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THE 37TH ANNUAL
COCA-COLA SCHOLARS
BANQUET

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CELEBRATING THE 2025 CLASS OF COCA-COLA SCHOLARS

GEORGIA INTERNATIONAL

CONVENTION CENTER

THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2025

RECEPTION 6PM | DINNER 7PM

 

THE 37TH ANNUAL COCA-COLA SCHOLARS BANQUET

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CELEBRATING THE 2025 CLASS OF COCA-COLA SCHOLARS

 

 

GEORGIA INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTER

 

THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2025

RECEPTION 6PM | DINNER 7PM

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WELCOME

John Murphy, President & CFO
The Coca-Cola Company

 

 

PROCESSION

2025 Coca-Cola Scholars

 

 

RECOGNITIONS

Jane Hale Paulsen, President
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation

 

 

PERFORMANCE

Coca-Cola Scholar Alumni

 

 

INVOCATION

Courtney Lynn, 1996 Scholar
Vice Chair, Alumni Board

 

 

DINNER

 

 

INTRODUCTION OF HONORED GUESTS

Kirk Tyler, CCSF Board Chair
Chairman, Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company

 

 

FIRESIDE CHAT

Daymond John
Entrepreneur & "Shark Tank" Personality
&
Tina Hoang-To, 1999 Scholar
Founding Partner, Kin Ventures

 

 

 

CLOSING REMARKS

Jane Hale Paulsen, President
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation

 

Honored Guests

Honored Guests

DAYMOND JOHN

Entrepreneur &
"Shark Tank" Personality

DAYMOND JOHN

Entrepreneur &
"Shark Tank" Personality

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An entrepreneur in every sense of the word, Daymond John has come a long way from taking out a $100,000 mortgage on his mother’s house and moving his business operation into its basement. John is CEO and Founder of FUBU, a much-celebrated global lifestyle brand, and a pioneer in the fashion industry with over $6 billion in product sales world-wide. Former President Barack Obama appointed Daymond John a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE) to harness his energy, ideas, and experience to help develop the next generation of entrepreneurs both at home and abroad.

John is an award-winning entrepreneur and has received 100s of awards including the Brand Week Marketer of the Year, Advertising Age Marketing 1000 Award for Outstanding Ad Campaign, Ernst & Young’s New York Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and was named #2 on LinkedIn’s Top 20 Voices, a list of the top influencers, who are using their voice to help us analyze today’s changing world of work, navigate our industries, and find balance. Most recently, Real Leaders Magazine named Daymond John one of the Top 50 Keynote Speakers in the World in 2023, a list of “real teachers — people who speak from experience.”

His marketing strategies and ability to build successful brands has made him a highly influential consultant and motivational speaker today. His marketing firm, The Shark Group, offers advice on how to effectively communicate to consumers through innovative means and connects brands with the world’s top celebrities for everything from endorsements to product extensions.

John is also an author of 6 best-selling books including his latest New York Times best-seller, The Power of Broke (2016) and Rise and Grind (2018). In 2020, John released his fifth book, Powershift, that walks through his tried-and-true process of how to transform any situation, close any deal and achieve any outcome. John's most recent book, Little Daymond Learns to Earn (2023) is his first for kids, reached the New York Times and Amazon best-seller list the first week of its release. The book addresses the current void of educating our children about money in a fun and engaging story for parents and kids to connect. John’s mission is to continue challenging the status quo and leave a lasting legacy of inspiring other leaders to do the same.

Finally, John is celebrating his 14th season on ABC TV’s critically acclaimed business reality show Shark Tank by renowned producer Mark Burnett, which has reinvigorated entrepreneurship around the world. Shark Tank has now gone on to win five Emmy® awards in the US and millions of weekly viewers world-wide tune into the show as John demonstrates his marketing prowess and entrepreneurial insights.

An entrepreneur in every sense of the word, Daymond John has come a long way from taking out a $100,000 mortgage on his mother’s house and moving his business operation into its basement. John is CEO and Founder of FUBU, a much-celebrated global lifestyle brand, and a pioneer in the fashion industry with over $6 billion in product sales world-wide. Former President Barack Obama appointed Daymond John a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE) to harness his energy, ideas, and experience to help develop the next generation of entrepreneurs both at home and abroad.

John is an award-winning entrepreneur and has received 100s of awards including the Brand Week Marketer of the Year, Advertising Age Marketing 1000 Award for Outstanding Ad Campaign, Ernst & Young’s New York Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and was named #2 on LinkedIn’s Top 20 Voices, a list of the top influencers, who are using their voice to help us analyze today’s changing world of work, navigate our industries, and find balance. Most recently, Real Leaders Magazine named Daymond John one of the Top 50 Keynote Speakers in the World in 2023, a list of “real teachers — people who speak from experience.”

His marketing strategies and ability to build successful brands has made him a highly influential consultant and motivational speaker today. His marketing firm, The Shark Group, offers advice on how to effectively communicate to consumers through innovative means and connects brands with the world’s top celebrities for everything from endorsements to product extensions.

John is also an author of 6 best-selling books including his latest New York Times best-seller, The Power of Broke (2016) and Rise and Grind (2018). In 2020, John released his fifth book, Powershift, that walks through his tried-and-true process of how to transform any situation, close any deal and achieve any outcome. John's most recent book, Little Daymond Learns to Earn (2023) is his first for kids, reached the New York Times and Amazon best-seller list the first week of its release. The book addresses the current void of educating our children about money in a fun and engaging story for parents and kids to connect. John’s mission is to continue challenging the status quo and leave a lasting legacy of inspiring other leaders to do the same.

Finally, John is celebrating his 14th season on ABC TV’s critically acclaimed business reality show Shark Tank by renowned producer Mark Burnett, which has reinvigorated entrepreneurship around the world. Shark Tank has now gone on to win five Emmy® awards in the US and millions of weekly viewers world-wide tune into the show as John demonstrates his marketing prowess and entrepreneurial insights.

TINA HOANG-TO

2001 Scholar &
Founding Partner of Kin Ventures

TINA HOANG-TO

2001 Scholar &
Founding Partner of Kin Ventures

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Tina Hoang-To is an active venture capital investor and former startup founder. She is the Founding Partner of Kin Ventures. Tina invests across a wide range of sectors, including digital health, enterprise software, and consumer companies. She currently serves on the Board of Rippl Care, Adonis, Power, and Osmos.

Before launching Kin, she led emerging growth investments for Obvious Ventures and served on the Board of Torch and invested in Medable. Prior to that, Tina was Executive Vice President at TCV focusing on growth deals and invested in companies like Splunk (NASDAQ: SPLK) and Merkle (acquired by Dentsu). She previously founded and served as CEO of Wedding Spot (acquired by Cvent), the first online marketplace to offer instant price quotes for wedding venues across 43 states in the United States. As CEO, Tina provided strategic direction for the company in the areas of revenue growth, market expansion, customer acquisition, and product development. 

Tina received a BS and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Santa Clara University's Leavey School of Business. She grew up in the Bay Area and loves to travel. After her startup was acquired, she spent two years traveling full-time, covering over 50 countries and 275 cities. She now lives in the greater Seattle area and enjoys adventures outdoors with her husband and dog, Bentley.

Tina Hoang-To is an active venture capital investor and former startup founder. She is the Founding Partner of Kin Ventures. Tina invests across a wide range of sectors, including digital health, enterprise software, and consumer companies. She currently serves on the Board of Rippl Care, Adonis, Power, and Osmos.

Before launching Kin, she led emerging growth investments for Obvious Ventures and served on the Board of Torch and invested in Medable. Prior to that, Tina was Executive Vice President at TCV focusing on growth deals and invested in companies like Splunk (NASDAQ: SPLK) and Merkle (acquired by Dentsu). She previously founded and served as CEO of Wedding Spot (acquired by Cvent), the first online marketplace to offer instant price quotes for wedding venues across 43 states in the United States. As CEO, Tina provided strategic direction for the company in the areas of revenue growth, market expansion, customer acquisition, and product development. 

Tina received a BS and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Santa Clara University's Leavey School of Business. She grew up in the Bay Area and loves to travel. After her startup was acquired, she spent two years traveling full-time, covering over 50 countries and 275 cities. She now lives in the greater Seattle area and enjoys adventures outdoors with her husband and dog, Bentley.

Laurels_The 2025 Coca-Cola Scholars
Laurels_The 2025 Coca-Cola Scholars
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Featured Coca-Cola Scholar Alumni

Featured Coca-Cola Scholar Alumni

Elizabeth Bailey
sound engineer, producer, and performer
2018 Scholar
Eugene, OR
Elizabeth Bailey
sound engineer, producer, and performer
2018 Scholar
Eugene, OR

Elizabeth is a sound engineer, producer, and performer based in Eugene, Oregon. A recent graduate from the University of Oregon’s popular music program, she now engineers live events and private studio sessions for a variety of regional acts. 

Tanner Bennett
pianist and pipe organist
2017 Scholar
Evans, GA
Tanner Bennett
pianist and pipe organist
2017 Scholar
Evans, GA

Tanner Bennett is a pianist and pipe organist with over 20 years of experience, performing extensively across Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Beyond music, he is an entrepreneur, published author, and political advocate. When not pursuing his professional endeavors, he enjoys scuba diving, spending time with family, and walking his golden retriever.

David DeAngelis
keyboardist and violinist
2004 Scholar
Syracuse, NY
David DeAngelis
keyboardist and violinist
2004 Scholar
Syracuse, NY

David DeAngelis is currently Assistant Professor of Music Education at Syracuse University. Previously, David was at Northwestern University, where he served as a program coordinator for AMPED, a hip-hop songwriting program for incarcerated youth.

David also taught for eight years at public schools in Arkansas and California, founding the music program at KIPP San Francisco College Prep.

He holds a B.A. in music from Yale University, M.A. in music education from the Eastman School of Music, and a Ph.D in music education from Northwestern University.

You can also hear his music as the keyboardist and violinist for the indie rock band Zorila! 

David Groom
Film Director
1992 Scholar
Studio City, CA
David Groom
Film Director
1992 Scholar
Studio City, CA

David E. Groom has been a part of the development and production teams for over $10 billion of award winning and cutting edge entertainment around the world. He helped build and run one of the industry’s leading international stereoscopic/3D studios for visual effects and feature films.

David has created, produced, and directed entertainment that has entertained hundreds of millions of people. His talents and experience have been sought out and featured by some of the world’s greatest companies and industry leaders; such as: The Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios, Fortune 500 Companies, television networks and film studios and an international museum.

Groom is the Founder, CEO and Creative Director of Run, Jump, Fly…, Inc., a creative services enterprise that unites the talents of award winning creative and production teams responsible for some of the world’s most memorable entertainment. David oversees the creative development and production for feature films, television, commercials, music videos, live shows and events. He and his team at Run, Jump, Fly… excel in experiential storytelling by focusing on the message and crafting custom narratives that connect to audiences at personal and memorable levels.

David is also the founder of Your Wise Monkeys, Inc., a new tech platform that utilizes artificial intelligence for contextual voice and transcribed language translation in nearly 100 languages, for both recorded and live content. Your Wise Monkeys was created so non-profit and charitable organizations can share their stories and content around the world at reasonable costs; in addition to providing services at an enterprise level for corporations all the way down to individual user applications.

Challenging traditional ways of creative thinking and leadership, David guides his clients and productions to higher levels of connectedness, communication, creative processing, effective leadership and success. Having spent decades creating award winning entertainment and leading companies to top positions within their industries, David uses his expertise in talent assessment, talent management and leadership to provide creative coaching and strategic leadership training as catalysts for organizational, cultural and industry specific growth and innovation.

A storyteller at heart, producing relevant and inspiring entertainment is a welcome challenge and objective for David as he continually creates and seeks out new stories and projects that he can bring to life and give a voice.

Bryce Leafman
Timpanist and Percussionist
2012 Scholar
Sacramento, CA
Bryce Leafman
Timpanist and Percussionist
2012 Scholar
Sacramento, CA

From the most prestigious concert halls around the world to conference rooms, offices, and homes, Bryce Leafman has journeyed through an eclectic range of experiences to fulfill his mission of living a people-oriented, community-centric, and mission-drive life. After deciding at 12 years old he wanted to be a classical musician, Bryce was able to study at some of the most prestigious music conservatories in America thanks to his Coca-Cola Scholarship, receiving three degrees in classical percussion from New England Conservatory, Boston University, and San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Bryce’s educational journey also included winning some of the nation’s top recognitions, including the Charles Owen fellowship at the Aspen Music Festival and School, and becoming the first percussionist in the history of the Aspen Music Festival to win their concerto competition, performing as a featured soloist with the Aspen Conductor’s Academy orchestra. Passionate about teaching, Bryce was awarded teaching fellowships across the country, and those experiences culminated with Bryce being appointed the Director of Percussion Studies at San Jose State University in 2021. 

After working up the ranks of the U.S.’s orchestral system and being the first person to win the position of Associate Principal Timpanist/Section Percussionist with the San Francisco Symphony, Bryce pivoted careers in 2023 to fulfill his mission of adding value to the lives of those around him, leaving the classical music world to become a financial advisor. As of February, 2025, Bryce is a licensed financial advisor and holistic financial planner, working one-on-one with individuals and families throughout all stages of life to meet their needs and help them fulfill their personal and financial goals. 

Bryce lives in Sacramento, CA with his wife, Jessica, and their fur baby, five-year-old labrador retriever Layla. Bryce loves to read, cook, nerd out about coffee, and spend as much time as possible hiking and being in nature. Bryce is thrilled to be returning to Atlanta to help celebrate this year’s amazing group of Coca-Cola Scholars! Congratulations, new Scholars, and welcome to the family! 

Courtney Lynn
Invocation
1996 Scholar
Nashville, TN
Courtney Lynn
Invocation
1996 Scholar
Nashville, TN

Courtney Lynn is the Vice Chair of the Coca-Cola Scholars Alumni Board. She has been a regional finalist interviewer, a Leadership Development Institute (LDI) facilitator, and a coach for Scholars during first-year of university. 

A former sixth-grade teacher and cheerleading coach, Courtney turned her love of learning into a rewarding career. She is the Lead Education and Enablement Manager at Updater, a software development company that simplifies moving for millions of households each year. 

Courtney earned her degree in African and Afro-American Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During and after college she worked for Coca-Cola across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Florida, and South Africa.  An avid traveler, she enjoys connecting with Coke Scholars around the world.

Sachin Rudraraju
Bassist
2012 Scholar
New York, NY
Sachin Rudraraju
Bassist
2012 Scholar
New York, NY

Sachin is a 2012 Coca-Cola scholar. He's a founding engineer at Sandbar, a startup in NYC building an AI wearable device. He enjoys playing music, painting, and paramotoring. 

Jason Shanker
Voice Over Artist
1991 Scholar
Arlington, VA
Jason Shanker
Voice Over Artist
1991 Scholar
Arlington, VA

Jason Shanker is a 1991 Coca-Cola Scholar and a voiceover artist whose speaking engagements have brought him to clients in 30 countries on five continents. He enjoys lending his voice to the things he's passionate about -- from documentaries and audiobooks to events such as tonight's 2024 Coca-Cola Scholars Banquet.

Michael K. Woods
singer and songwriter
2013 Scholar
New York, NY
Michael K. Woods
singer and songwriter
2013 Scholar
New York, NY

Born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Sparta, Georgia, Michael K. Woods is a New York City based singer-songwriter and financial services professional. As an artist, Michael has performed in venues across the world.

Woods' experience in business includes working at JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup. He eventually rose from intern to Vice President at JPMorgan Chase covering Strategic Partnerships Marketing and Business Oversight. Currently, he works as a Global Markets Risk Management Vice President at Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, the largest bank in Japan.  

He is a Voting Member of the GRAMMYs Recording Academy and also won a Fulbright Summer Institute Award to conduct research at the University of Bristol. He also studied at the London School of Economics as a study abroad student. Woods is a proud 2013 Coca-Cola Scholar and graduate of Vassar College.  

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2025 Sponsors

2025 Sponsors

Thank you to our Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze sponsors for their vital support, which allows us to connect and re-connect hundreds of Scholars from across the nation every year, strengthening our network, and creating collaborations that benefit the entire world.

Presenting Sponsors

Platinum Sponsors

Platinum Sponsors