Devin Wilkinson is no stranger to innovation. The junior finance student began his career at the University of Tennessee as an engineering major. He discovered the Heath Integrated Business and Engineering Program (Heath IBEP) and made the choice to switch to finance in the Haslam College of Business.

“Heath IBEP allowed me the engineering exposure I wanted while pursuing the business courses that I was more passionate about,” Wilkinson says. “Since I have always enjoyed numbers and the financial markets, finance was the logical choice for me.”

This year, Wilkinson decided to begin a new venture – a student-led podcast for Haslam.

“I have always enjoyed listening to podcasts where I can learn from others’ experiences,” Wilkinson says. “Knowing UT’s vast and successful alumni network, I resolved that their stories should be available to bring lessons and inspiration to students and other alumni.”

After proposing the idea to Haslam Student Engagement and Success and the Haslam Office of Advancement, Wilkinson began to bring the podcast to reality. His team decided to name the podcast “Project Inspire.”

The series aims to share life lessons and motivational stories on how companies were created, careers were made and challenges were overcome through conversations with exceptional people.

The first two impressive guests in the interview series were James A. Haslam II, founder of Pilot Flying J., and Clay Jones, CEO of Rockwell Collins. More episodes are in the works as Wilkinson and team plan to bring encouraging content to their audience.

Wilkinson is the podcast’s executive producer and host, coordinating the efforts of the team behind the series.

“I serve as a liaison with the university, lead the research behind each guest and craft the interview outline for each episode,” Wilkinson says.

His goal is to create a sustainable model for the podcast, so students can continue to bring the life lessons, experiences and stories of individuals to audiences for years to come.

“The desired impact of the podcast is to not only increase the awareness of the tremendous amount of opportunity UT provides, but also bring inspiration and learning to thousands in an entertaining way,” Wilkinson says.

Wilkinson encourages the Haslam community to support the new podcast by listening, leaving reviews on podcast platforms and sharing with other interested listeners.

“I am thankful for the opportunity to create what I hope will have a lasting contribution beyond my time at Haslam,” Wilkinson says.

Listeners can download or stream Project Inspire via any other podcast streaming platform. New episodes are available each month.