McCombs Made

 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...

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...

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. 

---

This podcast was produced by The Drag Audio P...

Billy Freed has been investing in entrepreneurial innovation for years. In 2023, Mr. Freed generously donated $1 million dollars to the Herb Kelleher Entrepreneurship Center at McCombs. As a result, the pitch competition was renamed the Freed Family Pitch Competition. In this conversation, you'll hear about the lessons he's learned about entrepreneurship, the role that family has played in his career, and the most impo...

In 2018, Phil Canfield, BBA Finance ’90, generously donated $20 million to the Business Honors Program at the McCombs School of Business, and subsequently the program was renamed after him. In this episode, hear about his career as an investor, his time as a student at McCombs, his connection to the city of Austin, and why inspiring the next crop of business honors students is so important to him.

---

This podcast was ...

Kendra Scott founded her namesake jewelry company in Austin, Texas, in 2002. In the more than two decades since, the jewelry brand has grown into a household name. In 2019, Scott created a $13.25 million endowment to start the Kendra Scott Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute, which is now part of the McCombs School of Business. In this conversation, you’ll hear about the lessons she’s learned from her career a...

New York for McCombs is a leadership program designed to strengthen the business school’s network, increase student career opportunities, and encourage alumni engagement. In 2023, the program marked its tenth anniversary. In this special bonus episode, host Firdous Khezrian sits down with Paul Aaron and Dean Tom Gilligan, two founding members of the New York for McCombs council. Tom Gilligan is a former dean and clinical professor ...

Tiffany and Leon Chen started their groundbreaking cookie business, Tiff’s Treats, when they were just 19-year-old sophomores at the University of Texas at Austin. In this episode, Tiffany and Leon speak about the drive they’ve carried throughout their careers, the pillars of partnership and the value of kindness in community-based businesses. 

---

This podcast was produced by The Drag Audio Production House. Want to work with The ...

In the first episode of McCombs Made, host Firdous Khezrian sits down with Gary Kelly, BBA ’77, former CEO and current executive chairman of Southwest Airlines to get a glimpse into his indelible 35-year tenure at the company. Gary and his wife, Carol, discussed Gary’s transformative career, the importance of functioning as a team, and persevering through challenging times.

This podcast was produced by The Drag Audio Production Hou...

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,...