Parent Spotlight: Anthony Adams Brings Innovation and Inspiration to Brainy Yaks

When Anthony Adams first toured Cannon School with his family four years ago, one space immediately captured his attention: the Think Tank makerspace in the Middle School. “I thought it was such a cool addition for the kids,” he recalls. Little did he know, that moment would be the beginning of a meaningful partnership between his unique professional background and Cannon’s commitment to hands-on learning.

Shortly after joining the Cannon community, Anthony met Leigh Northrup, Dean of Innovation & Technology. The two instantly connected. With a long career in finance—Anthony spent 21 years at Bank of America—followed by a creative second act as founder of PCS Collectibles, a Charlotte-based studio that creates luxury, limited-edition collectibles from pop culture and video game franchises, Anthony saw potential to contribute in a meaningful way. “My type of business isn’t readily available on the East Coast,” he says. “Most of my team has worked on Hollywood sets. I thought we could offer students something different.”

That opportunity came this year during a casual conversation with Leigh at a school event. Leigh shared a challenge facing the Middle School robotics team, the Brainy Yaks. They were developing a prototype to help restore coral reefs, but were struggling to find sustainable materials that wouldn’t harm the marine environment.

As it turns out, Anthony was uniquely equipped to help. A passionate hobbyist who grows coral, raises Koi fish, and cultivates bonsai trees, he suggested using live rock substrate—a natural material often used in reef tanks—for the structure. “It would decompose over time and help filter out the bad stuff,” he explained. He also offered to mold and cast the prototype with his team at PCS Collectibles.

The collaboration took off. Anthony invited the Brainy Yaks to his studio, where students learned about casting, mold-making, and working with marine-safe materials. Under his mentorship, the students developed a new prototype designed to reduce biofouling and allow greater light penetration—both critical for coral health. Compared to traditional PVC-based coral restoration methods, which require frequent scuba diver maintenance, the new design aimed to be more sustainable and lower-maintenance.

Once the prototype was complete, the team sent it to a marine biology team in Fort Lauderdale for testing. Feedback from experts helped refine the design even further. One major adjustment: thinning and spacing the spokes to ensure more light could reach the coral. With these improvements, the students are now preparing for additional testing with partners in South Africa and Hawaii, an impressive leap from their original classroom idea.

Their ultimate vision? A scalable coral restoration solution called Reef Rescue, a reusable, sustainable nursery structure made from silicone molds and live rock substrate that could one day be deployed globally.

Anthony has seen firsthand how the experience has transformed the students. “I noticed they became more intuitive,” he says. “They dove into research, explored new ideas, and were hungry to learn more.” He estimates he’s spent over 60 hours volunteering with the team this year—remarkable given that neither of his two Cannon students, Jade ’28 and Amber ’30, are involved in robotics.

For other parents thinking about getting involved, Anthony offers simple advice: “Just walk through the school. See what’s being offered, and think about where your talents can plug in. When I heard about the Yaks’ situation, I knew we had something unique to offer.”