A Decade of Impact: Joyful Partnerships and Philanthropic Team Building at Texas McCombs

By: Kim Clary, Director of Client Success

It’s a rare and extraordinary blessing in life to not only enjoy the work you do, but to genuinely enjoy the people you do it with—and the people you do it for. Not every career offers that kind of alignment. Not every job creates space for meaningful relationships, shared values, and authentic connection.

But I’ve been lucky. And one of the biggest reasons for that luck is Joe Stephens.

Joe is the Assistant Dean & Director at The University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business. But before he ever became a client, and long before he became a collaborator in dozens of Odyssey Teams programs, he became a dear friend. The kind of friend you find yourself two-stepping with at a dance hall, sharing dinners with, or watching the Mister Rogers movie alongside. The kind of friend you’re grateful life introduced you to.

Over the years, my colleagues and I have had the privilege of getting to know not just Joe, but his entire family—along with his tremendous colleagues at Texas McCombs: Rebecca Gutierrez, Robert Alanis, Ariel Brown, Andrea Kehoe, Misael Mendoza-Valdez, Teresa Phillips, and Stephen Limberg. Every one of them brings brilliance, warmth, and sincerity to the work they do. Being welcomed into that circle has been a gift.

A Partnership Rooted in Purpose

Odyssey Teams has partnered with Joe for more than a decade—first at the University of Missouri and later at UT Austin—to bring philanthropic team building programs to his MBA students. Even before I joined the Odyssey team, Joe was already a champion of our work. His belief in the power of service-based experiential learning has helped us deliver dozens of transformational programs for student groups preparing to enter the world of business leadership.

This August alone, Odyssey partnered with Joe and his team to deliver three Helping Hands programs and one Life Cycles program. Needless to say, we were in Austin a lot! And every time we arrived, it felt like returning to a second home.

Joe is never shy about sharing the impact of Odyssey Teams experiences. He invites his students into moments of challenge, reflection, and service—moments that shape the way they will lead, collaborate, and influence others in their careers. And at our insistence, he extended that invitation to the people who matter most to him: his wife and daughters.

They joined the students for a Helping Hands program, working right alongside them, building prosthetic hands for people they would never meet—but would deeply impact.

Meeting the Stephens Family

I wasn’t surprised in the least to discover that Joe’s family is every bit as impressive as he is. But even so, I was struck by one moment in particular.

During the program, I partnered with his eldest daughter, Caroline, on an exercise where participants explore the importance of “finishing strong.” Joe asked if we could change her discussion question to something more personal:

“Why does she want to learn Chinese?”

Her answer floored me.

Caroline shared that she wants to learn Chinese so she can become an international business consultant. She wants to command a strong salary, enjoy going to work every day, raise an amazing family, and have a meaningful impact on the world.

She was in eighth grade.

I don’t know about you, but I haven’t met many eighth graders with that kind of vision, clarity, and global mindset. Caroline is growing up in a culture of curiosity, purpose, and ambition—one shaped by parents who believe in giving their children a front-row seat to the world.

Watching Associate Dean Steve Limberg interact with Joe and his family during the program made me reflect on the environment Caroline and her sister Cate are growing up in. They are immersed in a community of thoughtful leaders, brilliant minds, and mentors who show them what passion, integrity, and service look like.

Honestly? I felt a little jealous. In the best possible way.

Impact That Ripples Through Communities

Every single one of Joe’s colleagues absolutely loves him—and loves his family. And I understand why. Joe embodies kindness, humility, curiosity, and a generous spirit. When leaders like him engage students in philanthropic team building experiences, the outcome is always powerful. MBA students walk into our programs thinking they’re about to participate in a class assignment. They walk out understanding something profound about service, empathy, purpose, and their future roles as leaders.

It’s an honor to be part of that transformation, year after year.

And as for Joe? He’s one of our many “frients”—a word I made up to describe those special people who begin as clients and become genuine friends. In this work, those are the best relationships of all.

A Grateful Heart and an Open Invitation

As I reflect on this summer’s programs with Texas McCombs, I’m filled with gratitude—for Joe, for his family, for his extraordinary team, and for the students whose lives are enriched by these experiences. Partnerships like this remind me why I love what I do. They remind me why Odyssey Teams exists. And they remind me that impactful work isn’t just about outcomes. It’s about people.

If you’d like more information about philanthropic team building programs for MBA students or any student group, I’d love to help.

📩 kim@odysseyteams.com

Whether you’re a dean, a program director, or a student affairs leader, let’s create something meaningful together.