Building Houston’s Legacy One Student at a Time

When Darren Randle (’12) first set foot on the University of Houston campus for a college tour, he remembers stopping at Robertson Stadium to look out at the Houston skyline.

“Coming from a small town in Tennessee, the Memphis skyline was all I’d known. So, walking around UH campus, it hit me: You could make a name for yourself here,” Darren recalls.

That’s exactly what Darren and his friend and fellow UH alumnus Shawn Singh (’18) did. Since graduating from C. T. Bauer College of Business a decade ago, both have worked in their respective fields to make Houston better.

After gaining experience in marketing and operations with UH Football and the Houston Texans, Darren started Houston Tents & Events, the city’s go-to company for the biggest parties, events and activations. HTE was named to the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies in 2024 and 2025 and ranked 25th on Houston Business Journal’s 2024 “Fast 50” list.

Singh, also known as @shawnthefoodsheep on Instagram, shares his reviews of Houston's hottest restaurants and cultural events on social media. He has more than 230,000 followers and has established a reputation for making the city a more welcoming, community-oriented place.

They both credit Bauer with giving them the skills they needed to jumpstart their careers.

“I remember talking to my professor, Carlos Ortega, about every business he owned. His failures and successes,” Darren shares. “He taught me so much that I use to this day because he had firsthand experience.”

The inspiration for the scholarship came from a simple idea. Singh recalls seeing another influencer, Alix Earle, establish a scholarship and immediately thinking, “Why not at UH?”

He was soon connected with Darren.

“Within five minutes Darren and I were in agreement this was something we wanted to do,” Singh remembers.

Randle and Singh joined forces to start the Houston Built Legacy Award Scholarship, an annual award for students who are passionate about Houston and aim to make a positive impact on the city.

Singh points to his Sikh upbringing for teaching him the importance of generosity: “Giving is part of the Sikh religion. Beyond that, I always want to give back to the community. Houston has done so much for me, and each year this scholarship is given out, that’s one life you’ve touched. How can that compound in 10, 20 years?”

Darren and his wife Kori Randle (’12), the current CEO of Houston Tents & Events, have made charitable donations a cornerstone of their business mission. He stresses the importance of creating opportunities for students walking the same paths he and Singh once did: “UH students are grinding, working jobs, commuting, balancing family responsibilities and still chasing big dreams. Supporting these students is worth it.”

Investing in student success is a pillar of the Can’t Stop: The Centennial Campaign. Like Darren, nearly half of UH students are first-generation learners. Scholarships ensure these students can complete their degrees and build better futures for themselves and their families. Because most UH alumni choose to stay in Houston after graduation, the Houston Built Legacy Award Scholarship benefits students who will go on to enrich their local community, just as Singh and Darren have.

“ UH is becoming a massive powerhouse. It is cool to be a small part of that,” Singh says.

Together, their gift guarantees future Cougars will keep building Houston’s legacy, one student at a time.

Singh and Randle posing with Diana Pineda ('17), Associate Director of Development for C. T. Bauer College of Business, and Lili Cavazos ('14), Assistant Director of Development for C. T. Bauer College of Business