Please join the GlobalVC Sports team (NYVC, SFVC, BostonVC, and LondonVC Sports) on January 13th, 2021, (between 11:00am and 1:30pm ET), for our first event of the new year. We will once again bring together some of the biggest sports business executives, investors, and entrepreneurs to discuss how key individuals are leveraging new platforms, technologies, causes, and trends to transform our industry.
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Summary:
The event will feature three back-to-back tremendous programming segments, with the run-of-show outlined below.
Rich Greenfield (Media and Technology Analyst at LightShed Partners) and John Kosner (Founder, Sports Digital Media Consultancy, Kosner Media), will release and discuss LightShed’s highly anticipated "21 Predictions for 2021.”
WWE Superstar and Champion, Drew McIntyre and veteran sports journalist and Walk Swiftly Productions founder, Bonnie Bernstein, will delve into McIntyre’s personal journey from his WWE debut at the age of 22 (where he was dubbed “The Chosen One” by Vince McMahon), to his release, to his realized dream of becoming WWE Champion after defeating Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36.
M Quentin Williams (Founder & CEO, Dedication to Community) will moderate a thoughtful panel on “Equality and Justice through Sports” that will focus on how we can best leverage our platforms for social good. The panel will feature Kym Hampton (one of the most dominant centers in women’s basketball history), Steve Stowe (Vice President/Executive Director, Miami Heat Charitable Foundation) and Brian Johnson (former Major League Baseball player and Executive Consultant, The Kaleidoscope Group).
Programming Run-of-Show:
Welcome and Introductions (11:00-11:05am ET)
Jeff Volk (Co-Founder, GlobalVC Sports)
Equality and Justice through Sports: Leveraging our Platforms for Social Good (11:05-11:50am ET)
Kym Hampton (Former WNBA superstar, actress, model) will undoubtedly go down as one of the most dominant centers in women’s basketball history.
Steve Stowe (Vice President/Executive Director, Miami Heat Charitable Foundation)
Brian Johnson (Former MLB Player and Executive Consultant, The Kaleidoscope Group)
Moderated by: Quentin “Q” Williams (Founder & CEO, Dedication to Community)
One-on-One Discussion with WWE Champion, Drew McIntyre, Focusing on his Career, Ascent, and Personal Journey (11:55-12:30pm ET)
Drew McIntyre (WWE Champion and Superstar)
Moderated by Bonnie Bernstein, (Esteemed Sportscaster & Founder, Walk Swiftly Productions)
Introducing LightShed Partners’ Highly Anticipated “21 Predictions for 2021” (12:30-1:30pm ET)
Rich Greenfield (Media and Technology Analyst at LightShed Partners)
John Kosner (Founder, Sports Digital Media Consultancy, Kosner Media)
Panelist Bios (Alphabetically):
Bonnie Bernstein is recognized by the American Sportscasters Association as one of the most accomplished female journalists in her field. Bernstein is the founder of Walk Swiftly Productions, her latest endeavor in a career that has spanned nearly two decades on-air with ESPN and CBS covering the NFL, NBA, MLB and college football and basketball. WSP is currently in production for the XFL series, “For the Love of Football,” with recent credits including the award-winning ESPN esports documentary, GOOD GAME, and CMT’s multi-platform profile series Country on Campus. Bernstein is a seasoned corporate speaker and industry event panelist, and has served as a guest commentator for several news networks, including NBC, MSNBC and Fox News Channel. Additionally, she is the only female to solo-host the award-winning radio program, The Dan Patrick Show.
Allison Feaster is the Vice President of Player Development for the Boston Celtics. Prior to joining the Celtics, Feaster spent three years with the National Basketball Association, where she most recently served as Player Personnel & Coach Relations Lead for the NBA G League. A 10-year WNBA veteran, Feaster enjoyed a successful 17-year professional playing career and competed in European leagues in Spain, France, Italy, and Portugal. Feaster holds an MBA from Universidad Europea de Madrid and a BA in Economics from Harvard College. While at Harvard, she was the first athlete in any sport to be honored as Ivy League Player of the Year three times and was also named Ivy League Rookie of the Year. As a senior, Feaster and her Harvard teammates became the first No. 16 seed in the history of the NCAA DI basketball tournament to defeat a No. 1 seed when the Crimson upset Stanford, 71-67. Beyond the court, Feaster has always taken great pride in using her platform in professional sports to promote the many values gained through sports and competition. This includes service as an ambassador for the NBA across the globe, and as a Sports Envoy in several countries for the U.S. Department of State´s SportsUnited sports diplomacy program. Feaster also champions the advancement of women and girls around the world and has collaborated on numerous panels and sports clinics geared towards women’s and girls’ empowerment.
Rich Greenfield is a Partner and Media and Technology Analyst at LightShed Partners. Prior to LightShed, Rich was a Managing Director and TMT Analyst at BTIG and the co-creator of the BTIG Research blog. Prior to joining BTIG in 2010, Rich was a managing director, media analyst, covering media and cable/satellite industries at Pali Capital for four years. Prior to that, he spent two years at Fulcrum Global Partners as a media analyst. Rich started his career at Goldman Sachs & Co. in 1995, where he spent eight years covering entertainment, cable system and leisure industries. Rich is an active angel investor focused on the convergence of media, communications and commerce. He loves meeting new start-ups, demo’ing new technologies and trying to figure out the future. Rich has been a New Yorker his entire life, with a stop in Boston to attend Brandeis.
Kym Hampton will undoubtedly go down as one of the most dominant centers in women’s basketball. Known for her tough moves around the basket and tenacious rebounding, the Louisville, KY native's playing career spanned over two decades and four continents. As the most decorated women’s basketball in Arizona State University history, Kym was also a key figure in the history of the WNBA and New York Liberty. Kym’s WNBA career began against the Los Angeles Sparks, as she and Lisa Leslie tipped off the league's inaugural game, June 21, 1997. Hampton scored the first basket in the team's history and started every game for the Liberty during the franchise's first three seasons. Due to an injury, Kym ended her fifteen-year professional career and was inducted into the New York Liberty “Ring of Honor.” Kym's career has not been limited to the basketball court. As an accomplished singer, she has performed at The CMA’s, Madison Square Garden, Birdland, The Blue Note, Ashford & Simpson’s Sugar Bar and live on ESPN for the Women’s NCAA Basketball Championship Game. Ms. Hampton is a plus-sized model and co-created the Stand Tall Line, with Ashley Stewart. She was featured in print adds as well as a national commercial for the Cover Girl Queen Collection makeup line. As a theater major, Kym has also graced the Film and Television world. She was featured in Spike Lee’s movie “She Hate Me,” and TV shows like The Revolution, Mom’s Got Game and the Cosby Show.Kym currently freelances in Community Relations with the NY Liberty, WNBA and other organizations. She is a sought after Motivational - Inspirational speaker, with a soft spot for girls and student athletes. While her influence and community involvement are unmeasured, Ms. Hampton is committed to making a difference in the lives of people by helping them use the power of choice.
Brian Johnson joined the The Kaleidoscope Group in 1994 in the midst of his rookie season in Major League Baseball and the worst labor impasse in, at that time, professional sports history. Brian was a member of the Executive Board of the Major League Baseball Player’s Association and heavily involved in the player’s union negotiations with the owner’s and he knew there was a chance the work stoppage could last a long time. In need of a job and new to Chicago, Brian turned to his best friend and college football teammate, Charles Young, who was a native of Chicago. So many different cultures, so many fascinatingly interesting people. So many shades of brown, black and white from all over the world, along with a huge LGBTQIA community, all wrapped into a thriving metropolis. Baseball eventually resumed, but Brian’s passion for diversity work only grew. In every off-season for twelve years, Brian would return to The Kaleidoscope Group to train under Bea Young, to learn how the hard work of diversity can be executed and to, eventually, work with a wide variety of schools, businesses and teams including The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Caterpillar, Northrop Grumman, Novartis, Office Max, Sara Lee, The Northern Trust Bank, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, DHL, Fed Ex, National Louis University, CVS Pharmacy, Walgreen’s, Stanford University, Nationwide Insurance, Owens Corning, and Duracell. At the end of his professional sports career, Brian continued to work with The Kaleidoscope Group on a project basis, but also spent nine years in the financial industry working for American Home Loans and Chase Bank. As a loan officer, team leader and account manager Brian worked with companies such as the National Labor Relations Board, United Auto Workers Union, Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, American Country Music Association, Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, Washington Football Team, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL Commissioner’s Office, NBA Player’s Association, NFL Alumni Association, WNBA and the Phoenix Mercury. In time, baseball would come for Brian a second time, and he would revert back to working on special projects for The Kaleidoscope Group, as he joined the San Francisco Giants front office staff, as a Pro Personnel and Advance Scout, helping the organization to win three World Series Championships in five years. Brian rejoined The Kaleidoscope Group in 2019 helping to work with design, curriculum and delivery structure on a project for Major League Baseball, then in 2020 came back full-time as an Executive Consultant, Facilitator and Client Leader. Brian graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science, on-time, from Stanford University while playing two sports (baseball & football). He was a part of two NCAA College World Series Championship teams and one bowl (Gator Bowl) team. Brian was originally drafted out of high school by the Montreal Expos, then a second time after his junior year in college by the New York Yankees. Brian spent 22 years in Major League Baseball, 12 as a player and 10 in the front office.
John Kosner is an internet pioneer and four-decade veteran of sports media. Today, he is president of Kosner Media, a digital media and sports consultancy. In 2018, John and the late NBA Commissioner Emeritus David Stern created Micromanagement Ventures, a portfolio of sports technology start-ups focused on media, betting and player health. John continues to serve as an advisor to and an investor in the 15 current companies in Micromanagement Ventures. He is also a popular moderator and panelist at industry events and webinars. Previously, John led ESPN digital media from 2003-2017, after stints at Sports Illustrated, the NBA, CBS Sports and NBC Sports. In his 21 years at the company, Kosner built ESPN into the world’s leading digital sports destination – increasing traffic ten-fold and turning an unprofitable business into ESPN’s fastest growing one. Kosner and his team helped revolutionize the sports experience with ESPN.com, the ESPN App, Fantasy Sports, Streaming including development of ESPN3, Podcasting with “PodCenter,” subscription services with Insider (now ESPN+). He was also responsible for recruiting, retaining and developing exceptional sportwriting talent including Wright Thompson, Bill Simmons, Zach Lowe, Ramona Shelburne, Bill Barnwell and Sambit Bal as well as specialists like Adrian Wojnarowski, Matthew Berry, Henry Abbott, Jayski and Darren Rovell.
Drew McIntyre made his WWE debut at the age of 22 and was dubbed “The Chosen One” by Mr. McMahon. The Scotsman was ultimately released, which turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to him. Unwilling to give up his dream of being a WWE Champion, McIntyre rededicated himself and returned three years later. After honing his skills, McIntyre learned to tap into his rare combination of size, athletic ability, and charisma that few Superstars can match. The WWE Universe is eager to count down with McIntyre before he obliterates his opponent with a Claymore Kick, which led him to realize his dream of becoming WWE Champion after defeating Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36.
Steve Stowe is the Vice President/Executive Director, Miami HEAT Charitable Fund. Entering his 20th season with the Miami HEAT, and third as Vice President/Executive Director of the Miami HEAT Charitable Fund, Steve Stowe oversees the fundraising arm of the team, while working alongside the players and coaches to support their local philanthropic endeavors, including the Corporate Education Community Outreach Ticket Program and Pat Riley’s military appreciation initiative, Home Strong. Additionally, he acts as a liaison between the board of directors and the rest of the organization. Stowe also organizes the annual Miami HEAT Family Festival and the annual Team Charity Gala and Concert, which have featured private performances from artists such as Kool & The Gang, Mary J. Blige, Earth, Wind & Fire, Vanilla Ice, Toni Braxton, Boyz II Men, The Temptations and The Four Tops, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Comedian Gary Owen, The Commodores and Michael McDonald. As a result of these efforts and other special events, over $20 million has been raised for local non-profit beneficiaries since the inception of the HEAT’s Charitable Fund. Stowe first joined the HEAT as the organization’s Director of Community Affairs, a position he held from 2000-06, where he and his staff focused on social responsibility issues and NBA related causes. For the following 10 seasons, he would serve as the team’s Executive Director of the Miami HEAT Charitable Fund. Prior to joining the HEAT, Stowe worked in the marketing department for the Florida Panthers (NHL) from 1996-98. Before his time with the Panthers, he was an Equity Trader in The NASDAQ Stock Market, conducting extensive research of financial market performance. Currently a Board Member for the YMCA of South Florida, the Dade Schools Athletic Foundation, the Miami Beach Police Athletic League, and the Voices for Children Foundation, he has also worked on Zo’s Summer Groove/Zo’s Winter Groove Event Steering Committee and has participated with Univision’s ‘Premios Juventud’ Youth Awards Scholarship Selection Panel.
M Quentin Williams (Founder & CEO, Dedication to Community) is an attorney, author, educator, prolific international speaker, former FBI Agent, former federal prosecutor and has held positions as an executive for the NFL and NBA. He currently serves as a business adviser, legal expert and business strategist for companies & individuals in industries ranging from professional sports, entertainment, fashion and the media to the medical, legal, financial, law enforcement, education and technology arenas. Additionally, Williams is the Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Williams Media and Marketing Group, L.L.C., a Los Angeles-based media and marketing company, and the founder of Dedication To Community, a not-for-profit organization with a mission to empower communities around the world by "paying it forward" through business and responsible societal efforts.