McCombs Graduates Continue To Stand Tall Among Longhorn 100

In the second year of the awards, their businesses fill 40 slots

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Texas McCombs News

5 min readMay 10, 2024

Winners in the top 10 of the Longhorn 100, as well as the President’s Impact Award honoree, celebrate their success and recognition at the May 3 gala put on by Texas Exes. McCombs graduates are (fourth from left) Steve Painter, BBA ’90/MPA ’91, CloudServus; (12th from left, back) Randy Cohen, BBA ’87, Ticket City; (13th from left, front) Don Seymour, BBA ’91, Black Unicorn Ltd.; and (fifth from right, back) Reed Burch, BBA ’19, Rev Gum.

Businesses run by alums of the McCombs School of Business took six of the top 10 places at the Texas Exes’ Longhorn 100 Gala on May 3. The alumni association presents the awards to recognize the fastest-growing businesses founded, led, or owned by Longhorns. Overall, graduates of McCombs were involved in 40 of the 100 companies and firms, making it the most represented school at The University of Texas at Austin.

“The outstanding representation of McCombs School of Business graduates in the Longhorn 100 Awards is a testament to the exceptional education and preparation our students receive,” said Dean Lillian Mills. “With 40 honorees, nearly half of the companies recognized, led by our alumni, it’s clear that the Texas McCombs experience instills the entrepreneurial spirit, business acumen, and leadership qualities necessary for success at the highest levels.”

The Longhorn 100 Awards are now in their second year, and Chuck Harris, CEO and executive director of Texas Exes, said, “This event is special — and one of the most fun things we do at the Texas Exes.

“These Longhorns have a chance to take a night off from the daily demands of their business and celebrate their success. We are so proud to honor these dynamic entrepreneurs from The University of Texas who are out there innovating, leading, and creating jobs,” he said.

A firm run by Don Seymour, BBA ’91, won the inaugural President’s Impact Award, which recognizes a Longhorn business that has had a lasting impact on an industry, community, or the society at large.

Seymour is the chairman of Black Unicorn, a private wealth management firm founded in 2022 and based in the Cayman Islands. He was featured as one of the 50 leading Wall Street financiers in the book “Transforming Wall Street: A Conscious Path for a New Future” and recognized by the Financial Times as one of the global hedge fund industry’s most influential men.

“We are incredibly proud of Don Seymour,” Mills said, “and his company’s prestigious President’s Impact Award, as well as all our alumni trailblazers making an indelible mark across industries and communities. Their accomplishments exemplify the McCombs commitment to developing principled leaders who positively impact society.”

UT President Jay Hartzell, left, and Texas McCombs Dean Lillian Mills congratulate Don Seymour, BBA ’91, the winner of the inaugural President’s Impact Award, at the Longhorn 100 Gala on May 3. Seymour is the chairman of Black Unicorn, a private wealth management firm.

In 2023, McCombs also dominated the Longhorn 100, taking four of the top 10 spots and about 30 spots overall. For 2024, the business school had three repeat winners in the top 10: Poncho Outdoors, Direct Digital Holdings, and BeatBox Beverages.

Many of the winners are based in the state’s largest cities — Austin, Houston, Dallas — but some can be found in smaller towns, including Buda and Pflugerville. Outside Texas, the locations of winners stretch from Pasadena, California, to Cleveland to Washington, D.C.

In addition to being founded, owned, or run by Longhorns, the nominees had to meet three other criteria: They must have been in continuous operation for five years; their revenue must have been $250,000 or more; and the company and its leaders must have operated with the highest integrity.

McCombs 2024 Longhorn 100 Winners

2. CloudServus

Steve Painter, BBA ’90, MPA ’91
Chief Financial Officer
Austin — Information Technology

3. Poncho Outdoors

Clayton Spencer, BBA ’03
Founder and CEO
Austin — Retail and Shopping
2023 Returning Winner Top 10

5. REV GUM

Reed Burch, BBA ’19
Co-Founder and COO
Austin — Food and Beverage Products

6. Direct Digital Holdings

Diana Diaz, BBA ’85
CFO and Executive Vice President,
Houston — Science and Technology
2023 Returning Winner Top 10

8. Ticket City

Randy Cohen, BBA ’87
Founder and CEO
Clark Kothlow, BBA ’93
CFO and Executive Vice President
Austin — Retail and Shopping

9. BeatBox Beverages

Justin Fenchel, MBA ’13
Co-Founder and CEO
Aimy Steadman, MBA ’13
Co-Founder and COO
Austin — Food and Beverage Products
2023 Returning Winner Top 10

16. Tapin2

Phong Vu, MBA ’03
CEO
Pasadena, California — Information Technology

17. Agile Velocity

David Hawks, BBA ’95
Founder and CEO
Austin — Business and Professional Services

22. Shiftsmart

Aakash Kumar, BBA ’12
Founder and CEO
New York City — Science and Technology

25. RiverCity Cabinets

Jeremy Johnson, MBA ’12
President
Buda — Construction, Home Improvement, and Structure
2023 Returning Winner

26. K Tooley Enterprises

Kent Tooley, BBA ’78
Owner and Manager
Pflugerville — Construction, Home Improvement, and Structure

27. Texas Standard

Drew Bagot, BBA ’08
CEO
Austin — Retail and Shopping
2023 Returning Winner

35. CarbonBetter

Tri Vo, BBA ’07
Founder
Austin — Energy and Environment
2023 Returning Winner

37. Wildcat Fuels

John Kopfer, BBA ’89
CEO
Houston — Wholesale and Distribution

38. Cayetano

Matthew Long, ’97
President
Austin — Real Estate

39. Lovevery

Roderick Morris, BBA ’95
Co-Founder and President
Boise, Idaho — Retail and Shopping

40. Sparrow Partners

Jeffrey Patterson, BBA ’01
Co-Founder and CEO
Austin — Real Estate

42. Vonlane

Alex Danza, BBA, MPA ’96
Founder and CEO
Dallas — Transportation, Delivery Services

43. LeMel

Melanie Fitzpatrick, BBA ’08
Co-Founder
Houston — Retail and Shopping

45. Abilitie

Bjorn Billhardt, BBA ’97
Founder and CEO
Austin — Education, Training, Consulting

46. Elixirr

Eric Rich, BBA ’92
Partner
Frisco — Business and Professional Services

47. BB Imaging

Blanca Lesmes, BBA ’11
Co-Founder and CEO
Austin — Health Care

49. Maestro Integrations

John Cerda, MSTC ’03
CEO
Austin — Communications and Telecomms
2023 Returning Winner

51. MaxPar Group Holdings

Greg Busch, BBA ’92
Owner
Chesterfield, Missouri — Health Care

55. IBA

Gregory Kovsky, BBA ‘89
CEO and President
Bellevue, Washington — Real Estate

57. Recruiting Edge

Tatiana Markov, BBA, MPA ’02
Managing Director
Fort Worth — Business and Professional Services

58. D3Clarity

Earin Persson, BBA ’94
Vice President, Data Intelligence Solutions
Austin — Information Technology

61. VanTran Transformers

Donald Bolin, BBA ’85
Owner and CEO
Waco — Manufacturing
2023 Returning Winner

62. Strategar

Yareli Esteban, BBA ’99
CEO and President
Dallas — Marketing and Advertising

64. Potts Blacklock Senterfitt

Lee Potts, BBA, MPA ’93
Member
Jessica Blacklock BBA ’02
Member
Diane Senterfitt, BBA ’83
Member
Julie Briggs, BBA, MPA ’94
Member
Lynn Harrell, BBA ’85
Member
Austin — Legal Services
2023 Returning Winner