Linda Alvarado

Paolo Banchero

2023 NBA Rookie Of The Year, Paolo Banchero, is a professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic.

After an impressive high school career in Seattle, Paolo committed to Duke where he earned ACC Rookie of the Year honors, led all true freshmen in scoring nationally and owned one of the highest NIL valuations in all of college sports.

Drafted #1 in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, Paolo had one of the best rookie seasons in NBA history, winning 4 consecutive Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month awards and ultimately 2023 Rookie of the Year.

More than an NBA superstar in the making, Paolo looks forward to giving back to the community in his new home of Orlando, as well as hometown of Seattle.

Jessica Berman

Jessica Berman is the Commissioner of the National Women’s Soccer League where she oversees all operations of the league with a focus on supporting players on and off the pitch, working with NWSL clubs to continue to build on the positive momentum of the league’s growing audience, and collaborating with NWSL partners to create the most engaging and entertaining fan experience.

Berman joined the NWSL after two and a half years serving as deputy commissioner and executive vice president of business affairs at the National Lacrosse League. During her time with the NLL, Berman’s responsibilities included overseeing team services, operations, marketing and communications, broadcast and content, community engagement, human resources, and league governance.

Prior to her time with the NLL, Berman spent 13 years with the National Hockey League, first serving as vice president and deputy general counsel for the organization before becoming vice president of community development, culture and growth and executive director of the NHL Foundation. In her role as Deputy General Counsel, she was involved in collective bargaining negotiations, and was a key contributor in creating and executing the NHL’s labor strategy during the 2012 talks.

Berman’s later roles with the league focused on bolstering the sports experience for NHL and hockey enthusiasts around the globe. This included implementing a positive, inclusive, community-friendly approach across the league and working to increase access to hockey at all levels of the game. In addition, Berman oversaw the design and execution of the NHL’s corporate social responsibility goals and initiatives, an area she is particularly passionate about.

A graduate of the Fordham University School of Law, Berman also worked as an associate at Proskauer Rose LLP in the labor and employment sector where she represented several employers in collective bargaining negotiations, arbitrations, mediations and litigations, and worked on pro bono cases involving domestic violence, sexual assault and military matters.

Berman completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, graduating with a degree in Sports Management and Communications.

During her time at Michigan, Berman was involved with the men’s hockey and football programs as an assistant in the sports information office. While completing law school, she served as editor-in-chief of the Fordham Sports Law Forum and was an associate editor of the Urban Law Journal.

Berman has earned several distinctions throughout her sports career. She was named to Sports Business Journal’s 40 under 40 list in 2014. She currently sits on the Sports Lawyers Association Board of Directors, the University of Michigan Sport Management Advisory Board, the Fordham Sports Law Forum Board of Advisors, Sports Innovation Lab Women Executive Network, the Vice Chair of SIGA America Advisory Board and is a founding member of the Pro Sports Assembly, an organization dedicated to promoting diversity & inclusion in the professional sports industry.

A Brooklyn, New York native, Berman resides in Larchmont, New York, with her two sons and two rescue dogs.

David Blitzer

David S. Blitzer is the Global Head of Blackstone’s Tactical Opportunities group, and a member of the firm’s Management Committee. Blackstone Tactical Opportunities employs an opportunistic investment strategy across asset classes, industries and geographies and seeks to capitalize on time-sensitive or non-traditional investment opportunities that are differentiated and difficult to source, analyze or execute. Since joining Blackstone in 1991, Mr. Blitzer has been involved in the execution of Blackstone investments across a variety of asset classes, including establishing and leading Blackstone’s European private equity business. Mr. Blitzer is also a co-managing partner of a global portfolio of sports companies that include the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ; ownership in the NBA (Philadelphia 76ers), NHL (New Jersey Devils), the Premier League (Crystal Palace) and most recently, Team Dignitas, an eSports team in the fastest growing professional sport in the world. Mr. Blitzer is based in New York and graduated magna cum laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Blitzer currently serves on the Boards of Harlem RBI, an East Harlem social services and educational organization, the Riverdale Country School, the Advisory Board of the Mount Sinai Surgical Department, and the Board of Overseers at the Wharton School.

Aryeh Bourkoff

Aryeh B. Bourkoff is Chairman and CEO of LionTree, an independent merchant bank advising and investing in the companies and entrepreneurs leading the evolution of the global digital economy. Through its M&A advisory, capital markets, and asset management businesses, LionTree works in partnership with CEOs, creators, and investors to build and shape industries over the long-term, leveraging its thematic advice, strategic insights, capital resources, and global connectivity.

Prior to founding LionTree, Aryeh spent 13 years at UBS, closing his tenure as Vice Chairman and Head of Americas Investment Banking. Prior to UBS, he was a high‐yield research analyst at CIBC World Markets and Smith Barney and ranked as the number one cable and satellite analyst by Institutional Investor for seven consecutive years.

Aryeh serves on the boards of Yahoo, Gagosian, and Carnegie Hall. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Board of Trustees of both The Paley Center for Media and the Royal Academy of Arts. Aryeh graduated from the University of California at San Diego and resides in New York City with his family.

Lexie Brown

Lexie Brown was one of the founding members of Athletes Unlimited when it launched in 2021. She spent her first season on the Player Executive Committee in 2023 and was recently appointed Chairwoman of the PEC for the 2024 season. Brown finished fourth on the leaderboard in 2022 and earned a place on the inaugural Athletes Unlimited All-Defensive Team. In 2023, Brown recorded another successful season in which she accumulated almost 4,000 leaderboard points and led the league with a .448 three-point field goal percentage.
Brown, currently playing for the Los Angeles Sparks, won a WNBA title with the Chicago Sky in 2021. She signed on with the ACC Network as a college basketball analyst for the 2022-23 season.

As a standout with Duke, Brown earned the 2018 ACC Defensive Player of the Year award. She became the first player in NCAA history to earn AP All-American honors at two different schools (Duke & Maryland) and just the 41st player in NCAA history to earn three AP All-American recognitions.

Stuart Duguid

Stuart Duguid is the founder of the talent management agency EVOLVE and the production company Hana Kuma with his business partner, Naomi Osaka. Stuart has been a tennis agent since 2010, most recently Senior Vice President at IMG for the past 6 years where he was a Sports Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree, among other accolades. Instrumental in managing Naomi Osaka’s meteoric rise as a global superstar and multi grand slam winner, Stuart has overseen a number of industry firsts, including an unprecedented Nike deal which allowed for third party logos and helping Naomi to become the first female athlete ever to earn more than $50M in a calendar year. He has been a proponent of advancing women’s sports including a strategic investment in the North Carolina Courage NWSL team and helping Naomi launch Play Academy, a charitable venture to increase girls’ participation in sports. He sits on the board of Kinlo, a sun care product for people of color.

Jalen Green

Jalen Green is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association.

Ashlyn Harris

Ashlyn Harris, former United States Women’s National Team & Gotham FC goalkeeper and current Global Creative advisor for Gotham FC, made her debut in 2013 with the National Team. She was a member of the 2015 and 2019 World Cup Champion team, is a two-time CONCACAF Champion, and is a three-time SheBelieves Cup Champion.

Known for her distinct sense of style, her love of expressing herself through fashion, and her extensive tattoo work, Ashlyn is a champion of self- expression and self-love, and, as a result, her fan base is extremely devoted. Ashlyn is also a fierce advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights and Women’s rights and uses her platform to promote positive change.

Jessica Holtz

Jessica Holtz is the Co-Head of Basketball at CAA Sports, a division of leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA). CAA Sports represents more than 2,000 of the world's best athletes in sports such as baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer, in addition to icons in individual sports, on-air broadcasters, coaches, and other pre-eminent personalities. Beyond on-field athlete representation, CAA Sports provides unique opportunities for clients off-field, in areas including licensing, endorsements, speaking, philanthropy, video games, and digital. Holtz is based in the New York office and represents many of the world’s top basketball players, including Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Elena Delle Donne, both on and off the court, as well as Chris Paul, D’Angelo Russell, and others off the court. Jessica Holtz began her career at the National Basketball Association from 2007-2011. She then joined Excel Sports Management from 2011-2014 as a Senior Director of Marketing. She joined CAA in 2014. Holtz graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Sports Journalism, and minors in Spanish and International Studies. She earned her MBA at Baruch College. Holtz was named to the Class of 2018 Sports Business Journal’s Game Changers for women in sports. Holtz said her ability to help her star clients deal with the pressure of their careers and to achieve their life goals is what she enjoys most about her job. “What I like to do day to day is making their lives easier off the court, securing partnerships and growing their brand in a way that really matters. It’s authentic to them and that really moves the needle,” she said.

Larry Jackson

Rich Kleiman

Rich Kleiman is Kevin Durant’s long-time manager and co-founder in Thirty Five Ventures (35V) and Boardroom. Founded in 2016, 35V incorporates the duo’s existing business entities, including a media network, Boardroom, that sits at the intersection of sports, entertainment, business, and culture; Durant’s personal brand/marketing portfolio and on-court contracts; and an investment portfolio that includes ownership stakes in emerging teams and leagues such as Athletes Unlimited, Gotham FC, Philadelphia Union, and Premier Lacrosse League.

Other projects under the 35V/Boardroom umbrella include the critically acclaimed scripted series SWAGGER in partnership with Imagine Entertainment and Apple TV+, the Academy-Award-winning short film Two Distant Strangers (Netflix), and Emmy-nominated documentary NYC Point Gods (Showtime). The company’s investment portfolio includes over 100 early stage investments across sports, technology, finance, media, and more.

Kleiman serves as the Executive Director of the Durant Family Foundation (fka Kevin Durant Charity Foundation), helping underserved and low-income families and youth across the globe. He also sits on the Board of Directors at New Heights Youth, Inc., a non-profit dedicated to sports-based youth development and education in New York City.

Previously, Kleiman helped launch Roc Nation Sports, where he served as Vice President of the agency founded by Jay-Z. Kleiman started with Roc Nation in 2008 as a music manager representing Mark Ronson, Solange, Meek Mill, Wale, and many others.

Steve Kuhn

Steve Kuhn is the Founder of MLP by Margaritaville (MLP), the leading team-based professional pickleball league, established in 2021. Kuhn was introduced to pickleball by his nephew in 2015 and instantly became passionate about the sport, the joy derived from playing, and his belief that pickleball can unify people of all backgrounds and beliefs.

His vision for MLP began to take shape at a charity event he hosted in 2018 - the first time that professional tennis legends Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick played pickleball - and the league launched its first event with eight teams and 32 pros in November 2021. MLP expanded to three events, 12 teams, and 48 pros in 2022, before doubling to its 2023 iteration featuring six events, 24 teams, and nearly 100 professional players.

Kuhn’s innovations for MLP include establishing promotion and relegation for American professional sport for the first time, the coed team-based format, rally scoring, and the unique and thrilling Dreambreaker tiebreaker. The league boasts the best players, dynamic celebrity owners and investors, and the most exciting live events across the entire sport.

Before taking a leading role in professional pickleball, Kuhn was in the world of hedge funds. In 2008, he joined Pine River Capital Management which grew to a market cap of over $14 billion - the world’s best hedge fund track record from 2008-2013 - and made Kuhn one of the most successful hedge fund managers of all time. He also served as Chief Investment Officer of Two Harbors Investment Corp., a public company which grew to a market cap of over $4 billion under his leadership.

Nick Kyrgios

Nick Kyrgios burst onto the pro tennis scene in 2012 after a prolific junior tennis career. Since his start he has captivated fans with a larger than life personality, passion for the game, and unpredictability. He electrifies the Tour with his near unstoppable serve and powerful forehand.

Kyrgios has won 7 singles titles and 4 doubles titles in his career, but 2022 marked the first time Kyrgios displayed his dominance making it to his first Grand Slam Final, winning 3 singles titles, and 3 doubles titles. He also reached the Quarter Finals of the 2022 US Open beating then-ranked No. 1 Daniil Medvedev and is one of the few players on Tour who have beaten the Big Three (Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal) at least once.

Kyrgios was born in Canberra, Australia to Father George, who is from Greece, and mother Norlaila, who is from Malaysia. He played basketball until he was 14 before dedicating himself to tennis.

Kyrgios brings basketball swagger to the game of tennis playing with a level of charisma and authenticity not seen in tennis for a generation. His magnetism has led to a number of brand deals including Nike, Beats by Dre, and Beyond Meat. In addition, Kyrgios displays refreshing honesty when it comes to important conversations including mental health, the ups and downs of being a pro, and veganism and animal safety. He’s an investor in Alive Synbiotic and recently joined the EVOLVE agency founded by Naomi Osaka and Stuart Duguid. Finally, Kyrgios and his family run the NK Foundation in Australia focused on creating a sporting facility for underprivileged children in Melbourne, Australia.

Jay Marine

Jay Marine is VP and global head of sports for Prime Video at Amazon. In this role, Marine oversees all aspects of Prime Video Sports, including the entire customer experience and distribution on more than a billion devices, across living rooms, mobile, and web, as well as all Prime Video Sports production, technology, and business teams around the globe.

During his 20-year career at Amazon, Marine has led teams across all aspects of general management, product, marketing, design, pricing, software development, and business development. Most recently, he spent five years in London as vice president of Prime Video EU & India, where he also led Prime Video’s first sports investments in the UK, with the Premier League and the U.S. Open.

Previously, Marine spent eight years within the Amazon Kindle business, including shepherding the first Kindle device from concept to launch, before going on to serve as Jeff Bezos’ Technical Advisor.

Marine holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree from the Kellogg School of Management.

Paul Rabil

Rabil's a former professional lacrosse player, Co-Founder and President of the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL), the 2020 Sports Business Journal’s Sports Breakthrough of the Year. Over 4 years he's constructed an eight team league, a network partnership with ESPN, and corporate partners that include Ticketmaster, Cash App, Adidas, BOSE, Progressive Insurance, Champion, Gatorade, Michelob Ultra and more. In 2022, Rabil was an executive producer on “Fate of a Sport,” an ESPN documentary about the building of the PLL.

Rabil has the all-time scoring record in professional lacrosse, has won championships and MVP’s as an NCAA athlete, professional, and international player, and is a two-time World Lacrosse Champion with Team USA.

Off the field, Rabil's build a robust multi-channel network of over 1 million fans. In 2021, Sports Business Journal named Rabil a 40 Under 40 winner, while Cynopsis Sports Media awarded Paul “Best Athlete in a Web Series”, and SportTechie awarded Paul as the “Most Tech-Savvy Athlete on the Planet”.

In 2017, Rabil launched the award-winning Suiting Up Podcast, an interview-style show that hosts top athletes, entrepreneurs, and entertainers, such as Bill Belichick, Steph Curry, Venus Williams, Tony Hawk, Mark Cuban, Sue Bird and Adam Grant. The show is available on Apple Podcast, Google Play, Spotify or wherever podcasts are available.

Annually dubbed a “Top 40 Most Entrepreneurial Athlete” by Entrepreneur Magazine, Rabil's found success as an investor, deploying personal capital through his investment and advisory vehicle, Rabil Ventures.

He started the Paul Rabil Foundation in 2011 to help children with learning differences by creating programs and partnerships through sport and scholarship.

For more, you can visit paulrabil.com

Tamika Tremaglio

Tamika L. Tremaglio is the Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). In this role, she works on behalf of NBA players to ensure their rights are protected and that they are fairly compensated for the value they bring to the court and as ambassadors of the game around the world. Tremaglio began her 4-year term as executive director in January 2022.

Prior to joining the NBPA, Tremaglio served as the Managing Principal for Deloitte’s Greater Washington offices where she managed over 15,000 professionals across 17 offices that provided market-leading audit, tax, advisory, and consulting services. At Deloitte, Tremaglio built a thriving practice and advised a diverse range of clients on high-profile matters relating to strategy development, corporate governance, talent management, organizational alignment, risk management, and regulatory compliance. Tremaglio held several leadership positions at Deloitte in both the business and talent areas of the firm before she was appointed Managing Principal for the Greater Washington Area in 2017.

In addition to her professional achievements, Tremaglio has dedicated a tremendous amount of time and effort to give back to her community through volunteering, mentorship, and board service.

Tremaglio earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount St. Mary’s University in Business & Finance in 1992. She received her JD from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1995, and an MBA from the University of Baltimore in 1995.

Will Welch

Will Welch is the Global Editorial Director of GQ.

Julia Boorstin

Julia Boorstin is CNBC’s Senior Media & Tech Correspondent based at the network’s Los Angeles Bureau. She covers media with a special focus on the intersection of media and technology. Boorstin also plays a key role on CNBC’s bi-coastal tech-focused program “TechCheck” (M-F, 11AM-12PM ET/8AM-9AM PT) delivering reporting, analysis and interviews around streaming, social and the convergence of media and technology. She joined CNBC in May 2006 as a general assignment reporter and in 2007 moved to Los Angeles to cover media.

In 2013, Boorstin created and launched the CNBC Disruptor 50, an annual list she oversees, highlighting the private companies transforming the economy and challenging companies in established industries. Additionally, she reported a documentary on the future of television for the network, “Stay Tuned…The Future of TV.” She also helped launch CNBC’s ‘Closing the Gap’ initiative covering the people and companies closing gender gaps, and leads CNBC’s coverage of studies on this topic. She is currently writing a book called, “WHEN WOMEN LEAD: What they achieve, Why they succeed, and How we can learn from them,” about female founders that Simon & Schuster’s Avid Reader imprint is publishing in October 2022.

Boorstin joined CNBC from Fortune magazine where she was a business writer and reporter since 2000. During that time, she was also a contributor to “Street Life,” a live market wrap-up segment on CNN Headline News.

In 2003, 2004 and 2006, The Journalist and Financial Reporting newsletter named Boorstin to the “TJFR 30 under 30” list of the most promising business journalists under 30 years old. She has also worked for the State Department’s delegation to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and for Vice President Gore’s domestic policy office.

She graduated with honors from Princeton University with a B.A. in history. She was also an editor of The Daily Princetonian.

Andrew Ross Sorkin

Andrew Ross Sorkin is co-anchor of "Squawk Box" (M-F, 6AM-9AM ET), CNBC's signature morning program. Sorkin is also a financial columnist for The New York Times and the editor-at-large of DealBook, a news site he founded that is published by The Times.
Sorkin is the author of the best-selling book, "Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System—and Themselves," which chronicled the events of the 2008 financial crisis. The book won the 2010 Gerald Loeb Award for Best Business Book, and was shortlisted for the 2010 Samuel Johnson Prize and the 2010 Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award. The book was adapted as a movie by HBO Films in 2011. Sorkin was a co-producer of the film, which was nominated for 11 Emmy Awards.

Sorkin is also co-creator of the drama series "Billions" on Showtime starring Paul Giamatti and Damien Lewis.

Over the years, Sorkin has broken news on many major mergers and acquisitions, including Chase's acquisition of JPMorgan and Hewlett-Packard's acquisition of Compaq. He also led The Times's coverage of Vodafone's $183 billion hostile bid for Mannesmann, resulting in the world's largest takeover ever.

He won a Gerald Loeb Award in 2004 for breaking the news of IBM's historic sale of its PC business to Lenovo. He was also a finalist in the commentary category for his DealBook column. He won a Society of American Business Editors and Writers Award for breaking news in 2005 and again in 2006. In 2007, the World Economic Forum named him a Young Global Leader. In 2008 and 2009, Vanity Fair named him to its "Next Establishment" list. He was also named to the "Directorship 100," a list of the most influential people on the nation's board of directors. He is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Sorkin began writing for The New York Times in 1995 under unusual circumstances: He hadn't yet graduated from high school.

He graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. degree in May 1999.

Scott Wapner

Scott Wapner is host of CNBC’s “Fast Money Halftime Report” (M-F, 12PM-1PM ET) and “Closing Bell” (M-F, 3PM-4PM ET), which broadcast from the New York Stock Exchange. Wapner is known for interviewing some of the world’s most influential investors, drilling down into stocks and sectors and navigating viewers through breaking news and market moves during and after the trading day.

He is also the author of “When the Wolves Bite,” which documents the battle between billionaire investors Bill Ackman and Carl Icahn over Herbalife.

Vinciane Ngomsi

Vinciane Ngomsi is a staff reporter at Boardroom, a media network co-founded by Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman. Vinciane reports on all things sports, entertainment, fashion, and more. Prior to joining Boardroom, Vinciane spent three years covering breaking news and commercial partnerships at Yahoo Sports. Born in Yaounde, Cameroon, Vinciane moved to Kansas City, Missouri as a toddler. Upon graduating from Truman State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science, Vinciane moved to Washington, DC, where she is currently based. Vinciane enjoys reading, traveling, and cooking.