A record-breaking gift
Dear Texas Woman’s colleagues,
Before going into two days of board meetings, I want you to be the first to hear the happy news. Texas Woman’s alumna Merrilee Kick has made a $30 million gift to the Texas Woman’s College of Business—the largest-ever gift for the university.
Merrilee Kick’s visionary philanthropy will inspire generations of students who may see themselves in her story. Hers is a story with chapters on grit, the value of higher education, the business acumen and intellectual gifts not always credited to a woman, and the generosity of spirit to pay it forward.
Merrilee is the founder and CEO of BuzzBallz, a Carrollton-based company whose pre-mixed cocktails in colorful, spherical containers have made a huge splash. While working on her master’s thesis at Texas Woman’s, Merrilee developed a business plan that would eventually make her a titan in the adult beverage industry. She is a former high school teacher and the daughter of educators, and I believe this gift has personal significance to Merrilee as she values education and is committed to extending opportunities for others.
A gift of this magnitude is transformational in ways that are so far-reaching they are hard to see clearly. It certainly promises to catapult our college of business and the university to new heights, profoundly impacting the business college landscape while leveling up the infrastructure that supports faculty and students who teach and learn within that college.
Among other things, her gift will fund an institute focused on innovation and entrepreneurship, an endowed chair, and an entrepreneur-in-residence program, each of which will bear her name. Additionally, the gift will fast-track plans to construct a new building for the college.
During Friday’s full board meeting, regents are expected to approve the naming of the Merrilee Alexander Kick College of Business and Entrepreneurship.
I must convey my deep gratitude to the faculty—Dr. Derek Crews and others—who mentored Merrilee, inspiring her to give back to her alma mater. I am equally grateful to Dean Rama Yelkur, who spearheaded this gift and worked with Lisa Rampy and her team in University Advancement to close it.
I am also ecstatic to report that this gift has pushed the university’s Dream Big comprehensive fundraising campaign total to over $150 million, exceeding the $125 million goal two years before the university’s 125th anniversary of its founding. Now that we have dreamed big, it is time to dream bigger and to focus on several key priorities.
You can be sure that we will be celebrating Merrilee Kick’s generosity for years to come as we continue to advance our excellence as a university system.
With a pioneering spirit,
Carine M. Feyten, Ph.D.
Chancellor and President
Page last updated 2:06 PM, August 8, 2024