Dr. Tywanna Smith has worked with more than 60 NBA, NFL, WNBA, Euro-League, and Chinese Basketball League players for over 18 years. Because of her personal experience as a former professional athlete and her business acumen, she understands the critical preparation and development that today's athletes need to capitalize off their time "in the lights." She has also co-founded the Athletes Abroad Summit and translated the experiences of professional athletes abroad into an international sports documentary [Ballin' Abroad] as an award-winning filmmaker. Dr. Smith is currently as Professor at The University of Memphis, specializing in effective communication, career transition, and student-athlete readiness.

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Dr. Smith (Memphis, D.L.S. '23; Ole Miss, MBA '05/Marketing '04) was a Lady Rebel Basketball player for Ole Miss before taking her talent to Europe for a two-year career as a professional athlete. After retiring from professional athletics, Dr. Smith entered the corporate world with Merrill Lynch, as a Registered Financial Advisor to several professional athletes. As a financial manager, she quickly found herself managing their other non-sport needs - such as asset protection, brand monetization, community event planning, and post-sport transition preparation. As President and Founder of The Athlete's Nexus, Dr. Smith's expertise includes strategic branding, business management, and professional development.

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As a Black woman in sports, Dr. Smith has made many notable contributions to the sports industry. She is the best-selling author of Surviving the Lights: A Professional Athlete's Playbook to Avoiding the Curse and Plan TOO: Guiding Your Athlete to Wealth and the Best Mental Health. Dr. Smith also supports the professional development needs of high school student-athletes through her signature workshop series - PRO-Ready.  In addition, she has led workshops and keynote speeches with the NFL, the Black Student-Athlete Summit, the L.A. Times Festival of Books, and she delivered the 2022 Ole Miss MBA Commencement Address. Since 2021, Dr. Smith has partnered with nearly a dozen organizations to deliver her signature teen business and financial literacy program - Teen Money Box.

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Dr. Smith is the recipient of many awards, and she has been recognized by several national media outlets. The West Memphis Sports Hall of Fame inductee is also very active in her community. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, the Ole Miss Alumni Board of Directors, Main Street Association West Memphis Board of Directors, and DeltaArts Board of Directors, and she leads the Tywanna Inmon-Smith Scholarship  Fund. Smith is truly changing the game, one athlete at a time! 

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"2022 Ole Miss Top 40 Under 40 Alumni"