Merrilee Kick is the CEO/Founder of BuzzBallz/Southern Champion, the only woman-owned Distillery/Winery/Brewery combination in the United States. The Carrollton, Texas company manufactures ready-to-drink cocktails called BuzzBallz and Uptown Cocktails, as well as spirits like rum, vodka, gin, bourbon, and some private label brands for 7-Eleven and H-E-B. With products sold in 50 states and 27 countries, the company is family owned/operated and home to over 650 employees in the Dallas area.

Kick is a winner of the Dallas Business Journal’s Most Admired CEO Award, the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award, EY's Winning Women, Winner of the Enterprising Women's Hall of Fame Award, Winner of the Women Presidents Organization’s and Chase Bank’s 50 Fastest Woman Owned companies, Ranked in the Top 50 DFW Businesses by D CEO Magazine and Winner of the Top Women in Grocery, Winner of the Distinguished Alumni Award from Texas Woman’s University.

Kick has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Montana, an MBA from Texas Woman’s University, and she is an alumnus of Harvard Business School.

Kick works with her two sons Alex and Andrew, and her husband Tim, in the family business.

Food & Beverage, Food & Wine, Business Leadership, Women in Business, Startup, Innovation, Product Development, Sommeliers, Women, Influential Women,