Featured Speakers
Captain Sarah Bettencourt (USMC, Retired) was training as a helicopter pilot when a rare neurological disorder forced her to medically retire in 2012.
With her constantly changing and sometimes very serious symptoms, Sarah struggled to find her place back in society until she was introduced to adaptive sports, where Sarah realized by adapting equipment and technique, she could accomplish anything!
Since then, Sarah founded San Diego Ducks Sled Hockey, is a 3-time world champion with the US Women’s Sled Hockey Team, and is a 4-time world champion in the Women’s Para Surf Prone 1 division.
Sarah continues to serve others through adaptive sports and representing her nation in para ice hockey and para surfing.
Aisha Chaney, Coordinating Producer II of SportsCenter Los Angeles
Aisha Chaney is a 3-time Emmy Award winning Production Executive with 20 years of experience. She rejoined ESPN in October 2021 as Coordinating Producer II of SportsCenter from Los Angeles after spending 8 years in a senior leadership role at NFL Network.
During her time at NFL Network from 2013-2021, Aisha grew as a producer on shows like NFL GameDay Morning, Total Access and GameDay Live and had the distinct opportunity to produce the NFL Schedule Release Show from Sofi Stadium in 2021. Aisha was also a co-chair of the NFL’s Black Engagement Network for two years and helped create programs to grow and retain employees like Executive Office Hours and Mentor Circles, as a member of Brian Rolapp’s NFL Media & Business DEI Committee.
Aisha started her career in Bristol, CT as a production assistant in 2004 and worked on a variety of shows like NFL Countdown, NFL Live, NBA Countdown and SportsCenter. She was selected to be part of the original staff that launched production of SportsCenter from LA in 2009 as well as SportsNation from LA in 2013. In her current role as CP of the LA SportsCenter, Aisha has been a decisive people leader who stresses accountability, while cultivating collaboration and encouraging her staff to be their authentic selves. She genuinely cares more about the human than the output and has developed a proven track record in establishing strong relationships with her talent and staff, to successfully encourage growth and ultimately create compelling, meaningful, and inclusive content. Aisha and her producing team helped increase ratings for the LA SportsCenter last year by 22%, in year over year growth.
Aisha also serves as an ESPN Power of Women mentor for the third straight year, was a part of the ESPN Mentorship Circles in 2022 and collaborates with the LA Culture and Engagement Committee at ESPN. She has represented the company at the National Association of Black Journalists Convention the past three years, not only helping to recruit young professionals and students, but she’s leant her unique perspective on Production panels during the ESPN Sports Media Summit to shine a light on all aspects of the producing process.
While she loves cheering for Aaron Rodgers, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Edwards, Aisha spends most of her time out of the office as a single mom of her beautiful 10-year-old son, Ashton Jeremiah. She’s a proud graduate of Howard University and has certificates from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business for completing the WISE Executive Leadership Institute in 2023 and from NYU for completing the NYU-NFL Sports Executive Education Program in 2021. Aisha grew up in the Bay Area but has called Los Angeles home for nearly 16 years.
Caroline Marks, 2024 Olympic gold medalist surfer
Caroline Marks has without a doubt established herself as one of surfing’s greatest. Now 22 years old, her naturally powerful style in the water has drawn comparisons to perennial powerhouses Carissa Moore and Mark Occhilupo. With an impressive list of record-breaking accolades under her belt already, Caroline is a cut above the rest. At age 11, she became the youngest surfer ever chosen for the USA National Team. The following year, she tied Carissa Moore’s record as the youngest NSSA Open Women’s Champion. All of that was just a warm-up for her biggest year yet. 2015 was one for the record books as she secured her second NSSA Open Women’s title, earned a pair of NSSA Open and Explorer Girls titles and became the youngest-ever U.S. Open Champion with the Pro Junior Title.
Coming off those impressive feats, she was awarded a wildcard spot in the 2015 Swatch Women’s Pro at Lower Trestles – placing her alongside the women on the WSL Championship Tour (WSL CT) as the youngest wildcard competitor in the history of the World Surf League. Caroline continued her dominance in 2016, taking home her second consecutive Vans US Open Pro Junior title and becoming the first Girls U16 Gold Medalist for Team USA in the history of the ISA World Games. With that feat, she became the first American ISA Gold Medalist of the Olympic Era.
At the end of 2017, Caroline became the youngest person, male or female, to qualify for the WSL CT and proceeded to achieve 3 podium finishes in her first season on tour, earning the Rookie of the Year award in the process. After finishing the 2019 WSL CT season in 2nd place, Caroline qualified for the inaugural US Olympic Surf Team and went on to earn the highest scoring heat in the Games. By 2023, the term super-star became synonymous with Caroline Marks. In her first full season back from a 6-month competition break, Caroline earned 6 podium finishes, 3 CT event wins, qualified for her second consecutive Olympic Games, and won her first WSL World Title.
Caroline’s success continued at the 2024 Olympic Games where she won the 2nd ever Gold Medal in surfing, cementing her position as the best surfer in the world. Her other-worldly talent mixed with her tenacious nature continues to remind surfers and non-surfers alike that Caroline is a budding icon. Inspired by the waves and supported by her tight-knit family, the best has yet to come for Caroline Marks.
Jessi Miley-Dyer, Commissioner of the World Surf League
Jessi Miley-Dyer is the Commissioner for the World Surf League (WSL), the global home of competitive surfing. Miley-Dyer, a former Championship Tour (CT) competitor, oversees the WSL’s entire competitive landscape, including the Championship Tour, Challenger Series, Qualifying Series, Pro Junior Series, Longboard, Big Wave, and specialty events/series. Since joining the WSL in 2012, Miley-Dyer has been integral to professional surfing's growth, particularly in developing the women's Tours. Miley-Dyer has held several positions within the Tours and Competitions team, including the Women's Championship Tour Manager, and Senior Vice President of Tours and Competitions.
Miley-Dyer most recently held the role of Chief of Sport for the League. Miley-Dyer has led milestones for professional surfing through her work with the WSL. In 2022, the WSL hosted the first fully combined men's and women's competition schedules for the Championship Tour and Challenger Series. Miley-Dyer was key in the WSL's groundbreaking 2018 announcement to award equal prize money to male and female athletes for every WSL-owned and operated event from 2019 onwards, becoming the first and only US-based, global sports league to do so. Miley-Dyer also introduced the WSL Rising Tides program, a community engagement program to inspire the next generation to take to the surf. Her work has received worldwide recognition for surfing and women's sport.
She was honored as a 2022 Sports Business Journal (SBJ) Game Changer for her groundbreaking work at the WSL. Before joining the WSL, Miley-Dyer spent over 10 years as a professional surfer. She earned numerous accolades, including winning the first World Junior Championship and spending six years competing on the Championship Tour, where she won the Billabong Pro Maui in her rookie year. During her competitive career, Miley-Dyer also took on the Surfers' Representative role, allowing her the opportunity to help grow the sport as an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Board Member and Director. Miley-Dyer was born and raised in Sydney, Australia, and earned her Master's Degree in Business from the University of New South Wales. Miley-Dyer is based in the WSL’s El Segundo, California headquarters.
Christine Monjer, President of the three-time WNBA Champion Los Angeles Sparks
Christine Monjer serves as the president of the three-time WNBA Champion Los Angeles Sparks, where she directs business operations and partners closely with the ownership group to execute the organization’s strategic vision.
Prior to her role with the Sparks, Monjer played a key role in shaping the brand identity and game day experience for the Las Vegas Aces following the franchise’s move from San Antonio, in addition to negotiating its TV deal. Her extensive background also includes serving as Executive Director of Marketing at MGM Resorts International, where she managed major shows and events across the company’s Las Vegas properties. Earlier in her career, she was the Marketing Manager for Quaker Oats at PepsiCo in Chicago, concentrating on brand development.
Monjer graduated cum laude with a degree in business management from the University of Miami and went on to earn her MBA from Cornell University. In 2022, she received the Carlos R. Quintanilla Distinguished Latino Alumni Award from Cornell, recognizing her significant achievements and advocacy for Latino advancement in the business realm.
As a first-generation American of Cuban and Venezuelan descent and a native Spanish speaker, Monjer is passionate about fostering diversity in business and engaging with the diverse communities of the greater Los Angeles area.
Angela Ruggiero, 4x Olympian and gold medalist for Team USA ice hockey
Angela Ruggiero is a leading figure in the global sports world, having served as an elite athlete, business leader, investor, and advisor.
Ruggiero is a 4X Olympian and Gold Medalist for Team USA ice hockey, and is a Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
She currently serves as chairperson and co-founder of Sports Innovation Lab, a data-powered market research rm focused on the intersection of sports and innovation, as well as a co-founder of 4TheWalk, a brand dedicated to promoting and supporting female athletes through fashion-forward merch and experiences.
She has been named to Sports Business Journal's 40 Under 40 List, Forbes’ Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Sport, and is a Member of the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s and the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Hall of Fame.
Natasha Watley, Major League Baseball’s youth softball ambassador
During a motivational speaking tour of inner-city high schools, Natasha Watley was stunned when, in the middle of her presentation, a teenaged girl raised her hand and said, "I’m sorry, ma’am, but what is softball?"
Realizing that the sport she loved wasn’t exactly popular, especially among inner city girls, opened Natasha’s eyes. A two–time Pan American Gold Medalist, three-time World Champion, and four-time World Cup Champion, Natasha knew that introducing girls to softball could improve their self-esteem, confidence, and social skills. She vowed to find a way to open up the world of softball to inner city girls, hoping to foster a passion for both the game and teamwork.
Soon thereafter, Natasha founded the Natasha Watley Foundation (NWF), a community service nonprofit dedicated to introducing softball to the girls of the nation’s inner cities. NWF seeks to give every girl the opportunity to fall in love with softball, providing a path to not only a sport but also an improved quality of life.
More than simply teaching young women how to play the sport, her organization provides a positive alternative to the daily struggles faced by many girls in low-income households.
Natasha joined the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame after leading the Bruins to three straight Women’s College World Series and the NCAA Division 1 Softball Championship title in 2003. In 2004, Natasha played with America’s Olympic team, taking home a gold medal. In 2008, she competed again, winning a silver medal. She then continued her professional career by joining USSSA Pride and Team Toyota in Japan.
While softball played a tremendous role in Natasha’s life, she managed to balance the sport with education, graduating from UCLA, then going on to receive a Master’s Degree in Sports Business from Saint Leo University.
A true champion who has succeeded at every level she has played, Natasha now hopes to pass on her expertise in softball, team building, and leadership to the next generation of women through public speaking, coaching and her foundation.
