Melissa Borello is from San Jose, CA. Melissa graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, majoring in Recreation Parks and Tourism Management with a concentration in Sport and Recreation Experience Management. While at Cal Poly she volunteered for many organizations including Special Olympics, Operation Surf, the US Open at Pebble Beach and more. After graduation, Melissa was a recreation specialist for San Luis Obispo Parks and Recreation, where she managed staff and scheduled and permitted all city facilities. She was also the director of game-day operations for the San Luis Obispo Blues baseball team.

Iker Cordero is from Mexico City where he earned a bachelor's degree in Marketing in 2016 from the Iberoamericana University. After graduating, Iker worked for four years in Nestle Mexico in different areas, such as e-commerce and sales within different business units of the company. Most recently he worked in growth marketing for Colombian startup Rappi, an on-demand delivery mobile app. 

Claudia Cox is from Greenville, NC, and graduated from the University of California San Diego with a BS in Physiology and Neuroscience. While attending UCSD, she was a Division II All-American and captain on the Track and Field team, as well as an executive team member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. In addition to being involved in athletics on campus, Claudia worked at UCSD University Centers in events and also in Residence Life. Since graduating in 2020, she worked for the quality assurance team in medical device reporting at Dexcom and as event staff/security for the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. 

Vasili Dallas is from Newport News, VA, and graduated from James Madison University with a BS in Sport and Recreation Management, and minors in Business and Sport Communications. While attending JMU, he interned at UFC on the Brand Marketing team, as well as JMU Athletics on the Athletics Facilities and Events side. Most recently, Vasili was an Account Executive with the Washington Wizards/Monumental Sports & Entertainment. 

Bill Foltz is from Los Angeles, CA, and graduated in 2017 from the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business with an emphasis in Marketing and Sales. After graduating, Bill followed his passion for sports by taking a job in ticket sales with the San Diego Gulls Hockey Club. Bill won the American Hockey League Rookie of the Year award for most full season sales and was promoted to an account executive for group sales role, selling suites and to groups of 10 or more. 

Sam Galaif is from San Diego, CA, and graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a BS in Business Administration and a concentration in Management. While attending Cal Poly as a four-year student-athlete, Sam held positions of team captain, treasurer and head of fundraising on the men’s lacrosse team. During this time, he also completed internships with SponsorUnited as a Sponsorship Scout and Cal Poly Athletics as a compliance department intern. 

Angelica Gamez is from San Diego, CA, and graduated from San Diego State University with a BS in Business Administration – Marketing and a minor in Spanish. Angelica held marketing internship positions with SDSU Athletics, Spine and Sport Physical Therapy, NBC San Diego, and others while being a founding executive board member of the SDSU Women in Business club and a member of the SDSU cheerleading team. After graduating, Angelica worked as a marketing consultant for QDOBA’s corporate office and transitioned into the role of culture and engagement specialist – aiding in social media, corporate social responsibility initiatives and internal culture. 

Rosario Garcia is from Riverside, CA, and graduated from California State University of San Bernardino in 2021 with a BA in Business Administration and a concentration in Sports and Entertainment Marketing. While attending CSUSB, Rosario worked with the Associated Students Incorporated as a program specialist for the production team. Rosario’s work involved marketing, planning, and execution of ASI services and events. 

Sierra Garcia is from Bakersfield, CA, and graduated from San Diego State University in 2021 with a BA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. While attending SDSU, Sierra interned for the Athletics Department’s marketing team. She coordinated the SDSU Breast Cancer Awareness volleyball game and assisted in game-day marketing at the Kawhi Leonard Jersey Retirement basketball game. 

Katie Gavitt is from Murrieta, CA, and graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in Communication Studies in 2014. While attending SFSU, she mentored high school students in an urban debate league and interned with Cumulus Media at 107.7 The Bone and KNBR radio stations. After college, she helped with the opening of restaurants and hotels throughout San Francisco. She recently lived abroad in Madrid, Spain, working as a language assistant to high school students in English and physical education. 

Daniel Hadad is from Mexico City. He graduated from the Iberoamericana University where he received his undergraduate degree in International Business in 2016. After graduating, Daniel worked in the freight forwarder business, helping small companies export and import their goods around the world. For the past two years, Daniel has been working in sales with seeUplay, a Mexican company that records and broadcasts, through artificial intelligence with no human intervention, amateur and professional matches throughout Mexico.

Helen He is from San Leandro, CA and graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a BA in Sociology and a certificate in Exercise & Sports Studies in 2018. Since then, she has worked as a Brand Supervisor at Converse and helped the stores boost their KPIs through customer loyalty-building and sales skills. Helen also works as a personal trainer in her free time, and she competes in bikini bodybuilding competitions.

Sara Johnsen is from Glendora, CA, and graduated in 2021 from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and minors in Photography and Sports Management. After working for Cal Poly Athletics in the Equipment and Marketing departments, Sara now has roles with the promotional ambassador teams for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the American Hockey League’s San Diego Gulls while she attends SDSU. 

Haley Kachigan is from Long Beach, CA, and graduated Cum Laude from Gonzaga University in 2021 with a BA in Sport Management and minors in Communication Studies and Promotions. While attending Gonzaga, Haley interned at the Lilac Bloomsday Association – the largest 12k road race in the world. Since graduating, Haley has been working at Competitive Aquatic Supply as part of its retail and event staff. 

Sirena Lopez is from Los Angeles, CA, and graduated from California State University, Northridge with a BS in Kinesiology and a minor in Business Law in 2019. While attending CSUN she worked for Adidas and was a part of a team that led an activation event for the Adidas Supernova shoe at the 2016 Boston Marathon. Most recently Sirena worked as an account manager for an insurance broker and advising firm. 

Lilly Markusch is from Denver, CO, and graduated from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 2020 with a BS in Marketing and a minor in Communications. She competed for UNL’s track and cross country team in the 1,500 meters, steeple and 5k. She was also an active member of the Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity, where she served as vice president of community service. Her previous work includes interning with the Lincoln Stars junior hockey team, Hurrdat marketing agency and working as a tournament assistant for the American Junior Golf Association.

Fred Mase is from Levittown, NY. He graduated from SUNY Cortland where he played lacrosse and received his undergraduate degree in Exercise Science in 2015. Upon graduating, Fred joined the Marine Corps where he became an infantry officer. In the Marine Corps he served as a platoon commander, fires support team leader and a company executive officer. 

Annika Meurer is from San Diego, CA, and graduated from the University of Virginia with a BA in Media Studies and a minor in Sociology in 2019. While attending UVA, she worked for the school’s football team as the head student equipment manager. During college Annika also interned with the San Diego Padres and USA Football. Recently she worked for USA Football as an events coordinator. She coordinated and executed USA Football events throughout the country, including the U.S. National Team program, various football clinics, conferences and flag football tournaments. 

Jimu Nagoshi is from Kobe, Japan, and graduated from Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Society and Management in 2013. After graduating, Jimu worked in sales at a lingerie and compression sportswear company in Tokyo for four years. Most recently he established his own company in 2017, and managed and operated an independent travel agency for four years.

Mark Olson is from San Luis Obispo, CA. He graduated from Santa Clara University in 2021 with a BS in Marketing and Business Analytics. During his time at Santa Clara, he accumulated a variety of internship experiences in marketing, talent acquisition, database management, and business strategy in industries such as tech, entertainment, and medicine. Mark is currently working as a street team member for the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League.

Saif Pirani is from Markham, Ontario, and graduated in 2021 from Brock University with a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management. Saif’s industry-related experiences while at Brock include volunteering at MLS Cup 2017 in Toronto and working as a gameday statistician with Brock Sports. He is currently a member for Strategic Operations with the Aga Khan Youth and Sports Board for Canada and most recently worked in business development with First Touch Football Canada, a sports marketing startup.

Tureen Piromari is from San Diego, CA, and graduated from San Diego State University in 2020 with a BS in Recreation and Tourism Management. While at SDSU, Tureen worked with the SDSU Athletics ticketing department – assisting with seat allocation for recruits and players’ families, as well as selling season ticket packages – and worked in ticket sales for the San Diego Padres. In her junior year of college, Tureen hosted and operated a basketball camp in Spring Valley, CA, for kids aged 6-12.

Tina Schirmeister is from Simi Valley, CA, and graduated from Fresno State University with a BS in Kinesiology: Sport Administration and a certificate in Sport and Entertainment Facility Management in 2019. After graduating, Tina focused on the marching arts, joining Drum Corps International Operations Team for the 2019 season. During the pandemic, Tina served as club coordinator at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Conejo Valley focusing on youth development. She continues to hold her role as team manager for Imbue Winterguard and alumni relations committee lead for Living Sport, LLC.

Andrew Schubert is from Pasadena, CA, and graduated from the University of California, San Diego in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in International Business and a minor in Psychology. During his time at UC San Diego, he interned with the San Diego Padres in sales and marketing, learning the ins and outs of successful season, group and single game ticketing while also analyzing and tracking merchandise and food sales during promotions and throughout the regular season. After graduation, he took on a role as an accounts analyst for a commercial real estate firm in Del Mar, CA. 

Alanna Shepard is from Santa Monica, CA, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Loyola Marymount University in 2021 with a BA in Communication Studies and a minor in History. While attending LMU, Alanna worked for the Athletics Department as a member of the game operations team where she assisted with the set-up, execution, and breakdown of all athletic events. Alanna is currently a remote Research and Development/Social Media Intern for the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica. 

Spencer Sheridan grew up in Encinitas, CA, and graduated from the University of Puget Sound in 2013 with a BA in International Political Economy and minors in Business and Spanish. Prior to starting at SDSU, Spencer worked as the Community Engagement Manager for Treehouse, a youth focused nonprofit in Washington state, where he leveraged community partnerships to support youth in foster care and specialized in virtual and in-person events. He has coached the University of Puget Sound women’s ultimate team, one of the most successful DIII ultimate programs in the country, since 2013.

Laurel Smith is from Laguna Beach, CA, and graduated from Rice University in 2020 with a BA in Sport Management, Managerial Studies and Visual & Dramatic Arts. While attending Rice, she completed multiple internships in event management and venue operations with organizations such as the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee, the Houston Dynamo and Dash, the Rice University Athletics Department and Bright Event Rentals. Laurel was also selected as Head Beer Bike Coordinator for Duncan Residential College during the largest on-campus event of the year at Rice. 

Michel Spahr is from Therwil, Switzerland, and graduated from the University of Northwestern Switzerland with a BS in International Management and a minor in International Entrepreneurship in 2020. Before pursuing a bachelor’s degree, Michel interned in the department of Private Clients & Wealth Management at Credit Suisse and transitioned into the role of a Corporate Clients assistant relationship manager, advising corporate clients in their daily banking needs. After graduation, Michel worked in the Audit & Assurance division of Deloitte Switzerland where he was responsible for nominated audit areas and performed tests of details on different general ledger accounts.

Tobias Strebel is from Zurich, Switzerland and graduated from Zurich University of Applied Sciences with a BS in International Management in 2020. Before his BS, Tobias worked in Malaysia and Canada for an industrial engineering company in project management. After earning his BS, Tobias worked for a fintech startup in Zurich in the customer care and operations team. Additionally, Tobias has experience in IT from his time in the Swiss bank UBS between the ages of 17 and 21.

Andrew Vidales is from Upland, CA, and graduated from UC Berkeley in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies and Human Geography. While attending UC Berkeley, Andrew was a student manager for the Cal men’s basketball team from 2018-20, in which he assisted with practice/game operations, in-season travel logistics, and video/scouting operations. During this time, Andrew was also a coach for the 2018 and 2019 Cal Basketball Youth Summer Camp and was elected head student manager for the 2018-19 season. 

Trevor Weimer is from Charlotte, NC. Trevor graduated Summa Cum Laude from North Carolina State University in 2021 with a BS in Sport Management and minors in Business Administration and Coaching Education. While attending NCSU, Trevor worked with a local sports training facility as a sport business administration and marketing intern, later advancing into a business development role upon graduation.

Jim Wilkie is from Vancouver, British Columbia, and graduated from Western Washington University with a BA in Journalism in 1989. Jim was ESPN.com’s first NHL editor while working for nearly 20 years as an editor and writer for the site. In addition to managing contributors and content on a wide range of sports, he co-created innovative sections that focused on sports and pop culture and developed content partnerships with the likes of Alice in Chains, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and more. Jim also contributed to Agence France-Presse’s World Cup 2014 coverage in Paris and co-founded a Canadian sports news startup in 2017.

Devin Wilson is from McKees Rocks, PA. Devin was a student-athlete at Virginia Tech where he played basketball (2013-16, 2017-18) and football (2016-17) while earning Political Science and English degrees in 2018. After graduating from Virginia Tech, he attended Virginia Commonwealth University’s Center for Sport Leadership where he worked as a graduate assistant with the men’s basketball team and earned his Sport Leadership master’s degree in 2021. Currently, Devin works as the events and operations assistant at UC San Diego.

Will Young is from Boring, OR, and graduated from Portland State University in March 2021 with a BS in Marketing. While attending Portland State, Will interned in the Portland State Athletics Department and ascended to a full-time role as the community engagement coordinator. Will has managed projects in the nonprofit sector with organizations such as The Maurice Lucas Foundation, Friends of Baseball and Pro Minded, as well as roles in ticket sales, donations and in-game fan experience. He currently works as a strategic partnerships associate with Gravitate Sports Marketing.