September Facts & FiguresSBC goes Virtual !! 100+ Students Attended Kickoff 100+ Total Students Attended the First Two Speaker Events
UW in the News
The State of UW Athletics
Professional Athletes & Commencement Speakers - A Correlation? Rose Lavelle joins JJ Watt and Russell Wilson as the third pro athlete to speak to graduating UW students in the last five years
Alumni Feature Spotlight
Q & A
When/how did you know you wanted to have a career in sports?
The short version: growing up, like a lot of people, I wanted to play sports professionally. Early in high school, I started to learn that there were people who worked at ballparks and arenas that weren’t just the players, coaches, ushers and vendors. I was fortunate that my high school offered two sports marketing classes, which really opened my mind to the possibility of working in sports, and ignited my passion. Same at UW-Madison, the SBC was starting up – thanks to our founders! – and I had just gotten an internship with the Athletic Marketing Department. Working in a Big Ten, major athletic department was eye-opening, extremely fun, and cemented my passion and desire. How did you break into the industry? All the credit goes to Adam Ahearn, Kevin Kluender, Amanda Benzine, and the UW Athletics Marketing team. They gave me my first chance, and then allowed me to grow in my role with UW Athletics. I have no doubt that my internship and experiences with the marketing department helped me land my next roles [with The Fiesta Bowl, Washington Nationals, and then the Cubs]. What was your favorite moment from your time with the Cubs? Cliché, but I can’t pick one moment. In my role, I’ve been lucky to meet so many different people from all walks of life and to work at Wrigley Field every day. Obviously Game 7 and the entire World Series in 2016 was unforgettable. Our ownership flew the entire front office to Cleveland for each set of games there; it was simply unforgettable. Although, I maintain that my favorite moment of that Postseason was Javy Baez’s home run in game 1 of the NLDS off Johnny Cueto. We won that game 1-0. That ball soared into the night sky for what seemed like minutes and dropped perfectly into the basket in left field. I was sitting on the steps of the radio broadcast booth, behind Ron Coomer and Pat Hughes; hearing them call that moment, and the crowd erupt … it was also simply unforgettable. But every game, seeing a fan walk into the ballpark and smile just seeing the field, or a family clearly enjoying an afternoon game on a sunny summer day, there’s nothing better than that. Obviously, we miss that now. Are you a natural Cubs fan? If not, who’s your team? 100%. Born and raised. Though I’ll always have a soft spot for the Nats from my time there in 2012. I wish them well, just not when they’re playing us. I’ve stayed close with several members of their front office staff and baseball operations staff. How did Sports Business Club change your career trajectory? SBC really started my professional network and taught me how to network. I think that is the biggest tangible impact that SBC made on my career trajectory. Obviously, you meet so many people and hear from so many great speakers which impacts you tremendously and helps show what your interests are and maybe what your interest are not. But, the networking aspect is incredibly important and impactful. *Bonus points for anyone reading this far: shoot me a note on LinkedIn! I’d love to connect with you, and happy to answer any other questions you may have! Do you have a favorite memory from your time in SBC? This Chicagoan – not a huge Bears fan though folks! – had never been to Lambeau. We went early in my SBC tenure … the museum and really everything at the stadium was really neat to see and the trip as a whole was great. Any words of wisdom for finding a job or dealing with quarantine and everything going virtual? Don’t be afraid to reach out to people. So much easier said than done, but it’s true. Write that note (or email). Ask that question. Volunteer at that team (or community organizing group, or park district). Read that article (or story, or feature, or book). This is really a great time to expand your network and create relationships. September Events RecapSeptember 16th - Club Kickoff & Intro to Sports Business September 21st - Digital Media Panel September 22nd - First Leadership Team Meeting With Moses Altsech (Marketing Professor at UW) Discussing Relationship Building & Personal Branding 
September 29th - Corporate Partnerships & Activation Panel
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