RISING LEGENDS

BRIAN ADAMS 

Innovative Entrepreneur and Philanthropist 

• Launched entrepreneurial journey with Bama Butler; founded multiple successful ventures including Restoration Cleaners, Retail Reworks and Crypto & Electronic Services. 
• Founded Restoration Cleaners, a multimillion-dollar company on the Inc. 500 List of Fastest Growing Private Companies; led the acquisition of Rumber Materials, earning the Evergreen Award from the U.S. General Services Administration. 
• Honored with Houston Business Journal’s 40 under 40 and Inc.’s 30 under 30 awards; colaunched the GoGo Foundation, supporting genetic cancer research, hospice care, child advocacy and mental health. 

NICK RASHAD BURROUGHS 

Rising Broadway Star  

• Cast as Lola in “Kinky Boots” after seven callbacks during his final year as a UA musical theatre major; performed in the national tour and Broadway production. 
• Played the Minstrel in the first national tour of the hit Broadway musical “Something Rotten!” and performed in other Broadway productions, including “King Kong,” “Shrek The Musical” and “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.”
• Received a Broadway World Award for his portrayal of Judas in “Jesus Christ Superstar” and appeared as James Brown in “James Brown Live” at the Apollo Music Café.
• Recorded “Ordinary Day” on Todrick Hall’s album “Forbidden,” which reached No. 2 on iTunes overall albums chart.
• Performed with Adrienne Warren at the 2021 Tony Awards; released debut EP “Groove Machine” in 2021.

JAMES O. KERRY 

Extraordinary Television and Film Producer 

• Production assistant on the hit NBC show “The Office;” propelled through the ranks to become associate producer, co-producer and, ultimately, producer. 
• Made significant contributions to the television landscape by co-producing 100 episodes of the TV show “Anger Management” — producing compelling content for audiences worldwide. 
• Co-produced the popular Netflix series “Dear White People.” 

DANA LEWIS  

Pioneering Health Tech and Diabetes Advocate 

• Created an artificial pancreas to control her diabetes by leveraging skills from UA’s Computer-Based Honors Program (now Randall Research Scholars Program); founded the open source artificial pancreas system (OpenAPS).  
• Shared her artificial pancreas system blueprint, enabling countless individuals to benefit from the innovation.  
• Authored the first book on automated insulin delivery and created the global #hcsm community spanning six continents.
• Featured in Nature, The Lancet, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today; participated in White House workshops and collaborated with HHS, NIH and FDA. 
• Recipient of the Edison Foundation’s Best Use of Intel Edison, Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business and Red Hat’s Women in Open Source Community awards. 

TENILLE “TD” LOWE 

Champion for Entrepreneurship and Innovation  

• Founded EnovationNation, a platform designed to empower inventors and entrepreneurs and provide them with the tools and resources needed to safeguard their intellectual property and navigate the complex patenting process.
• Featured in national publications and has earned recognition such as inclusion in the Washington Post’s list of 16 women who deserve a spot on a tech company’s board of directors.
• Earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from The University of Alabama in 2008; displayed early entrepreneurial spirit by creating first invention in fourth grade, which, after losing ownership rights, inspired the idea of protecting ideas.

REBECCA MAGNER 

Visionary Producer and Social Change Advocate 

• Tuscaloosa native and dynamic force in the advertising industry serving Squarespace as executive producer.
• Former junior producer, then producer and finally senior producer for broadcast and digital commercials at powerhouse advertising agency McCann New York.
• Specializes in end-to-end ideation and creation of industry-leading content; consistently delivers impactful campaigns for global brands.
• Notable for work on Microsoft’s “Make What’s Next” campaign aimed at empowering girls to pursue careers in STEM fields, which garnered recognition at prestigious awards shows including the Cannes Lion Festival, The Webby Awards, One Show and D&AD Awards.
• Drives societal change through content for nonprofit clients such as The Ad Council and Girls Who Code.
• Produced an innovative Super Bowl commercial for Microsoft featuring the Xbox Adaptive Controller which aired during Super Bowl LIII.

MILLER MOBLEY 

Acclaimed Photographer and Visual Storyteller 

• Tuscaloosa native who began his journey at UA and became a renowned portrait photographer whose work graced the cover of TIME magazine at age 26.
• Photographs featured in Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, The Hollywood Reporter and Parade magazine.
• Captured iconic portraits of celebrities including Nick Saban, Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, Matthew McConaughey, Anthony Bourdain, Dolly Parton, Morgan Freeman, Jamie Foxx, Taylor Swift and Michelle Obama — among many others.
• Commissioned for major advertising campaigns by Steinway & Sons, Apple iBooks, Netflix, HBO and more.
• Opened his first restaurant, Slims Pizzeria, in Birmingham in 2020; cofounder of Mobley & Partners and oversees creative development and design, leveraging visual arts and hospitality experiences.

CHRISTI PARSONS 

Prominent White House Correspondent and Political Analyst 

• Tuscaloosa native and distinguished figure in political journalism with more than 30 years of reporting across the U.S. and 32 countries. Previous roles include enterprise editor and assistant managing editor at CNN, senior editor at The Atlantic, White House correspondent for the Los Angeles Times and national political writer for The Chicago Tribune.
• Current director of Capital News Service’s Annapolis bureau at University of Maryland’s Merrill College, guiding students in their coverage of the Maryland State House and state issues.
• Covered presidential campaigns since the 1990s, including an extensive chronicle of Barack Obama’s political career from the Illinois Senate to the White House.
• Served as president of the White House Correspondents’ Association in 2015. Known for mentoring fellow journalists in developing strong source networks and deep reporting.

MICHELLE RICHMOND

Highly Regarded Novelist, Publisher and Literary Advocate

• New York Times bestselling author with six novels and two award-winning story collections, including the international bestseller “The Year of Fog” and Sunday Times bestseller “The Wonder Test.” 
• Stories and essays published in The Wall Street Journal, Glimmer Train, Oxford American and Boulevard.
• Recipient of the Truman Capote Prize for Alabama’s Distinguished Writer of Literary Non-Fiction or Short Story (2018).
• Member of the executive board for the Authors Guild since 2010; founded Fiction Attic Press and San Francisco Journal of Books.
• Currently writing a memoir about her expat experience in Paris during the longest transit strikes in half a century.

JOY DENVER SPEARS

Versatile Professional Dancer and Choreographer

• Alabama native who began her professional dance career in 2006 as a top 20 contestant on the hit TV show “So You Think You Can Dance,” quickly making a name for herself in the industry.
• Performed with renowned artists such as Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Pink, Paula Abdul, Pharrell, Pitbull, will.i.am, Fall Out Boy, Kat Graham, Priyanka Chopra, and DJ Havana Brown; has worked with top choreographers, appearing on multiple awards shows, TV programs, feature films and in various music videos.
• Choreographed for the final season of the ABC/CMT TV show “Nashville” and is now one of the most sought-after dancers and choreographers in Music City, working with country artists such as Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan, Jon Pardi, Florida Georgia Line, Blake Shelton, RaeLynn, Kassi Ashton, Danielle Bradbery, Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, Maddie & Tae and Brantley Gilbert.
• Worked on commercials for Ford, Nike, and Macy’s; film credits include “Passengers” and “State of Play.”
• A Capezio ACE finalist in 2010 and has been showcased at the Dance Teacher Summit in NYC.