San Diego, CA –The National Sports Forum is committed to increasing the opportunities for up-and-coming sports professionals who are ethnic minorities, or women, to gain access to the senior-level best practices of revenue generating responsibilities within the industry. We aim to provide networking and educational opportunities that set the NSF apart!

The NSF is proud to announce the ninth BDSE cohort class.  Once again, the cohort received a record number of applications this year and the selection process was competitive.  With so much interest in BDSE, we are confident that we are bringing the best of the best to join us at the 2022 Forum in Austin, Texas. The list of 31 Cohort members are listed below:

Jessica Afriyie: Virtual Tables; Director of Sales

Amanda Byrd: POV Sports Marketing; Account Coordinator

Brittany Dodson: Jacksonville Jaguars; Account Executive 

Kaitlin Donahoe: Pittsburgh Penguins; Director of Corporate Partnership Marketing

Alexander Elorriaga:  University of Miami Athletics | Legends; Senior Director, Global Partnerships

Joy Essaghof: NBA; Associate Manager, Partnership Development Analyst – TMBO

Jen Fry: JenFryTalksLLC; CEO

Lawrence Garrett: Monumental Sports & Entertainment; Manager of Global Partnerships Marketing 

Corina Hewitt: Washington Football Team; Membership Service, Account Executive 

Marcus Houston: New York Islanders Hockey Club; Account Executive, Partnership Sales

Charles Jackson: Brown Bears Sports Properties; Associate, Business Development 

Roger Jones: Cleveland Browns; Director of Corporate Partnerships

Arsal Lacorte: Chicago Bulls; Account Executive, Business Development – Corporate Partnerships

Tiffany Lam: Sacramento Republic FC; Manager, Member Services 

Alex Mallen: Angel City FC; Director, Corporate Partnerships 

Brooklyn McDaniels: NFL; Sponsorship & Partnership Management Coordinator 

Wesley Nakwaasah:Keurig/Dr Pepper; Associate Manager, Sponsorships

Jarrett Nobles: Los Angeles Chargers; Director, Business Development

Brandon Parker: NFL Players Association; Senior Communications Manager

Preeya Patel: BeCore Experiential Marketing Agency; VP Client Services and Production

Brittany Pitt: Milwaukee Bucks; Senior Sales Associate

Malcolm Pittman: SPORTFIVE; Sr. Manager, Corporate & Advisory Partnerships – Insights and Analytics 

Eric Robinson: Genesco Sports Enterprises; Senior Director, Corporate Consulting 

Lesha Ruffin: Wasserman; Client Services Manager

Mamadou Sall: Legends Sales & Marketing Inc.; Ticket Sales Manager

Lindsey Sharp: St Louis CITY SC; Director of Special Events 

Jesse Thomas: New Orleans Saints & Pelicans; Partnerships Marketing Coordinator 

Kaia Thompson: DC United; Manager, Membership Sales

Shantia Washington: Jacksonville Jaguars; Director, Corporate Partnerships

Andrea Young: Octagon; Account Manager, Diversity Programs

Amir Zaffa: Las Vegas Raiders; Suite Service Manager 

The entire NSF family is incredibly excited to see what this year’s Cohort will be bringing to the table. We are looking forward to the opportunities that BDSE will continue to create!

ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF DIVERSITY IN SPORT & ENTERTAINMENT (BDSE)

The Business of Diversity in Sports and Entertainment (BDSE), in conjunction with the National Sports Forum, recognizes the need for more programs supporting the importance of diversity in the front office. The NSF aims to increase the opportunities for up-and-coming ethnic minority and/or women sports professionals to have access to the senior-level best practices of revenue-generating responsibilities within the industry and networking opportunities that have set the NSF apart. For more information on the BDSE program and committee members, please visit www.sports-forum.com/bdse.