WISE/R Symposium

Overview

WISE/R Symposium in Collaboration with the WNBA All-Star 2025 Host Committee

One day can change the course of a career.

Whether you're an aspiring executive, current industry professional or simply passionate about the business of sports, WISE/R Symposium will provide valuable insights and inspiration for the next generation of leaders.

Session Details

From MVP to Author
Widely regarded as one of the greatest WNBA all-time players, Candace Parker is a two-time NCAA Champion, a two-time WNBA MVP, and has won three WNBA Championships with three different franchises — the LA Sparks, Chicago Sky, and the Las Vegas Aces. Parker joins us as our featured conversation, discussing her new book, "The Can-Do Mindset," as well as her various roles as an investor, entrepreneur, business leader, and more. Featured conversation with Candace Parker.

Navigating Difficult Conversations: Influence Equation
Whether it is in a one-on-one negotiation with a colleague or a public campaign, WISE professionals seek to effectively influence narratives to achieve results you want for yourself, your clients, your team or your organization. This session is intended to help you understand the foundations of persuasive communication, understand the spectrum of influence, and how make strategic choices as you negotiate the narrative. Presenter: Lisa Dicker.

Language of Power
The Language of Power focuses on outcomes, making effective communication crucial for success. This session will help you highlight your business, strategic and financial skills, and communicate like the C-Suite. You'll create a professional Power Statement that defines your role's value and impact, then refine it through Speed Networking. Presenter: Dr. Quendrida Whitmore.

The Presidents: Road to Team Presidency
Have you ever wondered what it takes to rise to the top of a professional sports organization? This session will take attendees behind the scenes of these dynamic team leaders. Through personal stories, career pivots and lessons learned, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the unique paths to leadership in the sports industry.

We'll explore the essential skills and experiences that contribute to success at the executive level — from business acumen and brand building to navigating player relations and fostering community engagement. The discussion will also take a forward-looking lens, highlighting how the industry is evolving with advancements in technology, media and fan engagement, as well the growing impact of NIL. Panelists: Alycen McAuley, Carley Knox, Keia Clarke, Kelly Krauskopf, Nikki Fargas.

Key Takeaways:

• Career trajectories and pivotal experiences of team presidents
• Core leadership and operational skills needed to succeed in professional sports
• Emerging trends shaping the future of the sports industry
• The evolving role of NIL and its implications for women’s sports and leadership opportunities

The Female Fan
For 15 years, espnW has been serving the interests of the female fan. They've been leading the charge in studying when their fandom forms, their key drivers and how women fan differently. Panelists will share insights into the influence, motivations and spending patterns of female sports fans, providing valuable insights into their impact on the industry. You'll also learn about the role they are playing in the significant growth women's sports are experiencing. Panelists: Rachael Epstein, Shelley Pisarra.

Breakout Sessions

Breakout A — Career Enablers + Derailers
Navigating careers requires understanding the factors that facilitate progression and those that may hinder it. Prescriptions for leadership often emphasize actions to take but overlook actions to avoid. This session will identify common dysfunctions and provide guidelines to maintain career progression.

Who should attend?

• New to professional space
• Less than 7 years work experience at the professional level
• Manages processes, not people
• Individual contributor Presenter: Dr. Quendrida Whitmore

Breakout B — Strategic Assertion & Influence

To be effective in negotiations, we must understand what we want to assert and who we are seeking to influence. While our interests may not shift, our framing and delivery needs to be targeted to the audience we are seeking to persuade and the level of commitment we need from them. Thus, negotiating with our external partners, clients, subordinates, peers and supervisors may each require different approaches to be effective and achieve the results we want. This session will build on themes from the Navigating Difficult Conversations session while introducing and practicing strategies for effective assertion and influence in negotiations through interest identification, persuasive framing, creating solid commitments.

Who should attend?

• Frontline leaders; leading individual contributors
• Manages the complexities of managing up while managing others
• Interacts with multiple functions across the organization
• Oversees a major project and/or people Presenter: Lisa Dicker