Sports & Society Alumni

Conversations at Sports & Society Program events shape both our work and the broader world of sports. We bring together athletes, coaches, sports executives, media, public health officials, policymakers, and many more to source groundbreaking ideas.

More than 500 leaders and athletes have participated in the Project Play Summit, the Future of Sports conversation series, the Aspen Ideas Festival, or in other events hosted or organized by the Sports & Society Program, including:

Athletes

  • Kayla Alexander, WNBA player
  • C.J. Anderson, NFL player
  • Rick Ankiel, retired MLB player
  • Lance Armstrong, retired cyclist, founder of Livestrong Foundation
  • Ariel Atkins, WNBA player
  • Notah Begay III, professional golfer, NBC Sports broadcaster
  • Gretchen Bleiler, retired snowboarder, Olympic medalist
  • Jeremy Bloom, Olympic skiier
  • Chris Borland, retired NFL linebacker
  • Kobe Bryant, NBA legend
  • Vince Carter, 8x NBA All-Star
  • Natasha Cloud, WNBA player
  • Jason Collins, retired NBA player
  • Stephen Curry, NBA legend
  • Demario Davis, NFL Pro Bowl player
  • Mo’ne Davis, softball player, former Little League World Series star
  • Donna de Varona, retired swimmer, 2x Olympic gold medalist
  • DeMar DeRozan, NBA All-Star
  • Susan Dunklee, U.S. biathlete
  • Crystal Dunn, NWSL player, U.S. women’s national soccer team
  • Allyson Felix, sprinter, 7x Olympic gold medalist
  • Andrew Ference, retired NHL player
  • Jess Fishlock, NWSL player
  • Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, Olympic gold medalist, Laureus USA CEO
  • Julie Foudy, former U.S. women’s soccer star
  • Domonique Foxworth, retired NFL player, former NFLPA president
  • Pau Gasol, 6x NBA All-Star
  • Eileen Gu, Olympic freestyle skier, 2x gold medalist
  • Gary Hall, Jr., retired swimmer, 5x Olympic gold medalist
  • Jeffrey Hammonds, retired MLB player
  • Ashlyn Harris, U.S. women’s soccer player
  • Najee Harris, NFL Pro Bowl player
  • Tony Hawk, skateboarding pioneer, 10x X Games gold medalist
  • Nigel Hayes, basketball player and advocate
  • Lacey Henderson, Paralympic long jumper
  • Laurie Hernandez, gymnast, Olympic gold medalist
  • Nancy Hogshead-Makar, retired swimmer, 3x Olympic gold medalist, gender equity advocate
  • Alex Honnold, rock climber
  • Hayden Hurst, NFL tight end
  • Billie Jean King, tennis legend and civil rights pioneer
  • Jackie Joyner-Kersee, retired track and field athlete, 3x Olympic gold medalist
  • Eric Kendricks, NFL Pro Bowl player
  • Ali Krieger, U.S. women’s soccer player
  • Chris Kluwe, retired NFL player
  • Michelle Kwan, retired figure skater, 5x World Champion
  • Sydney Leroux, U.S. women’s soccer player
  • Caris LeVert, NBA player
  • Jeremy Lin, retired NBA star
  • Kevin Love, 5x NBA All-Star
  • Tatyana McFadden, wheelchair racer, 7x Paralympic gold medalist
  • Mark Messier, Hockey Hall of Fame member
  • Elena Meyers Taylor, 5x Olympic bobsled medalist
  • Shannon Miller, retired gymnast, 2x Olympic gold medalist
  • Maya Moore, 6x WNBA All-Star, 4x WNBA champion, WNBA MVP
  • Alex Morgan, U.S. women’s soccer star
  • Edwin Moses, retired hurdler, 2x Olympic gold medalist, Laureus Sport for Good chair
  • Aleshia Ocasio, Athletes Unlimited softball player
  • Chiney Ogwumike, 2x WNBA All-Star, ESPN announcer
  • Apolo Anton Ohno, retired speed skater, 8x Olympic medalist
  • Terrell Owens, Pro Football Hall of Fame member
  • Jake Peavy, former MLB All-Star, Cy Young Award winner
  • Gary Player, retired golfer, career Grand Slam champion
  • Sarah Reinertsen, paratriathlete, 3x World Champion
  • Angela Ruggiero, retired hockey player, IOC member, Olympic gold medalist
  • Maddie Salamone, former Duke lacrosse player
  • Melissa Stockwell, Paralympic bronze medalist, triathlon
  • Etan Thomas, retired NBA player and activist
  • Herschel Walker, retired NFL running back, Heisman Trophy winner
  • Chris Webber, 5x NBA All-Star

Coaches and Executives

  • Noor Abukaram, Let Noor Run founder
  • Katrina Adams, U.S. Tennis Association CEO and president
  • Erikk Aldridge, LA28 vice president of community impact
  • Jeff Ament, Montana Pool Service founder, Pearl Jam co-founder & bassist
  • Erik Bakich, University of Michigan baseball coach
  • Jean Lee Batrus, MLB/MLBPA Youth Development Foundation executive director
  • Gregg Berhalter, U.S. men’s national soccer team coach
  • Jessica Berman, NWSL commissioner
  • Gary Bettman, NHL commissioner
  • Jeremy Bloom, former Olympic skier/college football player
  • Bob Bowlsby, Big 12 Conference commissioner
  • Ivan Blumberg, Athletes for Hope founder
  • Tyrre Burks, Players Health CEO/founder
  • Kevin Carroll, Author, Kevin Carroll Katalyst founder
  • Dr. Douglas Casa, Korey Stringer Institute CEO
  • Sasho Cirovski, Maryland men’s soccer coach, 3x NCAA champion
  • Ju’Riese Colón, U.S. Center for SafeSport CEO
  • Karie Conner, Nike VP/GM, North America kids
  • Mary Davis, Special Olympics USA CEO
  • Anita DeFrantz, IOC member, retired Olympic rower
  • Kathy Dieringer, National Athletic Trainers’ Association president
  • David Egner, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation CEO
  • Mark Emmert, NCAA president
  • Ed Foster-Simeon, U.S. Soccer Foundation CEO
  • Tony Franklin, longtime college football coach
  • Matt Geschke, Nike senior director of social and community impact, North America
  • Xavier Gutierrez, Arizona Coyotes CEO
  • Scott Hallenbeck, USA Football CEO
  • Rocky Harris, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee chief of sport & athlete services
  • Sarah Hirshland, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee CEO
  • Ramogi Huma, National College Players Association executive director
  • Sheila Johnson, Monumental Sports vice chairman
  • Valorie Kondos Field, retired UCLA gymnastics coach, 7x NCAA champion
  • Ted Leonsis, Washington Capitals, Mystics, and Wizards owner
  • Tim Leiweke, Oak View Group CEO, Climate Pledge Arena developer
  • Li Li Leung, USA Gymnastics CEO
  • Rob Manfred, MLB commissioner
  • Kevin Martinez, ESPN vice president
  • Bernadette McGlade, Atlantic 10 Conference commissioner
  • Jeff Miller, NFL executive vice president
  • Mariona Miret, FC Barcelona Foundation head of programs
  • Caitlin Morris, Nike VP of social and community impact
  • Craig Morris, USTA chief executive community tennis
  • Karissa Niehoff, NFHS executive director
  • Ron Nocetti, California Interscholastic Federation executive director
  • Cindy Parlow Cone, U.S. Soccer Federation President, former soccer player
  • Josh Pastner, Georgia Tech men’s basketball coach
  • Jimmy Pitaro, ESPN president
  • Dan Radakovich, Clemson University athletic director
  • Tab Ramos, retired soccer player, Houston Dynamo coach
  • Cheryl Reeve, WNBA coach and executive, 4x WNBA champion
  • Eric Reveno, Oregon State assistant men’s basketball coach, All Vote No Play founder
  • Craig Robinson, NABC executive director, former New York Knicks executive, former Oregon State men’s basketball coach
  • Tim Shriver, Special Olympics chairman
  • Renata Simril, LA84 Foundation president and CEO
  • Adam Silver, NBA commissioner
  • DeMaurice Smith, NFLPA executive director
  • Ed Stack, DICK’S Sporting Goods CEO
  • Candice Storey Lee, Vanderbilt athletic director
  • John Tanner, Stanford women’s water polo coach
  • Arn Tellem, Detroit Pistons vice chairman
  • John Thompson III, former Georgetown men’s basketball coach
  • Travis Tygart, United States Anti-Doping Agency CEO
  • Kevin Washington, YMCA of the USA president and CEO
  • Pam Watts, NIRSA executive director
  • Nicol Whiteman, Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation CEO
  • Gary Zenkel, NBC Olympics president

Media Figures

  • Kendall Baker, Axios sports editor
  • Taylor Branch, historian and Pulitzer Prize-winner
  • Christine Brennan, USA Today sports columnist
  • David Brooks, New York Times columnist
  • Mary Carillo, NBC Sports broadcaster
  • Cari Champion, ESPN broadcaster
  • George Dohrmann, The Athletic managing editor, author
  • David Epstein, author of The Sports Gene and Range
  • Michael Eaves, ESPN broadcaster
  • Sean Farnham, ESPN broadcaster
  • Linda Flanagan, author
  • Pat Forde, Sports Illustrated columnist
  • Jon Frankel, HBO Real Sports correspondent
  • Michael Gervais, sports psychologist and podcaster
  • Mike Greenberg, ESPN broadcaster
  • Dan Hicks, NBC Sports broadcaster
  • Jemele Hill, The Atlantic columnist
  • Cassidy Hubbarth, ESPN broadcaster
  • Michael Lewis, financial journalist and bestselling author
  • Robert Lipsyte, author and former New York Times columnist
  • Rebecca Lowe, NBC Sports broadcaster
  • Kyle Martino, NBC Sports broadcaster, retired soccer player
  • Patrick McEnroe, ESPN broadcaster, retired tennis player and executive
  • Luis Miguel Echegaray, ESPN host and soccer analyst
  • Greg Olsen, FOX NFL broadcaster, former NFL star
  • Gwendolyn Oxenham, author, former soccer player
  • Pepper Persley, Dish With Pepper
  • Harold Reynolds, former MLB All-Star, MLB Network and FOX Sports broadcaster
  • Sebastian Salazar, ESPN soccer broadcaster
  • Jeremy Schaap, ESPN correspondent
  • Ben Sherwood, former Disney ABC Television president
  • Ray Warren, Telemundo Deportes president
  • Jesse Washington, ESPN/Andscape writer, author
  • Dan Wetzel, Yahoo Sports columnist
  • Michael Wilbon, ESPN broadcaster
  • Dave Zirin, The Nation sports editor

Policymakers and Public Health Leaders

  • Gabe Albornoz, Montgomery County, MD, Council
  • Cory Booker, U.S. senator
  • Byron Brown, Mayor of Buffalo, NY
  • Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States, Clinton Foundation founder and board chair
  • Mike Duggan, Mayor of Detroit, MI
  • Dr. Robert Cantu, concussion expert
  • Paolo DeMaria, National Association of State Boards of Education, President/CEO
  • Arne Duncan, former U.S. Secretary of Education
  • Barry Finegold, Massachusetts state senator
  • Dr. Brian Hainline, NCAA chief medical officer
  • Dionne Koller, Commission on the State of the Olympic and Paralympic Committee co-chair
  • Catherine Lhamon, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education
  • Deborah McFadden, former Commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation president
  • Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General
  • Ron Nirenberg, Mayor of San Antonio, TX
  • Michelle Obama, former First Lady of the United States
  • Dr. Bennet Omalu, speaker, CTE expert
  • Kathleen Sebelius, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, former Governor of Kansas
  • Lori Trahan, Massachusetts congresswoman
  • Cyrus Vance Jr., District Attorney of New York County
  • Dr. Don Wright, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Director and Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • Mark Walker, North Carolina congressman
  • Monica Wallace, New York state assembly member