March 3, 2020: Gay Gaddis

Founder, Gay Gaddis, LLC

In 1989, Gay cashed in a $16,000 IRA to create a new breed of agency, T3 (The Think Tank), that rose to national prominence for innovation under her leadership for more than 30 years.

Today, Gay is focusing her always-on energy to empower entreprenuers and the next generation of business leaders to take big leaps in their careers and lives. She is an active speaker on women’s leadership, company culture and entrepreneurship. Her book, Cowgirl Power: How to Kick Ass in Business and Life, released in January 2018, shares insights and examples for women to develop personal power and lead like fearless cowgirls.

Gay is the first female Chairman of the Texas Business Leadership Council and is former Chairman of The Committee of 200 (C200), a top women’s business organization that advances women’s leadership in business, and is on the Board of Directors of the Texas Cultural Trust. She was also an immediate past board member for Monotype Imaging Holdings, Inc. Gay is deeply involved with The University of Texas. She is on the board of Texas Exes, the official alumni association of the University of Texas, is part of the Dean’s Advisory Council to The University of Texas McCombs School of Business, and is an advisor for both the College of Fine Arts and the Moody College of Communication.

Gay and her husband, Lee, own the historic Double Heart Ranch in the Texas Hill Country, home of Fossil Ridge Creative Center, a retreat venue for thinking, creativity and collaboration. Fossil Ridge blends Hill Country nature with inspiring architecture and state-of-the-art facilities to spark imagination, serving as a venue for non-profit events, corporate retreats and creative workshops.

Fossil Ridge is also the home of Gay’s private art studio. Her bold and vibrant paintings have been shown in several prestigious galleries around the country including the gallery at Fossil Ridge and New York City, earning her a distinction by Texas Monthly magazine as one of the “Top Ten Artists to Collect Now.”

An active spokesperson, artist and writer, Gaddis is the celebrated author of Cowgirl Power: How to Kick Ass in Business & Life and is a regular contributor to Forbes and part of Fortune’s Powerful Women Insider Network. She is an active speaker with corporate and student groups. Over her career, Gaddis has received numerous awards and honors including Fast Company’s “Top 25 Women Business Builders,” Inc.lso the author of Cowgirl Power: How to Kick Ass in Business and Life.