Summer Solstice – Game-Changing Tech: The Intersection of Sports and Innovation (June 13th, 2024)
Leaders from various sectors within the fields of Artificial Intelligence and sports convened at the UCLA Faculty Center for a dynamic event focused on the intersection of technology, sports, and leadership. The morning began with a spirited breakfast and networking session, setting the stage for thought-provoking discussions throughout the day.
The first panel, moderated by Kevin Gray, CIO of the City of Burbank, explored how host cities harness technology to enhance major sporting events, and placed special emphasis on SoCal’s preparation for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic games. Panelists Lea Eriksen, CIO of the City of Long Beach and Phillip Leclair, CIO of the City of Pasadena, shared insights into leveraging innovation for city-wide impact. A strong focus that both city leaders emphasized is the goal of elevating public safety and transportation throughout the games. Furthermore, by employing new AI technologies to increase accessibility for those unable to attend Lea Eriksen hopes to immerse the entire community in the excitement of the games.
Beverly Macy, an Instructor at UCLA Center for Media, Entertainment, & Sports and best-selling author, led our second panel, which dove into the roles of a few prominent women leaders in the realm of sports and AI. Krisha Zagura, VP of Product at On Location, Janette Smrcka, VP of IT at SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, and Shelley Taniguchi-Dea, Director of Global Partnerships at Team Liquid spoke about how their unique experiences, which ranged from being former athletes to leaders in the tech, have shaped the empowerment of women in sports over recent years.
A highlight of the event was Mike Band‘s presentation illustrating the evolution of big data in football under the auspices of the NFL’s Next Gen Stats initiative. Mike Band is the Senior Manager of Research and Analytics for Next Gen Stats with NFL. He discussed the growing impact of their tracking technologies for opponent scouting and game decision analysis. He also touched on the future goals of Next Gen Stats AI integrations.
Heather Brooks Karatz of Hextec, Inc., engaged in a fireside chat with Theresa Miller, CIO of Lionsgate, covering diverse topics in technology and entertainment. Heather explained how she ended up in the influential position she currently finds herself in despite starting her career as a labor attorney. She also shared her sentimental thoughts on the future of women in sports entertainment.
The event culminated with a keynote address by Ed Soo Hoo, Worldwide CTO from Lenovo, who explored the theme of “Leadership in the Age of Now New Next.” His creative analogies and years of experience provided strategic insights into navigating technological advancements. His unique storytelling approach emphasized how true leaders go beyond just leading, to build other leaders.
This event would not have been possible without our amazing sponsors. We enjoyed hearing what Fortinet, SentinelOne, and NTT Data had to offer and thank them for sponsoring Summer Solstice 2024. We would also like to thank Varonis and Avasant for sponsoring our event.
As the event drew to a close, everyone departed with enriched perspectives and new connections, reflecting on the impactful discussions and insights shared by industry leaders in sports and tech.