Game Changers

Alberto Santana, SVP of Sales for Amadeus, joined Host Katie Steinberg to discuss upcoming trends in the global travel industry and all things sports, from the Super Bowl to the Olympics. In 2000, Santana joined Amadeus, a global travel company started by some friends, with his only hotel industry experience being a brief valet stint. After 20 years of work there, Santana saw Amadeus do a good job...

Youth sports are a significant part of the lives of kids in the U.S. However, parents, grandparents, and other family members can’t always be there in person. The GameChanger app offers a new way to watch every game. The app’s founder Sameer Ahuja joined Game Changers host Katie Steinberg to talk about its impact. Ahuja explained, “It connects parents and grandparents to the most importa...

Some might say Ken Patel, CEO of EV Hotel, is the next Elon Musk of the hospitality industry. Patel began his journey in hospitality as a child, helping his father in his hotel and working his way from the desk to roles with more responsibility. Now, he is heading the convergence of AI and hotels, which he discussed with Host Katie Steinberg. Patel believes the main issue with hotels in 2021 is th...

Seeing his own kids grow up playing school sports, Chuck Thompson, Nike Dallas FC president, noticed a gap in youth sports — it is inefficient and doesn’t set players up for success. He joined Host Katie Steinberg of Game Changers to discuss the Nike Dallas Football Club and its impact on the community. Thompson’s vision of creating a well-oiled, high-results football club came to fruition through...

Mike Rufail, founder and chief gaming officer at Envy Gaming, excitedly explained the gaming merger with OpTic Gaming and how Dallas is becoming an esports hub while talking with Host Katie Steinberg. One big change from the merger will be the name of the team — the Texas-based Call of Duty League franchise Dallas Empire will be rebranded to OpTic Texas. Rufail believes the merge will be successfu...

Commentary: Big news in the hospitality space as our very own host of Say Yes to Travel, Sarah Dandashy, has a new book on the shelves, Hospitality From Within, and it's available for pre-order today! We wanted to catch up with Sarah and find out what her inspiration for writing this book was; Sarah has a wealth of knowledge on running premier hotels and what it takes to be a top notch concierge....

Life after college sports can be a dreaded reality for athletes. Whether it’s turning an athletic passion into a lifetime money-maker, or it’s finding a career outside of sports, both options pose their own sets of professional challenges. On the first episode of Game Changers, host Katie Steinberg sits down with Brandon Pfluger, Senior Director of Business Development and former soccer athlete at...

The big news in the esports world is the merger of Envy Gaming and OpTic Gaming. This unification brings together two of esports most impressive teams and promises to deliver excitement for fans. Providing insights on the merger, Mike Rufail, Founder and Chief Gaming Officer of Envy Gaming, sat down with Game Changers host Katie Steinberg. “We really fill the gaps of each other, and this merger is...

Sports is a dominant element of our culture and for better or worse, the road to the glory of professional sports starts at a young age. On an upcoming episode of Game Changers, Host Katie Steinberg sits down with Nike Dallas FC President, Chuck Thompson, to discuss how he saw the inefficiencies of youth sports and how that led him to starting his own football team as his so called mid-life crisis...

On this episode of Game Changers, Host Katie Steinberg talked with Warren Moon about his post-retirement game plan. Moon played 20 years in the NFL and CFL before hanging up his cleats to found Sports 1 Marketing, a global sports and entertainment marketing agency that leverages over $20 billion in relationship capital and over 38 years of business experience, bringing athletes, celebrities and bu...

Corporate sponsorships have been a key source of revenue for professional sports teams. However, the era of buying a sign is no more. Now, it’s all about the experience. Game Changers host Katie Steinberg chatted with Michael Mattocks, Senior Director of Corporate Sponsorships for the Dallas Mavericks, to get his insights. Mattocks has a unique career path. His fascination with the NBA was always...