Past Speakers
Ryan Bishara
EVP of Revenue and Strategy - Los Angeles FC
“Be resourceful and persistent, you have nothing to lose when contacting professionals you admire.”
“Realize that many of the skills you need are not going to be taught in school. Don’t wait until you have a job to learn these skills.”
“Think about business school as a life raft. You’re in one place, you’re doing a job and you have growth in mind. If every year, you keep growing and gain responsibilities and get promoted, don’t use the life raft. If you get to a point where you feel like you need to get to another level and can’t, or are tired of your current job, then you use the life raft.”
Emily Watts
Global Director, Sports Marketing - Giro Sport Design
“I was also exposed to many of the inequities in sports early on; I was starting to misalign with the values versus what I envisioned for the future. I wanted to be part of the solution, rather than maintaining the status quo.”
“I like to replace marketing with storytelling; it’s a better description of the role that marketing has to play for a brand.”
“The emotional intelligence that comes from working with different people in college is the best kind of experience you can get for entering the workforce. Putting myself in groups or clubs that were a little bit outside of my comfort zone forced me to become a chameleon; I had to understand how to fit in and add value in different scenarios.”
Ayisha Izmeth
Director of Marketing/Communications - Ulysse Nardin
“My story was driven by my intuition towards what I want the next chapter of my life to look like.”
[On her path into marketing] “There was something about coming up with something out of thin air and breathing it into existence that really appealed to me.”
“When working with a client, you may see growth year after year, but at a certain point, you can’t elevate the structure; you have to change the entire structure. “
Joel Wolfe
Executive VP, Managing Executive of Baseball - Wasserman
“We have had a high success rate of hiring interns who run through different divisions learning about the company altogether and getting feedback from other employees. Learning about a job and the company from the ground up is something I believe in.”
“It’s important how you treat people that you work with. If you want to get the most of out them, they have to be willing to bring new and creative ideas, and not be afraid to fail.”
“In everything in life, and especially in life, you’re going to lose sometimes. In this business, when we lose, we lose publicly. It may be embarrassing and humiliating, but you have to pick yourself up off the mat: being able to take rejection isn’t easy.”
Allyson Davis
Owner - Impakt Partners
“Keep your blinders on; do your job as best as you can and don’t get caught up in the noise around you.”
“Now is the time to tell female sports stories. Be mindful of whose story it is and who’s telling that story.”
“It’s always great to be at a company that people know of, but it doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the right thing to do. Don’t be too picky about your first job; it’s not going to be your last one.”
“Having ideas and not being afraid to voice them to your boss is really valuable; in marketing, your job is to grow the business.”
Anna Winkenbach
Senior Director - Properties & Global Media at Wasserman
“There is not a traditional route you have to go through to work in sports.”
"I wish I had spoken up more for myself when I was younger. By that, I mean being honest during my internships about what I was looking for and what I truly liked."
“Working in sports you never experience the same day, every day no matter what sport you work in brings in something new.”
“The corporation is not your friend, you must look out for yourself and what your next step is.”
James McCauley
Sports Law Fellow - Villanova University
“Learning how to speak and write concisely is foundational to everything you do. All your knowledge will get watered down if you don’t have strong speaking and writing skills.”
“While you may have a vision of what you want to do, adaptability and malleability are very important skills that you must have in sports”
“Networking can feel forced and awkward, but it doesn’t have to be. Learning how to come off as genuine and friendly is crucial to cultivating real relationships.”
“Don’t be content with who you are now; you’re not a finished product. Always try to fill your time with something to make yourself more valuable. Having one skill is great, but building yourself out proves your work ethic. You have to stay hungry.”
Joy Hong
Properties Coordinator - Sales, Strategy & Acceleration, Excel Sports Management
“Everything happens for a reason, just work hard, connect with the right people and you can get where you dream to be.”
"I got my foot in the door into sports through the daily bruin... There I learned the proper work ethic to be successful."
“So much of sports, no matter what field you are in, is about storytelling and ultimately selling something.”
“Proper networking cannot be overstated... I always strived to build a genuine relationship with any possible mentor. That is how I have gotten a lot of my opportunities.
Jessica Papadopoulos
Manager, Club Business Development at National Football League (NFL)
“You're always going to have to juggle, usually with more balls than you can handle. But you have to know which ones are glass and which ones are rubber—which ones can you let bounce while you focus on the really important stuff.”
“It’s easy to rattle off the projects that you’ve worked on, but it’s taking the time to talk about the impact that you had that will make you stand out.”
[On the rise of women in the sports industry] “Sometimes the challenge is finding a role model to emulate your career after when there’s not someone who looks like you. We want to get to a place where it’s truly equal, and you see representation on all levels.”
Leigh Steinberg
Sports Agent, Author, and Chairman of Steinberg Sports and Entertainment
“Study and understand psychology. By recognizing what motivates people at their core and recognizing their incentives, you can master relationships and ultimately excel as a professional in sports or any industry.”
Ariana Gonzalez
Legal Counsel at Wasserman
“Know that no journey is without its hurdles. But I promise you, the seemingly impossible is achievable. Stay connected, build and value your relationships, and trust the process. One day you’ll reflect on your journey and realize, though it took time, you made it.”
Rob Barnes
Global Director at Nike
Whatever I can control, whatever I can do—it’s not going to be a perfect path, but all of these steps along the way have opened up experiences for me…Experience has always been my currency.”
“Mental health is a real thing. There are not haves and have nots, it’s everybody on one long spectrum and we’re all at varying degrees and varying spots on that spectrum.”
NFL Speaker Panel
Shirley Lalicker, Michelle Sikora, Sabrine Elfarissi
“I learned a lot of negotiation and communication/etiquette skills from law school which I used in my day to day the most. I learned how important it is to go get what you want and network.” - Michelle
“It is important to have curiosity. If you’re interested in other parts of the company, go ask the people in those positions and help when needed. It is always helpful to know more about how the company you are at works.” - Shirley
“By working for a club (LA Rams) you really get to see how many people and how much work it takes to put on a successful game experience. Unlike the NFL, clubs have a lot less employees, so it is a lot of hard work.” - Sabrine
“Don’t just make connections, but make meaningful connections with people in your field and a field that you are familiar with. Maintaining those relationships are important as well.” - Sabrine
“Even though I’m a full time worker, I still reach out to people in other departments to ask about their job. It is important to know about the company that you work for.” - Michelle
“One thing to remember is there will always be outside voices saying you can’t do this or that but you have to remember the right place will find you.” - Michelle
“In finance, I’ve seen a lot of resumes, and any experience you can find within your school or organization goes a long way. Whether it’s interning for your athletic department or being the accountant of your sorority/fraternity, it all helps.” - Shirley
Richard Motzkin
Executive Vice President and Managing Executive at Wasserman
“Tap into your inner child and think about what you are interested in and what motivates you, use that as the light within to guide you”
“You have to put yourself out there and work hard and try to create opportunities for yourself”
“You don’t just accept the status quo… you're being paid to fight for athletes' best interest. Be creative and change the status quo”
“Relationships are more important than anything… it's always important not only that you have a good relationship with your client but you maintain good relationships with those that work around you”
