MIAMI 2024
SPEAKERS
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Carolina Cristinziano
Carolina Cristinziano has an impressive 23-year career in football, specializing in sports law. As the Founder, President, and CEO of “Patagonia Players,” she oversees representation and intermediation for football players and coaches. Additionally, she serves as Vice President 1st at Club Atletico Rosario Central, making history as the first woman in this role. With extensive experience in transfers totaling over a hundred million euros, she plays a pivotal role in the legal aspects and management of both men’s and women’s teams. Her involvement in various football committees, including FIFA and AFA, reflects her commitment to advancing women’s leadership in the sport.
Milagros Cubelli
Milagros Cubelli, Chief Marketing Officer of the Miami Sharks, is a visionary leader in sports and entertainment marketing. With a proven track record in creating exceptional fan experiences, she has directed major initiatives at the Rugby World Cups in London 2015, Japan 2019, and France 2023, while also contributing to the management of marathons and prestigious Polo Opens. Additionally, Milagros has led marketing activations for Mastercard at UEFA Champions League Finals, showcasing her ability to deliver impactful experiences across diverse sporting events. Her work continues to shape transformative experiences and drive meaningful change within the sports and entertainment industry.
Maddie Flynn
Maddie joined Nielsen Sports in 2022 and leads clients services across both team and league clients for the NBA and WNBA. She specializes in sponsorship valuation, fan insights, and market research and operates as the main day-to-day liaison between Nielsen Sports and her clients. With a passion for uncovering insights that drive strategic decision-making, Maddie consistently delivers valuable perspectives to clients, helping them navigate the dynamic landscape of sports sponsorship.
William Graff
Bill is a media executive who has increased viewership and revenue for every platform he has had the privilege to serve. He spearheaded the largest program entitlement deal, to that time, for Discovery Communications. After Iaunching his solo firm, he was re-hired by Discovery to helm a new, entrepreneurial unit. Created a world-wide rights acquisitions model which led to launch of stand-alone HD networks.
Prior to Discovery, he led Independent broadcaster Programming efforts, resulting in market dominance over Network Affiliates and O&O’s. As an entrepreneur, he guided cutting-edge independent producers to deliver successful series to major factual networks.
After joining beIN SPORTS in 2017 in Content Acquisitions, he designed, launched and programmed beIN SPORTS XTRA, the first hybrid OTT/FTA Sports channel, soon followed by beIN SPORTS XTRA Espanol.
Vickie Gunnarsson
Senior Director, Global Partnerships and Business Development for IMG Tennis Events.
Vickie is the Director of Global Partnerships and Business Development for IMG Tennis Events. She also serves as the Tournament Director of the World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi: one of UAE’s most eagerly anticipated tennis event, having completed 14 editions and helped plan the event from its inauguration. She is responsible for the management of the tournament, which has established itself on the sporting calendar as the Season Opener of the Global Tennis Tour.
Vickie has a vast Experience in the Sports Marketing and Event Management industry within project and strategic management roles and has a strong record for achieving successful event delivery and bottom-line results across a variety of challenging environments. In addition to her role as the Tournament Director for the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, Vickie is also the Tournament Director of the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic in California, which is the longest standing women’s only tennis tournament in the world co-founded by Billie-Jean King.
In addition to running tournaments Vickie also works with business development to bring new events to IMG’s tennis event portfolio.
In 2022 Vickie was responsible for bringing a new – first ever WTA tournament to Tunisia, which proved to be a huge success and showcased tennis, and what’s possible of female role models to a whole new target audience in North Africa and the Arab world.
Vickie comes from a tennis background. She has played tennis since she was seven and competed for both Northern Arizona University, and University of Oregon a PAC-10 division 1 school on a full scholarship throughout her undergrad studies.
Vickie is a graduate of the University of Oregon, Business Administration Program– with a double major in Finance and Marketing. She also has a Master Degree in International Business from Gothenburg School of Economics.
Vickie has a vast international background. She grew up in Sweden, has lived and worked in the UAE for 8 years, and relocated to the US (Miami Open) in 2017.
Vickie works for IMG, a global leader in sports, fashion, events and media. IMG owns, operates and/or commercially represents some of world’s leading tennis events including the Miami Open, Madrid Open, Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, Rio Open, Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon, as well as represents top athletes in the sport.
Jamona Hayling
Jamona’s sports industry experience spans the NHL, NBA, professional tennis and Formula 1 with roles in sustainability, digital innovation, logistics, product and project management as well as event operations. During her eight-and-a-half-year tenure with the Miami Heat Jamona worked in the Ticket Office before moving on to the Event Services and Guest Services departments where she organized dressing rooms and VIP meet & greets for some of the Arena’s top shows; coordinated over 50 corporate in-house events a year and was staffing manager of the event staff during Heat games. Her last role with the Heat introduced her to the facilities world where she was the architect of Arena sustainability, project managed facility projects and program managed the digital assets to usher in digital innovation. Now, as Director, Formula 1 Operations for the Miami Grand Prix her focus is on the logistical elements that drive event success.
Nancy Hensley
Former tech executive with 20+ years of leadership experience in data and AI product innovation, marketing, digital transformation, and growth in big tech and private equity. Expertise in sports data, fan engagement, and team performance solutions. Former Chief Product and Marketing Officer at Stats Perform and Chief Digital Officer at IBM. Advisor to WIST (Women in SportsTech).
Ellen Hyslop
Ellen is a co-founder and head of content and audience at The GIST, a fan-first sports media brand that’s reinvented the dialogue around sports by providing equal coverage to women’s and men’s sports.
Ellen drives The GIST’s audience strategy, including developing The GIST’s signature voice, tone, and storytelling structure that’s resonated with over 2M GISTers across North America.
In doing so, Ellen leads The GIST’s (amazing!) content and growth team of 30+ women and non-binary folks and also co-hosts The GIST’s highly popular twice-weekly podcast, The GIST of It.
As a lifelong avid sports fan and elite athlete, Ellen is not only passionate about her fave teams but also about leveling the playing field in the sports industry.
Ellen and her team were named to Forbes 30 Under 30 2020 and have been accelerated through programs with Facebook, MLSE, Comcast NBCUniversal, Techstars, and Billie Jean King Enterprises.
Dee Kundra
Dee Kundra leads and oversees the advancement of FC Bayern Munich’s strategic objectives in the Americas and works directly with the headquarters in Munich to drive organizational success.
She joined FC Bayern in 2017 as Head of Marketing & Communications to lead the club’s audience development and brand positioning strategy within North, Central and South America. In that time, the club has successfully increased their Americas fan base and further established its brand in the region.
Prior to joining FC Bayern, Kundra acquired a wealth of international experience holding senior roles at the New York Cosmos and Liverpool FC as well as working on Barclays’ global sponsorship of the Premier League at Lexis Agency.
Clara Lapiedra
CEO & Founder at Aula Magna Business School. Previously business consultant specializing in Corporate Entrepreneurship projects for big companies with agile methodology. Fluent in 6 languages, she holds an MBA by Esade and a General Management Program (GMP) by IESE.
Business Angel and successful entrepreneur, with proven successful experience in the retail, communication & investment fields. Efficient, strategic and results-oriented.
15+ years experience in international strategy, business development and investments in the private sector, directly responsible for the launch and coordination of business internationally. She’s the proud ambassador of Stanford of the Women in Data Science (WiDS program) for Barcelona & Madrid. She’s also involved in charity ventures, an amount of my working hours are committed to social causes, especially the spread of online education for female refugees.
Sascha Malas
Sascha Malas is currently the Director of Overtime Select, Overtime’s women’s basketball league, and Head of Overtime’s Internal Talent Strategy. Overtime, with nearly 100 million social media followers and over 2 billion video views each month. At Overtime, which has nearly 100 million social media followers and over 2 billion video views each month, Malas is focused on elite high school women’s basketball where she leads strategic development, branded content and project management for the league.
She compiled the advisory board with elite athletes including Breanna Stewart, Paige Bueckers, Zia Cooke, Seimone Augustus, Napheesa Collier, Flau’jae Johnson and Haley Jones. She and her team are also responsible for the development of Overtime’s content operations and business development strategy. Most recently, Malas was named one of the most influential women in sports by Business Insider. Malas graduated from University of Wisconsin where she was on the water skiing team. She’s currently based in New York City.
Megha Parekh
Megha Parekh is the Jaguars’ executive vice president and chief legal officer. She is in her eleventh year with the organization. Parekh manages the legal, technology, security and capital improvements at the Jaguars. Since joining the Jaguars, Parekh has worked the acquisition of Fulham Football Club; the public-private funded improvements to EverBank Stadium; the construction and opening of Daily’s Place amphitheater and the Miller Electric Performance Center; the launch of All Elite Wrestling; and on real estate development around the stadium.
Parekh also volunteers with Crisis Text Line as a crisis counselor. Parekh graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College and Harvard Law School.
Parekh is a first-generation American whose parents traveled to the US from India. Parekh was raised in New Jersey, but now calls Jacksonville her home. In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach, playing guitar and reading everything she can get her hands on.
Enric Ripoll
Founder and Managing Partner of ER SPORTS LAW & ARBITRATION
Spanish Lawyer, certified in 2005, specialized in International Sports Law and negotiation, advising Athletes, Clubs, Agents and Entities Governing Sports (national and international federations, associations etc ..)
As an International Sports Law specialized Lawyer, Mr. Ripoll provides legal advice to Clubs, Academies, Intermediaries, Athletes or National and International Associations not only in contractual matters such as employment or image rights contracts, but also in procedures regarding match-fixing, ethics, governance, financial fair play, doping, etc. He has a wide experience representing his clients before the jurisdictional bodies such as TAS, BAT, National and International Federations and ordinary courts.
In 2018 colleagues and clients across the world recognized him in the British publication “Who’s Who Legal” as one of the world’s leading lawyers in the Sports and Entertainment Law industry, and more recently, in 2021, was recognized us as one of the Industry Thought Leaders.
Professor and Lecturer in different programs and seminars and author of specialized articles on sports law.
Eleanor Rowland
Eleanor is the Director of Safeguarding and Inclusion for Fulham Football Club. She is currently the only female member of the Club’s Management Board and is the only Director across the Premier League who holds this area of responsibility at Board Level. Eleanor is passionate about Gender Equality and is working hard to promote females into coaching, operations and senior leadership positions within the Club whilst also educating the workforce on the impact of violence against women and girls. She has recently commissioned a bespoke ‘Bystander in the workplace’ training, delivered by Kindling Interventions which is tailored specifically to focus on noticing and intervening in sexism, gender stereotyping, gendered microaggressions and gender-based violence against women and girls. Fulham FC is the first Premier League Club to have embarked and committed to ALL staff receiving this training. Without these conversations we can’t begin to make societal changes.
Prior to this she worked within the inspection team at the UK’s largest child protection agency, the National Society for the Prevention of Child Cruelty (“the NSPCC”) and a number of different crime prevention and substance misuse charities. Her skills and expertise are in safeguarding, inclusion of underrepresented groups and community work.
Chair of the Union Jax Foundation (UJF), the UK charitable arm of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Eleanor also provides oversight and support on the strategic direction of UJF and growth of the grassroots game of American Football in the UK.
She also has a passion for matters relating to equality and belonging, health, social justice and how we continue to create a sustainable future in our professional and personal lives.
Alejandra Salazar
Alejandra Salazar is the Founder & CEO of CROING Creative & Social Media Agency. Originally from Venezuela with a global perspective from living in 7 countries, she brings a nuanced understanding of local cultures and their adoption of social media and innovation. CROING’s portfolio includes the City of Miami Office of Technology and Innovation, ‘Venture Miami,’ where her teams deploy a bilingual creative social media strategy to promote and champion the city’s innovation initiatives and visionary founders.
Jasmine Skee
Jasmine Skee, CEO of Guild Esports, helms the esports team and gaming brand backed by David Beckham. With a focus on commercial success, Jasmine has secured key sponsorships, including with Sky, and introduced revenue-generating initiatives like Guild Studios—a Gen-Z-focused, in-house production and creative agency fostering brand immersion in gaming culture.
As the UK’s sole female CEO of a publicly listed esports organisation, Jasmine leverages over 25 years of marketing and senior management experience. Her diverse career spans sports, music, tech, gaming, and entertainment, with notable roles at Live Nation, O2 where she led Priority Ticketing and their music strategy and worked with the likes of Coldplay, Foo Fighters and Gorillaz and Three UK where partnerships with global brands like Chelsea FC .
Petra Sörling
Petra Sörling is the President of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), making her the first woman to hold this position. Since her election in November 2021, her focus has been on promoting membership-centric governance, increasing the commercial growth of the sport, and ensuring its sustainability.
She has been a member of the ITTF Executive Board since 2009 and has held leadership roles in several key areas for the 227-member strong federation. In 2013, she was appointed as ITTF Executive Vice President of Finances and in 2019, established the ITTF sustainability Working Group.
Sörling also serves on the boards of the WADA Foundation, the Swedish National Olympic Committee, and the International Masters Games Association. She is also a member of the IOC Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commission.
A World Champion in the veteran’s category, Sörling continues to play table tennis regularly. She was born in Sweden and graduated with a BSc in Business & Administration from Lund University.
Clara Stroude-Vazquez
Clara Stroude-Vazquez is a 20-year veteran of the HEAT. In her current role, she oversees the organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. In addition, she is the champion of HEAT Culture, helping employees to understand and live out the franchise’s values. She also works to develop strategies and implement programs that inspire, motivate, and develop employees.
Clara is an alumna of East Carolina University. She is an adjunct faculty member in the Andreas School of Business at Barry University, where she completed her graduate studies. In addition, Clara is the chapter president of WISE (Women in Sports and Events) South Florida.
An East Coast girl, Clara grew up in the Washington, DC, area after spending most of her formative years on the Caribbean islands of Grenada and Barbados.
Angela Suggs
Angela Suggs is a highly accomplished professional in the sports industry, currently serving as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Florida Sports Foundation. With decades of experience in the field, Angela has made significant contributions to the development and promotion of sports in the state of Florida.
Suggs leads the organization’s efforts to advocate for Florida’s sports industry that generates over $70 billion in economic impact annually; assist communities with securing, hosting, and retaining sporting events and sports-related business through the Foundation’s grant programs; provide participation opportunities in the Sunshine State Games and Florida Senior Games; and assist national and state governing bodies to promote amateur sport development.
Under Angela’s leadership, the Florida Sports Foundation has witnessed remarkable growth and success. She has been instrumental in attracting major global and domestic tournaments, championships, and high-profile sporting events to Florida. Her strategic vision and strong relationships with key stakeholders have positioned Florida as a premier sports destination, boosting tourism and generating substantial economic impact.
Angela’s expertise extends beyond event management. She has played a pivotal role in fostering partnerships with sports organizations, professional teams, and governing bodies, leading to the establishment of training facilities, sports academies, and athlete development programs across the state. Her commitment to promoting sports initiatives has provided opportunities for young athletes to excel and pursue their dreams.
Prior to her current role, Angela held several leadership positions in at Florida A&M University, including Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs and Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) where she consistently demonstrated exceptional organizational skills, a keen understanding of industry trends, and an unwavering dedication to excellence.
Angela holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Florida A&M University and a Master’s degree from St. Thomas University. She is a sought-after speaker, sharing her expertise at industry conferences and seminars. Angela’s passion for sports, coupled with her extensive experience and proven track record, make her a dynamic leader in the world of sports management.
A native of Tallahassee, Angela is married to Davin Suggs and the couple has one daughter, Dillyn Ashleigh.
Sarah Sutin
Sarah has a masters degree in sport, exercise, and performance psychology. She has spent the past several years working extensively with professional, collegiate and youth sports. Sarah focuses on helping athletes build mental performance skills on and off the field. Her goal is to help athletes achieve their full potential in sport while maintaining and building mental well-being. Sarah’s passion for mental performance stemmed from her own experience as a competitive tennis player and professional flying trapeze artist. Sarah understands the pressure in both a competitive and performance space, and utilizes her experience and expertise to guide others.
Victoria Wiegleb
Safeguarding Manager, ECB (England & Wales Cricket Board)
Victoria leads a team of County Safeguarding Advisors who proactively strive to ensure everything within a cricket environment is safe and welcoming for everyone. Supporting 44 cricket networks across England & Wales, Victoria is passionate about making cricket a safe game for everyone.
Being a woman in a leadership role within sport, a proud mum of two daughters and competitive netball player, Victoria believes it’s important to have female role models at all levels of sport. She is dedicated to ensuring she does everything she can to support women and girls in sport.
Prior to working at the ECB, Victoria was the Designated Safeguarding Lead for Table Tennis England.
In 2023 Victoria graduated from the University of Worcestershire with a post-graduate in Leading Culture Change in Safeguarding and is part of Pentathlon GB’s Case Management Group.