Speakers
We at ISBC are extremely thankful to all of our past speakers, emcees for sharing their time and expertise with us. With their help, we are all able to expand our knowledge of sports business and grow our love for the industry. Featured below are some of the amazing speakers coming to our 2022 Conference and a list of speakers from previous years.
MIKE MYERS Chief Strategy Officer - BirdieBox
Conference Moderator
Michael Myers is currently the CEO of The Sports Marketer, a Chicago based sports marketing firm dedicated to both brands and properties. He's also the owner, and one of three founding board members, of the leading international luxury gifting company, BirdieBox. He has over 20 years of experience in Sports and Music marketing, having served as Vice President of Sales and Promotions, nationally, for Live Nation Entertainment, as Managing Director of InStadium, and many roles within Nielsen Media and Scarborough Sports Marketing. In these stops, Myers has worked with over 300 professional sports organizations and leagues, the two organizations that make up 65% of all live events, and hundreds of global brand sponsors. Myers is also an enormous Illinois Fighting Illini fan, even though his undergraduate degree is from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.
SANDY KRUM Certified Athletic Trainer at the Miami Marlins
Keynote Speaker
Sandy Krum spent 25 years treating world-class athletes - which may explain why, when the oldest contestant to ever appear on "The Biggest Loser" fainted in the first episode of Season 7, it was Krum who was there to catch him before he even hit the ground. In fact, before joining "The Biggest Loser," Krum made quite a career out of preventing and caring for injuries. He worked his way up the ranks through the world of professional sports, spending two decades working with clubs like the Cincinnati Reds, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs. Along the way, he earned two Athletic Trainer of the Year awards and became a behind-the-scenes fixture in clubhouses across the globe.
Krum later expanded on his skills as an athletic trainer at the U.S. Men's Open Tennis Tournament and while traveling on the USTA men's tour. His reputation as a first-class trainer also extends beyond the world of athletics. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan and the American Red Cross presented Krum with the Presidential Certificate of Merit for performing CPR and saving the life of a 14-year-old kid.
He draws on a vast body of knowledge collected both on the front lines of the high-paced world of professional sports and through more formal training. He received a Bachelor of Science in Community Health Services/Sports Medicine from Ohio University where he graduated with honors. Krum is a also a certified licensed member of the National Athletic Trainers Association, holds CPR certification from the American Red Cross and earned an AED certification from the American Heart Association.
He also previously acted as the athletic trainer on several other TV shows, including NBC's "American Gladiators," The N's "Student Body" and "Losing It with Jillian Michaels." So in addition to his stellar credentials, Krum is fast becoming a star in the world of television as well.
TONY KHAN CEO, GM and Head of Creative of All Elite Wrestling (AEW)
Keynote Speaker
Tony Khan is the CEO, GM, and Head of Creative of All Elite Wrestling (AEW), the newest rising professional wrestling league. With Khan at its helm, AEW has surpassed expectations with its record ratings, elite roster, pop culture infiltration, and a highly entertaining product that attracts the youngest wrestling audience on television. Alongside AEW, Tony is also the Chief Football Strategy Officer of the Jacksonville Jaguars, GM/Sporting Director of Fulham FC, Owner of Trumedia Networks, a partner in Activist Arts Management, and a board member of Black News Channel. Tony Khan is a native of Urbana-Champaign, and he graduated from the College of Business here at the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Science in Finance.
CHRIS HARTWEG CEO and Publisher - Team Marketing Report
Conference Moderator
Chris Hartweg is the owner and publisher of Team Marketing Report (TMR) which he relaunched in 2019. TMR, the original sports business information leader, produces the Fan Cost Index®, which tracks the cost to take a family of four to NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and MLS games. In addition, Hartweg oversees TMR's fancentric sports business newsletters as well as the SportsSponsor FactBook, a directory of key contacts and essential info on more than 5,000 teams, brands, agencies, properties and leagues. Hartweg is a marketer focused on making connections. Connecting brands, teams and fans. Melding sound data and creative ideas. Balancing big dreams with tight budgets. He is also a huge proponent of doing well by doing good. Doing right by others and building a strong culture not only leads to better humans but generates stronger results--and boosts revenues. A 1992 University of Illinois graduate, he co-founded Painless Networking in 2003 for marketing pros to painlessly connect, share best practices and eliminate degrees of separation. Now boasting 8,000 members, he also hosts the "Painless Podcast" featuring marketers and their success stories and co-hosts the "Uniform Exchange" podcast, a comedic take on sports, entertainment and sports business. A resident of Chicago with his wife, Kelly, Hartweg frequently guest lectures on sports business and networking at institutions including the U of I, along with Columbia College, DePaul University, Loyola University, North Central College and Roosevelt University. This marks the sixth Illinois Sports Business Conference he has participated in.
2023
back in business
MODERATORS:
Bobby Barad - Agent, Excel Sports Management
Michael Raycraft - Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Recreation, Sport, and Tourism
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:
Sandy Krum - Certified Athletic Trainer, Miami Marlins
NIL AND ILLINI ATHLETICS - PRESENTED BY CAMPUS INK:
Steven Farag - CEO, Campus Ink
Ryan Thayer - Investment Banking Analyst, William Blair
Kathleen Knight - President and CEO, Icon Collective Inc. (ICON)
Adam Fleischer - Founder of NIL fan collective, Illini Guardians
INSIDE THE FRONT OFFICE - A CLUB EXECUTIVE'S PLAYBOOK:
James English - CEO and Founder, Chicago Hounds
June Forbes Keeley - General Manager, Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp
Brad Seymour - President, Windy City Bulls
LEGAL ISSUES IN SPORT:
Scott Allen Andresen - Founder, Andresen and Associates, P.C
Michael Small - Partner, Foley and Lardner LLP
SPORTS MARKETING AND BRAND INTEGRATION:
Chris Althoff - Director of Creative Strategy, Big Ten Conference
Howard Little - Brand and Influencer Marketing Manager, Chicago Bulls
Rachel Parrish - Director of Brand Marketing and Communications, Chicago Red Stars
DATA-DRIVEN DECISION MAKING AND PARTNERSHIPS:
Jason Sondag - Vice President of Strategy and Development, Chicago Cubs
Mark Ording - Senior Sponsorship and Sports Marketing Consulting, Freelance
BREAKING INTO SPORTS BUSINESS:
Nelson Gord - President and Founder, Illinois Travel Baseball Club (Illinois Indians)
Herb Flentye - CEO, HYPTE Branded Solutions
Mario Tirabassi - Coverage Team for Chicago Blackhawks, CHGO Sports
2022
Conference
MODERATORS
Mike Myers - Chief Strategy Officer, BirdieBox
Chris Hartweg - CEO and Publisher of Team Marketing Report, Painless Podcast
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Beth Pieroth - Director of the Concussion Program at Rush University Medical Center/Midwest Orthopedics at Rush
Tony Khan - CEO, GM and Head of Creative at All Elite Wrestling
LEGAL ISSUES IN SPORTS
John Sigety - Sports Lawyer and Senior Counsel at Platt Cheema Richmond
Josh Frieser - Principal Attorney at Frieser Legal
Jeremy Evans - Founder of California Sports Lawyer, Sports-Entertainment-Media Attorney
Samuel Strantz - Corporate Counsel at Sling TV, Sports-Media-Entertainment Lawyer
PLAYER ENGAGEMENT
Chidozie Ibeabuchi - Senior Director of Player Engagement at Major League Soccer
Scott Rochelle - President & CEO of the NBA Retired Players Association
Stephen Bardo - College Basketball Analyst & Host of Bardo’s Breakdown
ESPORTS ALLIANCES
Edward Gold - Partner, Head of Brand Partnerships at Inverted
Brian Wilneff - Founder/CEO at GamerzArena
Andrew Drake - CEO at Bad Moon Talent
MORGAN STANLEY GLOBAL SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT FINANCIAL EDUCATION SESSION
Kevin McDermott - Global Sports & Entertainment Associate Director
Shea Curtin - Global Sports & Entertainment Associate Director
Ahkiel White - Global Sports & Entertainment Director of Business Development
Heather Watanabe - Global Sports & Entertainment Associate Director
Joshua LaBlanc - Global Sports & Entertainment Associate Director
EVENT PLANNING AND THE FAN EXPERIENCE
John Murray - President & CEO at Arena Partners, LLC
Kyle McDonald - Vice President of Business Development at Sports & Entertainment Travel, LLC
Keith Bruce - President at QuintEvents International
Jennifer Hawkins - Executive Director at SportsPITTSBURGH
AGENTS & ENDORSEMENTS
Michelle Meyer - NIL Coordinator at San Diego State University, Founder of NIL
Network
Parker Cain - Marketing Agent, NIL at Excel Sports Management
BREAKING INTO SPORTS BUSINESS
Darren Weiner - President & CEO at Celebrity Advisors
Ian McCoy - Sr. Director, Client Development | Venues & Promoters at Ticketmaster / Live Nation Entertainment
Howard Milton - Exec. Sr. Associate Director of Athletics at Illini Athletics
Hans Malebranche - Associate AD and Chief Development Officer at Middle Tennessee Athletics
2021
Sports Re-Imagined
EMCEE
Mike Myers - Chief Strategy Officer, BirdieBox
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Bill Schlough - CIO and Senior VP of the San Francisco Giants
Matthew Berry - Senior Fantasy Analyst for ESPN
WORKSHOP
Chris Hartweg - CEO and Publisher of Team Marketing Report, Painless Podcast
SPORTS BETTING AND STATISTICS
Sam Panayotovich - Sports Betting Analyst for the New England Sports Network
Jason Mezrahi - CEO of WinDailySports, Author of Win Daily
Evan Davis - Managing Director, Betting at SeventySix Capital
COVID-19 AND EVENTS
Lauren Mroz - Event Coordinator for the NBA
TICKET SALES
Chris Weddige - Assistant Director of Ticket Sales for the Chicago Cubs
Andrew Roan - Manager of Ticket Sales for the Chicago Blackhawks
Joseph Archey - Corporate Ticket Sales Manager for the Indiana Pacers
Scott Gbur - Senior Account Executive for the Chicago White Sox
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN SPORTS
Kimberly Davis - Executive VP for Social Impact, Growth Initiatives, and Legislative Affairs for the NHL
Sandy Cross - Chief People Officer for the PGA
David Zimmerman - Director of Logistics for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games, Editor-in-Chief for the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports
Shay Wallach - Assistant Director of Inclusion for the NCAA
SPORTS MEDIA
Adam Rogowin - VP of Communications for the Chicago Blackhawks
Julian Green - VP of Communications for the Chicago Cubs
Scott Reifert - VP of Communications for the Chicago White Sox
Beth Grady - Senior Manager of Public and Media Relations for the Chicago Bulls
CAREERS IN SPORTS
Dave Fischer - Senior Director of Communications for USA Hockey
Kendall Coyne Schofield - Olympic Gold Medalist & Player Development Coach for the Chicago Blackhawks
Watchen Nyanue - Senior VP of Marketing Partnerships for the Chicago Sky, Founder and CEO of "I Chose the Ladder"
JJ Fiddler and Mike Guardabascio - Founders of the562.org
INNOVATION IN SPORTS
Chris Levine - Manager of Business Analytics for the Chicago Blackhawks
Andrew McIntyre - Senior VP of Technology and Innovation for the Tampa Bay Lightning
Mike Petriello - Statcast Analyst for the MLB
THE FUTURE OF COLLEGE ATHLETICS
Jason Belzer - Sports Attorney, Founder of AthleticDirector U, Professor of Org Strategy at Rutgers, Sports Business Contributor for Forbes Magazine
Justin Sieviert - Senior Council and Sports and Compliance Practice Chair for Vela Wood Law
Tim Nevius - Founder of Nevius Legal
ISBC ALUMNI
Tristan Nelson - Account Coordinator at Paragon Marketing Group
Emily Barretta - North American Strategic Planning for Nike, ISBC Co-Founder
Steven Singer - Client Advisory Analyst at Pareto Intelligence, former ISBC President
Jonah Fialkow - Site Merchandiser for Foot Locker, former ISBC VP of Speakers
2020
CHANGING THE GAME
EMCEE
Michael Sterk - Host of Redline Radio for Barstool Sports
MORNING KEYNOTE
Julie Suderman - CFO of the Big Ten Conference
AFTERNOON KEYNOTE
Chris Hartweg - CEO and Publisher of Team Marketing Report, Painless Podcast
Mike Myers - Chief Strategy Officer, BirdieBox
SPORTS MARKETING AND SPONSORSHIP: DEALING WITH WITH CHANGING MARKETPLACE
Pete Hassen - VP of Marketing for the Chicago Blackhawks
Teddi Domann - Marketing Director for 360 Sports
Rebecca Rogers - Head of Sports Marketing for Culvers
Erin McClafferty - Director of Marketing for UIUC
SPORTS MEDIA: HOW THE INDUSTRY IS REVOLUTIONIZING ITSELF
Adam Rogowin - VP of Communications for the Chicago Blackhawks
Alex Roux - Social Media Producer for the Big Ten Network
Kent William Brown - Associate Director of Media Relations for Illini Football
PEOPLE WHO KEEP YOU IN THE GAME: HOW SPORTS MEDICINE IS CHANGING
Beth Pieroth - Director of Concussion program at Midwest Orthopedics
Randy Ballard - Associate Athletics Director for Sports Medicine at UIUC
2019
SPORTS HAVE NO LIMITS
UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT OF SPORTS MEDIA
Steve Raquel - President of IOV Media and Adjunct Lecturer for the Gies College of Business
Alex Roux - Social Media Producer for the Big Ten Network
Derek Throneburg - VP of Brand and Marketing Strategy for the Indiana Pacers
HOW TO RECRUIT AND DEVELOP THE IDEAL ATHLETE
Lisa Strasman -President of NCSA (Next College Student Athlete)
Chris Smith - CEO and Founder of Athlete Network
Keiko Price - Senior Associate Director of Athletics, UIUC Sports Administration
THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL AGENDAS ON SPORTS
Adrian Burgos Jr. - Author and History Professor at UIUC
Cari Van Senus - NCAA Chief of Staff
Damani Leech - Senior VP of Football Strategy for the NFL
THE DEALS THAT DRIVE THE GAME
Deryk Gilmore - NFL Sports agent through Priority Sports Entertainment
Alex Burge - Client Executive and Agent at Excel Sports Management
Mike Galeski - Senior Manager at Sports Marketing UL
BUILDING A SPORTS TEAM AS A COMPANY
Liz Geist - Director of Human Resources for the Chicago Bears
Marie Sutera - VP of Human Resources for the Chicago Blackhawks
Ann Weiser - VP of Human Resources for the Chicago Cubs
THE CHANGING DYNAMICS OF FAN INTERACTION
Kent Brown - Associate Director of Illini Athletics Media
Ryan Sullivan - Senior Communications Coordinator, Big Ten Network
Chris Hartweg - Painless Podcast Host and Founding Partner at Huddle Pro
2018
Conference
MASTER OF CEREMONIES
Carey Davis - Super Bowl XLIII Champion, Analyst for ESPN St.Louis
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Keith Bruce - President of Quintevents International, CEO of Super Bowl 50
Host Committee
STRAIGHT FROM THE FRONT OFFICE: A CONVERSATION ON LEADERSHIP IN SPORTS
Kevin Warren - COO of the Minnesota Vikings
Tim Buzard - SVP of Administration for the Chicago White Sox
SPORTS AGENCIES: A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO ATHLETIC REPRESENTATION Andy Szabo - Manager, Corporate Partnerships at PCGSPORTSDESK
Lauren Ahasic - Account Supervisor at Paragon Media; Gatorade Team
Sean Wallis - Director; Partnerships development at W Partners
Luke Reiff - Fighting Illini Sports Properties
SALES IN SPORTS: COMMUNICATING THE VALUE OF THE GAME
Mike Ernst - Senior VP of Ticket Sales, Service, Operations, and Marketing for the Chicago Fire
Megan Malone - Corporate Partnership Manager for the Chicago Bears
Justin Ramquist - Senior Director of Ticket Sales, Premium and Corporate
INSIDE THE MACHINE OF COLLEGE ATHLETICS
Joni Comstock - Senior VP of Championship, NCAA
Erin Harvego - VP of Marketing, Big Ten Conference
Josh Whitman - Athletic Director, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Dave Schnase - VP of Academic and Membership Affairs, NCAA
HEAD INJURIES IN SPORTS: PROGRESS IN THE SEARCH FOR A SOLUTION
Kevin Jackson - Former Senior Research Scientist at the Beckman Institute
Ed Sherman - Players Tribune Writer at the Sherman Report
Julian Bruene - Sports Medicine Physician at Midwest Orthopedics at Rush
INNOVATION IN SPORTS: HOW TECHNOLOGY SHAPES THE FAN EXPERIENCE
Adam Grossman - CEO, Founder of Block Six Analytics
Keith Bruce - President of Quintevents International, CEO of Super Bowl 50
Host Committee
Andrew McIntyre - VP of Technology for the Chicago Cubs
PAINLESS PODCAST
Chris Hartweg - Painless Podcast Host and Founding Partner at Huddle Pro
Joe Ronovsky - Manager for Corporate Sponsorship Sales for the Chicago White Sox
Anthony Kryzak - Sales Development Manager for the Chicago Wolves
2017
Sports business: An Industry of opportunity
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Max Siegel - Chief Executive Officer at USA Track and Field
Patrick Lucey - Director of Data Science at STATS LLC.
THE BIG LEAGUES: RUNNING A PROFESSIONAL SPORTS FRANCHISE
Joseph Spencer (moderator) - President of Illinois Uplifting Athletes, Illini Football Player
Kevin Warren - Chief Operating Officer for the Minnesota Vikings
Mike Ernst - Senior VP of Ticket Sales for the Chicago Fire
Kiernan Kelliher - Director of Finance for the Chicago Bulls
Rex Carter - Director of Risk Management for the St.Louis Cardinals
Pete Hassen - VP of Marketing for the Chicago Blackhawks
MATHLETICS: A NUMBERS GAME
Narendra Ahuja (moderator) - Research Prof. in the Dept. of Electrical Engineering at the University of Illinois
Patrick Lucey - Director of Data Science at STATS LLC.
Spencer Anderson - Manger of Basketball Administration for the Indiana Pacers
Sheldon Jacobson - Professor of Computer Science at the University of Illinois
THE FAN EXPERIENCE
Jenny Deway (moderator) - Assistant Director of Illini Athletics Communication
Derek Throneburg - VP of Brand and Marketing Strategy for the Indiana Pacers
David Kissel - Strategic Advisor and Former CEO at Instadium
Scott Robinson - Senior Associate and Senior Designer at Populous
Adam Grossman - CEO and Founder of Block Six Analytics
REBRANDING THE GAME: THE IMPACT OF MARKETING IN SPORTS
Steve Raquel - President of IOV Media and Adjunct Lecturer for the Gies College of Business
Jonathan Kander - Sports Marketing Manager at Gatorade
Sean Wallis - Director of Partnership Development at W Partners
Pete Hassen - VP of Marketing at the Chicago Blackhawks
U OF I ATHLETICS: AN INSIDE LOOK
Dr.Michael Raycraft (moderator)- RST Lecturer at the University of Illinois
Josh Whitman - Athletic Director for Illini Athletics
Janet Rayfield - Head Coach for the Illini Women's Soccer Team
Brad Wurthman - Associate Director of Illini Athletics
REACHING THE SUMMIT: WOMEN IN SPORTS BUSINESS
Cheryl Cole (moderator) - Professor at the University of Illinois
Renee Chube Washington - COO at USA Track and Field
Carol Voronyak - Director of Talent Recruitment and Negotiations at ESPN
Mary Lee Gilliand - President and CEO at Madison Strategic Partnerships, Executive Director of MS Strategic Brand Communication at UIUC
THE EVOLUTION OF SPORTS MEDICINE
Dr.Jim Mauer (moderator) - Counselor at the Carle Foundation Hospital and Mental Health/Sports Psychology Counselor for Illini Student-Athletes
Kevin Jackson - Senior Research Scientist at the Beckman Institute
Dr.Julia Bruene - Sports Medicine Orthopedic Physician at Midwest Orthopedics
Matthew Zalewski - Athletic Trainer at Athletico
FOOT IN THE DOOR
Emily Barretta (moderator) - Co-Founder ISBC, Business Advisory Consultant at Ernst & Young
Zach Dicken - Director of Sales for the Chicago Fire
Michael Casey - Analyst in the Chicago Cubs Strategy and Development Group
Austin Hunt - Associate Account Executive at IMG
THE VOICES OF SPORTS MEDIA
Jim Dahl (moderator) - Associate Dean of Undergraduate Affairs, UIUC College of Business
Chad Boxenbaum - Game Entertainment Associate for the Chicago Bulls
Sam Panayotovich - Sports Reporter, Anchor, and Host at WGN Radio
Michele Steele - Reporter and Anchor for ESPN
Ed Sherman - President of ShermanReport.com
2019
SPORTS HAVE NO LIMITS
EMCEE
Michael Sterk - Host of Redline Radio for Barstool Sports
Carey Davis - Super Bowl XLIII Champion, Analyst for ESPN St.Louis
KEYNOTES
Damani Leech - SVP of Football Strategy an d Business Development, NFL
Jon Greifenkamp - VP and CFO of the Chicago Cubs
Jim Woodcock - SVP and Partner, Sports Business at FleishmanHillard
UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT OF SPORTS MEDIA
Steve Raquel - President of IOV Media and Adjunct Lecturer for the Gies College of Business
Alex Roux - Social Media Producer for the Big Ten Network
Derek Throneburg - VP of Brand and Marketing Strategy for the Indiana Pacers
HOW TO RECRUIT AND DEVELOP THE IDEAL ATHLETE
Lisa Strasman -President of NCSA (Next College Student Athlete)
Chris Smith - CEO and Founder of Athlete Network
Keiko Price - Senior Associate Director of Athletics, UIUC Sports Administration
THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL AGENDAS ON SPORTS
Adrian Burgos Jr. - Author and History Professor at UIUC
Cari Van Senus - NCAA Chief of Staff
Damani Leech - Senior VP of Football Strategy for the NFL
THE DEALS THAT DRIVE THE GAME
Deryk Gilmore - NFL Sports agent through Priority Sports Entertainment
Alex Burge - Client Executive and Agent at Excel Sports Management
Mike Galeski - Senior Manager at Sports Marketing UL
BUILDING A SPORTS TEAM AS A COMPANY
Liz Geist - Director of Human Resources for the Chicago Bears
Marie Sutera - VP of Human Resources for the Chicago Blackhawks
Ann Weiser - VP of Human Resources for the Chicago Cubs
THE CHANGING DYNAMICS OF FAN INTERACTION
Kent Brown - Associate Director of Illini Athletics Media
Ryan Sullivan - Senior Communications Coordinator, Big Ten Network
Chris Hartweg - Painless Podcast Host and Founding Partner at Huddle Pro
2018
Conference
MASTER OF CEREMONIES
Carey Davis - Super Bowl XLIII Champion, Analyst for ESPN St.Louis
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Keith Bruce - President of Quintevents International, CEO of Super Bowl 50
Host Committee
STRAIGHT FROM THE FRONT OFFICE: A CONVERSATION ON LEADERSHIP IN SPORTS
Kevin Warren - COO of the Minnesota Vikings
Tim Buzard - SVP of Administration for the Chicago White Sox
SPORTS AGENCIES: A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO ATHLETIC REPRESENTATION
Andy Szabo - Manager, Corporate Partnerships at PCGSPORTSDESK
Lauren Ahasic - Account Supervisor at Paragon Media; Gatorade Team
Sean Wallis - Director; Partnerships development at W Partners
Luke Reiff - Fighting Illini Sports Properties
SALES IN SPORTS: COMMUNICATING THE VALUE OF THE GAME
Mike Ernst - Senior VP of Ticket Sales, Service, Operations, and Marketing for the Chicago Fire
Megan Malone - Corporate Partnership Manager for the Chicago Bears
Justin Ramquist - Senior Director of Ticket Sales, Premium and Corporate
INSIDE THE MACHINE OF COLLEGE ATHLETICS
Joni Comstock - Senior VP of Championship, NCAA
Erin Harvego - VP of Marketing, Big Ten Conference
Josh Whitman - Athletic Director, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Dave Schnase - VP of Academic and Membership Affairs, NCAA
HEAD INJURIES IN SPORTS: PROGRESS IN THE SEARCH FOR A SOLUTION
Kevin Jackson - Former Senior Research Scientist at the Beckman Institute
Ed Sherman - Players Tribune Writer at the Sherman Report
Julian Bruene - Sports Medicine Physician at Midwest Orthopedics at Rush
INNOVATION IN SPORTS: HOW TECHNOLOGY SHAPES THE FAN EXPERIENCE
Adam Grossman - CEO, Founder of Block Six Analytics
Keith Bruce - President of Quintevents International, CEO of Super Bowl 50
Host Committee
Andrew McIntyre - VP of Technology for the Chicago Cubs
PAINLESS PODCAST
Chris Hartweg - Painless Podcast Host and Founding Partner at Huddle Pro
Joe Ronovsky - Manager for Corporate Sponsorship Sales for the Chicago White Sox
Anthony Kryzak - Sales Development Manager for the Chicago Wolves
2017
Sports business: An Industry
of opportunity
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Max Siegel - Chief Executive Officer at USA Track and Field
Patrick Lucey - Director of Data Science at STATS LLC.
THE BIG LEAGUES: RUNNING A PROFESSIONAL SPORTS FRANCHISE
Joseph Spencer (moderator) - President of Illinois Uplifting Athletes, Illini Football Player
Kevin Warren - Chief Operating Officer for the Minnesota Vikings
Mike Ernst - Senior VP of Ticket Sales for the Chicago Fire
Kiernan Kelliher - Director of Finance for the Chicago Bulls
Rex Carter - Director of Risk Management for the St.Louis Cardinals
Pete Hassen - VP of Marketing for the Chicago Blackhawks
MATHLETICS: A NUMBERS GAME
Narendra Ahuja (moderator) - Research Prof. in the Dept. of Electrical Engineering at the University of Illinois
Patrick Lucey - Director of Data Science at STATS LLC.
Spencer Anderson - Manger of Basketball Administration for the Indiana Pacers
Sheldon Jacobson - Professor of Computer Science at the University of Illinois
THE FAN EXPERIENCE
Jenny Deway (moderator) - Assistant Director of Illini Athletics Communication
Derek Throneburg - VP of Brand and Marketing Strategy for the Indiana Pacers
David Kissel - Strategic Advisor and Former CEO at Instadium
Scott Robinson - Senior Associate and Senior Designer at Populous
Adam Grossman - CEO and Founder of Block Six Analytics
REBRANDING THE GAME: THE IMPACT OF MARKETING IN SPORTS
Steve Raquel - President of IOV Media and Adjunct Lecturer for the Gies College of Business
Jonathan Kander - Sports Marketing Manager at Gatorade
Sean Wallis - Director of Partnership Development at W Partners
Pete Hassen - VP of Marketing at the Chicago Blackhawks
U OF I ATHLETICS: AN INSIDE LOOK
Dr.Michael Raycraft (moderator)- RST Lecturer at the University of Illinois
Josh Whitman - Athletic Director for Illini Athletics
Janet Rayfield - Head Coach for the Illini Women's Soccer Team
Brad Wurthman - Associate Director of Illini Athletics
REACHING THE SUMMIT: WOMEN IN SPORTS BUSINESS
Cheryl Cole (moderator) - Professor at the University of Illinois
Renee Chube Washington - COO at USA Track and Field
Carol Voronyak - Director of Talent Recruitment and Negotiations at ESPN
Mary Lee Gilliand - President and CEO at Madison Strategic Partnerships, Executive Director of MS Strategic Brand Communication at UIUC
THE EVOLUTION OF SPORTS MEDICINE
Dr.Jim Mauer (moderator) - Counselor at the Carle Foundation Hospital and Mental Health/Sports Psychology Counselor for Illini Student-Athletes
Kevin Jackson - Senior Research Scientist at the Beckman Institute
Dr.Julia Bruene - Sports Medicine Orthopedic Physician at Midwest Orthopedics
Matthew Zalewski - Athletic Trainer at Athletico
FOOT IN THE DOOR
Emily Barretta (moderator) - Co-Founder ISBC, Business Advisory Consultant at Ernst & Young
Zach Dicken - Director of Sales for the Chicago Fire
Michael Casey - Analyst in the Chicago Cubs Strategy and Development Group
Austin Hunt - Associate Account Executive at IMG
THE VOICES OF SPORTS MEDIA
Jim Dahl (moderator) - Associate Dean of Undergraduate Affairs, UIUC College of Business
Chad Boxenbaum - Game Entertainment Associate for the Chicago Bulls
Sam Panayotovich - Sports Reporter, Anchor, and Host at WGN Radio
Michele Steele - Reporter and Anchor for ESPN
Ed Sherman - President of ShermanReport.com