Headlights to stage lights: Duane Rollins moves from mechanical engineering to Broadway
Rollins ’08 discusses his time at Virginia Tech and how his education prepared him for a surprising career change.
When Duane Rollins '08 began his journey at Virginia Tech in 2004, he thought he was going to design cars. He studied mechanical engineering and joined several student engineering organizations.
Today, Rollins is a wealth management advisor and a Broadway co-producer. He credits his new way of thinking — and much of his career success — to his time at Virginia Tech.
When he was an engineering student, he said he learned to think analytically and holistically. It wasn’t just about a component piece, but about considering the full experience and how it’s used.
“In engineering, your goal is to make something real in life that adds value to other people,” he said. “That's the same thing I'm doing now — just in a different domain. I'm trying to understand the big picture of people’s lives and the small component parts that go into it, so I can optimize and bring it to life in a way that transforms them along their financial journey.”
Rollins’ unexpected transition into Broadway came from someone in his network with previous Broadway investment experience. What started as a one-time investment opportunity evolved into the creation of Score 3 Partners — an initiative to welcome more first-time investors into the business side of Broadway.
“It just kind of took off from what I thought would be a one-time thing,” he said. “Now it's a regular and meaningful part of my life. It’s exciting to build community around these shows, to see how productions come to life, and to play our part on the capital side — allocating resources so these incredible works can be created and experienced by the world.”
In Rollins' first year as a Broadway co-producer, his team saw 17 Tony nominations.
Thirteen were for "Hell’s Kitchen," a musical from Alicia Keys that follows a young girl trying to find her place in the world. The production won two awards: Best Performance by a Leading Actress and Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical. Other productions backed by his team that were featured at the Tony’s included "Gutenberg! The Musical" and "Days of Wine and Roses."
“Being at the Tonys, seeing how it all comes together, was fascinating,” he said. “It’s something I know my daughter will be proud of when she talks about her father and what he did. And it also feels like a tribute to all the other people who do so much more behind the scenes and on the stage. I’m incredibly proud of them — there are so many people who make it all possible.”
Other projects Rollins has co-produced include "Othello" with Jake Gyllenhaal and Denzel Washington, "Swept Away," "Gypsy" with Audra McDonald, and "Our Town."
Looking back on his time at Virginia Tech, Rollins said he was initially drawn to the university’s architecture, engineering program, and football team. A large part of his college experience was shaped by Greek life and his membership in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., which he calls “incredibly transformative and formative.”
Rollins remains actively engaged with the fraternity today and enjoys mentoring current brothers on the Blacksburg campus.
He has three pieces of advice for college students and early career professionals: Read a lot, build a routine, and live in the moment.
“The best way to learn anything is to learn from the best. Read their autobiographies, understand their stories,” he said. “That will give you the wisdom that was accumulated over their lifetimes — and it’ll also give you motivation, because you’ll realize these are people who had dreams, just like you do. They’re people who stayed committed.”
Some of his fondest memories of Virginia Tech are the people he learned from, including influential professors such as Nikki Giovanni and Paul Torgersen, spending time with friends at West End, living in Peddrew-Yates Hall, and walking through the Drillfield and around the Duck Pond.
Like many Hokies, that time as a young adult shaped his future.
“Your college years are special, and it’s easy to take them for granted. Just be good to your body,” he said. “Take time to enjoy this moment with the people around you. Tell your friends how much you care about them. Let people know you appreciate their support. Time flies, and before you know it, this chapter will be over. It’s a unique experience you don’t want to undervalue.”
