📸 The Epicenter: Women’s Sports Summit Leadership Conference
Barb Bloom-Groshong, J.D., University of Portland School of Business Senior Instructor, attended The Epicenter of Women’s Sports Summit, Leadership Conference at Nike World Headquarters on July 25, 2025, on behalf of the business school.
Her involvement in the local sports community underscores the school’s commitment to integrating business and sports in Portland, Oregon, reflecting a dedication to fostering connections between our academic programs and real-world applications in the sports industry.
The conference featured a remarkable lineup of influential figures in women’s sports, including:
- Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, owners of both the WNBA’s Portland Fire and NWSL’s Portland Thorns, who discussed their investment in Portland women’s sports through their company, RAJ Sports.
- Dawn Staley, Olympic gold medalist, former WNBA player, and coach of the three-time NCAA champion South Carolina Gamecocks, who shared her personal insights on the evolution of the game.
- Elliott Hill, CEO of Nike, who spoke about the company’s longtime commitment to investing in women’s sports.
- Sylvia Fowles, WNBA champion, who highlighted the growth of the league.
- Carl Lewis, a 9-time Olympic gold medalist and current coach of the University of Houston men’s and women’s track and field teams.
🎤 Panel Moderators
The event also featured prominent panel moderators:
- Sarah Spain, an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning sports journalist, podcast host, and television personality, known for her work at ESPN and her daily iHeart podcast, Good Game with Sarah Spain, which focuses on women’s sports.
- Annie Costabile, women’s sports reporter at Front Office Sports, who previously covered the WNBA at the Chicago Sun-Times.
Both Sarah and Annie were part of the group photo (below) as well as Dr. Bloom-Groshong, capturing the spirit of the event.
Attendees engaged in networking with local businesses, as well as event co-sponsors Travel Portland and Sport Oregon. Barb engaged in many discussions about the UP Sports Business program, which includes an intentional emphasis on women’s sports.
🌟 Event Highlights
Hosted by Karina LeBlanc, Executive VP of Strategic Growth Development for RAJ Sports and a former professional soccer goalkeeper, the conference generated significant enthusiasm around the investment in women’s sports and its positive impact on revitalizing Portland.
📜Learn More
For more information about the event and its impact, visit the following links:
About UP Sports Business
For more information about the Sports Business program at UP, please visit:
