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Leadership

Governing Body

David Blitzer

Co-Managing Partner
Philadelphia 76ers
New Jersey Devils
Crystal Palace FC

Al Guido

President
San Francisco 49ers

Luc Robitaille

President, Business Operations
Los Angeles Kings

Stan Kasten

Partner, President & CEO
Los Angeles Dodgers

Amadou Gallo Fall

President
Basketball Africa League

Jerry Colangelo

Former Chairman
USA Basketball

Clark Hunt

Chairman & CEO
Kansas City Chiefs & FC Dallas

Masai Ujiri

President & Co-Founder Giants of Africa
Former President & GM, Basketball Operations, Toronto Raptors

George Raveling

Naismith Hall of Fame
Former Director of Basketball
Nike (In Memoriam)

Angela Ruggiero

CEO & Co-Founder
Sports Innovation Lab
4X US Olympian
World Rugby Board Member

Advisor Network includes (but not limited to):

Sanyin Siang

Thinkers50 #1 Executive Coach, and Executive Director of Duke University’s Coach K Leadership & Ethics Center at its Fuqua School of Business

Paxton Baker

Co-Owner, Washington Nationals, and Chairman of the US Congressional Award

(ret.) General Robert Brooks Brown

Army, Commander of the US Army Pacific, and CEO of the AUSA

Wendy Lewis

fmr Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at MLB and McDonald’s

Andy Walshe

former Head of Human Performance, Red Bull

Marc Ganis

Founder, SportsCorp Ltd., ”33rd owner in the NFL”

Wayne Embry

Naismith Hall of Fame Member

Joe Moglia

fmr Chairman, TD Ameritrade

Jim & Bev Naismith

Chairpersons, Naismith Family Foundation

Bobby Sharma

Founder, Bluestone Equity Partners

Darren Shand

GM, New Zealand All Blacks

and more...

Ian Gaffney

Ian is a trusted and tactical connector and confidant to the inner circle leaders of youth, collegiate, and professional sports. He leverages his strong relationships with key decision-makers across the global sports landscape to foster collaboration, connectivity, and community.

As Co-Owner and CEO of the Sports Leadership Institute (SLI), Ian spearheads all aspects of the organization’s growth strategy, including summit development and expansion, fostering new ventures, and guiding a network of prominent sports, entertainment, and otherwise thought leaders.

Beyond SLI, Ian holds investment positions in professional sports franchises and Leagues, tech companies, and startup organizations.

Ian’s passion for sports extends beyond the professional realm. He dedicates his time to coaching high school football at Union High School (WA) and proudly volunteers as an ambassador to the Navy SEAL Foundation.

Zach Siewert

Zach Siewert serves as President of the Sports Leadership Institute, bringing extensive experience in sports and entertainment leadership. With a strong background in sales, operations, and revenue strategy, Zach has developed a deep expertise across collegiate athletics, professional sports, esports, and venue management.

At SLI, Zach leads community engagement, operational strategy, sponsorship acquisition, and partnership development, driving innovation and growth across new ventures.

Before joining SLI, Zach held leadership roles with industry-leading organizations including Legends, AT&T Stadium (Dallas Cowboys), and Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas Raiders). He also played an instrumental role in launching the Dallas Jackals franchise in Major League Rugby.