Dustin Bainbridge is a seasoned entrepreneur and strategic leader with a proven track record of building and scaling successful software companies.
As the founder of Unified Track, Dustin is pioneering the use of artificial intelligence to improve student outcomes. Unified Track is an AIpowered student success platform that helps high school counselors identify and support at-risk students.
By integrating with a school’s Student Information System (SIS), the platform uses predictive analytics and large language models to detect early warning signs related to GPA, credit completion, attendance, and college readiness. Unified Track’s mission is to reduce student attrition and ensure that every student stays on the path to graduation and longterm success.
Charles Brandon blankbeauty.com
Charles Brandon is the Co-owner and CEO of Blank Beauty, a trailblazing cosmetics company that empowers customers to become creators.
Founded when Charles was just nineteen, the idea for the brand emerged while he was a business student at the University of Mississippi. Blank Beauty offers fully customizable products, giving customers the power to design their favorite makeup items to reflect their personal style. With a background in marketing and finance, Charles has driven the company’s growth with a focus on innovation, user experience, and creative freedom.
Kim Bumpas visitknoxville.com
Kim is President of Visit Knoxville and a leader in hospitality and tourism with over 30 years of experience in hotel operations, sales, and destination marketing.
Since joining Visit Knoxville in 2001, she has helped position Knox County as the 4th highest-producing county in Tennessee for visitor spending. A University of Tennessee, Knoxville graduate with a degree in marketing, Bumpas led the launch of the Visit Knoxville Film Office, Sports Commission, and Welcome Center at the Sunsphere.
She holds both CMP and CDME designations and led Visit Knoxville’s accreditation with DMAP. Her work has earned her several honors, including the Women in Hospitality & Tourism Award and the Tennessee RiverLine Extra Mile Award.
Derrick Collins tva.com
Derrick Collins is a regional Economic Development Consultant for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), focusing on business attraction, retention initiatives, and site development programs across East Tennessee.
Prior to joining TVA, Collins served as President and CEO of the Jefferson County Chamber, where he led regional business outreach, workforce development and site marketing efforts. His community-centered background gives him a deep understanding of industry needs and local economic dynamics. Collins earned his bachelor’s degree from Carson Newman University, where he studied Mass Communication and Media. He’s now based in Morristown, TN.
speakers
Lt. Angelia Daniels knoxsheriff.org
Lt. Angelia Daniels joined the Knox County Sheriff’s Office in 1994 after earning a B.S. in Marketing and Management from the University of Tennessee.
She began her career in corrections and later attended the Regional Law Enforcement Academy in 1996. She served in Transportation, Criminal Warrants, and as a School Security Officer. In 2011, she became a Cyber Investigator and was promoted to Detective, conducting over 350 investigations and completing over 600 hours of cyber training.
In 2018, she helped establish the Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU), which supports KCSO with technical investigations and outreach. She became the DIU Unit Lead in 2019 and was promoted to Sergeant 2 in 2021.
Dr. Shaun Gleason ornl.gov
Dr. Shaun S. Gleason is Director of Partnerships at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), overseeing technology transfer, commercialization, economic development, and research security. He has 34 years at
ORNL, previously leading strategic initiatives in quantum, AI, and institutional computing, and serving as interim Associate Lab Director for Computing. He also directed two R&D divisions focused on cyber resilience and computational sciences.
Shaun holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tennessee. He co-founded ImTek, Inc., a medical imaging company later acquired by Siemens. He holds 10 patents and has over 120 publications. He is a AAAS Fellow and Senior Member of IEEE.
speakers
Gary Human tnecd.com
Gary Human is East Tennessee Regional Director for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. He oversees activities in a 16-county region, supporting business recruitment, expansion, and problem resolution. He has worked for the state since 2004 and previously served as a business development consultant.
Prior to TNECD, he held roles with the Roane Alliance and the Roane County Industrial Development Board. He earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Tennessee Tech and is a 1996 Leadership Roane County graduate. He lives in Roane County.
Sgt. Donny Huskey knoxvilletnpolice.gov
Sgt. Donny Huskey has 23 years of law enforcement experience with the Knoxville Police Department and holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He is assigned to the Central Downtown District and serves as the department’s special events coordinator.
He has worked with the City’s Office of Special Events for over 10 years and leads active shooter training for officers and civilians. Donny holds multiple instructor certifications in active attack response, terrorism prevention, disaster response, and tactical medicine. He is a fan of Tennessee football, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Boston Celtics.
speakers
Mayor
Glenn Jacobs knoxcounty.org
After a Hall of Fame career as a professional athlete and a few decades as a small business owner, Glenn felt called to run for Mayor of Knox County to help others reach their full potential.
In 2017, Glenn answered the call to serve and was overwhelmingly elected Mayor of Knox County in 2018. As Mayor of Knox County, he has demonstrated strong leadership and a focus on telling the rest of the world what Knox County citizens already know: Knox County is the best place to live, work, and raise a family. He remains committed to creating opportunities for everyone to thrive in an engaged and vibrant community by prioritizing jobs, education, and recreation.
Troy Lane safety.utk.edu
Troy Lane is Associate Vice Chancellor for Public Safety at the University of Tennessee. He previously served as UT’s Chief of Police and has over 30 years in law enforcement, including service as Chief of Police at the University of Wyoming and leadership roles at Kansas State University.
A U.S. Army veteran of Operation Desert Storm, Lane holds a bachelor’s in Management and a master’s in Criminal Justice. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and other advanced leadership programs. He has held leadership roles in multiple law enforcement associations and taught criminal justice at several universities.
speakers
Lauren Longmire knoxvillechamber.com
Lauren Longmire is a native Knoxvillian and graduate of the University of Tennessee’s Haslam College of Business, receiving a BS in Marketing with a collateral in Supply Chain Management.
As vice president of economic development for the Knoxville Chamber, Lauren focuses her time on business expansion and attraction. Prior to that, Lauren served as the director of regional enhancement, working specifically in the talent retention, talent attraction, and workforce development fields.
The UT Research Park at Cherokee Farm announed Dr. Brett Malone’s appointment as President and CEO of the Cherokee Farm Development Corporation in September 2024. He brings over 20 years of leadership in Dr. Brett Malone tnresearchpark.org research and commercialization, most recently serving as President and CEO of the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, where his visionary leadership transformed a 200-acre campus into a thriving research ecosystem. Under his direction, the center saw a 50% increase in revenue within three years and expanded its footprint to key research hubs across Virginia, including partnerships with the prestigious Thomas Jefferson National Lab.
Dr. Malone is known for uniting public, private, and academic sectors to drive innovation. His experience aligns with the UT Research Park’s mission to support research and commercial partnerships.
speakers
Asst. Chief David Powell knoxvilletnpolice.gov
Assistant Chief David Powell joined the Knoxville Police Department in 1998. He was promoted to Assistant Chief in March 2024 and Deputy Chief in October 2022 after previous stints as both a Captain and
Acting Deputy Chief over the Management Services Bureau. Prior to that, Powell also served as the Field Operations Bureau’s West District Commander.
John Turner knoxvillechamber.com
John Turner serves as the Director of Business Attraction for the Knoxville Chamber, where he focuses on business recruitment, strategic industry targeting, and site development throughout Knoxville and Knox County.
In this role, Turner leads efforts to attract high-wage jobs and investment to the region, with a particular focus on key sectors such as advanced manufacturing, energy, mobility, security, and life sciences. His responsibilities also include supporting regional partners, and managing outreach to site selectors, corporate executives, and institutional investors.
Before joining the Knoxville Chamber full-time, Turner interned at the chamber for several years, giving him a broad understanding of the regional ecosystem and opportunities facing growing companies. John is a graduate of the University of Tennessee (Go Vols!) where he studied Economics.
Grady Vanderhoofven is the Founder, President & CEO of Three Roots Capital, with over 25 years of experience in company creation and financing. He previously cofounded Meritus Ventures and Southern Appalachian Fund, which raised $53 million and invested in 16 companies across Appalachia, creating over 500 jobs. Grady Vanderhoofven 3rootscapital.org
In 2016, he launched Three Roots Capital, a certified CDFI and CDE focused on investing in low-income areas. The organization has raised over $200 million, deployed $163 million in capital, and received $95 million in New Markets Tax Credits.
Katie Wiley studentsuccess.utk.edu
Katie is the Director for Employer Development at UT’s Center for Career Development & Academic Exploration in the Division of Student Success. Her main responsibilities include with organizational functions including organizing and executing job fairs, creating and maintaining employer relationships, and overseeing our job and event posting platform, Handshake.
Before she was in her current role, Katie was the Assistant Director for Employer Development after time spent as a Career Coach for the Tickle College of Engineering in CCDAE. She was also an academic advisor in industrial engineering and the hall director of Fred D. Brown Jr. Residence Hall.
Liza Zenni knoxalliance.com
Liza Zenni’s career in arts administration spans nearly twenty years. Since 2002 she has served as Executive Director of the Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville, a membership-driven organization of artists, arts and culture organizations, historic homes, and arts aficionados in the eleven counties of East Tennessee.
Liza has performed as an effective advocate on behalf of East Tennessee’s arts and culture industry and is the Board President of Tennesseans for the Arts.
Kensey Zimmerman studentsuccess.utk.edu
Ms. Zimmerman has worked for Knox Education Foundation and Project GRAD Knoxville since 2013 as a college / career coach and team leader assisting in the oversight of postsecondary programming at Fulton High School. She also has taught Public Speaking as an adjunct teacher through Knox County Schools in 2016-2017.
Ms. Zimmerman received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies and a Master of Science in Communication and Information with a concentration in Communication Studies from the University of Tennessee.
attendees
Councilman Anwar Aiken City of Northport aaiken@cityofnorthport.org
David Allred STAMP Idea Group
Alyson Baxter
The University of Alabama alyson.baxter@ua.edu
Ben Baxter
The University of Alabama ben.baxter@ua.edu
Maj. Michael Baygents Tuscaloosa Police Department
Dan Blakley
The University of Alabama djblakley@ua.edu
Rep. Ron Bolton
Alabama House District 61 ronaldbolton1@gmail.com
Councilman Lee Busby City of Tuscaloosa lbusby@tuscaloosa.com
Capt. Lachlan Chronister Tuscaloosa Police Department
Ashley Crites City of Tuscaloosa acrites@tuscaloosa.com
Brian Davis Tuscaloosa County PARA bdavis@tcpara.org
Stephen Dethrage Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa stephen.dethrage@townsquaremedia.com
Neal DiChiara
Harwood Real Estate neal@harwoodrealestate.com
Heather Dill
The Alamite hdill@thealamite.com
David DuBose
Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa david.dubose@townsquaremedia.com
Russell DuBose
PHIFER Incorporated russell.dubose@phifer.com
Shelby Gandy
The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama shelby@westalabamachamber.com
Barkley Garrett
The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama barkley@westalabamachamber.com
Lee Garrison
The Frazer Lanier Company, Inc. lee@fralan.com
Jheovanny Gómez
Jalapeños Mexican Grill jheovany7@aol.com
Erica Grant
Tuscaloosa City Board of Education grante2@yahoo.com
Alicia Gregory
The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama alicia@westalabamachamber.com
Brian Groeschell SmartBank brian.groeschell@smartbank.com
Richard Harwood Harwood Real Estate richard@harwoodrealestate.com
Amy Henderson
Kentuck Art Center & Festival aechols@kentuck.org
Mike Henderson
Kentuck Art Center & Festival mhenderson@tuscco.com
Paul Jackson
U.S. Postal Service
attendees
Carl Jamison
JamisonMoneyFarmer PC cjamison@jmf.com
Julie Jamison
Donny Jones West AlabamaWorks! donny@westalabamachamber.com
Katrina Keefer DCH Health System katrina.keefer@dchsystem.com
Claude Lake Shelton State Community College clake@sheltonstate.edu
James Leitner
Professional EOS Implementer james.leitner@eosworldwide.com
Blake Madison Rosen Harwood bmadison@rosenharwood.com
Susan Madison Way, Ray, Shelton & Co., P.C.
Case McNeill
Right Space Commercial case@rightspacecre.com
Jordan Morris Ward Scott Morris Architecture jmorris@wardscottmorris.com
Ellen Potts
Habitat for Humanity of Tuscaloosa ellen@habitattuscaloosa.org
