Women Blazers

In this special episode, we welcome back Lisa Feigenbaum, Revenue & Strategy Sports Executive and Michelle Kajiwara, Sr. Vice President of Premium Business & Events for Crypto.com Arena for an engaging and reflective conversation.  What started as a passion project became an impact platform over the course of 5 seasons and 100 conversations with women in the sports industry who are either...

In this special 99th episode, we welcome Haley Carter, Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director for the 2024 NWSL Champion, Orlando Pride. Haley is a former professional soccer player, business executive, coach, licensed attorney, and veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.  Rooted by her core values of service and reliability, Haley is truly a force to be reckoned with.  By staying tru...

In this episode, we welcome Jennifer Young, Vice President of Revenue Strategy for the Atlanta Hawks. From Chef to Radio Sales to Sports Revenue Leader, Jennifer has truly had an impressive and diverse career journey. Starting in the culinary world, she honed her skills with the original goal of becoming a chef before transitioning into Media Sales where she demonstrated her knack for building par...

In this episode, we welcome Michelle Marshall, Head of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion for PUMA. Ever since she was young, Michelle felt a calling to be a leader of impact and ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to have a seat at the table.  Her commitment to focus on the human side of the business and creating inclusive environments, where everyone feels valued and respected, shines...

In this episode, we welcome Brittanie Boyd, Sr. Vice President of Corporate Partnerships for the Dallas Mavericks. Brittanie shares her remarkable career journey built on intention and taking initiative. She launched her career with the Dallas Cowboys while obtaining her MBA and pursued opportunities from there that aligned with her defined goals.  Her career moves put her in the position to learn...

In this episode, we welcome Ryan Hilgers, Sr. Vice President of Global Partnership Development for BSE Global, which includes the Brooklyn Nets, Barclays Center, and the 2024 WNBA Champion New York Liberty. Ryan shares her incredible journey with us, she grew up oversees in Germany for 18 years in a military family where her parents served as teachers.  She didn’t have a personal passion to become...

In this episode, we welcome Victoria Isley, Vice President of Partnership Solutions for the Philadelphia 76ers. Victoria has built a remarkable career in the industry by being open to new opportunities and creating growth by pursuing roles and responsibilities outside of her comfort zone.  Her journey has included working for some of the biggest franchises in sports: the New York Giants, New Jerse...

In this episode, we welcome Morgan Cato, Former Assistant General Manager and VP of Basketball Operations for the Phoenix Suns, making her the first women of color to hold the title in the NBA. Morgan is a sports influencer, business executive, and change agent.  Born and raised in New York, she grew up loving the game of basketball and thanks to the game developed a strong competitive nature, and...

In this episode, we welcome Aneisha Johnson, Director of Member Experience & Retention for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Aneisha shares her incredible career journey, starting out in Inside Sales for the Minnesota T-Wolves where she developed a love for relationship selling and service. That foundation launched her career forward to Florida where she has blazed a remarkable path into leadership gi...

In this episode, we welcome Amanda Dennis, Vice President of Ticket Sales & Service for the Detroit Red Wings. Amanda shares her incredible career journey; she was a collegiate athlete that loved being in a competitive atmosphere, which led her to an opportunity to be an inside sales rep for Kroenke Sports & Entertainment. Hesitate at first, she encouraged herself to try it which led to he...

In this episode, we welcome Kimberly Bolt, Chief Marketing Officer for the Washington Nationals. Kimberly shares her incredible career journey, starting out as an aspiring Psychologist as a student at Cornell University. She invested her education into marketing and consumer behavior and found a deep-rooted passion for storytelling, data, and innovation. Kimberly's 15+ years of experience helping...

In this episode, we welcome Brittany Austin, Vice President of Marketing for the Nashville Predators. Brittany shares her incredible career journey, starting out as an aspiring graphic designer without any real knowledge of the sports industry. She found herself in an entry level position with the Tampa Bay Lightning from a job posting she answered that would lead to a remarkable 15 year career jo...

In this episode, we welcome Jillian Frechette, Chief Marketing Officer for the New Jersey Devils and the Prudential Center. As a native Canadian, Jillian was exposed to the sports events industry while working for Molson, Labatt, and Nike Canada. Jillian is a builder, and since getting into the game, she has built brands, built a remarkable life with her family, and is now leading and building the...

In this episode, we welcome Melanie Abzug, Vice President of Consultation & Valuation for Playfly Sports. Melanie shares her remarkable career journey. As a student at North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she pursued a double major in Economics and Global Studies knowing that a career in business was her pursuit. She launched her path with Accenture as a consulting analyst and established a strong found...

In this episode, we welcome Camye Mackey, EVP and Chief People, Diversity, & Inclusion Officer for the Atlanta Hawks. Camye shares her remarkable career journey which includes working for Walt Disney World, Special Olympics, and MGM Resorts International. Today she serves as the top HR executive for the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena and leads the team responsible for strategic development and...

In this episode, we welcome Jennifer Prince, Chief Commercial Officer for the Los Angeles Rams. Jennifer shares her remarkable career journey which includes working in prominent positions at Google and Twitter, the evolution of her lifestyle when she welcomed her twins into the world, and her transition into the sports industry at the perfect time in her life. Her journey is one of courage, findin...

In this episode, we welcome Marina Carpenter, General Counsel & EVP of Public Affairs for the Arizona Coyotes. Marina shares her incredible journey as an Arizona native, who played division-1 volleyball at Arizona State University and built a remarkable career after earning her Juris Doctorate. It didn’t take her long to become a strategic, creative, trusted and impactful leader for the Arizona Co...

In this episode, we welcome Alma Angeles-Parvaz, Vice President of Corporate Partnerships for the Charlotte Hornets. Alma shares her remarkable journey as a first-generation Mexican American who carried out her parents’ dream for her to go to college. She since combined her love for sports with curiosity and grit to blaze a remarkable career that brings her joy and gives the opportunity to make a...

In this episode, we welcome Brooke Faw, Vice President of Client Experiences for Bespoke Sports & Entertainment. Brooke shares her unique and incredible journey, which began in education as a Kindergarten Teacher and High School Basketball Coach. Through the power of connection and the spark of her passion for sports, she met some incredible supporters along her path that introduced her to new opp...

Season 5 Premiere! In this season opener we welcome Patti Phillips, CEO of Women Leaders in Sports —the nation’s premier organization that develops, connects, and champions women to advance and be a powerful influence in sports. Patti was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2015 and received the NCAA’s Champions of Diversity Award in 2015. In 2020, she was named as a Sports Business...

In this live recorded season finale, we welcome Michelle Kennedy, President and Chief Operating Officer of the Nashville Predators. Michelle shares her roots growing up in Kentucky, her foundation as an athlete at Vanderbilt University, where she would later return as the Associate Athletic Director to achieve her desire to someday work in sports. Determined to follow her passions, she makes a bol...

In this episode, we welcome Jill Gregory, EVP and General Manager of Sonoma Raceway. Jill is an acclaimed NASCAR executive and innovative sports marketer, who has blazed a career journey with a remarkable reputation. Twice named by Adweek as one of “The Most Powerful Women in Sports”, Jill was a key member of the leadership team, that shepherded the sport through COVID and made historic moves for...

In this episode, we welcome Buffy Filippell, Founder of TeamWork Online. Buffy shares her remarkable career journey with her family- son, Davis and husband, Mark. Buffy is a true blazer by definition. She founded her Cleveland based company 30 years ago, and changed the game when she launched the online job portal that has effectively matched sports teams with over 200,000 of the best and brightes...

In this episode, we welcome Leah MacNab, Sr. Vice President & Managing Director of NBA Canada. Leah’s journey to becoming the first women to be named the Managing Director of NBA Canada was one of hard work and persistence. As the SVP and Managing Director, Leah is responsible for the development and growth of the league’s business in Canada, including television and digital media, marketing and r...

In this episode, we welcome Starr Jemison, Sr. Vice President of Content Development and Private Events for the Oak View Group. Starr had an unconventional foundation to her career before starting her own talent management business that led her into the venue booking, content development, and private event space. Her investment in learning and taking unique opportunities, shaped an incredible path...