CEO of BuzzBallz cocktails donates $30 million to Texas Woman's University
DENTON – A North Texas woman who went from a high school teacher to founder and CEO of a billion-dollar beverage business wants to help the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Merrilee Kick, who created the ready-to-drink cocktail drink BuzzBallz, is giving $30 million to her alma mater, Texas Woman's University in Denton.
It's the largest donation in the university's nearly 125-year history.
"I want to help other people realize their dreams too," Kick said.
In 2009, Kick was working as a high school teacher at Plano West High School when she was struck by inspiration.
"I was out grading papers by the pool, as a teacher would, and I was having a cocktail and I thought, shouldn't have a glass container out here by the pool," she said. "So I thought, what if I created a little plastic party ball?"
It became her capstone project at TWU, where she was working to get her master's degree in business.
"I wanted to have a real meaningful career, something that I could call my own, something that I could build into a business," Kick said.
After graduation, Kick was determined to make her vision a reality.
"I tried to get loans from every single bank in Texas, and they all turned me down," she said. "A, because I was a woman. B, because I had no experience in the industry."
That didn't stop her from creating BuzzBallz. She did everything from product design to operating a forklift to get the business running.
"I didn't have faith," said Kick. "I had focus. And it was fear. It was like, I can't make this fail because if I fail, I'm living in my car."
Her tenacity and perseverance turned these colorful containers into one of the biggest brands in the cocktail industry. That success has allowed her to give back.
Kick plans to donate $30 million to the College of Business at TWU.
"This is the largest gift that Texas Woman's University has ever received, in its entire existence," said Dr. Rama Yelkur, dean of the College of Business. "So it is not only transformational for the College of Business, it's transformational for the university as well."
Yelkur believes the funding will open doors for future generations of students who Kick's drive and resilience will inspire.
"She really, really navigated that male-dominated industry with grace and determination and her innovative spirit," said Yelkur. "And I think that's what we represent. That's what we want to be proud of creating as our alumni."
TWU caters to non-traditional students like Kick, often trying to earn a degree while juggling other commitments.
"It was really important to be able to keep my job – two jobs that I had – plus raising kids while I was doing that," Kick said. "They gave me that flexibility while working online."
Kick is excited to work with the university on the best way to allocate the funds.
"This is going to enable us to offer cutting-edge and innovative programs and develop leaders of the future in business," said Yelkur.
The historic gift will allow the university to build an actual College of Business on campus. The new building is expected to be finished in about three years.
On Friday, the TWU System Board of Regents will vote to name it after Kick.
"We're going to nickname it the MAK – Merrilee Alexander Kick – because that's a lot," Kick said. "I hope that it allows [students] to create their own vision, their own goals – whether that's in the medical field or in inventing something. I want them to have the same chances that were given to me to make the world a bigger, more exciting place."