FUNGER HALL (1st Floor) 2201 G Street Northwest Washington, DC 20052
ALL DAY--Self Care Room
A self-care room will be set up at the conference for participants to use at their leisure. They can relax, talk with others, participate in activities, and learn more about self-care. The room allows participants to take care of themselves, reduce stress, and explore ways to support mental and physical health. Participants will learn self-care techniques and be encouraged to use these activities to promote wellness and prevent burnout.
KRISTIE ABBS
Asst. Professor Social Work
Slippery Rock University
8:30 am--MAIN STAGE--Opening Keynote
HUMANALITY™: Playing to Make People Feel
The greatest athletes in the world don't just perform. They make you feel something. So do the greatest leaders, the most effective organizations, and the most impactful philanthropists. The common thread isn't talent or resources. It's how they make the
people around them feel.
In this session, Bart Berkey introduces the Humanality™ framework, a set of practical principles that help athletes, executives, nonprofit leaders, funders, and sponsors build cultures where every person they encounter feels genuinely cared for, valued, seen,
and heard. Drawing on his experience as a Division I athlete, a decade of coaching, and 16 years as a Global Executive at The Ritz-Carlton, Bart will show how the most successful people in sports don't just do good work. They make the people around them
feel it.
Because donors give more when they feel connected. Volunteers stay longer when they feel valued. Communities show up when they feel seen. And athletes create the deepest legacy not through their stats, but through the moments when someone said,
"you made me feel like I mattered."
Attendees will leave with:
● A simple, memorable framework for creating human connection at every level of
their work
● Practical tools to apply immediately with donors, athletes, volunteers, board
members, and community partners
● A new way of thinking about impact that goes beyond metrics and into the
moments that actually change lives
BART BERKEY
Founder/CEO
Most People Don't, LLC Creator of Humanality
9:30 am--MAIN STAGE: DECK Leadership
Sponsored by: STEAM SPORTS FOUNDATION
Mike Metcalf Jr. – Pit Crew Champion, High-Performance Leadership Expert and Speaker!
When it comes to creating high-performance teams and navigating change, Mike brings unparalleled expertise that excels under pressure, fosters trust, and delivers results. A former NASCAR pit crew champion and the co-founder of DECK Leadership, Mike is redefining what it means to lead with purpose. As a leader in the motorsports industry, Mike has spent over 18 years coaching and competing at the highest level, inspiring teams to thrive under pressure and execute with precision.
A former NASCAR pit crew leader and World Pit Crew Champion, Mike is a master at translating the principles of speed, teamwork, and efficiency into actionable strategies for organizations across industries. Mike co-authored the bestselling book 12 Second Culture, a transformative guide to creating cohesive, resilient, and high-performing teams.
But Mike’s impact goes far beyond the racetrack. As a sought-after speaker and consultant, he delivers talks that don’t just motivate—they transform. His signature keynote, 12 Second Culture, is a powerful wake-up call for organizations stuck in toxic, performance-at-all-costs grinds. Mike challenges audiences to rethink their priorities, embrace diversity, and build sustainable teams through the pillars of DECK: Diversity, Efficiency, Culture, and Kindness.
MIKE METCALF
Founder
DECK Leadership
10:00 am-MAIN STAGE-
Gambling and Mental Health:
Building a Public Health Approach to Gambling Harm
The United States is in the midst of a historic and largely unmanaged public health crisis. In just a few years, sports betting, online wagering, and gambling promotion have moved from the margins of public life to the center of sports, entertainment, and digital culture. What was once episodic and place-based is now constant, mobile, personalized, and relentlessly marketed. Gambling is no longer confined to casinos or racetracks — it is embedded in phones, sporting events, social media feeds, and the daily routines of millions of Americans. This transformation has outpaced the nation’s ability to protect the public. For a growing number of individuals and families, gambling is a driver of financial ruin, emotional distress, and behavioral health need. This panel will discuss the intersection of gambling and mental health, with a focus on sports gambling and impact, and outline a public health approach to harm reduction.
REBECCA BAGLEY
President/CEO
The Kennedy Forum
NATHAN CARROLL
Psychiatrist
InSite Health
CORBIN EVANS
Deputy Chief of Science & Technology, Advocacy Team and Senior Advisor
American Psychological Association
TOBY EWING
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Stanford School of Medicine
KEVIN WINTERS
Founder
Almond Digital Health
11:00 am--BREAKOUT SESSION #1
DUQUES HALL (2nd and 3rd Floors) 2201 G Street Northwest Washington, DC 20052
The speed at which brain health technologies are evolving continues to accelerate. Learn about some of the best new options to maintain brain health, combat repetitive head impacts and recover from concussions.
TRIP HARLAN
Co-Founder
The Bio Optimization Institute
BRUCE PARKMAN
Founder
The Mac Parkman Foundation
JORDAN REED
Founder
Brain Optimization Lab
DR. NICOLE ROBERTS
Founder
Health and Human Rights Strategies
11:00 am --Inclusion Track
Advancing Opportunities for Women (Room 259)
Women have demonstrated the enormous power sports have. Research demonstrates that an overwhelming percentage of female executives have extensive sports experience. How do we continue to develop more opportunities for young girls to not only participate in sports, but to get access to leadership roles.
LISA GOLDEN
Founder
Golden Sports & Entertainment
STAR JOHNSON
Executive Producer
Excellence Live Productions
Adam Miles
Founder, Bridges to America
She Belongs and Refugee Soccer
SHEILA WEAVER
She Loves Sports
The Academic and Athletic Alliance
11:00 am --Fundraising Track
Sponsorship (Room 250)
Sponsorship is an elusive element of successful events and programs. Learn from experts who have raised millions of dollars for organizations around the country and across the world.
LISA DELPY NEIROTTI
Director
GW Sports Philanthropy Program
JESSICA KLEIN
Manager, Advancement Operations
Major League Baseball Players Trust
DAVID PINSKER
VP-Development
MADD
DAVID WILLIAMS
Executive Director
National Alliance of African American Athletes
11:00 am --Skill DevelopmentTrack
People Who Will Actually Show Up: Board Recruitment Training (Room 251)
Building a stronger board starts with a new way of thinking. This workshop introduces Missionful's proven board-building process which helps participants understand the mindset shifts organizations need to transform their boards to find and engage the right members more effectively. Join Elizabeth Finlayson, an experienced leader who challenges leaders to think abouto themselves, their boards and their funding. Come ready to shift your perspective and leave with tools you can use immediately.
ELIZABETH FINLAYSON
Founder
Nonprofit Coach
11:00 am --Athlete Track
Leveraging an Athlete's Platform for Good (Room 255)
Athletes have a short window to capitalize on their fame. Learn from those who have consistently worked with athletes at all phases of their career to help strengthen their brands and organizations. See how the experts have built sustainable organizations for their athletes in order to maximize lifetime impact. Gain insight into understanding how athletes have the unique power to lead change, not only through their own actions, but by leveraging their platforms and opening the doors for others to either join their efforts or create new initiatives. How does the psychology of inspired action encourage a culture where getting off the sidelines becomes the default setting. Learn how storytelling and a peer network facilitate greater involvement.
ALAN PAVLOSKY
Founder
Legacy All-Stars
SHANNON FEASTER
Founder
Athletes Aid
MARGRETTE MONDILLO
Executive Director/COO
Light Foundation
HANNIBAL NAVIES
VP Development
United Charitable
11:00 am--Inclusion Track
Adaptive Sports: Creating Opportunities for the Future (Room 254)
This panel explores how our communities can expand their recreation and athletic options for those with disabilities.
MARC BURKOM
Coach
United Adaptive Soccer Association
JENNIFER FLINK
Executive Director
Israel ParaSport Center
ASAEL SHABO
Athlete
Israel ParaSport Center
11:00 am --Skill DevelopmentTrack
Launching a New Nonprofit (Room 351)
Getting a new nonprofit off of the ground is a challenging undertaking. Learn from this panel that has successfully navigated the process of launching a new organization and successfully finding funding sources, developing a board of directors and building the organizations infrastructure. See how these organizations have developed the strategy which fostered the growth.
Bob Dickinson
Founder
STEAM Sports Foundation
ARIAN MAY
VP-Development and Engagement
Artem Vale Foundation
Darren Sudman
Founder
Simons Heart
Kimberly Genau
Founder
Alabaster House
11:00 am --Skill DevelopmentTrack
BEYOND THE SCOREBOARD: Youth Sports as a Violence Prevention and Community Safety Strategy (Room 353)
Across America, communities continue to search for effective strategies to reduce violence and improve outcomes for young people. This presentation explores how youth sports can serve as a powerful violence prevention and public health intervention when intentionally paired with mentorship, trauma-informed programming, and life skills development. Drawing from the experiences of Supreme Athletics, Sports MedCEEP, Sneakers to Scrubs, and community-based violence prevention initiatives in Chicago, attendees will learn how sports programs can create protective factors that reduce exposure to violence while increasing resilience, connectedness, and opportunity. The session will highlight innovative approaches that integrate trauma-informed care, emergency preparedness education, conflict resolution training, mentorship, academic support, and health literacy into athletic environments. Participants will gain insight into how coaches, healthcare professionals, educators, and community leaders can leverage the trust and influence of sports to address the root causes of violence while helping young people develop the skills necessary to thrive in school, sports, and life.
LEON MUHAMMAD
Founder
Supreme Athletics, Inc.
DR. ABDULLAH HASAN PRATT
Founder
TRAP Violence
JOHARI SHUCK, PhD
Executive Director
Sneakers to Scrubs
11:45 am--BREAKOUT SESSION #2
DUQUES HALL (2nd and 3rd Floors) 2201 G Street Northwest Washington, DC 20052
Combatting Racism, Hate and Antisemitism (Room 254)
Hate can be debilitating for many athletes. How can we work together to eliminate hate, racism and Anti-semitism. Hear from the difficulties athletes face and learn how groups are collaborating to take on these issues in order to pave the way for future generations. These athletes and leaders are partnering with organizations around the world and are creating more programs and opportunities to take on these issues and combat their harmful impact.
ERIC RUBIN
Founder
Project Max
NEIL KELLER
Jewish Sports Historian
NICK LOWERY
KC Chiefs HOF White House Office of National Service Nick Lowery Youth Foundation Former NFL Kicker
MICHAEL SWEETNEY
Former NBA Player
New Horizons Counseling Center
11:45 am --Fundraising Track
Family Offices, VC and Venture Philanthropy (Room 251)
These groups have access to significant amounts of capital, but finding the right way to approach them and work with them takes a cohesive plan. Hear the thought process that each group goes through in its planning and the factors that impact their desire to fund initiatives. This forum is designed for funders to hear from each other about their best practices and the procedures and controls that they use to ensure that they are being good stewards of the funds entrusted to them.
DANIEL FREEMAN
Founder
FSG Ventures
CHRIS HOWIE
Managing Director
Greater Washington Community Foundation
TIFFANY MCCULLOUGH
Founder
The Tiff Effect
11:45 am --Skill DevelopmentTrack
Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics: How Data Helps Us Understand Giving Patterns (Room 250)
Identifying and evaluating giving patterns of teams and fans can be very challenging. How do we provide meaningful benchmarks to professional franchises so that they can determine the strength of their giving and community impact programs? How is fan data measured? What can we do as a community to increase the levels of giving and support greater impact?
AUBREY KENT
Professor
Temple University
NEIL SCHWARTZ
President
SBRnet
EMILY SPARVERO
Clinical Assistant Professor
University of Texas-Austin
11:45 am --Athlete Track
Finding the Right Advisors: How Do You Know Who to Trust? (Room 351)
Athletes are pulled a lot of directions and frequently are encouraged to use friends and family rather than relying on experts in the field. How can we train athletes to build a powerful team that includes agents, family office structures and other professionals that help them create a "full ecosystem" that maps their client journey from first contract to lasting legacy.
BRONSON KAUFASI
Founder
Charity of Champions
NICOLE SLADE
Founder
A.I.M. Elevated
ANTOMIUS WISE
Founder
Wise Protective Service and More, Inc.
HAYWOODE WORKMAN
Founder
HBCU Global
11:45 am --Skill Development Track
When Trust Becomes the Target
How Athletes and Foundations Can Prevent Impersonation, Access Failures, and Reputation Damage (Room 353)
A convincing message from an athlete. An urgent request from an executive. A donor communication that appears legitimate. In an era of AI-enabled impersonation and constant digital exposure, one false assumption can damage relationships, disrupt operations, and undermine years of hard-earned trust.
This practical, nontechnical panel will help athletes, foundation leaders, advisors, and nonprofit professionals recognize where their greatest vulnerabilities may be hiding. Attendees will learn how to identify warning signs, strengthen verification practices, clarify who is authorized to act, and reduce risks involving communications, shared access, public visibility, and personal security. They will leave with better questions to ask, practical actions to take, and a clearer framework for protecting their people, reputation, donors, and mission.
MICHAEL HARMON
NIL Director MN Ice Academy
CMO/Founding Executive
Fanchize
MODERATOR:
HANNAH JOHANNSEN
Senior Coordinating Producer
SynapTech Services and Secure Life
ASAAD MORMAN
Co-Founder/CEO
Emerging Defense Solutions Cybersecurity, AI and Quantum Resilience
SHAWN RILEY
CEO/Co-Founder-- Bisblox Venture Studio
Founder-Cyber Sports Nonprofit
Former State of North Dakota CIO
11:45 am --Skill Development Track
Protecting the Athlete Through Legal Structure and Effective Governance (CANCELLED)
Athletes and sports organizations have high profiles. In the context of sports philanthropy, this can be both a benefit and a drawback. Athletes have significant legal, financial and reputational risks for having their name on a foundation. Though many seek counsel to establish their organizations, these risk grow and multiply as the foundation expands its operations and raises more money. Learn from elite counsel in terms of how to best establish the policies and controls that allow effective governance.
ANDREW MORTON
Partner
Handler Law
11:45 am --Athlete Track
Founder-Led and Legacy Philanthropic Organizations: Navigating Identity, Growth and Long-Term Stewardship (Room 255)
Founder-led and legacy philanthropic organizations face questions that many nonprofits never encounter. Decisions about the founder's role, governance, revenue planning and growth, and long-term stewardship can create significant opportunity and impact while also introducing unique complexity and challenges.
Informed by a long partnership with Hall of Fame basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, Adam Eigenrauch will introduce a framework of strategic considerations based on nearly two decades of experience at the Emily Krzyzewski Center. Since concluding his tenure as CEO in 2025, Adam has continued to work with founder-led and legacy organizations, focusing on the dynamics of this organizational model.
Participants will leave with a new perspective on the strategic decisions that shape founder-led and legacy philanthropic organizations and how thoughtful stewardship can amplify organizational impact while reducing avoidable strategic mistakes.
ADAM EIGENRAUCH
Founder
Eigenrauch Philanthropic Solutions
Former CEO
NEKETTA DEAN
NFL MOM
Mother of Nakobe Dean
ELANA ORTIZ
Program Coordinator
Major League Baseball Players Trust
FUNGER HALL (1st Floor) 2201 G Street Northwest Washington, DC 20052
1:30 pm Lunch Keynote
Leigh Steinberg is a pioneering sports agent, entrepreneur, best-selling author (released his newest book, The Comeback, Spring 2026), and Chairman of Leigh Steinberg Sports and Entertainment. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential agents in sports history and the real-life inspiration for Jerry Maguire.
Leigh has represented more than 300 professional athletes over a five-decade career. His unparalleled record includes negotiating over $4 billion in contracts, representing eight No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks, 64 first-round selections, and 12 Hall of Famers.
Beyond contract negotiation, Steinberg is a leading advocate for athlete welfare and brain health. After representing nearly half of the NFL’s starting quarterbacks in the 1980s, he became an early voice addressing the long-term dangers of concussions.
For more than 30 years, he has hosted concussion education seminars, founded the Brain Health Summit and Longevity Lounge, and established the Leigh Steinberg Foundation to promote awareness, prevention, and solutions for brain injury and athlete safety as a whole.
Most recently, Steinberg has extended his fiduciary-style advocacy to healthcare as a co-founder of MDEnvoy, a physician agency and advisory platform. Applying the same principles that defined his sports career, integrity, voluntary alignment, and long-term partnership, he now works to restore professional agency and stewardship to physicians in today’s high-stakes medical environment.
Leigh is active in the film and entertainment space and still committed to being a change agent.
2:15 pm--MAIN STAGE: Legacy Matters: Creating Impact that Outlasts the Event
Major sporting events attract a lot of eyeballs and media coverage. But the question that is often asked is whether the costs and headaches associated with these events can leave a lasting legacy in a community. Join some of the best examples of how events are leveraged to provided tangible and ongoing legacy programs and facilities.
DEDAN BROZINO
President
Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation
ANTHONY LEONE
Foundation Director
Southern California PGA
CHRIS MASTERS
Executive Director
Man Cave Health
DEREK TINCHER
National Play Yellow Program Manager
Children's Miracle Network Hospitals
3:00 pm-MAIN STAGE-New Power Partners
How Philanthropic Advisors, Wealth Managers, Family Offices and Foundations Are Redefining Impact
In today's high-stakes world of sports and entertainment, athletes and high-net-worth individuals are demanding more than financial returns; they want their wealth to mean something. This session explores the emerging partnership between philanthropic advisors, wealth advisors, family offices and foundations. Learn how their collaboration is unlocking a new standard of purposeful giving. From aligning values with investment strategy to building legacy foundations that outlast a playing career, this conversation reveals how the most effective advisors are working in sync.
Participants will learn how to map a client's personal values directly to giving vehicles (DAFs, private foundations, impact investing) so that philanthropic goals and wealth strategy reinforce rather than compete with each other.
Participants will understand the critical financial and philanthropic decision windows in an athlete’s career (rookie contract, peak earnings, post-career transition) and how coordinated advisor teams can maximize impact at each stage.
LORI KRANCZER
Founder
Link Philanthropic
MOLLY ANSBRO
Executive Director
The HEARTest Yard: The Greg Olsen Foundation
CAMERON ROGERS
Partner
Angeles Wealth Management
Kyle Taylor
Partner
Prozone The Agency
3:45 pm--MAIN STAGE
Why Are Sports Important for Society?
Many funders and Foundations are reluctant to support the sports eco-system because they believe there is already too much money being spent in the sector. While youth sports are certainly highly commercialized and professionalized in today’s world, the concepts of play and the overal skills developed by youth create tangible and lasting benefits for a society.
Learn from elite leaders who have studied this impact and share research demonstrating the enormous power sports have to change lives and transform communities.
How can we harness the power of sports to drive change and to create lasting impact that will benefit generations to come?
How can we train funding sources on the power of collective impact?
LAUREN IZZO
VP-Programs
GENYOUth
SARAH PICKENS
VP-Programs
U.S. Soccer Foundation
ROB SMITH
Founder
Youth Sports Collaborative Network
JON SOLOMON
Research Director
Aspen Institute--Project Play
4:30 pm--BREAKOUT SESSION #3
DUQUES HALL (2nd and 3rd Floors) 2201 G Street Northwest Washington, DC 20052
The Two-Way Player: Understanding Philanthropy From Both Sides of the Field
Successful philanthropy is a team sport, and the strongest partnerships happen when nonprofits, funders, and athletes understand each other’s playbooks. Join panelists who have served as “two-way players” in the philanthropic world (leading a private foundation, working within community foundations, funding and launching nonprofits, fundraising, and advising donors). This session will offer a behind-the-scenes look at how funding decisions are really made. Attendees will learn how to identify and approach private foundations, community foundations, and corporate partners; build authentic relationships with funders; and move beyond transactions toward meaningful, mission-driven partnerships. Whether you are a nonprofit leader seeking support, a fundraiser building a strategy, or an athlete creating a legacy beyond the game, this session will provide practical tools to turn passion into sustainable impact.
LORI BERTMAN
Philanthropy Consultant
Board of Trustees-College Baseball Foundation
4:30 pm --Inclusion Track
Inclusion for Mobility, Hearing and Vision
Inclusion is frequently thrown around as a goal. Often, staff working at sports organizations and fans do not see the effort, or feel that the organizations and facilities have reached the goal of the work. How can we identify the shortcomings and create an environment which truly creates an inclusive feel.
JOSH BARNEY
CEO--SEAT Conference
Founder--Joshua Tree Project
MORICE NORRIS
Former NFL Player
Founder--Novarden
4:30 pm --Brain Health and Mental Health Track
Walk in My Cleats
What does it feel like to be a student-athlete today?
This immersive experience places parents, coaches, educators, community leaders, and mentors in the shoes of a student-athlete. Participants navigate real-life scenarios involving academic pressure, social media scrutiny, family expectations, recruiting stress, injuries, financial challenges, and mental health struggles.
CHELSIA MCKIE
Founder
Life Beyond The Game
DR. JAVAR GODFREY
Emotional Health Consultant
NIKE
4:30 pm --Fundraising Track
Strategies for Building a Grant Ready Organization
Many small nonprofits are looking for funding and throwing everything at the wall without a cohesive strategy. Foundations have millions of dollars available for the right projects.
Hear the challenges Funders face in identifying which organizations are good investments for creating impact. Learn how Funders can become strong teammates and long-term partners in pursuing your mission.
Securing grant funding is often misunderstood — and this panel sets the record straight. Elizabeth Finlayson, Missionful, facilitates a candid conversation with active funders and those like Greg Hebert, Kelsey Thomas Consulting, who are active in the grantwriting space who share their firsthand perspective on what they look for when nonprofits approach them for support, helping organizations better understand what it takes to become fundable.
ELIZABETH FINLAYSON
Founder
Nonprofit Coach
GREG HEBERT
Founder
Kelsey Thomas Consulting
4:30 pm --Skill DevelopmentTrack
Leveraging the Media to Amplify Your Cause
Media amplification can benefit a lot of causes. Few in sports philanthropy are effectively using that power to improve the exposure for their organization and mission. Learn from some of the best examples about how we can effectively use that power to showcase the impactful work performed by an organization.
DEE CHAMBERS
Media Personality
Dee Loves Sports
KELSEY NICOLE NELSON
Media Personality
KNN
KEN ROCHON
Dr. Smiles
Perfect Publishing
4:30 pm --Athlete Track
Building Your Philanthropic Blueprint: Identifying Your Passion and Creating Your Legacy
Building authentic and long-last legacy requires significant insight and planning. From navigating athlete relationships and sports industry culture to understanding the difference between high-visibility campaigns and real impact, participants will develop the pattern recognition and professional instincts needed to succeed at the intersection of sport and social good. Through real-life scenarios and practical frameworks, attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how trust is built, how partnerships are structured, and how to show up with credibility in one of philanthropy's most dynamic - and misunderstood - sectors.
ARIAN MAY
VP-Development and Engagement
Artem Vale Foundation
ANTOMIUS WISE
Founder
Wise Protective Service and More, Inc.
Haywoode Workman
Founder
HBCU Global
4:30 pm --Big Picture Track
Legacy of Mega Events: The Social Impact of the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup
This presentation explores how the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup create lasting social legacies. Examine the impact of these events on community pride, social inclusion, volunteerism, youth development, and quality of life, while identifying strategies for creating meaningful and sustainable social benefits.