Announcing our Women’s Executive Network Class of 2022
C-suite women to change the face of the sports industry through exclusive dealmaking circle
BOSTON, April 5, 2022 -- Sports Innovation Lab, a data-driven fan intelligence company, announced today the Women’s Executive Network Class of 2022, an invite-only group of the industry’s most powerful female executives within the sports industry driving business and transforming the industry together.
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The Class of 2022 includes C-Suite representatives from premier sports, investment, media, consumer, and technology companies:
Renie Anderson, CRO & EVP, NFL Partnerships at NFL
Jessica Berman, Deputy Commissioner, NLL & Incoming Commissioner, NWSL
Francesca Bodie, President, Business Development at Oak View Group
Melissa Brenner, EVP, Digital Media at NBA
Lynne Biggar, Global brand advisor, Former CMO at VISA
Heidi Browning, CMO and Senior EVP at NHL
Kathy Carter, CEO at LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games
Keia Clarke, CEO at New York Liberty
Cindy DiPietrantonio, CEO / President at Boathouse Sports
Johanna Faries, SVP, GM, Call of Duty, Activision Blizzard
Laura Gentile, EVP Marketing at ESPN and Commercial Marketing for Disney Media Networks
Ishwara Glassman Chrein, President at Chicago Fire FC
Assia Grazioli-Venier, Co-Founder of Muse Capital
Valéria Herzer, Senior Director, Global Gaming, Influencers and New Platforms at The Coca-Cola Company
Amy Howe, CEO / President at FanDuel
Tanya Hvizdak, VP, Women’s Global Sports Marketing at Nike
Kate Johnson, Director, Global Sports & Entertainment Marketing at Google
Ilana Kloss, CEO at Billie Jean King Enterprises
Stephanie McMahon, Chief Brand Officer at WWE
Meka White Morris, EVP, CRO at Minnesota Twins
Sanyin Siang, Founding Executive Director of Fuqua/Coach K Center on Leadership & Ethics at Duke University
Denise Taylor, CTO at Therabody
Karin Timpone, EVP, Chief Marketing Officer at MLB
The Women’s Executive Network provides these women with an exclusive, secure forum to come together, discuss sensitive topics critical to their line of work, and drive deals that shape the future of sports business. Members also receive unparalleled data and research owned by Sports Innovation Lab to drive informed decision-making and stay ahead of forecasted trends. Now in its second year, the Women’s Executive Network is recognized as the leading year-round assembly of female sports executives in the United States, and an influencer in improving gender equality in the industry’s workforce.
According to researchers at UCLA and Harvard, more than one-third of the pay gap between men and women may be attributed to the so-called “old boys’ club” effect, where informal male-to-male bonding taking place during male-oriented activities results in inequalities in pay and opportunities for women. In 2021, a woman earned 83 cents for every dollar a man made across all industries in the United States, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“The Women’s Executive Network is a place where some of the best and brightest women in our industry connect to collectively advance and receive a competitive advantage within the workforce,” said Sports Innovation Lab Co-founder and CEO Angela Ruggiero. “These women are at the top of their respective fields and are frequently asked to give back, but seldom receive support themselves. This network fills that gap and provides members invaluable insight into where the puck is headed as they continue to unlock billions of dollars in untapped revenue within sports.”
Megan Perry, Sports Innovation Lab’s VP of Executive Engagement & Women's Initiatives, added: “We’re not waiting for a seat at the table to affect change; we’re creating our own table. The Class of 2022 unites a deep bench of expertise across marketing, technology, and business development to inform, empower, and activate.”
To follow the conversation around the Women’s Executive Network on Twitter, follow @sportsilab, @angelaruggiero, and @missmegs42.
About Sports Innovation Lab
Sports business decisions require understanding an ever-changing fan: The Fluid Fan™. Sports Innovation Lab exists to educate clients on who their Fluid Fans are and how technology is changing their behavior. Through our industry-leading fan data and research, we inspire brands to create breakthrough fan experiences and work with the world’s leading sports organizations including the NFL, NHL, NASCAR, FIFA, Google, Facebook, Coca-Cola, Visa, and more.
Media Contact
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Athlete Strategies
(408) 506-5975