Advancing Your Career in Sports Business: Trends and Insights from Industry Leaders and Peers

Wednesday, July 1 | 12:30 PM ET

Advancing Your Career in Sports Business: Trends and Insights from Industry Leaders and Peers

The sports industry continues to evolve rapidly, creating new pathways and new challenges for professionals looking to grow and advance their careers. As organizations adapt and opportunities emerge across teams, leagues, media and brands, understanding how to navigate your next step within your current role or company has never been more important.

In this SBJ Live episode, industry leaders and Leaders Club members will share practical insights on how to identify opportunities for advancement, build meaningful connections and position yourself for growth within your organization and across the broader sports landscape. The conversation will also explore how professionals can expand their network, develop new skills and take advantage of educational and networking opportunities to accelerate long-term career progress.

Join us for a discussion focused on how to stand out, strengthen your relationships and move forward in your sports business career.

You can find more information about Leaders Club here: https://www.leadersclub.com/

Speakers

Lizzie Leader, VP of Communications & Investor Relations, aXiomatic

Lizzie is an investor relations executive and narrative strategist who has spent her career mapping the frontier and currently serves as VP of Communications & Investor Relations at aXiomatic, a private esports and gaming investment platform. She joined as the company's first employee and has helped build one of the industry's most compelling private portfolios: Epic Games (Fortnite), Niantic (Pokémon Go), and Team Liquid — recently recognized by Guinness World Records 2026 as the highest-earning esports team in history with more than $56M in lifetime prize winnings. Her work sits at the nexus of emerging sectors, audience strategy, and investor relations, providing strategic counsel to portfolio companies and senior leaders. aXiomatic's investor base includes Peter Guber, Ted Leonsis, Jeff Vinik, Bruce Karsh, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and The Walt Disney Company.

Lizzie is a member of Sports Business Journal's Leaders Club and holds a B.A. in International Relations from Claremont McKenna College.

Marisa Ferrara, Director of Partnership Activation, Chicago Sky

Marisa Ferrara joined the Chicago Sky in January 2024 as a Corporate Partnerships Manager and now serves as the Director of Partnership Activation. Marisa oversees all current partner fulfillment, specializing in experiential brand marketing while providing best-in-class service for 50+ corporate partners. She specializes in strategic ideation & the holistic fan experience to help brands meet their objectives in a creative & authentic way. With nearly a decade of experience in professional sports and college athletics, Marisa has served on the WISE Chicago Board as WISE Within Chair to help other young professionals excel in their career journeys. You might also recognize Marisa as a member of SBJ Leaders: Chicago Cohort.

Marisa relocated to the Windy City to join the Corporate Partnership Strategy team as an Activation Specialist at the Chicago Cubs. Before that, she had her boots strapped in Dallas, Texas while activating sports partnerships for American Airlines. Prior to Texas, Marisa spent her time coaching football in Western PA for the Pittsburgh Steelers & her alma mater. She graduated from Slippery Rock University in three years with a B.S. in Sport Management and a Communications minor. She also received her M.S. in Sport Management from West Virginia University. Marisa's expertise includes partnership marketing, client services and strategic brand integration. She also has niche experience managing influencer campaigns for sport partnerships.

Chazz Lucenti, Senior Manager of VIP Strategy and Operations, Fanatics

At Fanatics, Chazz spearheads next-generation initiatives to elevate the global fan experience. A veteran of the sports technology and live entertainment sectors, Chazz previously drove operational excellence at SeatGeek and TrackMan. He is currently advancing his strategic leadership as an incoming Executive MBA candidate at the Yale School of Management, focusing on the financial, operational, and technological frameworks transforming the sports business landscape.

Jake Weir, Director of Industry Partnerships & Development, PGA of America

Jake Weir is the Director of Industry Partnerships & Development at the PGA of America, where he leads partnerships with golf-focused brands, licensing and merchandise strategy with their partners at Legends Global and oversees the PGA Show. With eight years at the PGA of America and previous experience with the South Florida PGA, Jake combines deep industry knowledge with a passion for golf. Originally from Buffalo, NY, he now works from the organization’s Frisco, TX headquarters, building strategic connections to advance the sport and its partners.

Registration is free. All registrants will receive a recording of the webinar following the event.

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