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    Elite entrepreneurs

    3 Dallas-Fort Worth entrepreneurs rank among Forbes' richest self-made women for 2023

    Stephanie Allmon Merry
    Jun 1, 2023 | 1:22 pm
    April Anthony
    April Anthony of Dallas (second from right, with husband Mark, right, and Daren and Angela Lesley) is ranked No. 34 nationally.
    Photo by Kelly Alexander

    Twelve of the country's 100 most successful female entrepreneurs live in Texas this year, and three of them call Dallas-Fort Worth home. So says Forbes in its 2023 list of America's Richest Self-Made Women, released June 1.

    "Bolstered in part by a rebound in the stock market, [the richest 100 female entrepreneurs] are cumulatively worth a record $124 billion, up nearly 12% from a year ago," says Forbes.

    To make the Forbes list, women had to garner wealth on their own, rather than by inheriting or winning it.

    Texas' wealthiest women have made their fortunes in fields ranging from home health care, insurance, and aviation logistics to jewelry design, dating apps, and running the show at SpaceX.

    The three female entrepreneurs from North Texas who appear in the elite club of America’s richest self-made women (and their national rankings) are:

    • Robyn Jones, No. 29, of Fort Worth. Her net worth is estimated at $830 million. Jones is founder of Westlake-based Goosehead Insurance Agency LLC. She started the property and casualty insurance agency in 2003 after being frustrated with her truck-driver husband's "road warrior lifestyle," Forbes says. He joined her in 2004 and they took the company public in 2018. It has nearly 1,000 franchised offices.
    • April Anthony, No. 34, of Dallas. Forbes puts her net worth at $740 million. She founded the Dallas-based home health and hospice division of Encompass Health Corp and sold it for $750 million to HealthSouth. In 2022, she was named CEO of VitalCaring, a home health and hospice care firm.
    • Kathleen Hildreth, No. 44, of Aubrey. Her net worth is estimated at $590 million. Hildreth is co-founder of M1 Support Services LP, an aviation logistics company based in Denton. A service-disabled Army veteran, she graduated from West Point in 1983 and was deployed all around the world as a helicopter pilot.

    The nine other Texans who appear on the list are from Austin and Central Texas.

    With an estimated net worth at $4.8 billion, Thai Lee, of Austin, remains at the top of the list in Texas, and ranks No. 5 nationally.

    She falls behind only No. 1 Diane Hendricks of Wisconsin (co-founder of ABC Supply, $15 billion net worth); No. 2 Judy Loveof Oklahoma (chairman and CEO, Love's Travel Stops And Country Stores, $10.2 billion); No. 3 Judy Faulkner of Wisconsin (founder and CEO, Epic Systems, $7.4 billion); and No. 4 Lynda Resnick of California (co-founder and co-owner of Wonderful Company, $5.3 billion) among America's richest self-made women.

    For some additional perspective, Oprah Winfrey lands at No. 13 on the list for 2023. The TV titan (and most famous woman on the planet) has an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion, Forbes says.

    Austin's Lee, a native of Bangkok who holds an MBA from Harvard University, is founder, president, and CEO of SHI International Corp., a provider of IT products and services with a projected revenue of $14 billion in 2023. Fun fact: "Lee majored in both biology and economics," Forbes says, "in part because her English was less than perfect and she wanted to avoid writing and speaking in class."

    The remaining eight Texas women on the list are:
    • Gwynne Shotwell, No. 27, of Jonesboro (Coryell-Hamilton counties). Her net worth is estimated at $860 million. Shotwell is president and COO of Elon Musk's SpaceX. She manages the operations of the commercial space exploration company and owns an estimated stake of 1 percent, Forbes says.
    • Lisa Su, No. 34, Austin. Forbes pegs Su’s net worth at $740 million, tying her with April Anthony of Dallas. The native of Taiwan is president and CEO of Santa Clara, California-based semiconductor company Advanced Micro Devices.
    • Kendra Scott, No. 47, of Austin.Forbes says she has amassed a net worth of $550 million as founder of Kendra Scott LLC, which designs and sells jewelry in more than 100 stores (and is worth $360 million). The celebrity entrepreneur is also a judge on TV's Shark Tank.
    • Whitney Wolfe Herd, No. 52, of Austin. She is worth an estimated $510 million. Herd is co-founder and CEO of Bumble Inc., which operates two online dating apps: Bumble and Badoo. She owns a 17% stake in Bumble and became the youngest self-made woman billionaire after it went public in February 2021.
    • Paige Mycoskie, No. 73, of Austin. She is worth an estimated $380 million. Mycoskie created founded her 1970s-inspired California lifestyle brand, Aviator Nation, which took off during the pandemic and now has 16 retail locations across the U.S. If the name sounds familiar, that's because she's the sister of TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie, with whom she competed on TV's The Amazing Race.
    • Imam Abuzeid, No. 77, of Austin. Her net worth is estimated at $350 million. Abuzeid is the co-founder and CEO of Incredible Health, which she started in 2017 to help alleviate America's nursing shortage. Forbes describes it as "a souped-up version of LinkedIn for nurses." Abuzeid is one of only a handful of Black female founders to run a company valued at more than $1 billion, Forbes notes.
    • Julia Cheek, No. 92, of Austin. Her net worth is estimated at $260 million. Cheek founded at-home testing company Everly Health in 2015 "out of frustration at having to pay thousands for lab testing to diagnose issues related to vitamin imbalance," Forbes says. It got a Shark Tank deal with Lori Greiner and is now worth roughly $1.8 billion.
    • Belinda Johnson, No. 96, of Austin. She is worth an estimated $250 million. Johnson was Airbnb's first chief operating officer and led many of its legal disputes. She stepped down from that role in March 2020, Forbes says, and left the company's board in June 2023.
    April Anthony, Dallas, No. 34Kathleen Hildreth, Aubrey, No. 44Kendra Scott, Austin, No. 47Robyn Jones, Fort Worth, No. 29Self-made womenThai Lee, Austin, No. 5forbeslists
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    Women Rule

    Carrollton CEO makes list of fastest growing women businesses in U.S.

    Raven Jordan
    May 8, 2025 | 3:30 pm
    Buzzballs
    Buzzballs
    Buzzballs' Merrilee Kick

    A CEO based in Carrollton was recently named one of the fastest-growing women-led businesses in the United States: Merrilee Kick, founder of spherical cocktail brand BuzzBallz, made the top five on nonprofit Women President Organization's 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies list.

    BuzzBallz, which is in the fourth spot on the list, was founded by Kick in 2009 and acquired by spirits company Sazerac in 2024. Following a career as a high school teacher, Kick decided to create ready-to-drink cocktails, such as martinis and margaritas, served in a plastic can rather than a glass.

    To be considered for this list, businesses must operate under the leadership of a woman, and have a minimum of $500,000 in annual revenue for each of the previous five years. Plus, they must have sustained substantial year-over-year growth, demonstrating post-pandemic recovery in industries like travel and hospitality, health and wellness, manufacturing, and food and beverage.

    The top five include:

    1. Collette led by President and CEO Jaclyn Leibl-Cote, based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island
    2. Unite Digital led by President and CEO Stacey Coopes, based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
    3. Embark Beyond led by Co-founder and Managing Partner Julie Danziger, based in New York City, New York
    4. BuzzBallz (Southern Champion) led by CEO and Founder Merrilee Kick, based in Carrollton, Texas
    5. Cymbiotika led by CEO Durana Elmi, based in San Diego, California

    Kick joins two other Texas business owners on the list — both in Houston — including Pamela Chambers O'Rourke, founder and CEO of Icon Information Consultants, and Tara Harmon-Kramer, owner of Meltar Supply, at sixth and 23rd place on the list respectively.

    According to a release, businesses on this year’s list collectively generated more than $7 billion in gross revenue, and employed more than 15,000 people, in 2024.

    Most of the selected companies offer remote work arrangements and parental leave, and company milestones included major contracts secured and national retailer launches.

    “With a strong commitment to innovation, purpose, and people, these companies exemplify the essential role women-owned and led businesses play in building a more sustainable and inclusive economy," says CEO of the Women Presidents Organization Camille Burns in a statement. "This recognition is more than a milestone — it’s a powerful affirmation of the transformative influence women have in shaping modern business."

    The 50 Fastest list is sponsored by J.P. Morgan Commercial Banking, and participation was open to all qualifying businesses.

    A comprehensive evaluation process then ranked all eligible companies using a proprietary sales growth formula that factored in both percentage and absolute growth, finalizing the WPO’s selection of the top 50 performers for recognition.

    Honorees will be recognized during a ceremony at the WPO Entrepreneurial Excellence Forum at The Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort in San Antonio on May 8.

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