2019 Emerging Career Panelists
Professionals from emerging industries in sports business will discuss their journeys and opportunities within their fields.
Streamed live on Twitter // Friday, June 21 9:00 - 10:00 AM
Bryan joined Jackson Spaldingin 2006 and has been a leader in the growth the sports practice, which has included outreach for clients like the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Falcons, College Football Hall of Fame, ESPN/SEC Network, Chick-fil-A Bowl, Atlanta Sports Council, PrimeSport, Mizuno and the University of Georgia. He has also helped manage media relations for marquee events like the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship, 2018 MLS All Star Game, Super Bowl LIII and multiple PGA TOUR-sanctioned events.
When he’s not serving sports clients, Bryan provides strategic support for corporate accounts like Google, Publix and Chick-fil-A. He’s also a member of the crisis and speaker coaching teams.
Bryan attended Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala., where he was a member of their nationally-ranked golf team before transferring to The University of Georgia to finish school. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in sports studies with a minor in mass communications and a master’s from UGA’s Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication with an emphasis in political communication. He is still involved at UGA, where he helped launch their sports journalism initiative and serves as an adjunct professor, teaching a class each fall on sports communications. Bryan is a past chair of the Grady Society Alumni Board and now serves on the Grady College Board of Trust.
Bryan is active in the community, where he serves on the board of Mercy Health Center and Extra Special People. Bryan and his wife Ashlea live in Athens, Ga. and have two young children, Hannon and Kyle Grace.
" Life is one big transition that is measured by our willingness to accept change and move forward with all that we have learned. Struggle is the currency with which we learn from for the improvement of our future and the future of our children. " - Tiffany Kelly
Tiffany Kelly is a sports entrepreneur, advisor, and analytics professional. She is the Co-founder and Chief Algorithms Officer of a sports tech startup currently in stealth mode. Before making her leap into the world of startups, she joined ESPN Stats & Information Group as a Sports Analytics Associate, where she created ESPN's College Football Fan Happiness Index. She was the first African-American analyst to join the team. Throughout her tenure with the leading sports multimedia company, she became an advocate for harmonizing creativity, human traits, and data science.
When people ask Tiffany Kelly to describe herself, she doesn't hesitate to say that first and foremost she is a passionate idealist and visionary to her core -- a trait birthed from her parents, the Reverend Dr. Herman O. Kelly, Jr. and Linda M. Kelly. Dr. Kelly, a University educator, philosopher, and theologian, raised Tiffany and her older brother Herman O. Kelly, III after school giving both lessons on the meaning of life and joy while Mrs. Kelly worked as a corporate analyst with a background in computer science and technology.
A product of the Louisiana private educational system, Tiffany Kelly attended an all-girls Catholic, college preparatory school St. Joseph's Academy in Baton Rouge before moving to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to study Sport & Recreation Management and Computer Science from Nova Southeastern University (NSU). She grew more into her natural ability to lead by creating the first sports organization open to undergraduate students at NSU.
Early in her college years, Ms. Kelly decided her true calling was eliminating the inequality and lack of gender and racial diversity within the sports industry. She served as an analytics contributor for The Undefeated writing on her own experiences and the experiences of other minorities within sports analytics.
Tiffany Kelly has continued her diversity efforts by inspiring youth and empowering athletes through public speaking engagements and her sports startup of the future. As board and advisory council member of the Sports Analytics Club Program (SACP), she seeks to further this calling through sports analytics educational programs provided in inner city secondary schooling throughout the country.
Erica L. Wilkerson is a Senior Account Executive at NASCAR. Focusing primarily on youth initiatives in the sport, she manages NASCAR Acceleration Nation, the sport’s first national youth platform. She creates and plans events, involving STEM in motorsports, that’ll make parents beg their kids to attend. Erica has over 11 years of experience in sports including events, operations, marketing and promotions.
Prior to her current role, Erica managed international and national travel for collegiate teams to events such as Bowl games and Final Four tournaments. She also managed marketing & promotions of the University of Central Florida Athletics for four years.
Outside of the office, the 2018 Charlotte Mecklenburg Black Chamber of Commerce 30 under 30 honoree, is active in the Charlotte community. As the Professional Development Committee Chair of the Urban League of Central Carolinas Young Professionals, she’s challenged with providing progressive opportunities to the members and empowering others to lead fulfilling careers and lives.
Erica is fluent in the secret language of movie quotes and is a big fan of Beyoncé; the greatest performer of our generation. No, she will not debate you about that.
As a leader on the Braves’ Marketing team, Adrian is responsible for developing and implementing all marketing and engagement strategies connecting with segmented audiences and the community. His role also entails building platforms for increased workforce and supplier diversity & teaming with baseball operations to design inclusive programs across the organization, including the creation and launch of the Los Bravos brand. Additionally, he has been instrumental in the strategic redevelopment and growth of Atlanta Braves Youth Baseball, including teaming with MLB and MLBPA on the renaming and development of the Hank Aaron Invitational.
Prior to joining the Braves, Williams spent 15 years at Career Sports & Entertainment (CSE). Holding various roles within the organization, his tenure included the development and launch of CSE Diversity—a division known for building award-winning activations for blue chip brands such as AT&T, Coca-Cola, and Kellogg’s. During his time at CSE, Williams also oversaw the agency’s Coca-Cola portfolio—partnering with six brands and managing multiple properties within sports and entertainment. Properties managed include the NBA, People en Espanol, American Music Awards, ESSENCE Festival, ESPN College Gameday, and the Mexican National Soccer Team.
Adrian is a graduate of the University of Georgia and the Harvard Business School Entertainment, Media, and Sports program. He is a former President of the Atlanta chapter of the National Association of Black Sports Professionals and also works extensively with the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Football and Basketball Championships. He was named to the Atlanta Football Host Committee for the 2018 College Football National Championship Game.
