WINS

In conjunction with the Sport Management Society, Women Influencers in Sport (WINS) offers regular programming to encourage the development and education of female students studying sport management. Through the initiative and its mentorship, female students gain the skills, knowledge, networks and confidence necessary to establish themselves in what is currently an overwhelmingly male-dominated industry. For more information, contact Associate Professor Shaina Dabbs.

Empower

  • Build your brand
  • Interviewing
  • Self-confidence and self-reliance
  • Storytelling

Educate

  • X’s and O’s of certain sports
  • Review Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg and Mindset by Carol Dweck
  • Diversity
  • Workplace trends and situations

Engage

  • Women leaders in the sport industry visit campus and serve as guest speakers
  • Empowerment panel
  • Undergraduate research
  • Community outreach
  • Internships

Connect

  • Elon alumni relationships
  • WINS segment on “Elon Phoenix Weekly”
  • Networking
  • Partnership with Women’s Elon Entertainment Empire (WEEE)

Mission statement

To empower female students to be successful leaders in sport through education, engagement, and meaningful connection; in doing so, WINS seeks to create a more diverse classroom, workforce, and sport community.

As a woman in a male-dominated industry, it’s important to find a support system and circle who understand your journey, and to understand that you may one day be able to provide an opportunity to another woman who wants to break into the sport field.

– Kelsey Harris ’14

Mentors

Serena Archer ’19 
Director of Digital Content
University of Colorado
Boulder, Colorado

Monica Austin ’18
Partner Support Manager
Kambi
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Carrigan Bain ’19
Director of Football Operations
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina

Kylie Devlin ’19
Manager of Inside Sales
NASCAR
Daytona Beach, Florida

Jane Domeck ’16
Manager of Customer Success
Vendr
Durham, North Carolina

Kristina Grigos ’19
Manager of Premium Sales
Duke University at LEARFIELD Amplify
Durham, North Carolina

Grace Hanlon ’16
Assistant Director of Basketball Legacy Fund
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Kelsey Harris ’14
Manager, International Team Tours
Anthony Travel
Greensboro, North Carolina

Alisha Ingold ’13
Key Account Specialist
Lindt USA
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Jessica Jones ’16
Assistant Director of Event Management
The Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio

Katie Soraghan Kuczkowski ’17
Assistant Director of Regional Alumni Engagement
Elon University
Elon, North Carolina

Danielle Lafferty ’12
Director of Athletics
Pfeiffer University
Misenheimer, North Carolina

Raychel Diver Lockwood ’15
Director of Development, Martha & Spencer Love School of Business
Elon University
Elon, North Carolina

Shelby McKay ’13
Senior Associate Athletic Director
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Gina Nicoletti-Bellinger ’92
Senior Associate Athletic Director
Centre College
Lexington, Kentucky

Hannah Olson ’18
Branch Rental Manager
Enterprise Holdings
Raleigh, North Carolina

Carol Pyszkowski ’16
Campaigns and Events Specialist
SAS
Raleigh, North Carolina

Lauren Rhyne ’14
Senior Director, Athlete Safety and Education
USA Baseball
Durham, North Carolina

Zora Stephenson ’15
Sideline and Digital Reporter
Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Abby Bradbury Suguiyama ‘13
Director of Football Student Support
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, Wisconsin

Promise of Possibility

In recognition of National Girls & Women in Sports Day, the School of Communications and the WINS initiative – in conjunction with the Athletic Department – hosted a daylong event titled “Promise of Possibility – a celebration of women in sport” on Feb. 14, 2020. It featured an on-campus panel discussion, networking reception and classroom visits with female professionals in the sport industry, and concluded with a gathering at the Elon women’s basketball game.

The event was highlighted by an afternoon panel in LaRose Student Commons featuring Erinn Latta of Ecore; Monica McCoy, a sport industry consultant; Dana Seiden of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment; Felicia Tittle of Duke University; and Theresa Wenzel, former president of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream organization. The panel was moderated by Associate Professor Cara Lucia. Photos of the panel on available on Flickr.

Leading up to the Promise of Possibility event, Elon alumna Kelsey Harris ’14 participated in the video below, reflecting on women in sport and how visibility is important.