Bringing together current and aspiring Game Changers
“I can confidently say my mentor has positively impacted my life and my career and I know we’ll be in contact long-term. I likely never would have met her if it weren’t for this program.”
The CSM Mentoring Challenge, in partnership with Sports Business Journal is back for the seventh year. The program brings together ambitious women early on in their careers in the sport industry and SBJ Game Changers to provide mentorship and guidance throughout this pivotal stage of their careers. The Mentoring Challenge provides both mentors and mentees with the opportunity to build relationships with leaders in the industry, access a range of bespoke events and webinars, plus a complimentary ticket to this year’s SBJ Game Changers conference.
The 2021-2022 instalment has now come to an end; a year spent connecting with the industry peers, knowledge sharing and plenty of learning and development opportunities.
SBJ Game Changers Conference
We kicked off with a networking event, followed by an invitation to the SBJ Game Changers conference. It was a fantastic chance for mentors and mentees to connect with each other face-to-face, meet inspirational leaders – including the 2021 class of SBJ Game Changers – and hear insights from key influencers and decision-makers within the industry, including representatives from global brands and rights holders.
International Women’s Day Webinar
International Women’s Day was soon upon us. To celebrate, four of our incredible mentors, Kelly Hyne – LPGA, Victoria Brumfield – USA Triathlon, Megan Hughes Allison – underdog venture team and Adrienne Barber – Major League Soccer, joined us for a webinar and shared their stories of how they broke the bias within the sports industry to make their way to the top.
“Our different perspective is our advantage – it’s our superpower. As a token woman, you bring a perspective and a voice that no one else has. It’s a significant value and embracing that is part of the process. I owe that all to my mentors.”
Victoria Brumfield, Chief Business Development Officer & Chief of Staff, USA Triathlon
Wine Tasting in New York
Shortly afterwards, we hosted a wine tasting live from our New York HQ and streamed virtually for those based outside of the city, providing a chance for mentors and mentees to catch up in the new year and to broaden their understanding of the wonderful world of wine…
Courtside at New York Liberty
The fun continued. With the assistance of one of our brilliant mentees, the Class of 2021-2022 were fortunate enough to attend a one-of-a-kind experience at a New York Liberty game. The night began with an intimate dinner and fireside chat featuring Angela Ruggiero, 4x Olympian & co-founder/CEO of Sports Innovation Lab, followed by court-side seats for the game, and an on-court photo op!
Self-Coaching and Speaking Out
We then hosted our final two events in the program, the first being a virtual ‘How to Coach Yourself’ session with Helen Tupper from Amazing If and author of The Squiggly Career, who provided tools, techniques and ideas on how to be your own best career coach. Our final event of the program, ‘Speak Out: Making Sure Every Voice is Heard’, was a panel discussion hosted live from our New York HQ. Our panel, featuring Jarryd Boyd from Hinge, Mira Shane from Athletes Unlimited and Verb Energy and Kristy Singletary from Pfizer, provided incredible insight on creating a more diverse, inclusive and equitable industry.
If you’re pursuing your career in the sports industry, would like to be mentored by a leading female industry executive and the program sounds like something you’d love to be a part of, head to www.csmmentoringchallenge.com to learn more.