Emma May-Bradley brings over 20 years of experience in sports and media marketing & operations, leading teams at powerhouse brands like Nike, Red Bull, NBA, Turner Sports, and the Washington Spirit. She’s currently the founder & CEO of Open Highway, a marketing, business strategy & consulting firm focusing on building brands and personalities in sports, entertainment, & hospitality. A proud Nashville native, Emma was born and raised in Music City and returned home just last year. While Nashville’s incredible growth inspired her, she quickly recognized a missing piece—an organization dedicated to championing women in sports. That’s why she co-founded Playmakers, driven by a passion to create a more inclusive, empowering, and opportunity-filled sports community right here in her hometown. Emma is a believer in clear being kind, laughing and dancing as much as possible, and loves to explore the world with her husband John and dog Rizzo.

Erin Ryder has spent over 20 years in sports and entertainment, building a career in production and marketing with industry leaders including Amazon, ESPN, and NBC. As the founder and CEO of Pax Pictures and The Away Team, she has dedicated her work to storytelling, innovation, and amplifying voices through the lens of sport. After relocating to Nashville to be closer to family, Erin quickly connected with a network of inspiring women shaping the city’s sports landscape. Recognizing the need for a dedicated space to support, elevate, and unite these leaders, she co-founded Playmakers Nashville — a powerhouse organization rooted in connection, opportunity, and impact. A lifelong adventurer, Erin is just as happy jumping out of helicopters or listening to live music as she is in her garden with her dog, Cowboy.

Brittany is the Vice President of Marketing for the Nashville Predators and Bridgestone Arena. With over 17 years of experience in sports and event marketing—including 14 seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning and two Stanley Cup championships—she is a tenured leader in the industry. With expertise spanning branding, digital, media, live events, and fan engagement, Brittany is passionate about creating unforgettable experiences that connect fans with the teams and venues they love. Beyond her professional work, she is committed to mentoring and investing in young women pursuing careers in the sports industry, helping shape the future of leadership in the field. When she isn’t working, you can find her enjoying college football or flying to a new destination on her travel list.

Maria is an Independent Director of Sotherly Hotels, Inc. (NASDAQ: SOHO) and serves on the Audit Committee. She retired as Chief Legal Officer of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), where she built and led the in-house legal department and oversaw compliance, governance, and regulatory strategy. With over 20 years of experience as General Counsel and senior legal advisor in both public and nonprofit organizations, Maria brings deep expertise in strategy, governance, and compliance. She began her career in corporate and securities law with Bass, Berry & Sims in Nashville and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Los Angeles. She holds a J.D. with honors from Duke University School of Law and a B.A. in Economics from Fairfield University.

A visionary leader in sports and entertainment marketing, Kim consistently builds and elevates brands, disrupts conventional approaches, and achieves outstanding results for blue-chip partners. She currently leads strategic initiatives and brand consulting at underdog venture team, leveraging her deep expertise in partnership marketing spanning across MLB, NFL, NASCAR, collegiate athletics, Special Olympics, PGA, and endurance events. Kim’s career highlights include over 13 impactful years at Octagon, where she oversaw Bank of America’s substantial sponsorship portfolio, spearheaded innovative experiences for BMW, and consulted with ESPN.  Her collaborative spirit and unique insights make her a valuable partner for creating impactful sports and lifestyle marketing strategies and campaigns.

Anne Fischgrund is an experienced motorsports executive and Hoosier native, now residing in Middle Tennessee. With a long history working in the INDYCAR paddock, she has built her career around event operations, sponsorship, and fan engagement at the highest levels of racing. Currently serving as President of the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix, Anne combines her deep industry expertise with a passion for creating world-class motorsports experiences.

 

Danielle is the Director of Partnerships for Athletes Unlimited, where she helps brands tap into the excitement and growth of women’s professional sports. She previously served as Vice President of Corporate Partnerships for the Nashville Sounds, leading major partnerships and projects. After more than a decade in the Nashville sports scene, Danielle has become a champion for girls and women in sport while helping to create opportunities where they didn’t exist before. When she’s not busy changing the game for women’s sports, you’ll find her at a local antique store or on the greenway with her golden retriever, Cheerio!

Shelbi Hendricks is a strategy and operations executive focused at the intersection of sports and business. Currently, she is the Founder of SLH Advisory, an independent strategy and operations consultancy.  Her previous sports experience includes the US Women’s National Soccer Team Players Association, and sports start up OneTeam Partners, where she led  strategy, operations, and partnership management teams across both college and professional sports. Prior to entering the sports space, Shelbi was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, serving a range of clients across sectors.

Hannah Sears is a Vice President and Advisor in Bernstein’s Nashville office. She provides investment and financial planning advice to her clients, who are primarily closely held business owners. She runs the 401(k) practice for Tennessee and surrounding areas, through which she advises plan fiduciaries on plan design and investment, as well as providing direct advice to participants. She is also the Chief of Staff to Adam Sansiveri, SVP of the South Region and head of the Sports and Entertainment Business. She has worked at AB for seven years, prior to which she worked in NY at a research firm. Hannah attended Harvard University, and is currently pursuing her executive MBA through Vanderbilt. Hannah is originally from Boston, and now lives in Cherokee park. Hannah spends her time outside of work (and school) visiting family in New Hampshire, learning to play tennis, and traveling the world (most recent highlight was climbing Kilimanjaro).

Sharon is the Vice President of Hospitality & Event Services at Belmont University and is a dynamic executive leader with extensive experience across nonprofit and for-profit sectors, including sports and hospitality. She held key leadership roles with the Nashville Kats, Nashville Sounds, and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, where she spent nearly two decades, most recently as Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and IT. In 2021, she became President & CEO of the National Corvette Museum and Chief Operating Board Member for NCM Motorsports Park and NCM Insurance Agency. Sharon worked 10 years in the hotel and hospitality fields in sales, marketing, and corporate partnerships with the Opryland Hotel, Loews Anatole Hotel, Galt House Hotel, and others. Brawner is a 2019 graduate of Leadership Nashville, and served 11 years on the Tennessee Governor’s Tourism Committee. A Western Kentucky University graduate, she resides in Franklin, TN with her husband Eddie.

Chris is the FVP, Director of Commercial Deposits at INSBANK. With a background in banking, payment technology, and FinTech, Chris brings comprehensive financial expertise and a strong commitment to community impact. He has partnered with Nashville-area nonprofits for over a decade, serving as a board member, finance committee member, and volunteer. He currently serves on the Finance Committee for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville. Chris has lived in Nashville for 18 years with his wife, Catherine, and their two sons, Connor and Campbell.

My name is Jason Smith, and my story is deeply rooted in Nashville, TN. Growing up in a diverse, multicultural environment gave me a unique perspective and the ability to connect with people from all walks of life.

For twelve years, I had the privilege of serving as a coach and Athletic Director within the Metropolitan Nashville Public School System. That time was foundational, not just for my career, but for me as a person. Building lasting relationships with my student-athletes taught me the true meaning of empathy and strength, and it cemented my core belief in servant leadership.

 My goal has always been to light a fire in people, not under them. My passion is empowering future teachers, coaches, and mentors to find their own paths to success.

In 2012, I brought this passion to the collegiate level at Tennessee State University, and it’s been an incredible decade of growth! Here, I’ve focused on providing strategic leadership and building a vibrant, collaborative community among our students, staff, and academic departments.  As the Department Chair of the Human Performance and Sport Sciences and my extensive background as a coach and athletic director, combining administrative leadership with my passion for student success. Whether on or off campus, my mission is to create programs that foster success for everyone.

I’m still bringing a full tank of positive energy to every teaching and learning environment, and I couldn’t be more excited to continue creating opportunities for the next generation.

Dr. Jill Stratton is the assistant provost for academic support and community engagement at Vanderbilt University. With over 30 years of experience in higher education, she has invested a great deal of time and energy in researching joy, college student development, strengths-based leadership, and the concept of creative flow and has presented extensively at professional conferences, school districts, college campuses, non-profits, and community agencies. 

 Through opportunities to connect personally and professionally with scholars, writers, teachers, and artists on these topics, she is firmly convinced that the more time spent exploring joy and sadness and how to hold both, the more effective people will be in their lives and future careers. At Washington University in St. Louis where she spent 27 years, Jill developed courses on the psychology of young adulthood and leaders in context and affectionately became known by the students as the Dean of Joy. 

 At Vanderbilt University, she holds a teaching appointment in the Culture, Advocacy, and Leadership department in the College of Arts and Science and serves on the senior leadership team in the Office for Undergraduate Education.  Jill directs the Live. Learn. Lead. Academy, oversees the Writing Studio and Tutoring Services, the English Language Center, and is the university’s liaison to ROTC. She collaborates closely with many university areas including Athletics, Government and Community Relations, and the Vanderbilt Center for Languages. 

Jill grew up in Mayfield, Kentucky and earned her B.A. in Psychology at Transylvania University where she served as a Residential Advisor. She holds graduate degrees from Indiana University and Union Institute & University and is a trained life coach. Jill loves to travel, cheer on the Commodores, eat ice cream, and spend time with her family especially her nieces and nephew who bring her so much joy!  Her favorite movie is Inside Out.

Nancy VanReece is a steadfast champion of Nashville’s evolution and a former Metro Councilmember (2015–2023). She was the Chair of the Convention, Entertainment and Tourism Committee and served on the advisory council to the Nashville Sports Authority, working diligently to bring professional women’s sports to the city. During her tenure, she transformed a landfill into a solar park, shepherded thousands of attainable homes into existence, and integrated local artists into placemaking initiatives.

Nancy also championed the creation of Madison Station Boulevard, the Amqui Station Farmers Market, and the world-class Harken Hall — all while earning an executive certificate in State and Local Government from Harvard Kennedy School. Known for her pragmatic, results-driven approach, she values action over rhetoric.

A former 6×6 basketball player in 1980s Oklahoma, Nancy jokes that she’s still at the half-court line calling, “Give me the ball!” She and her wife, Joan, met in Nashville in 1988, and they live in Madison, TN. Together, they enjoy traveling, during which Nancy creates sought-after street and landscape photography.