Jessica Smith

Valkyries – President

Jessica Smith is the dynamic president of the Golden State Valkyries, a role she has held since 2023. With over 18 years of experience in professional sports, she brings a strategic, forward-thinking approach to managing the Bay Area’s WNBA team. Ms. Smith has been widely recognized for her leadership, earning spots on the 2024 Sports Business Journal “40 Under 40” list and the 2023 Leaders in Sports Under 40 accolade.

Rachel Heit

SF Giants – Chief Marketing Officer

Rachel Heit joined the Giants in 2023 as the Club’s Chief Marketing Officer. Heit oversees the strategy and execution of the club’s marketing and brand which includes content, entertainment, design studio, archives, photography, social media, promotions, paid media, and special events. She also oversees business analytics and the club’s retail and authentication department.
Heit brings over 20 years of consumer marketing experience across technology, e-commerce and consumer products. Most recently she was Vice President of Consumer Growth Marketing at Yahoo. She has a BA in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University and MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

With more than two decades of expertise in consumer marketing, Ms. Heit is a pivotal force behind the Giants’ brand presence. She also extends her leadership to the broader community as a board member of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.

Hannah Gordon

49ers – Senior Advisor to the President

Hannah Gordon Oakland native Hannah Gordon has been named one of the most influential women in football by NFL.com, a Sports Business Journal Forty Under 40 and Game Changer, The Athletic NFL Forty Under 40, Leaders Under 40, Silicon Valley Business Journal Power 100, Woman of Influence, and San Francisco Business Times Inspire award winner. Prior to opening her eponymous advisory firm, Hannah served as the Senior Advisor to the President and Chief Legal and Administrative Officer of the San Francisco 49ers. Hannah is a Presidential Leadership Scholar and a former Lecturer In Law at Stanford, where she earned a J.D. Hannah holds a B.A. from UCLA where she was the first woman to cover football for the Daily Bruin. Hannah has two babies and recently became an investor in the Oakland Roots & Soul. She is the author of Szn of Change: The Competitor’s Playbook for Joy on the Path to Victory which has been featured on Good Morning America and by Girls Scouts of America.

D’Lorna Ellis

Athletics – VP and General Counsel

D’Lorna Ellis is the Chief Legal Officer of the Athletics and the San Jose Earthquakes. She also serves of the board of both organizations. As the Chief Legal Officer, oversees all of the organizations’ legal matters, including their intellectual property, real estate, employment, benefits, commercial, and government affairs matters. She is also an Adjunct Professor at Berkeley Law and UC Law SF College of Law, where she teaches Sports Law. Prior to joining the Athletics and the San Jose Earthquakes, D’Lonra was the General Counsel of Aspire Public Schools, a non-profit charter management organization that runs over thirty-five schools in California; a Director and Senior Corporate Counsel in the intellectual property, marketing and advertising group at Gap Inc.; and an associate in the litigation practice of Howard Rice Nemerovski Canady Falk and Rabkin (now Arnold & Porter). D’Lonra currently sits on the boards of Bay Area Legal Aid, which provides direct legal services to low income residents in seven Bay Area counties; KIPP Northern California, which operates non-profit, public charter schools throughout the Bay Area; and Seven Stories Institute, which runs a non-profit bookstore collective known as Word Up in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City. She received her BA in Architecture, Preservation, and Planning from Columbia University and her JD from Stanford Law School.

Neda Tabatabaie

San Jose Sharks – Senior Vice President

Neda Tabatabaie Neda Tabatabaie is Senior Vice President, Business Analytics and Technology for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League. In her 10th season with the Sharks, she oversees the planning, development, implementation, maintenance, and security of the information systems for the entire organization (Sharks, SAP Center, Sharks Ice, TechCU Arena, Sharks Foundation, etc.) and provides overall leadership, management, and strategic direction for the organization’s data analytics and business intelligence initiatives. Tabatabaie has over 19 years of experience in the professional sports and entertainment industry. Prior to joining the Sharks, she served as Vice President, Best Practices at KORE Software where she was responsible for their Consulting Services. Prior to KORE, Tabatabaie spent 9 years at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) overseeing CRM, email marketing, research, analytics, and digital for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto Marlies, and Toronto FC as well as other MLSE properties. Tabatabaie earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Toronto. She serves on the boards of the Sharks Foundation.

She was selected as one of the 100 Women of Influence 2019 by Silicon Valley Business Journal and Sports Business Journal Game Changers class of 2019.

Marisa Ingemi

San Francisco Chronicle – Sports Journalist

Marisa Ingemi is a leading sports journalist at the San Francisco Chronicle, specializing in women’s sports. A 2017 graduate of Boston University, her work has been recognized by the APSE in 2023 and The Best American Sports Writing in 2022. Ms. Ingemi serves on the board of the Association for Women in Sports Media and contributes as a voter in the AP Women’s Basketball Poll.

Zena Keita

NBC Sports Bay Area – Host and Analyst

Zena Keita Originally from Paris, France, Zena used sports to acclimate to her new home in North Carolina and to find her voice. A love for sports and academics led her to play basketball at Yale University, followed by earning a Master’s degree at Wake Forest School of Business. After graduation, she worked in sports partnerships with the Miami Dolphins, Golden State Warriors, and The Athletic, where she developed a passion for sports media. In 2024, Zena transitioned to full-time sports broadcasting, hosting The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show and The Athletic NBA Daily, and serving as an on-air host and analyst for NBC Sports Bay Area, focusing on the Golden State Warriors. In all her roles, Zena enjoys leveraging her love of conversation and community to create spaces where people can learn and connect. She presently resides in the Bay Area with her rescue dog, Remy.

Gabby Turner

Bay Area Host Committee – VP of Marketing & Partnerships

Gabby Turner is a multi-hyphenate marketing, partnerships and business strategist, bringing over 20 years of experience fostering growth to her role as the VP of Marketing & Partnerships for the Bay Area Host Committee (BAHC). Gabby leverages a rich and multi-disciplinary background to drive forward-thinking marketing & partnerships initiatives at BAHC. Her cross-industry experience spans sports, music, entertainment, tech, e-commerce, marketplaces, retail, betting, health & wellness, sustainability & more. She’s worked for notable brands like StubHub, eBay, & Zenni along with two chapters running her independent consultant business. Her consulting portfolio includes dynamic clients such as FanDuel, WynnBet, Gametime, Noise Pop Industries, OneTeam Partners, and many more. A nearly three-decade resident of the Bay Area, Gabby earned her bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, where she played lacrosse, and later received her MA in Sport Management from the University of San Francisco. She is a firm believer that relationships are the most important currency in business and that thoughtful, collaborative planning paired with integrity, is the key to creating success and lasting impact.

Born in Mexico City and raised outside Philadelphia, Gabby is passionate about brand building, social good, sustainability and mentoring. She loves to talk about Philly and Bay Area sports and lives in Oakland, California with her husband, Andres, and their two boys, Ellis and Nico. When she’s not working or attending her kids’ sporting activities, you can find her on the pickleball court!

Dr. Akilah Cadet

Oakland Roots – Co-owner

Dr. Akilah Cadet is the co-owner of the Oakland Roots and the Founder and CEO of Change Cadet, a consulting firm specializing in cultural transformation and strategy. Recognized as a Forbes Next 1000 Entrepreneur, Dr. Cadet is a thought leader and speaker, advocating for equity and dismantling systemic racism while partnering with global brands.

Kristen Gambetta

Partner Marketing – Amazon Music

Kristen Gambetta is an inspirational leader with 20 years of Sports Marketing experience, building brands at the intersection of innovation, purpose, and sport. She was on the team that launched Houston’s first Major League Soccer team in 2006 and later helped launch a National Women’s Soccer League franchise and the city’s first soccer-specific stadium. Currently, she leads Sports and Gaming Partnerships at Amazon Music. Previously she was President of a start-up that built a a mobile app for women’s sports fans, led Sports and Entertainment at Rakuten, Brand Partnerships at Esurance, and Partnership Marketing for the Houston Dynamo and Dash. She advocates for equality and equity in and out of the workplace.

Ay’Anna Moody

Golden State Warriors – Senior Director of Social Impact

Ay’Anna Moody Ay’Anna Moody is a visionary leader and second-generation Oakland native deeply committed to equity, community empowerment, and transformative social impact. As the Senior Director of Social Impact for the Golden State Warriors, she leads initiatives that amplify the organization’s dedication to community well-being and inclusive engagement. By collaborating with corporate partners, players, and cross-departmental teams, Ay’Anna designs programs that drive measurable, equitable change while advancing organizational goals. Previously, Ay’Anna served as the Director of College Access for the Oakland Promise and Coordinator of College Access for the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD). Her innovative strategies achieved an 85% FAFSA/Dream Act completion rate and elevated OUSD’s high school graduation rate to 70%—the highest in decades. These accomplishments underscore her ability to deliver tangible outcomes that uplift communities. A proud UCLA alumna with a B.A. in African American Studies and Political Science, Ay’Anna holds an M.A. in Education Policy and Social Analysis from Columbia University. Her impactful work has earned her accolades, including the Powerful Woman of the Bay Area Award (2021) and the Community Leadership Award from OUSD (2024).

Beyond her professional roles, Ay’Anna is deeply rooted in her community. She recently served as Vice President of the Oakland NAACP and as immediate past president of Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA). A proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., she also serves on the board of Spark SF, the San Francisco Unified School District’s 501(c)(3) arm, and was an early member of the Oakland Roots Community Advisory Board.

Pam Baker

Founder – Women’s Coaching Alliance

Pam Baker considers herself a connector of people and ideas. She spent more than 20 years in healthcare at companies big and small and across biotech, pharmaceuticals, digital health, diagnostics and consulting. She’s led teams across commercial, product development and market access sectors in early stage startups to F50 companies. Outside of healthcare, she founded and led a career and communications startup and is drawn to mentoring and activating new and future leaders, markets and possibilities. In 2022 when her husband Doug died of pancreatic cancer shortly after diagnosis, Pam founded the Women’s Coaching Alliance in honor of Doug’s efforts to grow the number of women coaching youth sports. Originally from New Jersey, Pam received her BA in Political Science and Asian Studies from Northwestern University and a graduate degree in International Management from Thunderbird. Pam is the mom of teenage twin daughters and a strong advocate for women’s leadership. She serves on the board of the International Women’s Forum and the Field Middle School.

Outside of work, Pam can be found cooking, watching movies with her daughters, or getting an endorphin rush on her road bike in any number of paths on the Peninsula.

Kristin Rogers

Director of Brand, Retail, Media and Ad – Plug and Play

Kristen Rodgers currently serves as the Director of Sportstech for Plug and Play Tech Center, helping the world’s largest corporations with their innovation strategy by partnering them with cutting-edge startups. Prior to joining Plug and Play, Kristen was Head of Accounts for a sportstech startup, Tagboard, leading the sales effort and growth among broadcast clients. Kristen’s expertise lies in the media space, as she was a sports anchor for 7+ years with Fox29 in Philadelphia and KEZI in Eugene, Oregon. Kristen has covered the biggest events in the world from Super Bowls to NCAA Championships, NBA Playoffs and March Madness.
Kristen is a Bay Area native and credits her love of sport to her dad teaching her defensive schemes by watching the 49ers on gameday and mapping out the plays using forks and knives on the dinner table. Kristen graduated from USC with a major in Broadcast and Digital Journalism with minors in Business Administration and Sports Media Studies. She was President of USC Club Tennis and Vice President of Delta Gamma. When she’s not helping founders and corporations in the space, you can find Kristen playing golf, tennis, pickleball or cheering on her 49ers!

Jill Schweitzer

Head of Product – PFF FC

Jill Schweitzer is a seasoned product leader with over a decade of experience within startups and established tech companies, spanning B2B and consumer products. A lifelong sports fan and athlete, she’s thrilled to merge her passion with her career—an ambition first sparked during her MBA at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, and now realized as Head of Product at PFF FC. Based in Oakland, she also serves as Co-Chair of the Board for Destiny Arts Center, supporting youth empowerment through movement and creative expression.

Ritu Mathur

Premier Nutrition – GM, Dymatize

Ritu Mathur brings over a decade of experience in the food industry. As a seasoned marketer and brand strategist, she has a demonstrated track record of building consumer love and loyalty. In the past, Ritu served as the senior director of marketing for the Luna brand at Clif Bar where she architected a values-based equal pay campaign and built key partnerships with the US Women’s Soccer Team and Venus Williams to drive gender equality in sports. She has also worked on amazing brands such as Nestle, Peloton, & Amy’s Kitchen. She is currently the General Manager of Dymatize at Premier Nutrition.

Dr. Marissa Nichols

Cal Athletics – Senior Associate Athletics Director

Dr. Marissa Nichols is the Senior Associate Athletics Director and Director of the Cameron Institute for Student-Athlete Development at the University of California, Berkeley. With over 14 years of visionary leadership in higher education and intercollegiate athletics, Dr. Nichols is a recognized authority in student-athlete development, assessment and evaluation, and the creation of innovative programs. She has a proven track record as a builder, having served in four inaugural roles across three institutions (UNLV, Boston University, Cal). At the helm of the Cameron Institute—a $19 million endowed, 13-member start-up—Dr. Nichols has driven the delivery of comprehensive, data-informed services and interventions for student-athletes and coaches. Her leadership extends to her role as the Sport Supervisor for Cal Men’s & Women’s Track & Field and Cross Country programs.

Dr. Nichols earned her PhD in Higher Education Leadership and an MEd in Guidance Counseling from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, where she was an NCAA Woman of the Year finalist and a Division I First-Team All-American. As a practitioner-scholar, she has published research on factors influencing student-athlete performance and has delivered over 40 academic presentations and conference discussions. She strives to make significant contributions to the field through her previous service on the NACDA-N4A Board of Directors, where she played a key role in setting professional industry standards and developing an innovative instrument for evaluating student services. Additionally, she is a faculty member of the N4A Steve McDonnell Professional Development Institute. In her consulting practice as an ROI Institute Associate, she empowers individuals and organizations to demonstrate measurable success.