Women Blazers

It’s the 75th episode and we are excited to welcome Kelly Higgins as our featured guest for this episode. Kelly serves as the Vice President of Partnership Marketing for the U.S. Soccer Federation. Kelly was introduced to sports business at a young age when she landed an opportunity to work for the NY Mets during summer league throughout her high school years in southeast Florida. It was inevitabl...

In this episode we welcome Missy Ripepi, Sr. Director of Ticket Sales & Service for the Pittsburgh Pirates of the MLB. Missy has led an incredible career journey. She built the foundation of her career in inside sales with the Pirates, was dedicated to growing her career and found that growth in her journey. Missy has worked for the Rams of the NFL, Avalanche of the NHL, FEVO, IMG College, and her...

In this episode we welcome Tracy Ellis-Ward, Sr. Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Pacers Sports & Entertainment. Tracy has led an incredible career journey, where she has held several executive-level positions in athletics and higher education, contributed to building the foundation of the WNBA, and now is responsible for leading the strategic vision and driving initiatives t...

In this episode we welcome Khalia Collier, Vice President and Chief of Staff for Basketball Operations for the Dallas Mavericks. Khalia shares her incredible career journey with us. She started playing basketball at the age of 5, which sparked her love for the game and set her on a path to take what she learned on the court and apply it to her life. After becoming an owner of a professional Women’...

In this episode we welcome Nam McGrail, Senior Vice President of Partnership Activation for the LA Kings of the NHL and AEG Global Partnerships. Nam shares her incredible career journey with us. After dedicating 10 years to her title as Mom, she was ready to dive back into her career life and explore new opportunities. It only took one conversation to open her door into the sports industry and to...

In this episode we welcome Janaki Cash, Vice President of Ticketing & Revenue Strategy for the New York Mets in the MLB. Janaki shares her incredible career journey with us. Originally pursuing a path to be a Veterinarian, she decided to switch focus and tap into her other passion, and break into the sports industry. Developing up the revenue vertical with experience working with the Oklahoma City...

In this episode we welcome Hallie Yavitch, Sr. Vice President of Booking & Marketing for Cyrpto.com Arena, Peacock Theater, and L.A. Live. Hallie shares her incredible and unique career journey with us. Her original path was to become an attorney, in fact she has a doctorate from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and is licensed to practice in her native Ohio. As she was pursing her degree, she wo...

In this episode we welcome Laura Waters-Brown, Director of The Collective at Wasserman. Laura shares her incredible career journey with us. As a Division 1 Collegiate Volleyball player at South Carolina State University, she explored many potential career paths, but her passion for sports and people guided her path into the industry. With the help of her strong network she gained valuable experien...

In this episode we welcome Kelly Lewis, Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion and Recruitment for TurnkeyZRG. Kelly shares her amazing career journey with us. As a Detroit native, Kelly obtained an elite education from two of the top institutions in the country and focused in on building a career with purpose and passion. Today Kelly leads TurnkeyZRG’s commitment to the development of people and...

In this episode we welcome Amber Myczkowiak, Senior Director of Premium & Membership Development for the Detroit Pistons. Amber shares her remarkable journey with us, after surviving cancer in high school, she went on to play varsity softball at Trine University in Indiana where she led her team to three conference championships. Her passion for sports opened the door to a career path that has pro...

In this episode we welcome Alissa Lieppman, Vice President/Head of Culture & Business Operations for the NFL. Alissa broke into sports during the rise of digital and social media, and built her foundation in the industry consulting and leading all 32 NFL clubs in adopting strategies that created business growth in that space. Her passion evolved at the league, and she now leads advancements in tea...

In this episode we welcome Jennifer Martindale, Senior Vice President of Marketing for the Chicago Cubs. Jen built the ultimate career toolbox with 14 foundational years in advertising where she drove brand strategy and led award-winning campaigns for notable brands, gained strategic business skills in the non-profit sector, and added entrepreneurial experience in the restaurant industry. She took...

In this episode we welcome Lara Toscani Weems, Sr. Vice President of Global Communications for Elevate Sports Ventures. Lara has over 20 years of sports and entertainment communications and marketing experience with NBA, NHL, Top-10 internationally renowned venues, marquee professional sports leagues and properties, and global entertainment brands. She built the foundation of her career in Marketi...

In this episode we welcome Jessica Vella, Vice President of Tour & Event Sales for Legends at Sofi Stadium. Jessica shares her career journey, and provides insights from her personal and professional experiences in the industry. Knowing she wanted to work in professional sports going into college, she outlined her plans, established success in each role she held, and she maintained control of her...

In this episode we welcome Jamie Weinstein, Senior Vice President of Ticket Sales & Service for the Milwaukee Bucks. In this episode, Jamie shares her incredible career journey, where she has navigated up the ladder working with teams in the NBA, NHL, and NFL all across the country and with a stop in Canada. Her hard work ethic, openness to explore new opportunities, and her love for what she does...

In this episode we welcome Kim Stone, President of UBS Arena and Executive Vice President for Oak View Group East Coast. Kim shares her remarkable and decorated career journey, where she has served in executive leadership positions for two of the top global brands in sports - the Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors. There truly is nothing this women can’t do as she has led and governed all aspect...

In this episode we welcome Kimberly Davis, Senior Executive Vice President for the National Hockey League. Kimberly shares her incredible experiences and insights from her remarkable career journey. Kimberly had a fulfilled and successful career in the finance industry working for JP Morgan Chase for over 20 years before transitioning down a path that launched an opportunity to join the NHL League...

In this episode we welcome Allison Katz-Mayfield, Vice President of Business Strategy for LA28. Allison shares her incredible career journey. A graduate of MIT Sloan School of Management and Cornell University, Allison has spent her career driving business strategy through the use of data and analytics in the legal, healthcare, and sports industries. With a passion for sports - she took her skills...

In this episode we welcome Jennifer Bower, Vice President of Stadium Partnerships for Legends. Jennifer shares her incredible career journey. As a student athlete at San Diego State University she strengthened her belief in hard work and built the foundation of her strong network. She tapped into that network to launch her sports career with the San Diego Chargers and grew to where she is today -...

In this episode we welcome Katie Stocz Miller, Sr. Vice President of Premium & Client Services, Fan Experience & Operations for the Orlando Magic of the NBA. Katie shares her incredible career journey that started out with a passion for sports, seeded by her childhood experiences of going to games and making memories with her family. This year, she celebrates her 17th season with the Orlando Magic...

In this episode we welcome Sofi Armenakian, Head of Sustainability for the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA. Sofi shares her incredible career path that started out with a 10 year foundation in the retail industry that she launched in High School. Sofi reinvested her skills and experience into a new passion of leading operations and sustainability for organizations, and now for the Atlanta Hawks where she...

In this episode we welcome Ann Seeney, Chief People and Diversity Officer for the US Soccer Federation. Ann shares her incredible career path that kicked off after graduating from Hampton University. Ann has worked in various organizations in many capacities in Human Resources. She broke into the sports industry, grew her network, built trusted relationships, and invested in her growth that led he...

In this episode we welcome Stacy Johns, Chief Financial Officer for the Los Angeles Football Club of MLS. Stacy shares her incredible career journey where she built her foundation in Finance with Ernst & Young and Eli Lilly. Thanks to her hard work, relationship building, and never passing up an opportunity, she was swept away from the public sector and into the sports industry where she worked fo...

In this episode we welcome Keia Clarke, Chief Executive Officer for the New York Liberty of the WNBA. Keia shares her incredible career journey where she establishes a successful career path powered by her love of the game and her commitment to contribute to the continued growth of women’s professional sports. Now as the CEO of the New York Liberty, she is one of the key leaders in the game pushin...

In this episode we welcome Sam Rapoport, Senior Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for the NFL. Sam, a former Quarterback, shares her incredible career journey which was built on the foundation of her passion for the game and driven by her goal to create societal change. Through hard work, perseverance, and pure determination, Sam has successfully opened the front door to NFL operations pos...