McCombs Alumni Dominate Longhorn 100 Awards

30 McCombs business leaders honored at inaugural Texas Exes celebration of business excellence.

One hundred alumni of The University of Texas at Austin earned a place in The Longhorn 100, an inaugural award recognizing the 100 fastest-growing businesses owned or led by Longhorns worldwide. Thirty of the honorees and four of the top 10 are graduates of the McCombs School of Business, making it the most highly represented school among those recognized. The winners were honored at the Longhorn 100 Gala on Thursday, May 18 at the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center.

Popular Austin-based companies Rambler Sparkling Water, Beatbox Beverages and Poncho Outdoors, as well as Houston’s BHW Capital were among McCombs’ top winners.

The list showcases a diverse range of businesses that have not only achieved remarkable growth but have also made a significant impact in their respective industries.

Top 10 Longhorn 100 award winners in attendance at the gala, left to right: Ted Pettijohn, Ph.D. ’86, President of Raven Butene-1, LLC.; Martin Bronstein, BBA ’71, President of BHW Capital; Asim Razzaq, B.S. ’00, CEO of Yotascale; Angela Dunham, B.A. ’94, COO of OJO; Jay Hartzell, Ph.D. ’98, UT Austin President; Dave Mead, B.S. ’93, Co-Founder and CMO of Rambler Sparkling Water; Jeffrey Trucksess, MBA ’01, Co-Founder and COO of Rambler Sparkling Water; Chuck Harris, Executive Director and CEO of Texas Exes; Mark D. Walker, B.A. ’98, Co-Founder and CEO, Direct Digital Holdings; Clayton Spencer, BBA ’03; B.A. ’06, Founder and CEO of Poncho Outdoors.

“The Longhorn 100 brings together some of UT’s best and brightest,” said Chuck Harris, executive director and CEO of Texas Exes. “Recognizing the entrepreneurial achievements of Longhorns is a way the university can support its alumni long after they’ve left the Forty Acres and encourage future growth and innovation from Texas Exes.”

“The McCombs School has always been a breeding ground for trailblazing entrepreneurs,” said McCombs Dean Lillian Mills. “That spirit of innovation is inspired by the vibrant city we call home, where our Austin ethos celebrates individual passions and inspires students to launch new ventures.”

McCombs 2023 Longhorn 100 Winners

2. Clayton Spencer, BBA ’03
CEO/Founder, Poncho Outdoors
Austin, Texas — Shopping and Retail

3. Jeffrey Trucksess, MBA ’01
Co-Founder and COO, Rambler Sparkling Water
Austin, Texas — Food and Beverage

7. Martin Bronstein, BBA ’71
President, BHW Capital
Houston, Texas — Real Estate

8. Justin Fenchel, MBA ’13
Co-Founder and CEO, Beatbox Beverages
Austin, Texas — Food and Beverage

11. John Cerda, MSTC ’03
CEO, Maestro Integrations
Austin, Texas — Construction and Architecture

14. Swapnil Agarwal, BBA ’03
CEO, Nitya Capital
Houston, Texas — Real Estate

15. Divya Brown, BBA ’03
President, TAXA Outdoors
Houston, Texas — Lodging and Travel

16. Jeremy Johnson, MBA ’12
President, RiverCity Cabinets
Austin, Texas — Construction and Architecture

22. Brian Cruver, MBA ’99
Founder and Executive Chairman, AlertMedia
Austin, Texas — Science and Technology

23. Edward Charrier, MBA ’93
CEO/President/Co-Founder, Fractilia, LLC
Austin, Texas — Science and Technology

29. Tri Vo, BBA ’07
President, CarbonBetter
Austin, Texas — Oil and Gas Services

37. Elizabeth “Lisa” Retamozo, BBA ’90
Founder and Executive Director, NOSOTROS Education Center
Allen, Texas — Education and Training

47. Jack Macdowell, BBA ’96
Co-Founder, Chief Investment Officer, Palisades Group
Austin, Texas — Banking and Finance

49. Andrew Cates, BBA ’93
Founder/CEO, RVC Outdoors Destinations
Memphis, Tennessee — Lodging and Travel

50. Donald Bolin, BBA ’85
Owner/CEO, VanTran Transformers
Waco, Texas — Manufacturing

52. Todd Froemming, MBA ’91
Vice President of Sales and Director of Consulting Services, Syvantis Technologies, Inc.
Baxter, Minnesota — Business Services

56. Denton Newham, MBA ’06
Partner, Two Roads
Dallas, Texas — Business Services

56. Kevin Rammage, MBA ’09
Managing Partner, Two Roads
Dallas, Texas — Business Services

56. Scott Chiou, MBA ’09
Partner, Two Roads
Dallas, Texas — Business Services

62. Hank Cravey, BBA ’88
CEO, Home Trends and Design, Ltd
Austin, Texas — Shopping and Retail

64. Ahmed Moledina, BBA ’93
CEO/Founder, SOAL Technologies, LLC.
Austin, Texas — Business Services

65. Indra Gutierrez, MBA ’21
President, Gutier
Houston, Texas — Construction and Architecture

71. Frank Conselman, BBA ’93
President, Texas Products
Royse City, Texas — Shopping and Retail

73. Jessica Blacklock, BBA ’02
Member, Potts Blacklock Senterfitt, PLLC
Austin, Texas — Legal Services

78. Kevin Margolis, BBA ’89
CEO and Managing Director, SFMG Wealth Advisors
Plano, Texas — Banking and Finance

79. Forrest Clark, BBA ’00
Co-Founder, Zilker Brewing Company
Austin, Texas — Food and Beverage

81. Ned Stagg, BBA ’79
Owner/Operator, Stagg Restaurants Dba McDonald’s
San Antonio, Texas — Restaurants

85. Vincent Calicchia, BBA ’90
President, Community Business Finance
Houston, Texas — Banking and Finance

85. William Ebersole, MBA ’93
Founder and CEO, Community Business Finance
Houston, Texas — Banking and Finance

94. Jordan Reber, MSTC ’15
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, OvareGroup
Louisville, Kentucky — Marketing and Advertising