UNITE. IGNITE. INSPIRE.
2024 EVENT DETAILS COMING SOON
2024 EVENT DETAILS COMING SOON
Kawan “KP The Great” Prather – is a Multi-Disciplinary Powerhouse. With a music career that spans over two decades, KP made his mark on popular culture discovering and nurturing talent as a young executive at LaFace Records, Arista, Columbia Records, Sony Music and Atlantic Records. His career skyrocketed when he received A&R credit for seminal OutKast classics, which have since reached multi-platinum status. The Atlanta native oversaw the breakout of acts P!nk and Usher while simultaneously launching his own Ghet-O-Vision imprint where he signed the future “King of the South” Clifford “T.I.” Harris and the YoungBloodz. A former artist himself, KP also achieved early success by personally signing Killer Mike, John Legend, YelaWolf, Kap G and others. Behind the board with Malay [Frank Ocean, Alessia Cara], he co-produced John Legend’s platinum-certified, GRAMMY® Award nominated “Green Light” [feat. André 3000], Fantasia’s “The Thrill Is Gone” [feat. CeeLo Green], Jamie Foxx’s “15 Minutes,” Big Boi’s “Something’s Gotta Give” [feat. Mary J. Blige] and more. In 2016, KP took home a GRAMMY® Award for “Best Rap Song” as the co-writer on Kendrick Lamar’s anthem “Alright” alongside Pharrell.
Under the moniker “KP The Great”, the legendary creative has blazed a new trail as one of the industry’s most in-demand and influential DJs. A master on the decks, he’s lit up the stages of Rolling Loud, ComplexCon, the Atlanta Jazz Festival and as the headlining turntablist for One Music Fest (OMF). The top billing DJ, who is no stranger to massive audiences or the OMF main stage, flexed his artistic excellence in 2016 when he made history by directing the Dungeon Family Reunion set.
Fast forward to 2019, the unstoppable force returned bringing along some of his “Super Friends,” Usher and Pharrell, where attendees witnessed explosive moments further cementing KP The Great’s untouchable reputation. His extraordinary and wide-ranging career has led to speaking engagements on high-profile panels including: SXSW, REVOLT Summit, A3C 2023 and RIDEcon, as well as features in some of today’s leading music and lifestyle media outlets such as: Complex, DJ Mag, Bossip, Stupid Dope, Rolling Out and Upscale Magazine.
Currently serving as Head of Music at Pharrell’s i am OTHER imprint, everything KP does is quite literally, GREAT!
Atlanta indisputably set the pace for modern hip-hop. However, Big Boi set the pace for Atlanta, and by proxy, the culture at large. If the genre of hip-hop ever gets its own “Rap Mount Rushmore,” a legacy as the region’s foremost wordsmith, funkiest gentleman, and resident ATLien certainly guarantees a place for the rapper, songwriter, record producer, actor, and philanthropist born Antwan André Patton. You can often find him in your favorite rapper’s “Top Five” and with good reason. Over two decades since he first crash landed, it’s nearly impossible to escape his influence. Of course, he made history as the preeminent spitter of the Dungeon Family and one-half of OutKast. The legendary duo sold 25 million albums and garnered seven GRAMMY® Awards, becoming the first and only hip-hop artist in history to win the GRAMMY® for “Album of the Year” upon release of the 2003 RIAA Diamond-certified Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.
His half, Speakerboxxx, set the stage for what has become an equally impressive solo run. He made his proper introduction as a solo artist in 2010 with Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. A modern classic, it captured #3 on the Billboard Top 200, graced year-end lists from Time, Paste, and Vibe, and landed on Pitchfork’s “100 Best Albums of the Decade ‘So Far’.” 2012’s Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumorsmaintained his momentum fueled further by the 2015 Phantogram collaboration, Big Grams. However, he reached a new level on Boomiverse in 2017. Beyond verbally acrobatic bangers such as “In The South” [feat. Gucci Mane & Pimp C], “Mic Jack” [feat. Adam Levine, Scar, & Sleepy Brown], and “Kill Jill” [feat. Killer Mike & Jeezy], the MC landed “the biggest hit of his solo career”—according to Rolling Stone—in the form of “All Night.” The smash single soundtracked a high-profile Apple Animoji commercial, blew up radio, and clocked 40 million streams within a year. Additionally, he performed it on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,Jimmy Kimmel LIVE!, and more. This set the stage for a pair of 2018 anthems and knockout collaborations, namely “Out at Night” [feat. Clean Bandit] and “Big Bills” [feat. The Knocks], in addition to more music.
Beyond his countless contributions on wax, he personally signed, supported, and shepherded superstars a la Janelle Monáe and Killer Mike. He also co-owns and operates Stankonia Studios in Atlanta.
On the big and small screens, he reprised regular roles on BET’s The Quad and MTV’s Scream as well as appearing in Academy® Award winner Lee Daniels’ FOX series Star and joining the cast of 2018’s Superfly.
An active member of his community and devoted humanitarian, he launched the Big Kidz Foundation, a nonprofit which enriches the lives of youth in Atlanta. Not to mention, he’s an avowed animal lover, providing a home to owls and his latest puppy.
In the end, Boomiverse represents what Big Boi aptly describes as “another dimension of music” and continues a tradition of “doing things that have never been done before.”
Big Boi kicked off 2019 by taking the stage alongside Maroon 5 and Travis Scott at the Pepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show on February 3, 2019. Followed by the release of two new tracks “Doin’ It” [feat. Sleepy Brown] and “Return of the Dope Boi [feat. Killer Mike and Backbone].
Big Boi to embark on the Dungeon Family Tour in April with Atlanta luminaries and members of the Dungeon Family, including Goodie Mob, Sleepy Brown, Organized Noize and KP The Great. For latest tour and ticket sales information please visit BigBoi.com.
Maryland-raised, turned Nashville resident singer/songwriter, Kaitlyn Croker has been singing since she could talk and performing since the age of 9. Over the years, she has been scouted by various competition television shows and has been pursued by a number of major record labels. Influenced by legendary country musicians such as Faith Hill and Martina McBride, and current artists Cody Johnson and Kameron Marlowe, Kaitlyn’s style of music reflects that old school vibe mixed with modern soul and grit, showcasing her powerhouse vocals.
Having resided in Nashville for just 3 years, 19-year old Kaitlyn has already made waves across the country performing original, passionate songs that resonate with her audience. She has been seen delivering performances from the Mid-Atlantic to the world famous Flora-Bama Lounge on the Gulf coast to Texas and everywhere in between!
Some of her most noteworthy performances include playing a round in Nashville with Ashley McBryde, Bridgette Tatum and Thompson Square, opening for Cole Swindell, Todd Tilghman, NBC’s ‘The Voice’ season 18 winner, Rhonda Vincent, ‘The Queen of Bluegrass’, and 90’s country hit band, Shenandoah. Kaitlyn debuted her first featured release ‘Ascending’ at the Johnny Cash Farm. She continues to give memorable performances throughout Nashville singing at such notable locations as The Local, Live Oak, and the iconic BlueBird Cafe.
Artis Stevens is President & CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) – the nation’s foremost one-to-one youth mentoring organization. As the first Black CEO in BBBSA’s 100+ year history, Artis is spearheading a powerful mission to leverage mentorship as a transformative solution to society’s greatest challenges – from equity and access to justice and opportunity.
Today, the need and desire for mentorship is evident. One-third of children in the U.S. lack a positive adult mentor and BBBSA has waitlist of over 30,000 leaving thousands of vulnerable youths without access to life-changing opportunities and new perspectives. Driven by a bold vision to engage one million supporters and strategic partners, Artis has dramatically expanded BBBSA’s reach through innovative methods such as, “It Takes Little to be Big,” a 2023 campaign engaging BBBSA alumni and tens of thousands of potential donors, mentors and ambassadors.
Under his leadership, BBBSA achieved a record-breaking fundraising year in 2022, in part due to the largest-ever single donation in the organization’s history – $122.6 million from MacKenzie Scott. As a result, BBBSA provided millions of mentorship opportunities across 5,000 communities.
Prior to this role at BBBSA, he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of National 4-H Council, leading the organization’s brand positioning, alumni and marketing campaigns, digital transformation and local engagement efforts.
Having devoted his 25+ year career to empowering young people and transforming broken systems that are holding back younger generations, Artis is an experienced speaker in mentorship as a transformational societal solution, reimaging systems and challenging the status quo. He has been featured on Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, CNBC and the New York Stock Exchange and was named to Worth Magazine’s Worthy 100 list in 2023.
Artis is a graduate of the University of Georgia and holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Valdosta State University. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
He resides in Atlanta, GA with his wife, Erica, and daughters Aubrey and Alyse where the family actively serves in their community.
Chart-topping country artist NIKO MOON is all about making people feel-good with his positive vibes and tunes.
His first single “Good Time” went #1 on country radio and his other hits continue to climb the charts as he releases more music. His upcoming album, Better Days, is set to release January 19, nationwide.
Beyond being a solo act, Moon, a SESAC country songwriter of the year, has written eight #1 songs and over 40 major record label cuts for artists such as Morgan Wallen, Avicii, Dierks Bentley, Pitbull, Zac Brown Band, Rascal Flatts and more.
He is also the founder of the “Happy Cowboy Foundation”, a 501c3 nonprofit.
Briana Scurry is widely recognized as one of the world’s most talented and influential goalkeepers. Scurry’s 173 international appearances as one of the first African American and openly gay professional athletes championed equality and diversified the sport. In 2017, Scurry was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Named starting goalkeeper for the United States Women’s National Team in 1994, Scurry led the team on an illustrious run that included two Olympic gold medals. In the 1999 FIFA World Cup Championship – which represented one of the most seminal events in American athletic history – Briana made the iconic penalty kick save that carried the United States to victory.
Scurry pioneered the first paid professional women’s soccer league as a founding player in 2001. A debilitating concussion led to her retirement in 2010. Since then, Scurry has repurposed her visibility to become one of the nation’s foremost advocates for increased awareness for traumatic brain injuries.
Through her impact on the landscape of women’s soccer and American sports culture, Briana was selected to the United States Women’s National Team’s All-Time Best XI and was selected as the permanent Title IX Exhibit in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
In 2022, Scurry released her best-selling memoir, My Greatest Save, and was also the subject of The Only, a CBS feature-length documentary chronicling her life. In 2023, Scurry served as the commencement speaker and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from her alma mater, The University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Carla Harris is a renowned international public speaker and is also a Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley. She was most recently the Vice Chairman responsible for increasing client connectivity and penetration to enhance revenue generation across the firm. In her 30+ year career as an investment banker, Ms. Harris has had extensive industry experiences in the technology, media, retail, telecommunications, transportation, industrial, and healthcare sectors. She is highly regarded as a motivator, executor and leader. In August 2013, Carla Harris was appointed by President Barack Obama to chair the National Women’s Business Council.
Named as one of the Top 40 Female Speakers in the World in 2020, Carla engages audiences around the world with her popular “Carla’s Pearls” where she shares with both leaders and emerging leaders how to maximize their career success across all industries using the “hard earned and hard learned” lessons that she acquired during her Wall Street Career. Her most recent book, Lead To Win, shares her pearls of Intentional Leadership to help professionals become powerful, impactful, influential leaders into today’s challenging professional context.
Carla has been named to Fortune Magazine’s list of “The 50 Most Powerful Black Executives in Corporate America”, Fortune’s Most Influential List, U. S. Bankers Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Finance(2009, 2010, 2011), Black Enterprise’s Top 75 Most Powerful Women in Business (2017), and “Top 75 African Americans on Wall Street”, and to Essence Magazine’s list of “The 50 Women Who are Shaping the World”, Ebony’s list of the Power 100 and many more. She has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, Fast Money, Barrons and many other publications.
In her other life, Carla is a singer who has sold out concerts at Carnegie Hall and the Apollo Theatre,and released 4 Gospel CDs:“O This is Christmas” (2021) “Unceasing Praise” (2011), “Joy Is Waiting”(2005), and her first CD entitled, “Carla’s First Christmas”(2000), was a bestseller on Amazon.com in New York and was featured on the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather in his “American Dream” segment.
Named by Fortune Magazine as a Top 50 World’s Greatest Leaders, a recipient of the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award and listed as one of the world’s most influential creative people by The Creativity 50’s, Mick Ebeling has sparked a movement of pragmatic, inspirational innovation. As a career producer and filmmaker and now Founder and CEO of Not Impossible, Mick has dedicated his life to tapping into the power of innovation, technology, and story to change the world.
Mick’s mantra of “commit, then figure it out” allows for a unique problem-solving approach, bringing together a community of passionate and talented engineers, doers, makers, idea generators and storytellers to create solutions that better the world. Partnering with a wide array of companies and organizations, Ebeling not only pushes the bar on innovation, he also shares the emotionally resonating story of doing so.
Ebeling’s book, Not Impossible: Do What Can’t Be Done, recounts his life experiences that led to the founding of Not Impossible. Published in several languages, the book was hailed as “a true testament to the power of determination […] Bursting with optimism and new ideas,” by Deepak Chopra.
Not Impossible is the only company to win Time Magazine’s Top Invention of the Year three times as well as being named winner of Fast Company’s World Changing Idea twice. Named one of WIRED Magazine’s Agents of Change, a two-time SXSW Innovation of the Year award winner, a three-time Tribeca Disruptor Awards recipient, a fellow with The Nantucket Project, and recipient of every major creative and advertising award, Ebeling is on a mission to provide “Technology for the Sake of Humanity.”
Paul Brown serves as Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Inspire Brands, a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes more than 32,600 Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and SONIC restaurants making it the second largest restaurant company in the United States. In 2023, its brands achieved more than $32.5 billion in global system sales. Inspire is supported by more than 675,000 company and franchise team members.
Inspire is a global restaurant company with a combination of strong, differentiated brands tightly integrated around a shared data and technology-enabled platform which drives enhanced value for franchisees and other stakeholders.
At Inspire, Brown led the transformation of the Arby’s brand as well as the acquisitions and integrations of Buffalo Wild Wings and Sonic in 2018, Jimmy John’s in 2019, and the $11.3 billion acquisition of Dunkin’ Brands in 2020.
Before Inspire, Brown served as President of Brands and Commercial Services of Hilton Worldwide. Brown was the company’s global leader in brand management, product standards, marketing, sales, pricing, e-commerce, loyalty programs, franchise relations, and information technology.
Brown also served with Expedia, Inc., the world’s leading online travel company, as President of Expedia.com and Expedia’s Partner Services Group. Before Expedia, Brown was a partner at the McKinsey & Company. Based in London, he led the firm’s global travel and hospitality practice and served clients across the travel, hospitality, and retail sectors. Brown is chairman of the board of directors of Neiman Marcus Group and is active in the community, serving on the boards of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the Georgia Tech Foundation, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee and several other community organizations.
Brown is an alumnus of Georgia Tech, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in management. He also received an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a Master of Engineering Management from the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He is a Fellow of the Culinary Institute of America and has served as an executive-in-residence at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.
Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, USAF is the founder and CEO of Folds of Honor, a military foundation that has provided nearly 30,000 educational scholarships, 41 percent to minorities, since its inception in 2007. Lt. Col. Rooney is a highly-decorated F-16 fighter pilot and has flown three combat tours in Iraq. He served as a motivational speaker for two US Ryder Cup Teams and is the only-ever fighter pilot/PGA Professional. His second book, Fly Into The Wind, is a bestseller and he hosts a Fox TV show by the same name. He is a frequent contributor to Fox News.
As an author, he has written two bestselling books, A Patriot’s Calling—Living Life between Fear and Faith and Fly Into the Wind, How to Harness Faith and Fearlessness On Your Ascent to Greatness.
From humble beginnings above his garage, Lt. Col. Rooney started the non-profit Folds of Honor. Its singular mission is to provide educational scholarships to the spouses and children of wounded or killed military service members. In 13 years, Folds of Honor has provided nearly 30,000 life-changing scholarships totaling over $145 million dollars. Among the students served, 41 percent are minorities.
As a PGA Professional, he started Patriot Golf Day to benefit Folds of Honor and founded two nationally ranked golf clubs, The Patriot Golf Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and American Dunes Golf Club in Grand Haven, Michigan in collaboration with Jack Nicklaus.
Lt. Col. Rooney continues his military service as aggressor pilot as a proud member of the 301st Fighter Squadron at Eglin AFB in Destin, Florida. Rooney is a decorated military aviator; he is a two-time recipient of the Top Gun award and was honored with the Spirit of Attack award as a top graduate of F-16 training. He has received many decorations including the Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Medal, Anti-terrorism Medal, Combat Readiness Medal, and Air Expeditionary Medal. For his service and patriotism, Rooney was presented the White House’s “Presidential Volunteer Service Award” by President George W. Bush, the Air National Guard’s “Distinguished Service Medal”, the Air National Guard’s “Directors Service Award” and the Ellis Island “Medal of Honor”.
Lt. Col. Rooney is a Kansas University Distinguished Alumni, Significant Sigma Chi, NCAA Silver Anniversary Award honoree, and recipient of the Oklahoma Medal of Freedom. He was honored at the Master’s Tournament with the “William D. Richardson Award” for his outstanding contributions to golf and received the PGA of America’s first-ever “Patriot Award”. He has been recognized as one of People Magazine‘s “Heroes of the Year,” Money Magazine’s “Hero of the Year” and ABC World News Tonight‘s “Persons of the Year.” He was a CNN Hero and awarded the Fox Nation Ultimate Patriot Award.
He lives in Owasso, Oklahoma with his wife, five daughters, and three dogs.