Game Changers: What person has had the biggest impact/influence on your career in sports (and why)? - Sports Business Journal

Saturday, October 17, 2026Sign InsubscribeAttendees arrive for the Game Changers conference on Thursday. Marc Bryan-Brown SBJ held the 14th Game Changers Conference on Thursday, diving into topics at the intersection of women and sports. Topics ranged from career journeys to identifying trends in the industry today. Read below for SBJ’s coverage from the conference and awards ceremony on Wednesday. Sports industry salutes 16th class of SBJ’s Game ChangersSights from Game Changers awards ceremonySBJ presents Val Ackerman with first Legacy of Leadership AwardGame Changers: New fan journeys reshape acquisition and engagement strategiesJP Morgan’s Kristin Lemkau holds court at SBJ’s Game ChangersKim Ng’s career playbook: Expertise, preparation and authenticitySights from SBJ’s Game Changers conference

10.01.2026Members of the Game Changers Class of 2026 celebrate in New York City on Wednesday night. Marc Bryan-Brown A packed ballroom of friends, family and colleagues celebrated this year’s class of SBJ Game Changers: Women in Sports Business with cheers, tears and hugs on Wednesday night at the Marriott Marquis in N. Y. It was the largest class of honorees to attend the awards ceremony, with 55 of the 60 class members in attendance, including seven of the 10 Game Changers from outside North America. Winning the unofficial honor of traveling the farthest was Stephanie Rudnick of Angel City FC, MKTG Sports + Entertainment and The Yellow Brick Collective, who made the trek from Sydney. And two Game Changers -- LaRhonda Burley of Spartan Ventures at Michigan State and Emily Dillinger of Good Karma Sports -- celebrated their birthdays at the event. Welcoming the guests, SBJ Publisher and Executive Editor Abe Madkour noted that Game Changers are leaders of organizations of all sizes from across the sports industry. “They’re relentless. They are change agents. I would consider them fearless, optimists, mentors. They’re definitely role models,” he said.

Daniel Dubois underlined his status as Britain's leading heavyweight with a devastating second-round stoppage of Fabio Wardley to retain his WBO title in London. The 29-year-old floored Wardley with a straight right inside the opening 20 seconds of their eagerly anticipated rematch at the O2 Arena and continued his relentless assault. Wardley survived the opening round but was overwhelmed by another sustained attack in the second, prompting his corner to throw in the towel. Dubois registers a second successive stoppage victory over Wardley, just five months after climbing off the canvas twice to dethrone his British rival in a thrilling 11-round contest in Manchester. This time, there was no such drama for the champion, who was dominant from the opening bell as he extended his professional record to 24 wins - 23 by knockout - and three defeats. "Fabio is a great boy, coming in for the second time, but it was my time and my era. I had my intentions, bad intentions from the beginning," Dubois said. "My back was against the wall the first time, this time we just had to go out there and show that we mean business, which is what we did tonight.