WISE Chicago (Women in Sports & Events - Chicago Chapter)

Last month I caught up with a dear friend and mentor, Sara Toussaint. We are both busy as ever and don’t catch up as often as we would like, but whenever we do it goes like this. Lots of laughter, genuine support, and authentic honesty. We share our new projects, personal life updates, and new-found thoughts. We allow space to open up about challenges and we always share feedback (Sara graciously more for me). Most recently she asked me “Why don’t you post more on LinkedIn? You’re working on a lot of cool things. You should share.” I’m hesitant. It’s not natural to me. I’ve always been the “head down, let your work speak for yourself mentality.” The strong silent type, as Tony Soprano would say. But as always, I take feedback to heart, especially from those I respect. And after some much-needed encouragement I’ve set intention to expand myself this year in hopes that sharing brings real connection, inspiration, and support for whoever needs it. So I’m taking a small step today to share what I am most looking forward to this year: 🏀 ⚽ We have a wild year ahead at The Tournament (TBT/TST)(headlines to come soon 😉) and if you have yet to attend TST or TBT, my inbox is open. 🏙️ I’ll be entering my third year on the board at WISE Chicago (Women in Sports & Events - Chicago Chapter) & continuing to build an incredible membership community with Victoria N. Randle, MSA and Rachel (Rappé) Morfitt. If you have ever considered joining WISE, I’ll share the same - my inbox is open. ✨ As a Movemeant Foundation coach and a genuine fan of Jenny Gaither, I’ll continue to hype up what an amazing program she has created for young girls and something I wish I had growing up. Please visit https://lnkd.in/gq4_9ETX to learn more. 🧘♀️ I’m still a girl who loves to humble herself with new challenges and continuing to work at CorePower Yoga. If you are in the #chicagoland and would like to start, let’s take a class together! ⛪ Last but certainly not least, I couldn’t be more excited to marry Stephen Gaul, CFP® this year. Couldn’t do any of this without you. I’ll still be connecting in-person, because that simply feels more natural to me. But here’s to sharing a bit more of the hype and continuing to expand myself, because why the heck not?

As we say goodbye to 2024, we bid farewell and extend immense gratitude to WISE Chicago President Dinai Yelverton, MBA 💜 Dinai's leadership and passion have driven this chapter to great accomplishments including: ⭐ Negotiating and securing groundbreaking corporate partnership deals with the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Sky WNBA, DLA Piper, and the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), delivering greater opportunities and value to our members. ⭐ Increasing membership by 73% -- growing a vibrant, dynamic community of women supporting women in sports and events. ⭐ Launching the WISE Chicago storefront, creating a revenue source to fund programs like ASSIST Her, which ensures women requiring financial assistance the ability to apply for a 100% paid sponsorship applied to WISE Chicago membership dues. These milestones are a testament to Dinai, the dedication of our board, our members, and our corporate partners, as well as the collective belief in the power of WISE to transform careers, relationships, and opportunities. Thank you for everything, Dinai!

I’m so excited to share that I will be stepping into the role of WISE Chicago (Women in Sports & Events - Chicago Chapter) President in 2025! This organization has meant so much to me for the last 10+ years and I can’t wait to continue the momentum that Dinai Yelverton, MBA and the women of the Board started. The first picture below is of my mom and me in 2013 (I was 19 and a freshman in college) at the WISE Cleveland Women of Inspiration event where I received a scholarship from WISE - this is truly a full circle moment for me and I look forward to seeing where this new challenge in the organization takes me. ⚽️🏀🏈⚾️

*Farewell Announcement* As we approach the close of another transformative year, I write with a mix of gratitude and excitement to announce that my term as President of WISE Chicago (Women in Sports & Events - Chicago Chapter) will conclude at the end of this year. Reflecting on these past two years, I am immensely PROUD of all we have accomplished together: ✔️ Tripled corporate sponsorship dollars, enabling us to expand our impact and deliver greater value to our members. ✔️ Negotiated and secured groundbreaking corporate partnership deals with the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Sky WNBA, DLA Piper, and the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), delivering greater opportunities and value to our members. ✔️ Increased membership by 73%, growing a vibrant, dynamic community of women supporting women. ✔️ Streamlined our event strategy—reducing the number of events but increasing event revenues, proving the strength of quality over quantity. ✔️ Launched our storefront, creating a sustainable revenue source to fund programs like ASSIST Her, which ensures women requiring financial assistance can receiving a sponsorship to cover dues. These milestones are a testament to the dedication of our Board, our members, and our corporate partners, as well as the collective belief in the power of WISE! (And I stand by the fact that Chicago has THEE best board) As I prepare to transition out of this role, I am deeply grateful for the trust you all have placed in me and the privilege of serving such a phenomenal organization. Leading WISE Chicago has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career, and I remain committed to supporting the chapter and its mission as Chairwoman of the Board. I am also delighted to share that the Board has unanimously selected Lacey Mencl as our President-Elect, and I have every confidence she will continue to elevate the incredible work of our chapter. Please join me in welcoming Lacey as she steps into this role. I have no doubt that her leadership will usher in a new chapter of growth and success for WISE Chicago. Thank you all for your partnership, passion, and support throughout my presidency. It has been an honor to serve. With immense gratitude ❤️ #womeninsports #wisechicago

Congratulations to Laura Warren, who WISE Chicago (Women in Sports & Events - Chicago Chapter) named a Woman of Inspiration in Chicago! Laura is our Chief Legal and Administrative Officer, and has been with the Fire for over four years. From President of Business Operations, David Baldwin: "Laura has been a remarkable leader for the Fire for nearly five years, creating the Club’s first in-house legal department and taking the lead on a variety of notable projects including development of our MLS NEXT Pro team, Chicago Fire II, and our highly anticipated $100M Endeavor Health Performance Center. "More importantly, Laura has been an incredible example of professionalism and a wonderful mentor to our staff, always making herself available and offering her guidance. She is extremely deserving of this honor and we couldn’t be more proud!" The Chicago Fire are grateful to have Laura on our team!

WISE — Women in Sports and Events named Elizabeth Sanchez a Woman of Inspiration in Chicago! The Manager of Communications has worked for the club for five years, and is an invaluable teammate. From Elizabeth's manager, Jhamie Chin: "E has been an absolute rockstar for our communications department. Her ability to provide translation in English, Spanish, and French has been invaluable, ensuring we can connect with a broad audience and represent our players and coaches authentically.   She’s also played a pivotal role in designing and executing a best-in-class media operations strategy, consistently creating a seamless and professional experience for media at our home matches. Beyond that, E has helped raise the profile of our First Team, Fire II, and the Academy, both on and off the field. She’s an exceptional teammate, and we’re lucky to have her as part of the Club." Congratulations, E! We're fortunate to have you on our team.

Our friends at Chicago Fire FC are #hiring! Some current open roles: - Manager, Marketing - Specialist, Digital Marketing - Manager, Video & Animation - Account Manager, Partnership Marketing - Manager, Premium Sales - Account Manager, Premium Sales - Account Manager, Premium Service Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/gw9mRcDU

Congratulations to the 2024 WISE Chicago Women of Inspiration and Women to Watch nominees and winners! It was a special night with our community, hosted by our partner Chicago White Sox, celebrating women who exemplify the spirit of the WISE mission and are making a positive impact on the business of sports while serving as positive role models and mentors for other women.

We are proud to celebrate two Bulls leaders – Sarah Smith and Danielle (Gombac) Finnerty – who recently were nominated for the WISE Women of Inspiration Award. Last week, Sarah and Danielle attended the awards ceremony at Guaranteed Rate Field, where they spoke with other nominees and joined in the celebration of the winning women.   Thank you both for your leadership and all you do for our organization!

Congrats to Octagon SVP Nuvia Guzman on being selected as a nominee for WISE Chicago (Women in Sports & Events - Chicago Chapter)'s "Women of Inspiration" award. 🙌