Florida A&M University 2025 Spring Commencement Speakers to Include Corporate Powerhouses Fawn Weaver, Adrienne Brown, and Bernard Kinsey
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida A&M University (FAMU) announces Fawn Weaver, founder and CEO of Uncle Nearest, Inc.; Adrienne Brown, group vice president and head of corporate business development at Eli Lilly and Company; and Bernard W. Kinsey, businessman and co-founder of the Kinsey African American Art and History Collection, as the keynote speakers for the 2025 Spring Commencement Ceremonies scheduled May 2-3 at the Al Lawson Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium. Brown will serve as the speaker on Friday, May 2 at 6 p.m. ET; Kinsey will serve as the speaker on Saturday, May 3 at 9 a.m. ET; and Weaver will serve as the speaker on May 3 at 2 p.m. ET.
“We are delighted to host three dynamic speakers who will celebrate our graduates for their individual accomplishments while challenging them collectively to always represent Florida A&M University as they step into the next chapter of their lives,” said FAMU Interim President Timothy L. Beard, Ph.D. “Fawn Weaver, Adrienne Brown and Bernard Kinsey are corporate and entrepreneurial powerhouses who each embody a powerful message of how tenacity and faith can help order our steps on the ladder of success and beyond.”
During the ceremonies, more than 1,100 students from the University’s 14 schools and colleges will receive their degrees. The FAMU Spring 2025 Commencement Ceremonies will be live-streamed on FAMU Facebook and on YouTube at @FAMUTube1887.
About Fawn Weaver
Fawn Weaver has been a serial entrepreneur for more than 25 years. As the CEO and founder of Grant Sidney, Inc., she continues to grow her multimillion-dollar real estate and investment portfolios. Weaver is a popular TED speaker, a USA Today and two-time New York Times best-selling author, and has appeared in hundreds of popular magazines, radio and morning shows around the world, including FOX Business, the TODAY Show, The New York Times, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, CNBC, and The Washington Post. Her revealing “How I Built This” segment with Guy Raz on NPR had the internet abuzz for months, as did her 2024 Forbes Self-Made Woman profile.
Weaver is one of only five African American women to found and lead a $1B+ company in U.S. history. She serves as the CEO of Uncle Nearest, Inc., a company she founded in 2016. Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey is the fastest-growing American whiskey brand in U.S. history, the best-selling Black American-founded spirit brand of all time, and was the most awarded Bourbon of 2019 through 2024. The super-premium brand has earned more than 1,400 awards and was named “World’s Best” two years in a row. Her 458-acre Nearest Green Distillery is the seventh most visited distillery in the world.
Weaver is certified as a corporate director by Harvard Business School. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Alabama, and holds an honorary doctorate in humanities from Bluefield State University. She also serves on the board of Endeavor Group Holdings (NYSE: EDR).
About Adrienne Brown
Adrienne Brown is a mission driven leader who has a passion for leading diverse and inclusive organizations that are obsessed with improving patient outcomes for people around the world. Brown is a commercial expert recognized for leading enterprise transformation, including digital customer engagement, sales force capabilities and consumer activation.
Brown is group vice president and head of corporate business development for Eli Lilly and Company, where she leads the corporate strategy to achieve long-term revenue growth by accessing innovation from the global external ecosystem. She is charged with bolstering Lilly’s leadership in core therapeutic areas and identifying expansion opportunities for long term growth. Brown oversees all licensing, acquisition, and collaboration deals from discovery to late-stage development and commercial partnerships. Previously, as group vice president, US LDO, she led the $10B+ diabetes and obesity business (one-third of corporate revenue) to double digit revenue growth, positioning Lilly as the fastest growing diabetes business and expanding its reach to 10 million people living with diabetes.
Brown began her career at Lilly, holding several sales, marketing, and strategy positions across multiple brands and geographies. She holds a Master of Business Administration from FAMU. She is a native of Clearwater, Fla., and currently resides in Carmel, Ind., with her husband and their two sons.
About Bernard W. Kinsey
Bernard W. Kinsey strives to live his life on two simple principles: “To whom much is given, much is required” and “Live a life of no regrets.” Kinsey was born on September 20, 1943 in West Palm Beach, Fla. to Christine and Ulysses Kinsey. Following in his family’s tradition, he and his brother Bradshaw attended FAMU. There, he met his wife Shirley Pooler, in 1963 after she was arrested for participating in a civil rights protest. Kinsey became the first African American sales representative for Humble Oil Company in 1967, quickly becoming their number one sales representative. In 1971, he joined Xerox Corporation and rose to vice president in eight years. His was one of the co- founders of the Xerox Black Employees resulting in the hiring of thousands of Black, Latino, Asian & female employees.
The Kinsey’s are known for being the owners of one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of African American art and historical documents. Their collection tells the story of African American achievement and contributions from 1595 to present. Seen by more than 16 million people, the Kinsey African American Art and History Collection has exhibited on three continents and 40 cities that include the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Epcot Walt Disney World, Hong Kong University, Holocaust Museum Houston and SoFi Stadium.
The Kinsey’s co-authored two books, “The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection,” a companion book to their exhibit, which was adopted by the Florida Department of Education as a part of their African American history curriculum for grades K-12 statewide. Their second book is titled, “Rethinking America’s Past.” The Kinsey’s have used their social capital to raise more than $36 million dollars for charitable and educational organizations, including $11 million for their alma mater. They have personally contributed more than $1 million dollars to FAMU and The Marching “100.” In 1987, Bernard became the first FAMU graduate to receive an Honorary Doctorate. He also has an Honorary Doctorate from Alabama A&M University.
The Kinsey’s live in Pacific Palisades and have one son Khalil, and a grandson named Haise. They have traveled to 113 counties.
Media Contact:
Alonda Thomas
(850) 599-3413
alonda.thomas@famu.edu
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