Announcing JaneWallStreet's Inaugural Female Front Office Forum
· Yahoo Sports
Back in March, we introduced JaneWallStreet, a sister brand focused on the same core sports, media and finance pillars, but viewed through the lens of (mostly) female decision-makers. Our logic was simple. Women are increasingly shaping the business of sport, understanding how they see the landscape is essential to anticipating where the industry is headed.
Former Teton Ridge CEO and Barstool Sports CRO Deirdre Lester was named as the face and voice of JaneWallStreet. She has since published a monthly column and hosted the biweekly podcast, entitled At The Table, featuring a rotating cast of accomplished female executives. AUSL Commissioner Kim Ng, Former CEO of CBS News & Stations Wendy McMahon and Mule Media Co-Founder and former Barstool Sports CEO Erika Ayers Badan are among the guests who have joined her to date.
Visit playerbros.org for more information.
The platforms serve as an outlet to share ideas, challenge assumptions, and amplify proven playbooks.
What has been missing is an in-person forum for senior leaders across the industry to meet and engage with the women leading change, learn from their experiences and build meaningful relationships with them. So, JaneWallStreet will host its inaugural Female Front Office Forum on November 12.
We’ll bring together a curated room of owners, operators and investors ––male and female–– for a half day of candid conversation and peer-to-peer learning. The sessions will cover audience growth, the evolving sports-capital landscape, and club membership programs. We’ll also dive into women’s sports and how sports properties can better understand and serve female fans.
We have five featured speakers confirmed. Several more will be announced in the weeks ahead.
Marissa Solis (SVP, Global Brand and Consumer Marketing, NFL)
Michelle Wilson (Director, Global Sport Group)
Jordan Gruber (COO, Apollo Sports Capital)
Jason Wright (Managing Partner and Head of Investments, Ariel Project Level)
Shelly Cayette (President, Business Operations, Charlotte Hornets/Hornets Sports & Entertainment)
Each will participate in an off-the-record, deep-dive fireside conversation, followed by audience questions and discussion.
Date: Thursday, November 12
Time: 8:00 am-1:00 pm
Location: Private (NYC)
Below is an overview of the agenda.
The NFL’s Growth Playbook
Bad Bunny’s predominantly Spanish-language Super Bowl LX halftime performance was emblematic of the NFL’s effort to reach Latino and international audiences. NFL SVP of Global Brand and Consumer Marketing Marissa Solis will explain how the league identifies entry points beyond the game, converts cultural attention into engagement and measures whether those efforts are creating new fans. She’ll also discuss how international games, flag football, and creators are helping the NFL to reach younger and more global audiences.
Underwriting Sports’ Next Era
Private capital is entering sport through an increasingly wide range of structures. Apollo Sports Capital recently completed its majority acquisition of Atlético de Madrid and committed $2.6bn to Yankee Global Enterprises through a bespoke debt and equity financing arrangement. CVC’s Global Sport Group, meanwhile, acquired a controlling stake in Equine Network, to go in a portfolio that includes stakes in La Liga, Ligue 1, the Women’s Tennis Association, Volleyball World, Six Nations Rugby, Premiership Rugby and United Rugby Championship. Apollo Sports Capital COO Jordan Gruber and GSG Director Michelle Wilson will join us to explain how institutional investors are partnering with incumbent leadership at those properties to expand commercial capabilities and support long-term growth. They’ll also discuss what capital providers must believe to underwrite sports assets at today’s prices, which assumptions pose the greatest risk to projected returns and where they continue to see mispriced opportunities.
New Fans and the Business of Women’s Sports
Women’s teams/leagues are bringing new consumers into the sports economy. Drawing on investments in Denver Summit FC and League One Volleyball, Ariel Project Level Managing Partner and Head of Investments Jason Wright will explain who these fans are, how their behaviors differ from male supporters and what teams, leagues and brands must do to convert them into long-term customers. He’ll also detail Project Level’s thesis on women’s sports, discuss whether the underlying economics support the rapid growth in team valuations and explain why the fund is investing across clubs, leagues, youth assets and supporting businesses. We’ll discuss Project Level’s investment in TMRW Sports’ new flag football league too.
Turning Season Ticket Holders into Year-Round Club Members
The Charlotte Hornets are using a $245mm Spectrum Center renovation, an expanded regional retail footprint via Rally House and a reimagined Hive Society ––the NBA’s 2025–2026 Membership Program of the Year–– to redefine their relationship with fans across the Carolinas. Hornets Sports & Entertainment President of Business Operations Shelly Cayette will explain how the organization is leveraging new premium offerings, personalization, year-round engagement and exclusive member experiences to deepen fan loyalty and enhance the season ticket member experience.
Those interested in attending can express interest here. Attendance is limited.
To discuss partnering with us on this unique event, reach out to Jacie Brandes at [email protected].
In the latest episode, four JohnWallStreet Advisory Advisors discuss LSU taking on the SEC in court and how college football’s growing legal uncertainty changes the risk calculus for schools, brands and media partners.
Key themes, insights and takeaways from the hour-long conversation include: the enforcement paradox, governance chaos shouldn’t tank media rights values, centralized leadership would help, buy the controversy and more.
As always, you can connect with a member of the JohnWallStreet Advisory team by sending a note to [email protected]. In fact, we encourage it!
📺 Watch the full episode on JohnWallStreet’s YouTube page.
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.