Prodigy Search Presents

Pamela Wheeler is an accomplished leader with nearly three decades of experience improving diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) outcomes for employees, clients, partners and communities. She works with leaders across NFP, building from the solid DEIB foundation in place, to move the organization forward with deliberate action, measurable results and continuous refinement. Prior to NFP, Wheeler consulted with National Football League Operations on their DEIB efforts. Prior to that, she led the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, where she accelerated DEIB in a number of areas for the players. She also served as director of Business Development for the Continental Basketball Association, and general counsel and marketing manager for Bob Woolf Associates/Arnold Communications. Wheeler is also a lecturer in Columbia University’s MS Sports Management program, serves on the board of the U.S. Center for SafeSport, is a former member of the foundation board of the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, and is a member of the trustee emeritus board of the Women’s Sports Foundation. She earned a BA from Dartmouth College and a JD from Boston University.

Sukhi Sandhu is an accomplished international sports industry executive and program leader with 20+ years of experience helping organizations in planning, venue operations and competitions. Throughout his career, Sandhu’s experience includes event operations roles with some of the most iconic global events including International Champions Cup, the FIFA World Cup, Indian Premier League, Asian Champions Field Hockey, the Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games, among others. In 2013, he was appointed as Head of Events at the Aspire Zone Foundation in Doha, Qatar, one of the world's finest sporting destinations, which hosts many international competitions and training camps. During this time, he was delegated to lead the 2015 Doha GOALS Forum in Los Angeles, CA, highlighting the role of Sport as a driver for social change. Sandhu has also served on several committees and Boards, always advocating the need for greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in society. This includes his role as Chair of the Intercultural Inclusivity Taskforce for the City of Surrey, whose report was recipient of the National Race Relations Award. He has consistently led tough conversations in the anti-racism space and his community activism helps bring a strong voice towards the greater empowerment of marginalized groups. A native of Vancouver, Canada, Sandhu is currently pursuing his Master’s Degree in Diversity and Inclusion at Tufts University, focusing his research on a "Holistic approach to DEI in Sport."

Mark DeMontis, working in Disability Policy over the past few years, is an emerging voice and visionary advancing accessibility for fans with disabilities in sports and entertainment. With over 15 years of lived and professional experience as a blind athlete, advocate and speaker, he is best known as a trailblazer in the Parasport of Blind Hockey. DeMontis continues to help brands and businesses remove barriers for consumers with disabilities and speaks on the benefits of embedding disability within diversity and inclusion efforts.

DeMontis currently resides in Toronto where he continues to contribute to the sport of hockey and has recently even started working with the National Hockey League to support their digital accessibility journey. Among many prestigious accolades in, DeMontis was graciously awarded the honor of being the torchbearer in the 2010 Vancouver Paralympic Winter Games, and again in the 2015 Toronto PANAM Games. DeMontis is also a recipient of the 2005 Terry Fox Humanitarian Award.

Scott Rochelle serves as President and CEO of the National Basketball Retired Players Association since 2018, after serving in several senior roles, including Senior Vice President of Partnership Development / General Counsel, and Vice President of Membership, Programming and Chapter Development. In his role as President and CEO, Rochelle oversees the Retired Players Association’s day-to-day operations, including securing new cutting-edge partnerships for former players to thrive and prosper. In addition, he continues to strengthen and foster the association’s local chapters which has expanded to 12 cities during his tenure as President and CEO. At 41, Rochelle, is a rising star in the basketball world, working closely with the NBA executive team to guide revenue-generating and philanthropic programs that involve the greatest names in the NBA. He is re-writing the business strategy of the Retired Players Association and has the support of the NBA and NBPA. Prior to joining the Retired Players Association, Rochelle served as an attorney for a mid-sized Chicago law firm, leading the Sports and Entertainment practice group with a focus on professional athlete business advisement, contract and endorsement representation. He currently serves as a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee for the U.S. Center for SafeSport and has served as a Board Trustee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame since 2018. Rochelle is a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia and received his Master’s in Education and a law degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Amy Hever is an accomplished social impact executive with more than 20 years of progressive experience delivering measurable results to nonprofit and for[1]profit companies, across a range of industries. Her career journey has given her the opportunity to lean into some of the world’s most pressing and complex challenges through a variety of vehicles the arts and humanities, youth development, health and human services, disaster recovery, scientific research, and professional sports philanthropy. Originally hailing from NJ, Amy grew up in the Garden State and in Tokyo, Japan. After receiving her bachelor’s in History and East Asian Studies from Binghamton University in NY, she accepted her first role as the General Manager position with a German-toy company with a subsidiary office in Palm Beach County, Florida. Her affinity for the Sunshine State took hold, along with her interest in the social sector. Amy made Palm Beach County home for more than 12 years on and off, landing her first nonprofit role with the Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens. Her career has brought her to destinations up and down the I-95 corridor, including the American Red Cross of the Palm Beaches, Scripps Research Institute and the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum here in Florida, as well as the distinguished Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, before making yet another transition into sports philanthropy with the Philadelphia 76ers and the NJ Devils. She now leads the Major League Baseball Players Trust – the charitable arm of the Players Association. Her first “union job”, Amy is responsible for accelerating and amplifying the charitable interests and efforts of professional baseball players.

Regina Ford is a strategic initiatives HR leader and certified PROSCI change management professional who helps organizations of all types to improve operational productivity by building diverse, inclusive, and equitable work cultures with highly engaged team members.  With more than 20 years of human resources experience and 15 years of DEI experience, Ford has worked across a number of industries - including sports, entertainment, gaming, hospitality, technology, science, and nonprofits. She also lived throughout Europe for 10 years managing complex international IT and business process reengineering projects as a consultant with Accenture, Ernst & Young, and Trintech Consulting.  Ford holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Harvard University and her MBA from Pepperdine, with a concentration in Finance.

Kyle Ellington is the first Director of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging for the Oakland A's. His role is to strengthen and build a comprehensive strategic strategy across all areas of the organization in the space of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.  

Ellington has 10 years of experience working in the sports and entertainment industry, most recently as the Director, Human Resources and Diversity & Inclusion for the Sacramento Kings. At the Sacramento Kings, he held the first D&I Title and implemented key D&I initiatives throughout the organization: Diversity Career Fair, Diversity Council, and robust Kings U Internship program which sourced diverse local talent. He has additional sports HR experience working with the Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Falcons, and Levy Restaurants at the Georgia Dome. Kyle holds a Bachelor's Degree in Management and a Master's Degree in Human Resources and Organizational Development from the University of Georgia.

Tim Wise was named Senior Associate Athletic Director, Facilities, Events and Revenue at the University of Notre Dame in January 2022. In this role, Wise has oversight of facilities, game operations, capital projects and revenue generation. Prior to Notre Dame, Wise served as the Senior Associate Athletic Director, Facilities and Event Operations at the University of Miami.  Throughout his career, Wise has served on several boards, most recently in February 2017 he was appointed to the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association Board of Directors, and in 2019, he was named to the organization’s Executive Committee. In June 2021, Wise was appointed 2nd Vice President. He has participated in the NCAA Leadership Institute Continuing Education Series, the NCAA Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males, the NACDA Mentoring Institute, the NCAA Diversity Education Training and the NCAA Achieving Communications Success Workshop. In 2009-10, Wise completed and graduated from the highly prestigious collegiate athletics executive leadership training program at the Sports Management Institute.  Wise is a 1996 graduate of the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and earned a Master’s Degree in Human Performance and Sport Studies from the University of Tennessee in 1998.

Natalie Rogers is the current Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Well-Being at American University. In this role she oversees the departments that contribute to the mental and physical well-being of student-athletes. In addition, Ms. Rogers oversees all diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives for the athletic department. She serves as the department’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletics diversity and inclusion designee (ADID). Prior to coming to American University, Ms. Rogers worked for United States Tennis Association, Mid-Atlantic section as the Senior Manager, Member Engagement Diversity and Inclusion.  Among her roles in higher education was a stint at Howard University as the Associate Director of Athletics and Compliance. She was well-suited to the job after spending the 10 previous years with the NCAA, first as an Assistant Director of Enforcement and then as the Associate Director of Amateurism Certification for the NCAA Eligibility Center.  A native of Grand Rapids, Mich., Rogers graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, and later earned her Master’s Degree in Sports Leadership from Duquesne University.

Prodigy Search Presents Episode 29 features Eric Foote, Chief Commercial Officer with PointsBet. With his 2 year anniversary coming up in January 2022, Foote shares insights on the tremendous growth,  strategic partnerships and brand positioning in an everchanging, competitive market.

More about Eric's Career 

Eric Foote joined PointsBet as the Chief Commercial Officer in January 2020. In his position, Eric oversees strategic partnerships, trading and sports analytics, business intelligence and operations, and assists with market access deals.  Before PointsBet, Eric served as VP of Business Development & Partnerships for CBS Sports Digital where he led strategy for CBS Sports’ entry into sports betting along with content acquisition for live sporting events for CBS All Access, securing deals with the UEFA Champions League, Mountain West Conference, WSOP, and more.  Following an initial run at CBS as Senior Director of Business Development – Sports, Eric was named Vice President of Business Development for Silver Chalice Ventures, now Stadium, where he spearheaded all business development and strategy initiatives, including opening a Boulder, CO office and securing deals with the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12, University of Arkansas, Kansas State University, and University of Kentucky. His career began as an Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs at Pepperdine University where he oversaw the corporate sponsorship program, fundraising, media relations, digital media, live streaming, and community relations.  A native of Iowa, Eric currently resides in Denver. He attended Wartburg College, where he attained a B.S. in Business Administration and was a captain of the Knights basketball team. He received his Masters in Sports Administration from Western Illinois University.

 Prodigy Search Presents Episode 28 - Tyrre Burks, Founder and CEO - Player's Health. In this episode Burks talks about his personal passion and philosophy behind the development and eventual launch of Player's Health. Over the last six years they've grown tremendously and have become youth and amateur sports leading risk management service bringing them the technology and tools to better their organizations across many sectors surrounding player safety.   

More about Burks' background:   

Tyrre Burks is originally from the southside of Chicago, born and raised. He went to a small Division II program called Winona State University to play football. Led him to play at the next level in Europe for a year and then the Canadian Football League for a number of years after that. Throughout his entire career, he had a ton of injuries including: three bulging discs in his neck, tore his hamstring, and tibia, leading to the end of his career.  

He came up with the idea for Player's Health when he saw that amateur sports organizations needed better infrastructure and needed better tools to manage the overall health and safety of athletes. Injuries were the original focus, then other focuses emerged such as: health management applications for organizations, concussion protocol, and abuse prevention. The business model is simple: the more organizations engage in risk services, the more affordable insurance becomes.

Prodigy Search Presents Episode 27 - Derek Schuster - Director Sales, Philadelphia Phillies  

An experienced and proven executive with 20 years of experience driving strategies and initiatives in sales, marketing, retention, client relations and customer service. Schuster is in his 19th season with the Philadelphia Phillies and was promoted in 2014 to Director, Sales to manage all aspects of Phillies ticket sales, retention, client relations, and customer service. He serves as a key leader in strategy decisions on ticket pricing and sales & marketing initiatives. Schuster also oversees all hiring, recruiting, training, and mentoring of Phillies sales staff.  

Prior to joining the Phillies, Schuster served as Director of Sales with Comcast Spectacor and the Philadelphia Phantoms (Flyers AHL Affiliate). He began his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates serving three years as Account Executive.

Episode 26 of Prodigy Search Presents features Josh Rooney, CRO at LA Memorial Coliseum.

Josh presently serves as the Chief Revenue Officer of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. He is responsible for all Coliseum revenue generation and marketing initiatives including new venue development, sponsorship sales and the creation of ticketed and private events at the "Greatest Stadium in the World!"

Developed a new three-pronged venue brand strategy to relaunch the LA Coliseum focused on the recently completed $350 million-dollar stadium modernization, venue event legacy and venue proximity to downtown Los Angeles. The "Los Angeles, This is your Coliseum", "History Defined, Now Redesigned" and "Place to Play in LA" campaigns separated the Coliseum from our competing stadium venues in Pasadena and Inglewood. Directed creative content and strategy for venue rebrand including all venue social and website channels, paid media and video production.

Returned live music to the L.A. Coliseum after an eight-year hiatus through active venue representation and self-promotion with Red Strokes Entertainment and co-promotion with AEG, Live Nation and Nederlander national promoters.

Conceived, developed, branded and launched a new 10k capacity concert venue named “The Torch” within the existing footprint of the L.A. Coliseum. Created new venue logos, marks and website. Instituted a house-nut turnkey venue proposition, including the purchase of an SL260 stage.

Established a joint venture with Banc of California Stadium, called “Festival Park Los Angeles”, to package and promote our stadiums as one venue to attract mega music festivals and fan fests.

Prodigy Search Presents Episode 25 features Michele Kajiwara, SVP, Premium Seating with the STAPLES Center and AEG. Kajiwara talks about the reopening of STAPLES Center after being dormant for 400 days, along with the continued preparation and strategy in bringing back fans. She discusses the changes AEG faced throughout the pandemic and how they pivoted to a remote work environment. Kajiwara also peels back the curtain a bit as she shares a few personal stories of backpacking internationally earlier in her career and how that shaped her as a person.

Prodigy Search Presents Episode 24 features Kris Dehnert, CEO and Partner with Dugout Mugs. As an entrepreneur, Dehnert highlights the successes and challenges of his early career. He then shares the unique story of how Dugout Mugs began and the continued growth with the first-of-its-kind product, an official licensed product of the MLB.

To find out more visit DugoutMugs.com

Episode 23 of Prodigy Search Presents features Phil Andrews, Chief Executive Officer at USA Weightlifting. Andrews discusses the continued growth and key successes with the National Governing Body since joining in 2013, focusing on building a winning culture and the development of some of the first of its kind Boards and Committees. Andrews also shares the many challenges with the postponement of 2020 Tokyo Olympics as well as his involvement with the International Weightlifting Federation.

A little more into Andrews' background:

Phil Andrews was appointed Chief Executive Officer of USA Weightlifting in April 2016, having held the post on an Interim basis since December 2015, and he is responsible for overseeing the strategy and operations of the organization. During his tenure at USA Weightlifting, Andrews has helped to transform the sport. The sport has had a resurgence in the United States and completely changed the culture within the sport in the United States and abroad with significant membership growth. Andrews has also restructured the operations and governance of USA Weightlifting; supported significant reform internationally especially in the area of anti-doping, hosted three International Weightlifting Federation World Championship events, created the first independent Ethics & Judicial process and overseen a high-performance turnaround seeing the best results in 60 years. He has also overseen a significant increase in funds for the organization, with sponsorship cash trebled and significant total revenue increases.

Andrews also serves as a member of the Membership Commission of the International Weightlifting Federation with responsibility for building participation in the sport. He is Vice President of the Ibero-American Weightlifting Federation, and also sits on the USOPC’s National Governing Body Council, and the NGB Leadership Liaison group to the US Center for SafeSport. Prior to his roles with USA Weightlifting, Andrews worked in professional Ice Hockey for British Champions Coventry Blaze.

Episode 2 Cover Letters: If you struggle to write the perfect cover letter or are unsure of when and how to use it, tune into this episode to learn some tips and tricks.  We review the layout, format, and the ultimate goal of constructing this underrated career tool.  

A cover letter is an introduction to you and your résumé. Do NOT simply regurgitate your résumé. It also gives you the ability to showcase your writing skills.  

Overview/Best Practices
- Keep it short and sweet; 2/3 of a page is acceptable.
- Address it to an actual person. Must be customized to each job and employer/organization.  
- Content Who you are and why you are writing. How you are a fit.
- Make a connection between you and the job and company.  

When a Cover Letter is Needed
- Online applications
- When the job posting REQUIRES it
- If contacting Human Resources at an organization  

When a Cover Letter is Not Needed  
- When contacting an Executive Recruiter
- When the job posting says that cover letters are not needed

As a follow up to our recent episode on traditional interviews, we took a deeper dive into virtual interviewing.  We cover best practices on phone and video interviews including the preparation beforehand and suggestions how to best execute during the conversation.  

Pre-Interview Environment and Technology Set-up
- Make sure you are in a quiet area.  
- Camera is working properly - be sure to test sound and location of camera.
- Make sure you are in a well-lit room/area.
- Do not use virtual backgrounds for interviews. Keep your background as plain as possible with limited distractions.  
- Test and record yourself so you can see, hear and modify your surroundings  

During the interview   
- Make eye contact
- Quick tip: Minimize the screen you are appearing on and drag it just under/around your camera. This will direct your eye contact to the camera.  
- Make sure camera is on and microphone is working - be sure to have good internet connection
- If a group interview, address everyone by name. Different than turning to someone in a traditional in-person/room setting.   
- You can have notes to look at. The interview doesn’t have to be robotic.  
Tip: You can place post-it notes around your screen/monitor as quick reminders, questions or key points to discuss.

Episode 3 Traditional Interviews: Nailing a job interview is not easy.  But practice makes perfect.  Preparation also makes perfect.  In this episode, we explore what to do prior to a job interview and once you are there, how to nail it from beginning to end.  

Pre-Interview / Preparation
- Do your homework!  
- Dress the part.  

During the Interview
- Be on time! “On time is late, 5 minutes early is on time, and being late is unacceptable.”
- Be engaged in the conversation with all interviewers.
- Focus on other non-verbal cues as well - posture is critical.
- Be a storyteller, be memorable. Illustrate skills via relevant career anecdotes.   
PARs are critical - Problem, Action, Results  

Post-Interview / Follow Up
- Always follow up with a Thank You after an interview.
- A simple thank you email or handwritten note (a lost art) is a must.  
- Give a 3-5 day window - vary your follow-up method (email, phone, text, LinkedIn).

Episode 1 Resume Tips: In this first episode of our Career Resource Packet series, we review one of the most critical elements of the job search process – the resume.  We discuss everything from the content to the look and feel of your resume.  Ultimately it is your document, and you must take ownership of it, but be sure to follow these common resume rules that HR professionals and recruiters look for.  

Length 

Junior and mid-level candidates: 1 page ideal, 2 pages acceptable
Executive and senior-level candidates: 2 pages ideal, 3 pages acceptable
Anything more than 3 pages and it is a C.V.  

Look/visuals

Put section headings in bold, italics, or underline.
Use bullet points, hyphens or other special characters - but consistency is key.
Fill empty white space.  

Details matter  

Showcase hard skills – technological, languages spoken; weave soft skills throughout.
Goals, numbers, percentages, examples and specifics are a must.

 Episode 22 of Prodigy Search Presents features Elisa Padilla, a sports and entertainment brand marketing expert who cultivates loyal, community-centric fanbases at the highest level. Padilla shares her unique approach and strategy to what has become a diversified career as she has overseen the design and evolution of iconic brands at the intersection of sports, entertainment and pop culture—including Barclays Center, Brooklyn Nets, NY Islanders, Miami Marlins, and Apple.

In each of her roles, Padilla has effectively and authentically integrated marquee organizations, professional sports teams and entertainment centers into their native communities. In Brooklyn, she introduced the Nets with the award-winning ‘Hello, Brooklyn’ campaign, which garnered her accolades in the media. In Miami, she transformed an ailing Marlins baseball team into a thriving symbol of the vibrant local landscape.

In her most recent role with Roc Nation, Padilla oversaw creative strategy and partnership marketing across the brand’s music, sports and event businesses. While now actively seeking her next great move, she has turned her focus to leading and inspiring women in sports and entertainment with her 70+ episode, original leadership series on Instagram Live, ‘Kick It with EP’.

Episode 21 of Prodigy Search Presents features Andrew D. Bernstein, Hall of Fame sports photographer and the official photographer of the National Basketball Association and NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers.  

Bernstein, who received the Curt Gowdy Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018, discusses his 40-year career of shooting some of the most iconic images in the history of sport.  Bernstein’s work has appeared in thousands of newspapers and magazine covers as well as major advertising campaigns throughout the years.  From his exclusive assignment covering the legendary 1992 USA Olympic Dream Team, featuring future NBA Hall of Famers including Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, to shooting every NBA Finals over the last 30+ years as well as numerous Olympic Games.  He also speaks about his recent experience shooting for the NBA in the “bubble” in Orlando, culminating with the Lakers’ 17th NBA title.  

Bernstein, who worked with Scott Carmichael dating back to their days with the Los Angeles Kings and Clippers in the early 1980’s, speaks about his collaboration with Kobe Bryant on the worldwide bestselling book “The Mamba Mentality: How I Play”, a unique look at Bryant’s brilliant NBA career through Bernstein’s lens. 

Our sincere gratitude to Andy for spending an hour modestly chronicling his Hall of Fame career.  A true champion.

Episode 20 of Prodigy Search Presents features Meghan Duggan, 3X Olympic Medalist, 7X National Champion and former Captain of the US Women’s National Team. Duggan shares insights on her leadership style and how it’s evolved over her career as well as her growing involvement as an advocate and mentor surrounding women’s sports, specifically hockey.   

More on Meghan’s career accolades are found below:   

A native of Danvers, Massachusetts, Duggan has achieved sustained success at all levels of her hockey career in international and collegiate play. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin (Biology) where she won 3 NCAA Championships, led the nation in scoring her senior year which was a precursor to her sustained success with Team USA.  During her Team USA career, Duggan has won 3 Olympic medals, including the first Olympic Gold in 20 years in February 2018 at PyeongChang, South Korea where she led the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team as the Captain. A member of the U.S. Women’s National Team since 2007, she additionally has won 7 IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championships which is tied for 3rd most won all-time.  Professionally, she has been a 3-time All-Star in the two different women’s leagues in the U.S. (NWHL) and Canada (CWHL), a 2-time Clarkson Cup champion while playing for the Boston Blades of the CWHL and a two-time Isobel Cup finalist while playing in the NWHL for the Buffalo Beauts & Boston Pride. In 2019-20, she was a member of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association and the U.S. Women’s National program while on maternity leave.  In the Spring of 2018, she became a member of the Athlete Advisory Panel of the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) for two years and in 2020, Duggan was voted onto the WSF Board of Trustees. In the Summer of 2020, she became a member of the National Hockey League’s Player Inclusion Committee serving with active and retired NHL players and women’s hockey players. Meghan additionally holds board seats with USA Hockey and is a founding member of the Athlete x Impact Athlete Council.  

• Olympic gold medalist, 2018
• Two-time Olympic silver medalist, 2010 & 2014
• Seven-time IIHF Women’s World Champion
• Captain of the U.S. Women’s National Team
• Two-time Clarkson Cup Champion
• ESPN Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year, 2018
• WSF Wilma Rudolph Award Winner, 2017
• WSF Athlete Advisory Panel  

@mduggan10 - twitter / instagram

Mandisa Diggs is a Human Resources leader, spearheading global diversity and inclusion initiatives and talent acquisition strategies for both corporate sectors and higher education institutions.  

Currently, Diggs is Global Head of Inclusion & Diversity for Marvell Semiconductor.  Diggs Most recently, Diggs led and drove D&I strategies within the technology pillar of Facebook. Diggs also served as the first VP of Inclusive Diversity at Octagon Sports & Entertainment Network. In that role, she partnered with the executive leadership team to design a value-driven model centered on data intelligence and leadership capabilities. Prior, Diggs led global D&I strategies for Cisco, Ford, and GE and talent acquisition solutions for Humana, Purdue and Indiana State University.  

Diggs holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies and a Master’s Degree in Student Affairs and Higher Education, with a focus on multicultural competence and adult development.

Ron Li is Director of Growth and Commercialization: esports at Electronic Arts (EA), where he helps build the organization’s competitive gaming initiative, including fanbase growth and developing sponsorship. 

Prior, Li spent nearly five years helping the PGA TOUR establish its international business, focused on strategy, business development and market research. Having lived in Hong Kong, Germany, Singapore, Canada and now the U.S., Li believes in the power of sport as a means of connecting the world. As a former pro gamer, he definitely thinks “there’s something to this esports thing.”  

Li earned his MBA from the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon and a Bachelor of Economics from the University of British Columbia. In 2019, he received one of 32 scholarships from the National Sports Forum’s Business of Diversity in Sports and Entertainment initiative.

Glenn Merry is Executive Director of Move United, one of the nation’s largest and fastest growing multi-sport organizations serving people with disabilities in the U.S.  

Merry previously served as Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Rowing Association, an Olympic National Governing Body (NGB), where he expanded membership by 50% and created the D&I movement within their sport, resulting in the USOC Diversity & Inclusion Award- twice.  

At U.S. Rowing, Merry captured bids for the 2017 World Rowing Championships and 2018 FISA Masters Regattas. He created the D&I movement within their sport, resulting in the USOC Diversity & Inclusion Award.

Vince Pierson is currently CEO & Principal Strategist at VSP Diversity Solutions. He previously served as Diversity and Inclusion Client Partner with Bloomberg LP.  

Pierson spent five years with the MiLB, developing their diversity efforts. He launched the MiLB FIELD Program, providing more than 110 students the opportunity to learn the business of baseball, to attend the Baseball Winter Meetings and to compete for jobs in the industry. Pierson also assisted with the Copa de la Diversión and MiLB Pride platforms and implemented many educational programs during his time.  

Pierson was awarded The Change Agent award from the 13th Annual ADCOLOR Awards for his success in enhancing corporate culture and creating a more inclusive environment.

 Episode 19 of Prodigy Search Presents features Matt Sawicki, Senior Director, Championships for the USGA.

A longtime golf executive who spent nearly 20 years in the sport, Sawicki discusses both his personal and the organization’s growth over the last 10 years at the USGA. He currently oversees all staff in charge of major golf championships from inception to close, including the US Women’s Open, US Senior Open and US Senior Women’s Open. He shares his experience working for some of golf’s most inspirational leaders in Sara Hirshland and Mike Davis and highlights the incredible transformation and modernization of the US Open, led by Davis.  Sawicki also gets into the USGA’s adaptability due to COVID-19 and how they pivoted to hosting one of golf’s most prestigious events, the US Open, without fans; not to mention being postponed 4 months from its usual home on Father’s Day weekend. It was an incredible event with an impeccable course design that clearly opened the eyes of golf enthusiasts around the world…virtually, however.

Sawicki ends the interview talking about the expansion with respect to their new HQ at Pinehurst in North Carolina. Also, he highlights USGA’s schedule for the remainder of 2020 as well as the complete 2021 championship event schedule, leading up to the US Open at prestigious Torrey Pines in San Diego, California. Last, he shares a great story as he began his career as a caddie with Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver, Colorado.

 Episode 18 of Prodigy Search Presents features Hallie Yavitch, Vice President of Booking for the STAPLES Center and Microsoft Theater - AEG.  

A recipient of VenuesNow 2020 Women of Influence Award, Yavitch discusses her track record within the venue booking space and the humbling experience in being recognized with some of our industry’s most influential women.  A recent placement of Prodigy, landing her role at STAPLES Center in January 2019, Hallie now oversees all booking and event/venue marketing initiatives for both the STAPLES Center and Microsoft Theater as part of LA Live and AEG. Prior to her joining AEG, Yavitch served over 10 years with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena (now Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse). With the hundreds of events she brought to Cleveland during her time there, Yavitch shares a special “win” as she worked with the city on the bid for the 2016 Republican National Convention.   

Yavitch continues to be a leader in the event and booking space, blazing trails for the next generation of female executives. She is part of Women in Sports & Events (WISE), and has served on both the Cleveland and, now the Los Angeles chapter. A challenging time in our industry, but Yavitch believes events will be back sooner than later and with some sort of capacity in the building. The live events landscape is changing and Yavitch is at the forefront of bringing concerts, family shows, and comedy acts back to one of the worlds largest, and most competitive, markets in the world.

Episode 17 of Prodigy Search Presents features Chris Overholt, President and CEO with OverActive Media Group.  Overholt discusses his role at OverActive Media Group and the phenomenal growth they've endeavored over the last two years. Coming from the traditional sports side of the business, Overholt speaks to his transition to  esports and the success he's had building, in his eyes, the greatest team in esports in the world. The organization currently owns the Toronto Defiant of the Overwatch League and the Toronto Ultra of the Call of Duty League. They also have global presence in Spain with MAD Lions with teams in League of Legends European Championship and Counter-Strike Global Offensive. OAM is a founding founding equity partner of B Site Inc and a franchise holder in the Flashpoint CSGO league. The future for OAM is bright as they own a live events division and are in development of a new multi-use arena in Toronto, centered around esports and gaming.   A longtime industry veteran and friend of Prodigy Search, Overholt spent time with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the Florida Panthers, Miami Dolphins and most recently over eight years as CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee. He also attended Harvard Business School for their Executive General Managers Program. A Canadian native, Overholt now resides in Toronto and works out of OverActive Media's headquarters.

Episode 16 of Prodigy Search Presents features Dan Griffis, President, Global Partnerships for the Oak View Group.

Griffis discusses a variety of topics in this episode including the strategy and eventual success for some of the most prolific naming rights deals in the history of sports and entertainment.  During the past six months, Griffis and the Oak View Group have successfully negotiated naming rights partnerships for the under-construction Climate Pledge Arena (NHL Seattle); UBS Arena (the arena under construction at Belmont Park on Long Island); and the Moody Center (arena also under construction at the University of Texas).  With those naming rights deals, coupled with founding partnerships for Seattle, New York, Austin and other Arena Alliance members, Griffis and his staff have generated well over $1B in new revenue within the past 12 months.

A veteran of over 20 years in the sports and entertainment business, Griffis speaks about the key to building relationships, fostering those relationships throughout the years, which has ultimately lead to multiple-billions of dollars in sponsorship revenue.  Despite that tremendous success and unparalleled  leadership, Griffis emphasizes that his career mantra in building relationships is to “make many more deposits than withdrawals.”

Episode 14 of Prodigy Search Presents features Dr. Sarah Hillyer, Director at University of Tennessee’s Center for Sport, Peace and Society. In addition to her role at the University, Sarah leads and administers the Global Sports Mentoring Program, a worldwide Initiative of the U.S. Department of State.   

In this episode, Sarah discusses the overall development, creation and launch of the Center in 2012 in addition to the success and recognition it has received over the last eight years. The Center was recognized by then-Secretary of State Hilary Clinton as the sole cooperative partner of the State Department to create a global initiative designed to empower women, girls, and persons with disabilities through sport. Since 2012, Hillyer and her team have worked alongside more than 1,000 women, men, and youth from 80+ countries, impacting tens of thousands. In 2018, ESPN named the center’s partnership initiative with the U.S. Department of State and espnW as the winner of the Stuart Scott Humanitarian Award.  She also shares and highlights a few of her personal favorite stories as part of the program. Dr. Sarah is extremely passionate about the movement of empowering women and people with disabilities all over the world and describes her groundbreaking work in her true, humbling manner.  

A little more about Dr. Sarah’s background:   Sarah Hillyer wants to live in a world filled with freedom of movement, innovative ideas, thoughtful people, and inspiring books, films, and creative media projects that tell the real-life the stories of everyday sporty heroes creating a more just, equitable, and free world.  

As an educator and consultant with more than 30 years of experience, she’s worked with the U.S. Department of State, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committees, Islamic Federation of Women’s Sports, National Hockey League, National Basketball Association, PGA of America, Women’s Tennis Association, Google, Procter & Gamble, Saatchi & Saatchi, LA, dozens of National Paralympic & Olympic Committees, (and more) creating programs that use the unique attributes of sport and physical activity to create innovative social movements and promote peace around the world.  

In 2011, Hillyer was named the Georgetown University Sport and Peace-building Post-Doctoral Fellow – a fellowship sponsored by HRH King Abdullah II of Jordan. In 2012, she launched the University of Tennessee’s Center for Sport, Peace, & Society housed in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. The Center was recognized by  then-Secretary of State Hilary Clinton as the sole cooperative partner of the State Department to create a global initiative designed to empower women, girls, and persons with disabilities through sport. Since 2012, Hillyer and her team have worked alongside more than 1,000 women, men, and youth from 80+ countries, impacting tens of thousands. In 2018, ESPN named the center’s partnership initiative with the U.S. Department of State and espnW as the winner of the Stuart Scott Humanitarian Award.  

Hillyer received her doctoral degree in the Sociocultural Study of Sports from the University of Tennessee in 2010. She holds a master’s degree in Sport Psychology from Murray State University and a BA in Sports Administration from Liberty University. She was a division I NCAA basketball player at Virginia Tech.  When she’s not using sports to change the world, you can find her spending quality time with family, playing one-on-one basketball with her nephew, or day-dreaming about what the world will look like when everyone realizes their full potential and unleashes their best selves for the sake of all humanity.

Episode 13 of Prodigy Search Presents features Timothy Wise, the Senior Associate Athletics Director for Facilities and Event Operations at the University of Miami. Tim's department oversight includes: facilities and maintenance services, capital projects/construction, facilities master planning, event management and guest services, camps/clinics, risk management and IT. He is also the liaison to the Watsco Center and Hard Rock Stadium, and also serves as the sport administrator for Miami’s rowing team.   In this episode, Tim discusses his current role as Associate AD during COVID-19  in addition to the massive capital improvement projects across their entire campus including but not limited to the reconstruction of the Scwartz Center (sports academic center), new development of Carol Soffer Indoor Practice Facility (state-of-the-art football facility) and currently working on building a brand new indoor baseball training facility. He also talks about his involvement with Minority Opportunities Athletics Association (MOAA), and organization that provides the access and opportunity for minorities as they continue their career both on and off the playing field. Tim is passionate about Diversity and Inclusion initiatives for MOAA as well as the University of Miami and prides himself on his efforts.  Thank you, Tim for your time and willingness to share.

Episode 12 of Prodigy Search Presents features Meredith Scerba, the Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs at the University of South Florida. As Senior Associate AD for External Affairs, Meredith oversees everything that is fan facing from a collegiate athletics perspective which includes marketing, communications, and TV radio broadcast (Bulls Vision).  In this episode, Meredith discusses her transition to collegiate athletics and the challenges USF faces in a competitive sports market in Tampa. She also shares her challenging, yet rewarding and successful, experience working as the executive director for the 2017 World Rowing Championships in Sarasota, Florida. Lastly, Meredith talks about how she began in sports and the importance of influential women leaders in sports and entertainment, specifically who are involved in WISE (Women in Sports and Events). Thank you, Meredith for your time and willingness to share.

Episode 11 of Prodigy Search Presents features Ju’Riese Colón, the Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Center for SafeSport, a nonprofit organization committed to ending all forms of abuse in sport. As CEO, Ju’Riese leads the strategic vision and direction of the organization to ensure every athlete is safe, supported, and strengthened through sport. In this episode Ju’Riese talks about the continued evolution of the start-up organization and the growth it has experienced over the last three years. She also shares her experience working with the US Olympic and Paralympic NGB’s, specifically relating to investigating the numerous abuse claims. Lastly, Ju’Riese covers the US Center for SafeSport’s continued educational safety training and how it continues to be relevant especially during the time of virtual learning and athlete training.   

Ju’Riese formerly served as the National Vice President of Child & Club Safety for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. She was responsible for developing and leading the child safety policies and initiatives for more than 1,100 Boys & Girls Clubs Organizations and nearly 4,300 Boys & Girls Club locations across the United States, including those located on Native lands and military bases.   

Her professional experience also includes leading prevention and outreach initiatives with youth serving organizations serving families, educators, law enforcement, and diverse communities. Ju’Riese is an experienced child advocate and serves as an expert on issues related to child safety.  

Thank you Ju’Riese for the time and your willingness to share!  

To Find out more on the U.S. Center for SafeSport visit - uscenterforsafesport.org

Episode 10 of Prodigy Search Presents features a one-on-one discussion with Laurence Mathieu-Leger, Director and Co-Producer of highly acclaimed documentary, "Willie". This episode serves as part 2 of our recent webinar "Willie" Creating Productive Conversations About Race. Laurence shares her experience with filming, directing and producing Willie in such a crucial timeline to get out a final cut in time for HotDocs, an international film festival focused on documentaries. She also speaks to the importance the film has on our society today and specifically what Willie has done for many black hockey players around the world.  Laurence is an award-winning producer, director, and editor, as well as a mother of three.  Based in New York City, Laurence specializes in long and short format documentary projects – both for broadcast and digital.  With over 12 years of experience in creative and managing roles, her work has been featured on major networks and publications such as The Guardian, Reuters, the American Museum of Natural History, and the United Nations among others.  In 2017, Laurence received international recognition after winning a World Press Photo award for her groundbreaking work on the Guardian interactive production The Injustice System – which she spearheaded.  In 2018, she was honored with the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award in the continuing coverage category for her work on Keystone XL: Driving the US pipeline route.  Thank you Laurence for taking the time and for your willingness to share!

Prodigy Search Presents is proud to announce a special LIVE panel discussion focused on the highly acclaimed documentary, WILLIE.  As a proud supporter of WILLIE , Prodigy Search is dedicated to addressing the issues surrounding racism and social justice , not only within the sports community, but within our own community and across the country as well. As a supporter and ally of the black community, we are hopeful that this  LIVE DISCUSSION  will help further educate society about racial  justice  and will help act as a facilitator of change.  Hosted By:  Anson Carter NBC and MSG Hockey Analyst Former NHL Player With:  Wayne Simmonds 12-year NHL Veteran Current member of the Buffalo Sabres  Bryant McBride Producer of "Willie," and Sports Technology Entrepreneur  David Alward Canadian Consul General to New England, Former Premier of New Brunswick and a key contributor to "Willie"  Frank Nakano GM/SVP of Sports and Entertainment at JP Morgan Chase and key contributor to "Willie"

Episode Nine of PRODIGY SEARCH PRESENTS features Molly Arbogast, President and CEO of POV Sports Marketing - an agency she launched in 2016. Before launching POV, Molly spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles, IMG/Learfield, the WNBA and Palace Sports & Entertainment - all on the partnership sales side. Molly shares her experience as a female sports marketing executive within the industry and how she became successful in the eventual launch of her own agency. She also talks about POV Sports Marketing's platform, their clients, special projects and potential future opportunities. Thank you Molly for taking the time and for your willingness to share!

Episode Eight of PRODIGY SEARCH PRESENTS features Brett Diamond, COO of Wise Ventures Esports and Minnesota Rokkr, a Call of Duty team owned by the Wilf Family (Owners of the Minnesota Vikings). He previously spent time with the Minnesota Vikings and NFL League Office.  Brett discusses the development and launch of one of Call of Duty League's newest teams, Minnesota Rokkr as well as his transition from traditional sports to the esports space. He also shares the impact of COVID-19 and how they have continued to transition to online competitions given the cancellations of live events. Thank you Brett for taking the time and for your willingness to share!

Episode seven of PRODIGY SEARCH PRESENTS features Abe Madkour, Publisher and Executive Editor with Sports Business Journal/Sports Business Daily.  Since launching the Sports Business Daily in 1994, Abe has become one of the most influential executives within the sports industry.  The SBJ/SBD franchise has grown beyond the two of must-read trade publications to producing numerous conferences in the business, including hosting two of the most prestigious events on the sports calendar each year – the Forty Under 40 Awards and the Sports Business Awards.  A true professional and one the kindest individuals – a big thank you Abe for your time and willingness to share. It was a pleasure having you!

Episode six of PRODIGY SEARCH PRESENTS features Leonard Bonacci, Regional Vice President, Stadiums & Arenas with ASM Global. Among his duties, Leonard oversees ASM's NFL stadium portfolio which primarily includes five stadiums, in addition to two NBA arenas. Given travel restrictions amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Leonard talks about the changes in his day-to-day management, now having to communicate with multiple General Managers across the country, virtually, instead of his preferred method of live, in-person meetings.  Leonard also shares his views on the recent merger of AEG Facilities and SMG in October 2019. Thank you Leonard for your time and willingness to share. It was a pleasure having you!

Episode five of PRODIGY SEARCH PRESENTS features Chris Hibbs, President of Legends Global Partnerships, the lead driver of strategy for the newly created division, which offers a comprehensive slate of partnership consulting services including naming rights and various entitlement positions, jersey sponsorships, premier events, sponsorships for properties and rights holders, and commercializing stadia projects. Chris speaks to the development and evolution of this division as well as his involvement as the General Manager and Chief Revenue Officer at Legends for SoFi Stadium and the L.A. Stadium and Entertainment District at Hollywood Park, where he will continue to oversee all of the key revenue channels including PSLs, Premium Seating & Sponsorship & Naming Rights as the project nears completion.  We are privileged to connect with Chris on his experiences with Legends, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges pertaining to opening SoFi Stadium this summer.  We thank Chris for sharing his valuable time.

Episode four of PRODIGY SEARCH PRESENTS features Kevin DeShazo, Founder of Fieldhouse Media. Best-selling author of Leadership Interrupted: daily inspiration to become the leader you were meant to be, and iAthlete: Impacting Student-Athletes of a Digital Generation, Kevin has presented on over 200 college campuses as well is a regular presenter at conferences and conventions, including NACDA, CoSIDA, the NCAA Convention and the Collegiate Athletics Leadership Symposium.  He is also Partner at Culture Wins, helping leaders in the sports industry build a championship culture with their team.  In this episode, Kevin shares insights on how COVID-19 is impacting organizational culture and shares strategies on how to adapt as a leader, not just in the current climate, but into the future. Thanks to Kevin for his time and willingness to share.

Episode three of PRODIGY SEARCH PRESENTS features Mike Nichols, Chief Business Officer of the LPGA's Symetra Tour who oversees the development of the Symetra Tour's strategic plan, budget, sales, marketing, owned events, corporate sponsorships and tournament partner relationships, while also identifying new tournament opportunities.  Mike shares insights on how COVID-19 impacts the Tour and speaks to their efforts on re-launching this season.  You'll also hear more about his extensive experience in golf and where he sees the industry moving in the future.  Thanks to Mike for his time and willingness to share.

Episode two of PRODIGY SEARCH PRESENTS features Peter Luukko, Chairman of Oak View Group Facilities who oversees all venue development and management for OVG, including the development of the new Arena at Seattle Center, Belmont Park and the new Moody Center project in Austin, TX.  A great conversation packed with insights on the COVID-19 impact on our industry and how facilities will need to adapt in order to keep a safe environment for fans. Thanks to Peter for his time and willingness to share.  Be on the lookout next week for Episode 3 of Prodigy Search Presents.

First episode of PRODIGY SEARCH PRESENTS features Frank Supovitz, President & Chief Experience Officer of Fast Traffic Events & Entertainment and former Senior Vice President, Events for the NFL.  Great conversation focused on both the COVID-19 impact on sporting events as well as his other high-level successes throughout his remarkable career.  A big thank you to Frank for his time and wonderful insights.

As one of the leading executive search firms in sports & entertainment, Prodigy Search  is excited to launch a virtual interview series that we have long planned for called Prodigy Search Presents. In the coming days, weeks, months and beyond we will be posting brief, informative, “casual interviews” led by Scott Carmichael and Mark Gress Jr. as they converse with industry leaders and thought-provoking executives to discuss a variety of relevant issues, challenges, and opportunities, with the current content, clearly focused on how their respective organizations are being adversely affected by the global pandemic, COVID-19.