What we’re about
Austin's Premier Club for networking and fascinating speakers for over 40 years. The coffee is hot, the people are warm, and the speakers are cool!
We meet Wednesday mornings from 6:50 to 8:30 (sharp, so you can get on with your busy day) at the UT Club (on the east side of UT stadium). We also host the occasional road trip, walking tour, and happy hour. Everyone is welcome to come by when the speaker interests you, or join the club for a mid-week pick-me-up every week.
Upcoming events (4)
See all- Ken Ashworth, Stories Better Not ToldChez Zee American Bistro, Austin, TX
Ken Ashworth, Stories Better Not Told
About our speaker:
Ken will tell stories and anecdotes from a long career in politics, administration, and academia, and from his vivid and quirky memory.
Ken Ashworth was Texas commissioner of higher education for over two decades, leaving that to teach public administration courses at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and at A&M’s George Bush School.
He came to Austin 88 years ago. He served 40 years in the public service at the federal, state, and local levels, and he ended in UT administration and as Texas commissioner.
Dr. Ashworth has written several books, including Phantom in the Family, Tracking Down My Runaway Father. His book about UT is Horns of a Dilemma: Coping with Politics at the University of Texas. He has one with the odd title Caught Between the Dog and the Fireplug, How to Survive Public Service. His latest, Stories Better Not Told, is also the title of his talk today, and is the selection for this month's MBC Book Club (after our regular meeting December 11th).Agenda:
6:45am - Coffee & Networking
7:10am - Breakfast Buffet
7:25am - Introductions & Announcements
7:50am - Speaker Introduction
8:20am - Q&A
8:30am - Leave inspired or curious!Directions and Parking
Breakfast Fees & PolicyThis event is not free, register before midnight the previous Sunday to avoid late fees.
- Bridget Grumet, Austin American-StatesmanChez Zee American Bistro, Austin, TX
What's Happening in Austin and Texas
About our speaker**:**
Bridget Grumet is the Metro columnist for Austin American-Statesman.
"As the American-Statesman's Metro columnist, I bring clarity to the challenges facing the Austin area. After two decades covering state and local government issues, I have a knack for explaining complex topics in an engaging way."
Agenda:
6:45am - Coffee & Networking
7:10am - Breakfast Buffet
7:25am - Introductions & Announcements
7:50am - Speaker Introduction
8:20am - Q&A
8:30am - Leave inspired or curious!Directions and Parking
Breakfast Fees & PolicyThis event is not free, register before midnight the previous Sunday to avoid late fees.
- Joy Stoddard, Free to Choose NetworkChez Zee American Bistro, Austin, TX
About our speaker:
Joy Stoddard serves as Vice President of Development for Free To Choose Network, a global media 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to use accessible and engaging media to persuade others that individuals and societies flourish when we are all free to choose how best to live our lives and ethically pursue our happiness.
With her father, Joy recalls watching Milton Friedman’s 1980 original 10-part television series, Free To Choose, produced by Free To Choose Network. As a Certified Fund Raising Executive in 2024, Joy is now delighted to connect donors and advocates to help continue and expand this legacy so that everyone can flourish.
Before joining the Free To Choose Network team, Joy served as Development and Outreach Director at Whole Planet Foundation, a Whole Foods Market non-profit dedicated to alleviating global poverty. Through annual campaigns, corporate donors, family foundations, and employee engagement, Joy spearheaded fundraising of $140 million. This revenue funded 7 million microcredit loans for low-income entrepreneurs - mostly women - in the United States and 79 other countries.
Joy lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband, Scott, and Jack Russell Terrier, Spencer.
Agenda:
6:45am - Coffee & Networking
7:10am - Breakfast Buffet
7:25am - Introductions & Announcements
7:50am - Speaker Introduction
8:20am - Q&A
8:30am - Leave inspired or curious!Directions and Parking
Breakfast Fees & PolicyThis event is not free, register before midnight the previous Sunday to avoid late fees.
- Who would you like to hear from?Chez Zee American Bistro, Austin, TX
We won't be meeting Christmas Day or New Years Day, but we'll be back January 8th. But there are five Wednesdays in January, so you still get four great breakfast meetings!
Our speakers are always engaging, informative, and insightful (and often inciteful). Our members are too! Is there a person or organization you'd like to hear from at MBC? Nominate a speaker and we'll try to set that up.
Upcoming Speakers in January
- TC Broadnax, Austin City Manager
- Bobby Jenkins, Philanthropy in Business
- Joi Chevalier and Lindsey Schoenfeld, Food as Medicine
- Karen Fingerman, Texas Aging and Longevity Center
