THE AUTHOR

Karin Grant Hopkins is an accomplished storyteller and a first-time book author. A former television news anchor, she developed strong production skills, which she has used as a civilian to make documentaries, training films, commercials, and digital media content. Karin retired from journalism to collaborate with her husband, Noah Hopkins, on entrepreneurial opportunities.

After they established a PR company in New Orleans, she led the communications side of the business. The Essence Music Festival is among her success stories. The partnerships involved with the first Essence Music Festival were epic—Essence executives Ed Lewis, Clarence Smith, Susan Taylor, Karen Thomas, and Audrey Adams. George Wein, Quint Davis, and Festival Productions Inc. led production services. Karin and her team created stellar PR campaigns. That alliance attracted 142,000 patrons to the first Essence Music Festival in 1995. Festival patrons pumped $75 million into the New Orleans economy transforming the normally sluggish summer season into a tourist bonanza. She was in charge of public relations for this event for seven consecutive years. During this time frame, the Essence Music Festival experienced tremendous growth in annual attendance and economic impact.

In 2004, Karin and Noah closed their business and relocated to Birmingham, Alabama, where Karin worked for five years as Senior Public Information Officer for the Birmingham City Council.

In 2009, she was asked by the President Pro Tempore of the Alabama Senate to join his team as Communications Director where her responsibilities included liaison to The White House.

At every stage of her career, storytelling has been critical. It’s how she has connected with audiences to inform, educate, and motivate them. In 2020, during a global pandemic, public outrage over social injustices, and an unprecedented presidential election, storytelling was her escape from the craziness. The result is this book, The NEXUS Days, which she hopes is as enlightening for you as it was therapeutic for her.