Vice President of Marketing for the Nashville Predators and Bridgestone Arena
Senior Associate Athletic Director for Fan Experience and Sales, and the Senior Woman Administrator (SWA), at Vanderbilt University
Independent Director of Sotherly Hotels, Inc. and Retired General Counsel
Director of Strategic Relationships / “The Connector” at Advent
Founder & CEO, 227 Advantage | Story Director, Elevate Creative
Lauren Belisle serves as the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Fan Experience and Sales, and the Senior Woman Administrator (SWA), at Vanderbilt University, where she leads initiatives designed to enhance the Commodore fan experience through strategic engagement, marketing, and community outreach. In this role, she oversees fan engagement, revenue generation, and brand enhancement efforts, helping shape the department’s commitment to innovation and connection within the Nashville community. Lauren also serves as the sport administrator for Vanderbilt’s men’s and women’s tennis programs.
Before joining Vanderbilt Athletics, Lauren held athletic department positions at Virginia Tech and Iowa State, where she advanced marketing, ticketing, and fan engagement strategies across multiple sports. Her career in collegiate athletics began at Florida State University, where she earned her degree and discovered her passion for using sport as a vehicle to bring people together.
Lauren also serves on the DI NCAA Tennis Committee and the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) Board of Directors where currently holds the role of First Vice President. Her leadership in NACMA reflects her dedication to advancing the profession and supporting the growth and development of marketing professionals across collegiate athletics.
With a career defined by collaboration, creativity, and a deep appreciation for the fan experience, Lauren continues to build meaningful connections between athletics programs and their communities.
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 Caldwell has built a career at the intersection of governance, strategy, and innovation, serving for more than two decades as a General Counsel and senior legal executive across public companies and nonprofit organizations. She was an Independent Director of Sotherly Hotels Inc. (NASDAQ: SOHO), where she serves on the Audit Committee, and recently retired as Chief Legal Officer of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), where she founded and led the in-house legal department, built cross-functional teams, and spearheaded the development of new technology platforms and continuing professional education initiatives that supported the organization’s strategic growth and national impact. She began her legal career in corporate and securities law with Bass Berry & Sims and Gibson Dunn & Crutcher.
Since retiring, she has focused her time on supporting organizations that empower and advance women, particularly in sports and leadership. She lives in Nashville, where she raised her family, and is an avid fan of Vanderbilt Commodores athletics. Outside of her work, she is happiest exploring the outdoors, mapping out the next family adventure, or cooking for a house full of friends — though her favorite (and most energetic) role is keeping up with her three spirited grandsons.
Jenn Cunningham is a sports, entertainment, and experiential industry executive with more than 18 years of experience spanning strategic partnerships, business development, sponsorship, technology, live events, and client relationships.
Jenn currently serves as Director of Strategic Client Relationships at Advent, an experiential design firm where she works at the intersection of storytelling, technology, and the built environment. Known professionally as “The Connector,” she focuses on building strategic relationships and bringing together organizations, partners, and ideas to create new opportunities across collegiate and professional sports, entertainment, corporate, and other experience-driven industries.
Throughout her career, Jenn has worked with leading organizations across the sports and entertainment ecosystem, including roles with REVELxp, ANC, SMT, Durham Bulls, Chyron, and IMG College/Learfield. A former NCAA student-athlete, she has remained passionate about the power of sports to create connection, opportunity, and community.
Jenn is especially passionate about supporting and connecting women across Nashville’s sports industry. She believes some of the greatest opportunities are created when people intentionally open doors for one another, share their networks, and help the next generation of women find their place and their voice in the business of sports.
When she isn’t working or traveling, Jenn enjoys giving back to the Nashville community and spending time with her husband and their pets.
Dr. Carolyn Adkerson is the Founder and CEO of 227 Advantage, a strategy and business development consultancy, and a Story Director at Elevate Creative, where she develops narratives and creative strategy for sports, entertainment, and experiential environments.
A Nashville native and former Spelman College basketball player, she has built a career at the intersection of strategy, entrepreneurship, marketing, and sports. She earned her Doctor of Business Administration from Temple University, where her research examined how women college athletes navigate Name, Image, and Likeness opportunities, furthering her commitment to advancing women in sports both on and beyond the court.
She is passionate about creating access, elevating overlooked people and possibilities, and using business, research, and storytelling to create meaningful opportunities for others. When she is not working, she is usually spending time with family, planning her next trip, trying a new restaurant, or finding a reason to gather the people she loves.
