#HorizonSummit
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July 28-29, 2021 
8:30 AM PT- 4:00 PM PT
09:00 AM 09:10 AM
Sam Yagan | Shoprunner
Track One: Data-Driven Initiatives in Teams
9:45 - 10:55 AM
Jay Riola | Orlando Magic
Jake Lush McCrum | Rajasthan Royals
Justin Prettyman | San Francisco 49ers Foundation
Concurrent Breakout Sessions
11:00 - 11:30 AM
Rusty Parker | Atlanta Hawks
Amy Hunter | Utah Jazz
Narcis Alikhani | Atlanta Hawks
Scott MacIntosh | SAP
11:00 - 11:30 AM
Danny Spataro | SSB
Cameron Oliver | Trak Software
Track Two: Data Learnings From Silicon Valley
11:35 AM - 11:55 AM
Dominic Ferrario | Uber Technologies
12:00 - 12:20 PM
Alison Lu | San Francisco 49ers
Breakout Sessions: Track Three & Track Four
1:05 - 1:35 PM
Doug Holtzman | Sportsdigita
Chelsea Dill | San Diego Padres
Phil McMullen | Minnesota Twins
1:05 - 1:35 PM
Jenna Kurath | Comcast NBCU SportsTech
Will McIntosh | NBC Sports Group
David Preschlack | NBC Sports Group
Track Five: Brand Leadership & Data Innovation
1:40 - 2:50 PM
Kristen Ingram | Plus One Society
Jake Reynolds | New Jersey Devils
Lawrence Cappello | University of Alabama
2:55 - 3:25 PM
George Baker Sr. | ParkHub
Christian Lau | LAFC
3:30 - 4:00 PM
General Robert Brooks Brown | The Tony Scott Group
Tony Scott | The Tony Scott Group
9:00 - 9:30 AM
Michael J. Nyenhuis | UNICEF USA
9:35 - 9:50 AM
Daniel Kirschner | Greenfly
Track Six: Marketing & Fan Engagement, Powered by Samsung
9:55 - 11:05 AM
Heidi Browning | NHL
Elisha Greenwell | Brand Citizens
Joe Michael Nickson | ConCreates Inc
Kate Pratt & Drew Crisp | Liverpool FC
11:10 - 11:40 AM
Ronnie Bryant | Charlotte Hornets
Mike Rowe | Anthony James Partners
Kirk Kessler | Samsung Electronics
Track Seven: Stadium Innovation, Powered by Cisco
11:45 AM - 12:55 PM
Carolyn Kindle Betz | MLS4THELOU
Tom Moreland | Purdue Athletics
Charles Gao | Golden State Warriors
1:00 - 1:30 PM
Ken Martin | Cisco
Bill Anderson | AmpThink
Brent Schoeb | San Francisco 49ers
Breakout Sessions: Track Eight & Track Nine
1:35 - 2:05 PM
Umesh Johari | San Francisco 49ers
Sarah Hitt | Happy or Not
1:35 - 2:05 PM
Don White | Satisfi Labs
Head of Business Chat for North America | Apple
2:10 - 2:40 PM
Scott Fahey | Disney Streaming Services
Shaka Arnon | WSC Sports
2:45 - 2:55 PMNick Zobel & Steve Chan | San Francisco 49ers
3:00 - 3:30 PM
Chad Ellimoottil, MD, MS | University of Michigan
3:30 - 4:00 PM
Richard Sherman | San Francisco 49ers
4:00 PMTaylor Bloom | SportTechie
Moon Javaid | San Francisco 49ers
General Brown is a proven and innovative leader with distinguished leadership experience at the highest levels of the military. Well known for building trust in organizations, he is an authentic leader and team builder with impeccable integrity and broad experience in the operational, strategic and educational areas of the military. General Brown has had the honor to lead and serve in various Army units at every level from platoon to the largest service component command, the U.S. Army, Pacific.
Chad Ellimoottil is Assistant Professor of Urology and a member of the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation (IHPI) at the University of Michigan. After graduating with a degree in Economics from Northwestern University, Dr. Ellimoottil gained healthcare policy experience at the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission in Washington DC. He subsequently completed medical school and urology residency at Loyola University Medical Center. He also completed a master’s degree in Health and Healthcare Research and an NIH-sponsored fellowship in Health Services Research at the University of Michigan.
Michael J. Nyenhuis is the President and CEO of UNICEF USA, bringing in over 25 years of global humanitarian and development experience, fundraising acumen and proven results to this role. Before joining UNICEF USA, Nyenhuis was the president and CEO of Americares, a position he held since 2014, Nyenhuis was CEO of the global nonprofit MAP International for 13 years prior. A former journalist with a passion for global health, he previously served on USAID’s Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid and chaired the board of the Integral Alliance, a global network of faith-based NGOs.
Former Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the US government, Tony Scott assists clients with all aspects of cyber compliance, from starting up a comprehensive governance program, evaluating technical controls and prioritizing cyber risk, to preparing for and responding to a cybersecurity incident. President Obama appointed Tony as the US government’s CIO in 2015. He was responsible for management guidance, budget oversight, IT governance, cybersecurity coordination and strategy for the Executive Branch.
Richard Sherman is an American football cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He has been selected to the Pro Bowl five times and voted All-Pro five times, including three times to the first team. He led the NFL in interceptions in 2013, when he also helped the Seahawks win their first Super Bowl. Since entering the league, he has the most interceptions and defended passes of any active player.
Sam Yagan serves as the Chief Executive Officer of ShopRunner, Inc., which provides its millions of members with free two-day shipping and seamless checkout at over 140 leading online retailers. In addition, ShopRunner offers its partners a number of enterprise products, including marketplace services and same-day delivery. Sam has spent the bulk of his career in the online dating space, co-founding OkCupid in 2003 and leading the company as CEO through its sale to Match Group in 2011.
Narcis currently leads Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena advertising, marketing integration and operations and arena marketing efforts. Prior to joining the Hawks, Narcis spent time in the theme park industry leading marketing efforts for Herschend Family Entertainment and started her career at Turner Broadcasting in branding and ad sales marketing. She earned her MBA from Georgia State University and is currently based in Atlanta.
Bill Anderson is the founder and chief executive officer of AmpThink, a solutions company focused on building large, complex, Wi-Fi networks for the industrial, transportation, and sports and entertainment markets. For nearly a decade, AmpThink has built networks for over 55 stadiums and arenas, the largest automated warehouse in North America, and the 2nd largest freezer in the world. Bill has worked in the wireless industry for more than 20 years in roles including software development, hardware design, network design, and network construction.
Shaka Arnon is WSC Sports North America General Manager. He was born and raised in Israel and is residing in New Jersey since 2016. On top of leading WSC Sports’ North American operations, Arnon is a true sports enthusiast who enjoys both watching and practicing. He holds a B.Sc and M.Sc. in computer science from IDC Hertzeliya.
George has spent 20+ years serving the parking industry with 13 years of managing parking operations on a national level. Building on this background and the challenges he witnessed on both the operational and consumer side of parking, George founded ParkHub in 2010 to optimize parking operations with innovative, cutting-edge technology. ParkHub works with professional sports teams, premier entertainment venues, universities, and state parks across the United States, and has served the last five consecutive Super Bowl games.
Having led the majority female-owned Ownership Group throughout the bid process and following the expansion team being awarded in August 2019, Carolyn Kindle Betz officially assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for MLS4THELOU. As CEO, Kindle Betz oversees all business aspects of St. Louis’ new MLS team. In addition to leading Saint Louis’ new MLS club, Kindle Betz maintains her current role as President of the Enterprise Holdings Foundation, the charitable arm of Enterprise Holdings Inc.
As Chief Marketing Officer, Heidi Browning leads the National Hockey League’s growth marketing strategy with a focus on digital, innovation and social media. With more than 25 years of marketing experience, including success with major brands in Silicon Valley, Browning brings a valuable mix of client, agency and media owner perspective to the NHL. Under Browning’s leadership, the NHL has experienced a 33% growth in followers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter creating value for fans, bands and brands.
Ronnie Bryant is in his 16th year with the organization and his second as Chief Information Officer. In this role, he is responsible for all IT infrastructure for Hornets Sports & Entertainment, including the Charlotte Hornets, the Greensboro Swarm, Hornets Venom GT and Spectrum Center. He oversees the implementation, management and support of the organization’s computer hardware and software, networking, internet, telephones and more. Bryant also oversees all IT needs for events at Spectrum Center, including Hornets games, college basketball games, concerts, family shows and conventions.
Lawrence Cappello is a Professor of US Legal and Constitutional History at the University of Alabama and an Information Privacy Consultant. He is the author of None of Your Damn Business: Privacy in the United States from the Gilded Age to the Digital Age. His essays on privacy have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The Nation, The Hill, and The Economist.
Prior to joining Liverpool FC Drew was an executive Partner in IBM for seven years and in this time has held varying significant roles. Drew led IBM’s mobile practice and Apple partnership across Europe for the Communications sector in a period where digital transformation was being driven through the development of enterprise mobile applications and technology.
As the Director of Tourism and Corporate events, Chelsea Dill’s primary focus is to grow both Petco Park and the San Diego Padres awareness at a national and global scale. She works closely with the San Diego Tourism Authority and the San Diego Convention Center to grow revenues and create memories for companies that chose San Diego to host their events during Padres game days. Her extensive background in event planning and logistics have played an integral role in the Padres ability to group sales revenues over the past 10 seasons.
Scott Fahey is Sr. Director of NHL Digital Partnerships with Disney Streaming Services overseeing business development, vendor engagement and digital partnerships CRM. Scott has over 20 years of experience in the media technology space working in various verticals including product development, content creation, distribution, licensing and operations. He received his bachelor’s degree from American University, Washington D.C. and is currently based in Northport, NY.
Dominic Ferrario is a Manager of Business Development at Uber, and has been with the company for more than 5 years. He currently leads the team responsible for partnerships with live events, stadiums, and airports across the United States and Canada. He’s partnered with major venues and organizations to bring together Uber’s technology, data, and platform of products to create world-class experiences for millions of users. Dominic has also played instrumental roles in building Uber’s brand partnership strategy and growth marketing programs.
Since starting with the Warriors as the Business Strategy Manager in 2017, Charles Gao has led analytics initiatives related to operations, research, fan experience, business development and ticketing. His projects have included building the team’s quantitative pricing models, implementing reporting/BI dashboards, evaluating business expansion opportunities and creating the best fan experience at the new Chase Center arena informed by data.
Elisha helps lead the operations and expansion of Brand Citizens as a purpose and practice. A social impact strategist by trade, she has developed award-winning work for Intel, Nike and Starbucks over the course of her 15-year career. She is an active board member of the Huey Newton Foundation, and the founder of Black Joy Parade, a hyper-positive event welcoming over 25k people to celebrate the black experience past, present and future.
Sarah is a Certified Customer Experience Professional and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt with proven results achieved through end-to-end management of nationally recognized CX, EX and performance programs. Sarah is most known for her expertise in developing customercentric cultures, her Voice of Customer insights & understanding and her ability to raise performance.
Currently the VP, Business Development for Sportsdigita, Doug Holtzman brings 20+ years of experience in the sports business space to the team. During his career, he has focused on sponsorship sales for teams across multiple leagues and spaces. Doug has worked in the NFL (New Orleans Saints), MLB (Tampa Bay Rays), NBA (Houston Rockets), NCAA (IMG College), and CBA (Rockford Lightning). Doug has also worked in the technology and advertising industries.
Amy Hunter is the Director of Customer Strategy for the Utah Jazz and Larry H. Miller Sports and Entertainment. She is responsible for consolidating and analyzing various data sources to create understanding and visibility into customer behavior in order to acquire and maintain lifelong Jazz fans. Through cross-departmental collaboration, these efforts have assisted in producing high retention rates among the customer base, as well as a consistent increase in customer satisfaction.
Kristen Ingram is an award-winning CEO & Executive Producer at PLUS ONE society – a black-owned event production and marketing agency focused on social justice and racial equity servicing the sports, entertainment and media industries. Prior to launching PLUS ONE, Kristen was the Head of Affiliate Marketing for NFL NETWORK where she oversaw strategic partnerships, creative campaigns and experiential events for all NFL calendar initiatives, including Super Bowl.
Umesh Johari is the Director of Business Strategy and Analytics for the San Francisco 49ers, where he oversees the 49ers retail operations and fan feedback (including Happy or Not), while also leading various analytics, business development, and internal consulting projects. Prior to joining the 49ers, Umesh was a consultant in the San Francisco office of the Boston Consulting Group.
Kirk Kessler is a National Sales Manager for Samsung Electronics America - Live Events, Entertainment, and Spectaculars Group, with focuses in Professional and D1 Sports teams. The most recent projects under Kirk’s leadership include Chase Center in San Francisco, and SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Kirk is an industry veteran with over 30 years in the technology and digital signage solutions for the sports and entertainment industry. His experience is built in working with teams and ownership groups to build a venue that leaves a lasting impression with fans.
Daniel is a veteran in internet, sports, and media, holding senior roles spanning law, technology, and business. He has held positions as the President of the Harvard Law Review, Senior Advisor on Internet Policy at the FCC, and Head of Corporate Affairs at Activision Blizzard. As the Co-Founder and CEO of Greenfly, he works with some of the biggest brands in sports, entertainment, and social causes to help them build brand awareness and increase customer engagement through brand advocacy.
Jenna Kurath serves as Vice President of Startup Partner Development overseeing partner relations and resource management of SportsTech – a multi-stage accelerator focused on developing and investing in the world’s next great sports technologies and The FARM – an innovation hub supporting early-stage startup founders. In this role, Jenna is responsible for leading strategy for both accelerator funds; defining the investment thesis and managing key industry partnerships to build and curate a team of advisors and mentors, along with custom-designed curriculum and capital investment.
As Chief Technology Officer at Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) and Banc of California Stadium, Christian Lau’s focus is on defining the technical vision of the organization. His primary area of interest is the use of technology to enhance the guest experience, eliminate friction, and provide additive experiences for customers. From the beginning of his tenure, he has embraced the idea that his organization will try anything once.
Alison is a member of the 49ers and Elevate Business Strategy and Analytics Team, working across both 49ers and Elevate clients on ancillary businesses, food & beverage strategy, ticket pricing strategy and analytics reporting. She has seven years of experience in consulting, project management and sports business strategy.
Ken Martin serves as General Manager and Director of Global Sales in the Sports and Entertainment Solutions Group at Cisco. In his role, Ken has overall responsibility for accelerating development and adoption of Cisco solutions in this vertical. During his 15 years at Cisco he has been part of incubating and developing several Cisco solutions including the Cisco Connected Stadium architecture, the dynamic video delivery platform Cisco Vision, and the leading stadium and venue high-density Wi-Fi product.
Jake Lush McCrum is the Chief Operating Officer of the Rajasthan Royals. In addition to overseeing the day to day operations of the business, Jake particularly focuses on the franchise’s cricket and global expansion verticals, as well as the digital transformation of the business. This has included the launch of the IPL’s first cricket academy in the UK and a collaboration with Deakin University to create the IPL’s first online sports marketing courses.
Scott currently leads SAP’s initiatives in the BI & Analytics space in the North American market as it relates to how teams & league manage their fan and player performance Data. Prior to joining SAP Scott spend over 15 years in the sports industry on the team side with MLSE, Ottawa Senators & a few MiLB teams in the BI/Analytics, Ticket Sales & Sponsorship space. He earned his Master’s in Management Analytics Degree from Queen’s University and MBA from McGill University and is currently based in Toronto.
Will McIntosh was named Executive Vice President, Digital and Sports Consumer Business, NBC Sports Group, in June 2019. In this role, he has direct oversight of the NBC Sports Group’s portfolio of digital businesses, including all business aspects of GOLFNOW, all golf-related lifestyle businesses, SportsEngine, GOLFChannel.com, and NBCSports.com among other webbased businesses, including Rotoworld. McIntosh reports to Pete Bevacqua, President, NBC Sports Group.
Phil McMullen is the Senior Manager of Group Sales and Service with the Minnesota Twins. He is currently in his ninth season with the Twins which was proceeded by stints with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Colorado Mammoth, Colorado Springs Sky Sox, and the La Crosse Loggers. His team is responsible for driving new group sales business in addition to renewing and reimagining existing group sales programs. Through a strategic and innovative approach to group sales, his team hasseen a 40% increase in group sales revenue in the past five years.
Moreland provides direct oversight of the Purdue Athletics ticket office, sales & development unit and business intelligence unit. He and his team analyze and create revenue generation infrastructure and strategy that enhances internal collaboration and leverages relationships with a variety of stakeholders to maximize revenue. Moreland also works closely with the development and premium seating areas, marketing & fan experience, as well as with Learfield IMG College (Purdue Sports Properties). He also serves as the point person for licensing and retail sales.
Pure Strategist, charismatic, and creative genius isn’t something you normally would think when you talk about a bank robber. But in the case of Joe Michael Nickson, a South Central L.A. native, his ability to turn media nightmares into marketing miracles allowed him to turn his life around. On June 6, 2005 he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for having robbed 27 banks. While in prison he met Vincent who helped him to see the potential of his skills in the agency space and there they formed ConCreates. Today that brilliance that was once behind bars generating revenue driving campaigns has moved beyond and the opportunities are endless.
Cameron has 15 years of experience in sports marketing & high growth technology organizations. He was the youngest person to be promoted to General Manager in the history of Learfield Sports. While GM, he successfully ran Bobcat Sports Properties, a multi-million dollar Learfield entity. While at Learfield Sports, his stops included Logan, Utah, Bowling Green, Ohio, and Bozeman, Montana. He has a BS degree from Utah State University and an MBA from Bowling Green State University. His wife is Katie, and they have three kids, Norah, Graham, and Gwen.
Rusty Parker has spent over 4.5 years working with the Atlanta Hawks organization helping lead their Research & Insights team. Rusty and his team at The Atlanta Hawks were voted #1 in Overall Game Experience among season ticket members across the entire NBA for a broad range of categories. Rusty earned his PHD in Applied Sociology at Baylor University and has spent over 10 years prior to his time at the Hawks working in the Research & Data/ BI space with Sherpa Global and the Schapiro Group.
Kate Pratt serves as Head of Sales – Americas for Liverpool Football Club working under the stewardship of Fenway Sports Management (FSM). Pratt is responsible for all LFC commercial activities in the region and works in tandem with FSM to develop and execute LFC’s U.S. strategy. She is LFC’s first-ever senior executive liaison in the Americas and brings more than a decade of experience to her role. Prior to joining Liverpool Football Club, Kate was Director of Team Sales and Marketing Partnerships at the Madison Square Garden Company.
David Preschlack was named President, NBC Sports Regional Networks, and Executive Vice President, Content Strategy, NBC Sports Group, in February 2019. In addition to continuing to oversee the NBC Sports Regional Networks across the country, he contributes to the content strategy for NBC Sports Group’s national properties; serves as a principal in the division’s media rights negotiations; and helps lead strategy in the sports betting space.
Justin Prettyman is entering his third season serving as the executive director of the 49ers Foundation, which harnesses football to educate and empower Bay Area youth through collective and innovative community- focused strategies. From award-winning STEAM education and nationally recognized youth football programs, to impactful community partnerships with leading non-profits, the 49ers Foundation – under Prettyman’s leadership – is tirelessly dedicated to inspiring the confidence and collaboration youth need to tackle what is possible.
Jake Reynolds serves as the President of the New Jersey Devils, where he is responsible for overseeing all business, revenue, strategy and operations for the team. During his seven years as a senior executive with HBSE’s marquee franchise properties, the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia 76ers, Reynolds established himself as an industry leader in sales, corporate culture and innovation in front office analytics. As CRO of HBSE, Reynolds spearheaded fan-first, brand and front office initiatives that drove ground-breaking revenue streams and drastically improved fan and community engagement for both the Devils and 76ers.
Jay Riola is entering his 14th season with the Orlando Magic. He was promoted to senior vice president of strategy & innovation in July 2019. Riola oversees the Magic’s business strategy and innovation efforts including data engineering, strategy and analytics, mobile strategy, CRM, direct marketing and marketing technology, as well as other strategic initiatives and special projects. Riola also serves on the boards of the National Entrepreneur Center and Sports2Change, a nonprofit organization he founded that encourages volunteerism among youth student-athletes.
Michael is the co-founder and CEO of Anthony James Partners (AJP), an industry-leading Owner’s Representative and AV Consulting firm that designs, procures and implements largescale technology solutions for some of the highest profile sports and entertainment companies in world. In addition to overseeing business and strategic development, he is the creative force and inspiration behind much of the unique design that has defined AJP over the past fifteen years.
Brent Schoeb is in his tenth season with the San Francisco 49ers and third as Chief Revenue Officer. In his role, Schoeb is charged with overseeing corporate partnership sales, corporate partnership activation, broadcast partnerships, suite/premium sales, suite/premium activation, membership sales, membership services and ticketing for the 49ers. He also oversees public and special events at Levi’s® Stadium, which was voted the Sports Business Journal’s Sports Facility of the Year in 2015.
Danny has over 15 years of experience in Collegiate Athletics, Pro Sports, and Enterprise Technology. Danny spent 11 years with Learfield IMG College in sales & sales leadership roles serving Memphis, Texas A&M, Arizona, Penn State, Northwestern, and Harvard. Danny left Learfield IMG College to work with Fenway Sports Management, the parent company of the Red Sox, Liverpool Football, and New England Sports Network. After Fenway, Danny spent time at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (SMI), part of the NASCAR circuit.
Don White is the CEO and Co-Founder of Satisfi Labs. He is a business strategist and entrepreneur with a long history of bridging complex technology solutions with client needs. Don is a key voice in the Artificial Intelligence start-up community, regularly providing commentary around the future of AI and its impact on our lives and commerce. Under White’s leadership, Satisfi Labs has grown exponentially YOY by building strategic partnerships across key industries in sports, entertainment, and tourism and acquired investment from Google, MLB, and Red Light Management.
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