McCombs Made

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 taught him.

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 along the way, and how minority women can overcome the challenges of working in the business and financial industries.

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 the Dallas Regional Chamber and the Dallas Museum of Art. In this lively conversation, host Firdous Khezrian speaks with Marissa about her upbringing, her approach to innovation and creativity, and the lessons she's learned as a student of both UT and of life.

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 others to succeed.

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 inspirational book Cowgirl Power; a McCombs Hall of Fame honoree; lecturer in the McCombs Women Who Mean Business program; and an accomplished artist.

In this conversation, host Firdous Khezrian spoke with Gay about her upbringing and the inspiration she has called upon throughout her life to become the successful woman she is today.