Events

Past Events

11th Annual Women of Inspiration

NOVEMBER 10, 2022

Banc of California Stadium hosted WISE Los Angeles for its 11th Annual Women of Inspiration. Guests honored the 2022 WISE Los Angeles Women of Inspiration including Gina Galasso (Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, ocV!BE), Johanna Faries (SVP/General Manager, Call of Duty®), and Julie Uhrman (Co-Founder and President, Angel City Football Club). This year’s honorees were selected the WISE LA nominating committee because of their exceptional leadership within Southern California sports entertainment, and for being positive professional and personal role models for all women. 

Women Championing Women in Sports Interactive Networking Experience

September 20, 2022

WISE Los Angeles partnered with the LA84 Foundation, Lead Different Consulting and AEG to host a special night of conversation and connection for executive women of color working and winning in the sports industry. Attendees enjoyed this interactive networking experience with leading women in the front office and top hiring managers. From networking to small group roundtable sessions, the evening was full of inspiration, learnings and real conversations. Featured champions and hiring managers in attendance included Gina Galasso - CHRO, ocV!BE; Molly Higgins - EVP of Community Impact & Engagement, Los Angeles Rams; Nam McGrail - SVP, Partnership Activation, Los Angeles Kings; Kiesha Nix - VP, Charitable Affairs & Lakers Youth Foundation, Los Angeles Lakers; Christine Simmons - Strategist, Entrepreneur, Creator & Founder, Alis Volat Propriis, LLC; Kimberly Wilson - SVP, Brand & Consumer Marketing, SiriusXM.

Personal Brand Career Strategy: Connecting Your Core Values

August 28, 2019

It was a full house on August 28, 2019 at Dodger Stadium. WISE LA partnered with the Los Angeles Dodgers to help attendees determine how to implement their personal values into their career purpose. From Paul Epstein's keynote on, "How to Live and Lead with Purpose" to a fireside chat with the Dodger's VP of Digital Strategy, Caroline Morgan, the room was electric!

Take Charge of Your Career: Negotiation Best Practices for the Workplace

July 26, 2019

On Tuesday, July 16, nearly 100 attendees joined to learn about the art of negotiation and how to "take charge of your career" at Dignity Health Sports Park sponsored by the LA Chargers. Panelists included LA Chargers EVP of Football Administration/Player Finance Ed McGuire, NFL Agent Kristen Kuliga, and LA Chargers Team Reporter Chris Hayre.

Attendees got to hear firsthand from Kristen and Ed best practices from their own experiences including be prepared, do your homework, understand your leverage, and manage emotions in the room. They also discussed the importance of communication and building, while also maintaining relationships. Following the presentation, attendees then got to try negotiating themselves through fun activities and role playing.

Building Sports' Biggest Events

June 26, 2019

On June 26, WISE LA and the Los Angeles Rams partnered to put on an insight event featuring incredible panelists working on the front lines of Super Bowl LIII, the World Series, NBA All-Star Week, and major surfing events! Speakers included VP/GM of Media, Los Angeles Rams Marissa Daly; Director of Event Services & Production, STAPLES Center Michael Becker; Producer, World Surf League Camille Herrera; and Executive Producer, Los Angeles Dodgers Greg Taylor. Rams Team Reporter Sarina Morales, moderated the panel in which our moderators shared helpful tips like “just say YES to new opportunities" (Marissa Daly) and “make the most out of every interaction" (Michael Becker).

Social Media Workshop: Building a Brand

May 22, 2019

On May 22nd, WISE LA and the LA Kings partnered and put together an insightful workshop. "Social Media Workshop: Building a Brand" dove into the best practices to enhance your personal LinkedIn page using tactic to be attractive to the audience you are targeting. The panel featured Founder of Positive Equation, Dana Bakich, Director of Digital Media for the Los Angeles Kings, Michal Olszewski, and Digital Media Producer for the Los Angeles Kings Emily Griganavicius. Attendees received insightful information on how to build an image of their own and also analyzed the present strategies used in sports through social media and were encouraged to be active, engaged, and relevant on LinkedIn. Additionally, they received a "behind the scenes" of what it takes to build a brand for a team like the LA Kings and stay relevant in the sports industry.

Women and Men at Work: Celebrating Males as Allies and Advocates

April 25, 2019

On April 25th, more than 55 attendees joined together for an evening of reflection and celebration at the Palihouse in West Hollywood to share stories and discuss the changing landscape of women and men in the workplace. WISE members and WISE Corporate Partners brought their "male allies" in the spirit of sharing and celebrating how these men are making a positive impact on their development and career growth. Led by Rachana Bhide, workplace psychologist for Bloomberg and founder of the "Corner of the Court" leadership series, attendees reflected on their own experiences, shared stories, learned partnership best practices and how to to bring those strategies back to their organizations. Opening speakers, Chris Klein, President of the LA Galaxy, and Katie Pandolfo, General Manager of Dignity Health Sports Park, shared their own stories of partnership and advocacy throughout their careers together. Thank you to all that attended for this powerful and impactful evening and especially to our hosts, the LA Galaxy and Dignity Health Sports Park.

Power Play: Los Angeles Lakers

March 13, 2019

Power Play is held annually in celebration of National Women’s History Month. On March 13th WISE LA and the Los Angeles Lakers hosted an insightful event at UCLA Health Training Center in front of a sold out crowd. The panel featured a diverse group of senior to executive level women from the LA Lakers who shared their career journeys and paths to leadership. Panelists were VP of Facilities and Building Operations Lisa Estrada, VP of Corporate Partnerships Allison Howard, Director of Business Analytics and Strategy Christina Khosravi, Executive Director of the Lakers Youth Foundation Keisha Nix, and Chief of Staff Elaine Shen.

Key words of wisdom included failure is taught to be a bad word but we should fail and fail again in order to succeed, and communication is key when managing a team. Howard shared that she graduated with a degree in civil engineering and had no idea where her career would take her. She encouraged attendees to dress the part, act the part, and set the tone in their leadership roles. Their stories and experiences within the industry provided great advice to those in attendance.

Speed Mentoring Round Tables

January 23, 2019

On Wednesday, January 30 WISE Los Angeles hosted Speed Mentoring Round Tables at Banc of California Stadium. The event allowed attendees an up close and personal experience with industry veterans representing over 20 different companies including LAFC, AEG, ESPN, FOX the Los Angeles Lakers, and more. Mentors shared their personal stories and discussed professional development topics like networking, salary negotiations, and career planning. Attendees were given the chance to create meaningful relationships in the newly built Banc of California Stadium.

Special thanks to the Los Angeles Football Club for hosting WISE LA for this amazing event and a special discount at LAFC HQ for all attendees!

Women of Inspiration

November 28, 2018

WISE Los Angeles recently celebrated their signature Women of Inspiration event at The Majestic in Downtown LA. Once again, three extraordinary women were honored for the significant impacts they have made in the business of sports and events – Jennifer Pransky, Coordinating Producer, Features, FOX Sports Media Group; Sandy Nunez, Coordinating Producer, ESPN Los Angeles; and Michele Kajiwara, SVP, Premium Seating, STAPLES Center and Microsoft Theater.

Pransky, who is known for thinking outside the box, shared the story of how her individuality has helped her get far in an industry that wasn’t always known for its innovation. Nunez, another production veteran who has truly seen it all, told a riveting tale of constantly reinventing oneself over the years. Then Kajiwara, a pioneer who brings hundreds of millions of dollars in value to her company annually, rounded out the evening with a rousing speech that encouraged every woman in the room to always reach for the sky.

Over 350 women gathered for the event, closing out another successful year for WISE Los Angeles. With 2019 just ahead, we look forward to working with Jennifer, Sandy, and Michele to make the next year even bigger and better.

Evening with the Advisory Board

September 27, 2018

An Evening with the Advisory Board, a WISE Los Angeles signature event, brought women together for a TedTalk-inspired evening featuring the words of the 2017 Women of Inspiration: Christine Simmons, President, LA Sparks; Janet Evans, Vice Chair, LA 2028; and Valorie Field, Head Coach, UCLA Gymnastics.

WISE LA also partnered with Urban Possibilities, an organization that provides empowerment tools to help inner-city adults land jobs and redesign their lives, to encourage attendees to bring lightly worn business attire for donation to the charity.

Behind the Scenes: The Women of Dodger Baseball

August 29, 2018

The wonderful women of the LA Dodgers recently opened their doors up to host a night of engaging and insightful conversation with WISE LA. Participants were given an inside peek into how the Dodgers bolster their global brand presence, develop international partnerships, and integrate innovative technologies to amplify every asset of their organization. Needless to say, it was an insightful evening exploring innovation! On top of learning from some of the industry’s top leaders, the women of WISE were also treated with a behind-the-scenes tour of Dodger stadium and the rich history it holds. A big thank you again to the LA Dodgers for hosting such a fun and fulfilling night!

Women in the Workplace

July 26, 2018

Presented by esteemed attorneys Burke, Williams, & Sorensen, LLP, WISE LA members engaged in an evening of candid conversation about what it means to be a woman in the workplace.

Burke, Williams, & Sorensen’s harassment training educated participants on how to develop certain skills in the workplace. Topics of discussion included getting comfortable with awkward (but necessary) conversations, how to take appropriate action as a victim or bystander, and understanding employee rights in the workplace. By creating a safe space of like-minded women, the evening proved to be a tough, but important lesson in how to confront and deal with all manner of workplace situations.

Special thanks to Twitter for hosting our event!

Working Beyond Your Role

June 20, 2018

The evening began with an inside look at the progress of the LA Stadium and Entertainment District. From retail to residential spaces, the development is set to completely revamp this slice of Los Angeles. It’s safe to say that all attendees can’t wait to see this newest addition to the LA sports scene in action!

Following the tours, the women of WISE settled in for a panel on Working Beyond Your Role. Moderated by Pat Harvey, beloved CBS anchor, panelists discussed the journeys to their current careers. Panelists included Michele Meany, Retail/Restaurant Broker, Wilson Meany; Sarina Morales, Team Reporter, LA Rams; Jane Normansell, Director, Global Partnerships, LA Stadium & Entertainment District; and Ronalee Zarate-Bayani, Chief Marketing Officer, LA Rams. Each woman had her own completely unique journey, showing that there is not one path to success in this industry.

Many thanks to the LA Rams for hosting the women of WISE for a wonderful evening of networking and inspiration!

Public Speaking Workshop

May 24, 2018

Whether it’s behind the camera or in front of a boardroom, WISE LA recently set up its members for success with a workshop on public speaking.

With speakers from LAFC, UCLA, and more, a panel of senior business leaders and on-air talent gave members a few tricks and tools of the trade. Experienced speech coaches were also on hand to share insight on how to effectively reach an audience with your message.

Thanks to the words of wisdom from our panelists and UCLA Anderson Center for Media, Entertainment and Sports for hosting us - we’ll no doubt have a new sense of confidence in the next meeting we lead! If you'd like to follow-up with Lily Lapenna and Dr. Veera Asher please click here. Also, check out Amy Cuddy's TED talk here.

Girls on the Run

May 6, 2018

In partnership with the Women of FOX Sports, WISE LA recently volunteered at the annual Girls on the Run 5K in El Monte, CA.

Girls on the Run is an organization that inspires girls on what makes them “one of a kind.” Trained coaches lead small teams through a ten-week program that includes dynamic discussions, activities, and running games. The program culminates with a celebratory 5K.

To support these wonderful women of our future, WISE LA came out bright and early to cheer on the runners. It’s safe to say the future is in bright hands thanks to Girls on the Run!