Join us for S3:EP18 of the Sports Philanthropy Podcast as Donna Orender, Founder and CEO of Generation W and Former WNBA Commissioner, sits down with our host, Roy Kessel, to discuss her work in the community and using sports as a social platform.
After three years of All-Star basketball in the first ever women’s professional basketball league, Donna transitioned to network and cable television and eventually formed her own production company. She spent 17 years at the PGA Tour serving in the Office of the Commissioner, and 6 years as President/Commissioner of the WNBA. In 2011, she launched the Generation W Platform, which focuses on the betterment of women and girls, and continues to create impact, change, and motivate people’s lives. Currently, Donna is working as the CEO of Orender Unlimited, consulting and advising for many top clients, including PGA. She also authored “Connecting with Her”, a guidebook on the impact of the women’s market, and how to understand and access it.
Generation W is an ever growing and enthusiastic community, a national non-profit, that embraces the guiding tenets of education, inspiration, and connection and the power of women’s leadership.
HIGHLIGHTS OF DONNA’s PODCAST
- 00:55 Youth Sports & Donna’s Path
- 08:17 Impact of Coaches
- 10:47 Playing College Basketball
- 12:25 Sports as Social Work
- 15:04 Athletes in the Community
- 15:57 Getting into Media
- 17:54 Sports and Issues in the Pandemic
- 21:25 WNBA & Network TV
- 23:24 Pick up the Phone when Adam Silver Calls
- 25:23 Breaking into the Sports World & Figuring Out Golf
- 28:09 Overcoming Obstacles at the WNBA
- 29:58 Moving On after Success
- 30:24 Starting Orender Unlimited & Working with The Golf Industry
- 34:26 Generation W
- 37:48 Producing Generation W Events
- 41:20 Donna as Commissioner of the NBA
SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS AND WEBSITE
- Websites: Orender Unlimited & Generation W
- Facebook: Donna Orender
- Twitter: Donna Orender
- LinkedIn: Donna Orender
