This week on SMU Stories, we sat down with Ra Kazadi, SMU football alumnus, Dallas-based artist, and cofounder of Nostalgia and Noise, a creative agency merging art, music, and culture. Ra’s path began on the field at Southern Methodist University, but art has always been part of his identity. With the introduction of the NIL policy, he discovered how to merge his athletic discipline with his creative drive, turning art from a personal outlet into a thriving profession. Through Nostalgia and ...
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This week on SMU Stories, we sat down with Ra Kazadi, SMU football alumnus, Dallas-based artist, and cofounder of Nostalgia and Noise, a creative agency merging art, music, and culture. Ra’s path began on the field at Southern Methodist University, but art has always been part of his identity. With the introduction of the NIL policy, he discovered how to merge his athletic discipline with his creative drive, turning art from a personal outlet into a thriving profession. Through Nostalgia and ...
This week on SMU Stories, we sat down with Ra Kazadi, SMU football alumnus, Dallas-based artist, and cofounder of Nostalgia and Noise, a creative agency merging art, music, and culture. Ra’s path began on the field at Southern Methodist University, but art has always been part of his identity. With the introduction of the NIL policy, he discovered how to merge his athletic discipline with his creative drive, turning art from a personal outlet into a thriving profession. Through Nostalgia and ...
This week on SMU Stories, we sat down with Nick Clark, SMU alumnus, founder of Common Desk, and now co-founder of Stonethrow, a first-of-its-kind families-only private club coming to East Dallas. Nick graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2005 with a degree in Real Estate Finance and began his career in commercial real estate, focusing on project leasing and management in the Dallas market. While at Pillar Commercial, he witnessed firsthand how the 2008–2009 recession reshaped the ...
This week on SMU Stories, we sat down with SMU alumnus Jimmy Watson. Jimmy is currently a Managing Director at Clavis Capital Partners, a middle market private investment firm based in Dallas, where he has been for over seven years. Prior to his current role, Jimmy worked in FP&A at Demilec USA LLC, where he played a key role in the company’s acquisition by Huntsman Corporation. Before that, he was a management consultant at Riveron Consulting and EY, focusing on merger integration and pr...
This week on SMU Stories, we sat down with proud SMU alum E. Paul Bigham. An accomplished academic, E. Paul Bigham earned both his BBA and MBA from Southern Methodist University and holds a law degree from Texas Wesleyan School of Law. Additionally, he is on the marketing faculty at both Southern Methodist University and UT Dallas, as well as a member of SMU’s Alumni Association Board, SMU Athletics' Life After Ball (LAB) committee, and Top 25 Society. Today, Paul serves as president of Bigh...
Tony Mugavero is a four-time media tech entrepreneur, investor, and executive with multiple successful exits and hundreds of millions of dollars in enterprise value creation. He has spoken at leading global events in AI, media, XR, and blockchain, raised tens of millions of dollars across several companies, sold his first company in 2012, and co-founded Galvanize—one of the largest co-working and education companies in the U.S.—which was later acquired for $165 million. Currently, Tony is the...
Tony Mugavero is a four-time media tech entrepreneur, investor, and executive with multiple successful exits and hundreds of millions of dollars in enterprise value creation. He has spoken at leading global events in AI, media, XR, and blockchain, raised tens of millions of dollars across several companies, sold his first company in 2012, and co-founded Galvanize—one of the largest co-working and education companies in the U.S.—which was later acquired for $165 million. Currently, Tony is th...
Tony Mugavero is a four-time media tech entrepreneur, investor, and executive with multiple successful exits and hundreds of millions of dollars in enterprise value creation. He has spoken at leading global events in AI, media, XR, and blockchain, raised tens of millions of dollars across several companies, sold his first company in 2012, and co-founded Galvanize—one of the largest co-working and education companies in the U.S.—which was later acquired for $165 million. Currently, Tony is the...
This week on SMU Stories, co-founder of the 1911 Group Lindsey Marsh Brown sits down with Kerrie and Ross Forbes, proud members of the SMU Class of 1993, partners in both life and law, and longtime leaders in their fields. From Kerrie’s move from Boulder, Colorado to Dallas and the culture shock that came with it to cheering on the Miracle on Mockingbird football comeback, their story is steeped in the traditions that define the SMU experience. They share favorite campus memories and reflect ...
This week on SMU Stories we sit down with Jerad Romo, former Mustang quarterback and proud member of the class of 2006. Jerad currently serves as Vice President of Sales for Sewell Automotive Companies, where he leads with a commitment to excellence and relationship-driven growth. He reflects on his time leading the SMU football team, sharing how lessons from the field—discipline, resilience, and accountability—shape the way he approaches everything that comes after. His pride in representing...
This week on SMU Stories, Bill Rowe sits down with Stephen Benotti and Matt Ayres from the SMU Sack Club. The Sack Club is a fantastic way to support Mustang Football. What began as a grassroots donor program has now raised over $750,000 from more than 100 members in just six seasons — including six consecutive years of surpassing $100,000, with all proceeds directly benefiting the SMU football program. When you join, you pledge $50 to the Mustang Excellence Fund for SMU Football every time...
On this week’s upcoming SMU Stories episode, we sit down with SMU alumnus Jordan Miller, Co-founder and CEO of Yendo, a fintech company redefining access to credit by leveraging vehicle equity. Yendo’s mission is rooted in the belief that equitable financial opportunities should be available to all Americans. Jordan earned both his BBA (2014) and MS in Management/Finance (2015) from SMU’s Cox School of Business and was a member of the varsity football team during his time on campus. He remain...
On this episode of SMU Stories, we sit down with Haynes Strader. Haynes is a proud SMU alumnus from the Class of 2011 and currently serves as Chief Development Officer at Skybox Datacenters. With over 11 years of experience in the data center industry, both domestically and internationally, Haynes has become a trusted leader known for his mission-critical market expertise. He’s been involved in more than 200 data center transactions totaling over $3.5 billion in value. Before joining Skybox, ...
This week on SMU Stories, we sit down with Drew Buckley. A proud Mustang, Drew earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and Latin American Studies from Southern Methodist University in 1993. He now serves as Group President and Chief Operating Officer, at Propagate Content, a leading independent content studio specializing in scripted, unscripted, and documentary television and films. In his role, Drew oversees the company’s overall business operations and holds board posit...
This week on SMU Stories, we sit down with Lisa Rawlins. Lisa Rawlins was promoted to Associate A.D. for Student-Athlete Success in 2023 after serving in various roles in academic support and football, including Director of Player Development and founder of the Life After Ball program. She joined the Hilltop in 2010 following positions at UCF and Oklahoma. Over the past 13 years, Rawlins has made a lasting impact at SMU, serving as Director for the Center for the Academic Development of Stud...
This week on SMU Stories, we sit down with twin brothers Esteban and Manuel Mariel ('09), former SMU soccer players who turned their passion into purpose by launching City Futsal in 2011. After their father, Federico, encouraged them to explore futsal as a training tool for youth development, the brothers shifted their focus from traditional soccer training and began hosting sessions at local gyms — eventually growing into a full-fledged business. What started with one location has gr...
This week on SMU Stories, we sit down with AJ Krow, owner of OPW Commercial Services LLC. AJ is a proud SMU alumnus with a strong background in small business acquisitions and facilities management. He currently owns and operates OPW Commercial Services, a leading facilities maintenance company serving Oklahoma and the DFW area, with specialties in snow removal, ice control, pressure washing, and landscaping. Before acquiring OPW in June 2023, AJ built a diverse career in sales and operatio...
On this week’s SMU Stories episode, Bill Rowe, Buddy Ozanne, David Hudnall, and Jim Johnston sit down to reflect on SMU traditions and the history of The Boulevard. They explore the 25th year of Boulevard celebrations at Southern Methodist University, the evolution of the university, and the growth of the athletic department. David, Buddy, and Jim share how The Boulevard originated 26 years ago under President Turner’s leadership and how it has continued to grow and evolve ever since. T...
This week on SMU Stories, we sit down with Drew Langford. Drew is a managing partner at Trailhead Partners, an M&A advisory firm that helps business owners sell their companies. Drew holds an M.B.A. in Energy Finance from the SMU Cox School of Business (Class of 2018) and a B.B.A. in Finance from Texas A&M University. Drew's business journey began when he founded TitleMade, a software startup that made county records more accessible for oil and gas landmen. Under his leadership, Titl...
In this episode of SMU Stories, we sit down with Jordan Carter, SMU Class of 2009. As Founding Partner of SIG Partners and CEO of B&A Group—a government grant services and software company acquired through a self-funded search in 2020—Jordan brings a wealth of knowledge and insights into entrepreneurship and private equity. He also reflects on his time working with former Secretary of the Navy John F. Lehman and his roles in private equity and M&A at firms like Centerbridge Partners, ...
Join us for an inspiring episode of SMU Stories, where we highlight exceptional alumni making waves in their industries. This week, we talk with Lauren Harper, an SMU alumna, SAG-AFTRA actress, and now Chief of Staff at Kodiak Robotics, a leader in autonomous trucking technology. Lauren reflects on how her time at SMU, where she earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance (2008–2012), provided her with the critical thinking skills, adaptability, and network that have been instr...
This week on SMU Stories, we sat down with Ra Kazadi, SMU football alumnus, Dallas-based artist, and cofounder of Nostalgia and Noise, a creative agency merging art, music, and culture. Ra’s path began on the field at Southern Methodist University, but art has always been part of his identity. With the introduction of the NIL policy, he discovered how to merge his athletic discipline with his creative drive, turning art from a personal outlet into a thriving profession. Through Nostalgia and ...
