In recognition of Women’s History Month in March, 91果冻’s Brock School of Business will host its second annual Women in Business Brunch, Tuesday, March 3. This event will celebrate the achievements of women across campus and within Birmingham’s business community while allowing students, Samford employees and industry professionals to connect over brunch and meaningful conversation.
The 2026 event will feature Samford alumna Robyn Felton ’00, chief operating officer of Knight Eady, a Birmingham-based full-service event management, marketing and creative agency specializing in sports. As the keynote speaker, Felton will share insights from her professional journey and encourage women as they pursue leadership and purpose in their careers.
Below, Felton shares more about her vision for empowering women along their professional paths.
What key moments or decisions have shaped your career since graduating from Samford?
If my career is a winding river shaped by thousands of seemingly insignificant ripples and turns, the single most steadying current throughout has been the remarkable consistency of nurturing relationships I’ve experienced. These people have protected, coached, offered wisdom and answered calls, both during calm and quiet stretches of ebb and in unsettling times of flow. Ultimately, they have been the banks that channeled a series of isolated moments into a purposeful professional life.
How does your role at Knight Eady influence the way you lead and serve others?
We’re a small shop at Knight Eady, which means I get to interact regularly with most everyone here in one way or another. Sometimes it’s sharing our lives outside the office around the lunch table. Sometimes it’s leading a meeting, establishing policies or guidelines for how we operate or holding team members accountable to expectations. In all of those spaces, I view myself as a shepherd of unique people who share a common vision. I love offering the gift of authentic relationship to each person, knowing that approach will differ based on how they’re wired, their needs and the kind of encouragement they may require.
What advice would you offer young women who are aspiring to take on leadership roles in business?
In my experience, women often feel societal pressure to bring a specific type of strength to the table in order to be an effective leader, perhaps a louder voice, an intimidating posture or a controlling hand. That’s a small vision of leadership. I encourage women to grow in self-awareness about how they’renaturally wired and then thoughtfully consider how those gifts can be leveraged for impact in their own context. The best leaders I know first know themselves, are confident in who they are and generously give of themselves.
What are you most looking forward to sharing with attendees during the Women’s Brunch?
I’m always excited to experience the energy of the Samford campus and student body. Hopefully, I’ll share a sense of ease. No matter your age or experience level, contemplating a career as a woman can feel intimidating, and it doesn’t need to be. I hope to offer a perspective that feels less burdensome and more inspiring about what’s possible.
