McCombs Made
McCombs Made: Conversations with World-changing Alumni and Friends is a monthly podcast featuring illustrious alumni who have gone on to disrupt, challenge, and change the face of business.
Featured Conversations
Dean Lillian Mills
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.
April Underwood
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 workplace teams, the importance of financial and social equity for the fields of business and technology and what characteristics she looks for when investing in people and ideas.
David Druley
David Druley received his BBA and MBA from McCombs and currently serves as the 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, called Druley Investment Management, for 9 years. In this episode, host Firdous Khezrian spoke with Druley about risk management and tolerance in business and life, the traits of some of the best portfolio managers and the legacy he hopes to leave as a Longhorn.
Cindy Lo
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.
Billy Freed
Billy Freed has invested in entrepreneurship and in its innovation in all his communities. 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 important qualities of successful entrepreneurs.
Phil Canfield
In 2018, Phil Canfield generously donated $20 million to the Business Honors Program at the McCombs School of Business. The program was renamed after him. In this episode, hear about his career as an investor, his time as a student at McCombs and his connection to the city of Austin.
Kendra Scott
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 as an entrepreneur, the importance of philanthropy in her personal and professional life, and the legacy she hopes to leave on the global community.
Swapnil Agarwal
Since Swapnil Agarwal graduated from McCombs in 2003, he’s grown a real estate investment empire. In this episode, hear how Agarwal’s upbringing as an Indian immigrant influenced his personal and professional life, the role intention plays in all of his pursuits, and the legacy he hopes to leave behind.
Tiffany and Leon Chen, Tiff’s Treats
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.
Gary Kelly
In the first episode of “McCombs Made,” host Firdous Khezrian sits down with Gary Kelly, 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.
VOICES OF MCCOMBS
Our partnership with StoryCorps preserves the world-changing stories of the Texas McCombs community, which will be archived at the Library of Congress for future generations. StoryCorps is a non-profit whose mission is to preserve and share humanity’s stories.