texas Ex and holds leadership roles with the McCombs BBA Board and Dean's Advisory Board. In this episode, Mr. Golden discusses how his parents helped shape his career, his latest foray into the beverage business and the importance of giving back...
For the final episode of season one, hear from Lillian Mills, the dean of the McCombs School of Business. In this episode, you'll hear her thoughts on how to build community in business, what she would say to the undergraduate version of herself, and the legacy she hopes to leave in her position as dean.
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April Underwood has worked at Google, Apple, Twitter, and Slack. She's the co-founder of #ANGELS, the investment collective focused on restructuring the ways in which we look at gender inequality, not just in wage gaps, but in financial equity. Most recently, she co-founded the venture capital firm, Adverb Ventures. In this conversation, you'll hear about the ways in which communication and relationships play a role in successful w...
David Druley received his BBA and MBA from McCombs and currently serves as chief executive officer of Cambridge Associates. He interned as an investment analyst at the Teacher Retirement System of Texas and started his own investment management firm, Druley Investment Management, which he operated for 9 years. In this episode, host Firdous Khezrian spoke with Druley about risk management and tolerance in business and life, the trai...
Cindy Lo is the founder, CEO, and chief event strategist of Red Velvet, a renowned full-service and independent event planning agency. She's also a 1998 McCombs graduate. In this conversation, hear about her unexpected path to a career in event planning, her approach to planning her personal and professional life, and the ways in which she has carried herself throughout her career.
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