$20 Million Infusion for UT MBA Programs

UT alumna Mindy Hildebrand’s gift will elevate premier graduate programs through advanced leadership development and new scholarships

A monumental $20 million gift from Houston civic leader and philanthropist Mindy Hildebrand, BBA ’86, will significantly advance scholarship opportunities and leadership programming for students at The University of Texas at Austin’s top-ranked MBA program.

The gift names the Hildebrand MBA Program at the McCombs School of Business, which encompasses the school’s five internationally renowned graduate business formats: Full-Time MBA, Evening MBA, Executive MBA, MBA at Dallas/Fort Worth, and MBA at Houston.

“Texas McCombs is world class today because of generations of extraordinary students, faculty, and alumni,” said Hildebrand, president of the Hildebrand Foundation and a longtime UT supporter. “We are honored to build on that solid foundation by boosting the MBA program — making it even more competitive in attracting exceptional students and equipping students with leadership skills that drive individual success and global impact.”

The gift creates the new Hildebrand MBA Excellence Fund, which will support a matching campaign to raise scholarship funds for incoming full-time MBA students, while also enhancing leadership development opportunities across all five Texas McCombs MBA programs.

The fund will launch with multiple full-tuition scholarships for the Full-Time MBA program. Recipients, known as Hildebrand Scholars, will be selected for their extraordinary potential. “We’re investing in future CEOs and founders,” said McCombs Dean Lillian Mills. “We expect that over McCombs’ second century, the Hildebrand Scholars will be a tight, intergenerational network that works both individually and collectively to change the world.”

Leveraging the program’s established strengths, the fund will also support personalized, targeted leadership opportunities for all students, including experiences, mentorships, and workshops. “Students participating in this enhanced leadership programming will earn credentials that elevate the value of their MBA,” said Joe Hahn, Texas McCombs’ associate dean for graduate programs.

Hahn said the gift comes at a pivotal time. “Our programs are thriving, with rankings at all-time highs and Texas and Austin experiencing extraordinary growth. This investment builds on that momentum, representing the launch of a broader vision for future growth. It positions McCombs to elevate our programs even further and sets a new benchmark for cultivating business leaders who are prepared to drive innovation, lead with purpose, and make a lasting impact,” Hahn said. “We are deeply grateful.”

The new matching campaign for the Hildebrand MBA Excellence Fund will eventually support the growth of Hildebrand Scholars across all MBA programs, including the Working Professional and Executive MBA students. “These scholars will be trailblazers — talented visionaries prepared to navigate complex challenges and lead global organizations,” Mills said. McCombs supporters are encouraged to join Hildebrand by pledging a matching gift to this transformative campaign.

The McCombs Full-Time MBA programs ranked No. 16 in U.S. News & World Report’s latest rankings and No. 12 in Fortune, while its Working Professional MBA programs ranked No. 7 in U.S News & World Report and No. 3 in Fortune. The Financial Times ranked McCombs’ Executive MBA program No. 8 in the U.S.

With these significant tailwinds, Mindy and her husband, Jeff Hildebrand, said they are honored to play a role in further advancing McCombs. Their son John Thomas, UT B.A. ’21, earned an MSF at McCombs in 2022, and their son Jeffery, UT B.S. ’19, is currently enrolled as a full-time MBA student.

“We have the utmost confidence that Dean Mills and her team will use this grant to arm the leaders of tomorrow with the same gifts of entrepreneurship, free markets, and capitalism that have allowed us to not only build our company, but to give back to this great school,” said Jeff Hildebrand, UT B.S. ’81, M.S. ’85, founder and executive chair of Houston-based Hilcorp Energy.

“McCombs is already world class, but we cannot rest on our laurels,” said Mindy Hildebrand, who serves on UT’s Development Board and as co-chair representing McCombs for the University’s $6 billion What Starts Here fundraising campaign.

Her philanthropic efforts are marked by quiet, tactical leadership, according to longtime friend Marcie Zlotnik, energy executive and co-founder of Houston-based Gexa Energy and StarTex Power.

She points to Mindy’s work with the Memorial Park Conservancy as chair of a fundraising campaign to build the Memorial Park Running Trail Center, as well as the Memorial Park Living Bridge, the Alkek Tennis Center Plaza, and the Outer Loop Trail.

“Mindy is a runner, and she had a vision for what the park could mean for Houston, its community and families. Then she was on ground zero of getting it done,” Zlotnik said. “She’s the ultimate leader: someone who’s not all about themselves but about serving the mission.

“This gift to the MBA program is just another example of Mindy’s willingness to roll up her sleeves for her community,” she said.