After a 13-year journey filled with challenges, sacrifice, and unwavering faith, I am beyond grateful, humbled, and excited to announce:
Dr. Ryan Ashley Lowery - PhD in Business Administration with a concentration in Real Estate 🎓
I am proud to be the first African American in the 40+ year history of the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business Real Estate Program — one of the top Real Estate programs in the world.
The road was long and difficult, but persistence, determination, and God’s grace always prevail.
Thank you Lord for keeping, guiding, and strengthening me. With You, all things are possible 🙏🏾
Deepest gratitude to my dissertation advisor, the incredible faculty, and staff at UGA 🐶
This PhD is dedicated to:
🖤 My ancestors: Thank you for your strength and the shoulders I stand on.
❤️ My family: Your love and support carried me through every late night and doubt.
🖤 My friends: Your belief in me never wavered.
❤️ My Rhyne Elementary teachers and the Gastonia Boys & Girls Club: You planted the seeds early — this victory is yours too.
To everyone who poured into me — past and present — thank you from the bottom of my heart 🙏🏾
Onward and upward - Light Up ✨
#DrRyanAshley #PhD #blackboyjoy #LightUp #godisgood 📸 @keilanscottphotos@terrycollege@universityofga@lightupdoc
Hey FRIEND! 👋🏾…Tag A FRIEND! Our Nationwide CASTING has started for our LEADS, SUPPORTING & DAY PLAYER roles on Actors Access! …we gotta ask…who character are you excited about!?! 👀🎬 #HeyFriendSeries
TAG AN ACTOR! 🎬 From the Creator/Director George Lott and Executive Producer Ryan Ashley
We’re bringing Hey Friend, the new vertical series, to life with an exclusive live table read!
We are currently seeking:
• Experienced Readers — actors who can bring personality, timing, and presence to a live script read (cold read)
• Audience Members — lovers of comedy and drama who can provide real-time reactions.
Think you or someone you know is perfect?
➡️ Tag an actor who should be in the room
➡️ Swipe and tell us which character(s) you can bring to life!
➡️ If you’d like to attend as an audience member, comment: “AUDIENCE FRIEND!” and we will DM you with more details if selected.
📍 REQUIREMENTS (NO EXCEPTIONS):
• MUST BE FOLLOWING @TheWHOAagency & @HeyFriendSeries
• Must be an Atlanta local
• Must be available next week
• Must sign NDA + Talent Release Form
• No additional guests permitted beyond selected participants
• Security will be present, all attendees are subject to screening
• No weapons allowed
** If selected we will DM you - be sure to check your DM‘s / if your page is private, you are ineligible. If you do not confirm in the first 24 hours of the offer we will unfortunately give the invitation to another talent.
Let’s have fun and make history! #HeyFriendSeries #verticleseries #microdrama
WHOA!! Writer and producer Ben Cory Jones has officially joined the upcoming vertical series “Hey Friend” from George Lott and Ryan Ashley as a producer. Lott serves as writer and director of the series, with Ashley attached as executive producer. Jones is widely recognized for his work on HBO’s acclaimed comedy-drama Insecure, the Emmy-nominated series created by Issa Rae that helped redefine modern Black storytelling on television.
He also served as showrunner and executive producer of the BET series Boomerang, developed from the iconic film and executive produced by Lena Waithe and Halle Berry. Through these projects, Jones has built a reputation for shaping bold, culture-driven narratives that center contemporary voices and experiences.
The collaboration marks a major creative expansion for THE WHOA AGENCY and Ryan Ashley Production , as the momentum builds around their vertical - In search for dynamic black female leads. With Jones bringing experience and leadership, the team combines Hollywood television credentials with the rapidly evolving vertical series format designed for today’s streaming wave of digital-first series productions.
#HeyFriendSeries #TheWHOAagency #verticalseries
WHOA! George Lott and Ryan Ashley are officially launching new vertical micro-drama series HEY FRIEND, seeking dynamic Black female leads. The announcement arrives as both creators continue building momentum on Apple TV. Lott, who will serve as writer and director of the series, currently appears in The Stuttering Preacher alongside Tyler Perry’s The Oval star Jevone Johnson, while Ashley, executive producer of HEY FRIEND, recently secured Apple TV distribution for the documentary Light Up, spotlighting powerful LGBTQ+ voices sharing their truth.
The new series expands the creative universe first introduced through their previous collaboration F-Boy Free, positioning HEY FRIEND as a bold spinoff within the growing micro-drama lane. A live table read and audience experience is currently being planned ahead of a nationwide casting search set to open in late March and early April across Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago. Know a dynamic Black actress who deserves the lead? Tag her below. #Casting #blackactress #verticalseries
The Hyundai “I See You” campaign (part of the 🔥 “OKAY Hyundai” series) stars the legendary Lil Jon and spotlights the all-new 2026 Palisade Hybrid—celebrating Black family culture 🖤, style, joy, and those moments that make us say… OKAY Hyundai! 🚗✨
So grateful 🙏🏾 to @hyundaiusa for bringing me into this incredible project. It was an absolute honor to be directed by the visionary @joshuakissi and styled by my hometown (Gastonia) friend - Winter @themanner.co 👏🏾🔥 Keep Lighting up the World 🌎 🌟 Proud to be part of something that sees us, hypes us, and rolls in style.
#Hyundai #ISeeYou #2026PalisadeHybrid #BlackExcellence #RyanAshleyLowery
📢BIG NEWS 📢
LIGHT UP is arriving on YouTube TV + YouTube Movies THIS Friday, January 23rd! 🔥📺
What started as a vision is now lighting up screens everywhere. This isn’t just a documentary, it’s real stories, real conversations, and real moments that deserve to be seen. To know that Light Up is now accessible to even more people is beyond humbling.
If you’ve ever needed encouragement, honesty, or a reminder that your story matters, this is for you.
Pull up. Turn it on. Share it with someone who needs the light. 💡
📍Streaming on YouTube TV & YouTube Movies
🗓️Friday, January 23rd
Let’s show them what happens when purpose meets opportunity.
#LightUp #YouTubeTV #YouTubeMovies #NowStreaming
✨PROTECT YOUR LIGHT✨
In this powerful clip, Obio and Ben from LIGHT UP break down what “light” truly means to them , and more importantly, how they protect it in a world that constantly tries to dim it. 💡
Press play and ask yourself:
👉🏾 What is YOUR light?
👉🏾 And how are you protecting it?
Because your light is sacred, guard it like it matters. ✊🏾
🎙️ This is a clip from The Jamir Smith Show on iHeart — where real conversations meet real impact. Click the link in our bio to watch the full interview. Be sure to watch LightUp on streaming platforms now!
#LightUpDocumentary #lightup #obiojones #lgbtq
🎬✨ REAL FEEDBACK. REAL IMPACT. ✨🎬
Tap in as Ben from Light Up shares the powerful feedback he’s been receiving from viewers after watching the documentary, and trust us, it hits DIFFERENT. 🔥
From heartfelt messages to eye-opening conversations, this is what happens when stories are told with truth, courage, and purpose. 💡🖤
📻 Catch the conversation on iHeart Power 97.5 LA
🎙️ The Jamir Smith Show
This is more than a clip… it’s proof that Light Up is sparking real dialogue and changing perspectives.
👉 Press play, turn the volume up, and join the movement.
#LightUpDocumentary #lightup #RealStoriesRealImpact #JamirSmithShow #iHeartPower975
Grateful for a monumental 2025🙏🏾 Already making moves for an even better 2026 - on to the next level 📈 Happy New Year! May this new year be your best one yet. 🙏🏾❤️🙏🏾
#Scripted #RyanAshleyProductions #NewYear #Persistence #Grateful
