Friday, Sept. 20, 2024 Keynote: “Leading Change in Sports” by Chicago Bears President Kevin Warren
Carthage College has pulled together an
all-star lineup of sports industry experts for the second-annual Spotlight on Sports: Sports Management Conference. Interact with industry experts from top NFL, NBA, NHL, and collegiate teams, and hear from young career launchers, experienced professionals, and executive leadership. This year’s keynote speaker is Chicago Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren.
WHEN: Noon-5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20
WHERE: Carthage College, 2001 Alford Park Drive, Kenosha, WI 53140
COST: Free
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: All are welcome! Conference sessions are intended for high school students, college students, parents/guardians, and members of the public.
REGISTRATION: Conference registration is required. Sign up by Friday, Sept. 13!
Registration is closed for the full conference, but there are still spots available for the keynote featuring Kevin Warren, President and CEO of the Chicago Bears.
Noon — Check-in and Networking Session Todd Wehr Center, Jockey Rooms Enjoy light refreshments as you network with other conference attendees before breakout sessions begin.
12:40 p.m. — Welcome Todd Wehr Center, Jockey Rooms Hear from Carthage College President John Swallow and Dean of the School of Business and Economics Jim Padilla.
1-3:50 p.m. — Breakout Sessions Todd Wehr Center, 128 Rooms Learn from sports industry professionals at the highest levels of the NBA, NFL, NHL, and collegiate sports. Three 50-minute breakout sessions will be offered at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. All sessions will be offered at each time, so attendees will be able to attend all three. Session topics are:
Analytics and AI in Sports
Business Development in Sports
Scouting and Player Development
4-5 p.m. — Keynote: Leading Change in Sports, featuring Chicago Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren Todd Wehr Center, Jockey Rooms
Hear from sports industry professionals at the highest levels of the NBA, NFL, NHL, and collegiate sports. Three 50-minute breakout sessions will be offered at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. All sessions will be offered at each time, so attendees will be able to attend all three.
Analytics and AI in Sports
Canaan Campo Director Business Intelligence — Cleveland Cavaliers
Canaan Campo is an accomplished business intelligence leader, currently serving as Director of Business Intelligence for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. He has driven more than $1 million in incremental revenue and supported a 100-game sellout streak by leveraging strategic data insights. Mr. Campo excels in stakeholder engagement and cross-functional leadership, developing an award-winning internal pricing tool recognized as the Best Technology Solution by the Greater Cleveland Partnership. He also initiated the annual “Sports Business and Analytics Night,” attracting more than 400 attendees to explore careers in sports business intelligence.
Before joining the Cavaliers, Mr. Campo was the Business Intelligence Director at DataCEVA, designing reporting solutions and identifying new business opportunities. He has also held roles at Advantia Health and Data Trust, focusing on dashboard development and data analysis. Originally from south Florida, he holds a bachelor of arts in economics from Marymount University.
Ben Levicki ’21 AI Solutions Architect — Cleveland Cavaliers
Originally from Cary, Illinois, Ben Levicki leads generative AI and machine learning projects for the NBA’s Cleveland Caveliers. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Carthage College and a master’s in data science and analytics from Oklahoma University, where he focused on machine learning and metaheuristics. Mr. Levicki began his career as a media consulting analyst in Chicago before transitioning to system analytics in manufacturing. He joined the Cavaliers as a data quality analyst, quickly advancing to his current AI-focused role, the first of its kind for a sports franchise.
Outside of work, Mr. Levicki enjoys hiking, volleyball, and yoga. He’s a dedicated Cleveland sports fan, a passion inherited from his father. He is fascinated by AI models like Claude and embraces tools like Perplexity, believing they enhance workplace creativity by freeing up time for high-value tasks.
Will Jurgensen is entering his third season as a Corporate Partnership Account Executive with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. In this role, he has built strong relationships with such clients as Pentair, Papa Johns, Red Bull, and New Amsterdam, among others. He also serves on the Wild’s ICE Team, focusing on internal culture and communications, and this season will be the ICE Team President. Previously, Mr. Jurgensen was the director of client experience with Keystone Click in Milwaukee. He also coached Marquette University Club Hockey for seven years and directed Elmbrook Youth Hockey for two years.
Mr. Jurgensen holds a degree in international affairs from Marquette University (2013) and a Master of Science in Business Design and Innovation — Sports Management from Carthage (2021). He earned the Craig Leipold Leadership Award during his master’s program. A native of Omaha, Nebraska, he is married to Molly, has a son Louie, and expects a second child in November. He also has a wonderful dog named Zeke.
Jessie Pung Senior Director of Athletics Development, Director of Development — Wisconsin Athletics and the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association
Jessie Pung serves as Senior Director of Athletics Development and Director of Development for Wisconsin Athletics and the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association, overseeing major gift identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship for facility projects, endowments, and annual donors. Before joining the Wisconsin development team in 2021, she was the director of development for Purdue University’s College of Pharmacy, raising funds for scholarships, capital projects, and special initiatives. She also served as associate director of development for Purdue Athletics, planning events, managing stewardship, and overseeing the Letterwinner’s Organization.
Ms. Pung holds a master’s degree in higher education from Purdue University Global (2020) and a bachelor’s degree in strategic communication and digital media from Liberty University (2016), where she was a track and field student-athlete and a six-time Big South Conference team champion.
Scouting and Player Development
Dan Hartfield Former NBA Assistant Coach/Advance Scout
Dan Hartfield has spent 14 seasons in the NBA with the Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, and Minnesota Timberwolves, serving in such roles as basketball operations intern, video coordinator, assistant coach, and advanced scout. He has also worked internationally with NBA Global Games in Paris and Japan, and as a technical director and junior camp coach at the NBA Basketball School in Italy. Mr. Hartfield has been a part of playoff-caliber teams who have advanced in the NBA playoffs.
Before joining the NBA, Mr. Hartfield was a graduate assistant at Valparaiso University and a video coordinator for Ole Miss men’s basketball, where the Rebels won an SEC tournament championship and secured an NCAA March Madness berth. Mr. Hartfield earned his undergraduate degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and a master’s degree in sports administration from Valparaiso.
Todd Walther, a four-year letter winner as a pitcher at Carthage, is in his 18th season with the Rangers and eighth as Director of Pitching Analysis. In this role, Mr. Walther merges and evaluates information on pitchers across all departments within baseball operations, providing critical input for decisions related to player development, acquisition, and pitcher usage. Previously, he served seven seasons (2010-16) as a professional scout for the Rangers, where he conducted comprehensive pro coverage, including advance scouting for potential postseason opponents.
Mr. Walther has also held office roles as assistant, player development and scouting (2009), and assistant for video operations and baseball research (2006-2008). His career began as an advance scouting intern with Milwaukee in 2005. He and his wife, Mandi, have four children and live in North Richland Hills, Texas.
About Kevin Warren
Hired by the Bears in January 2023, Warren leads all football and business operations for the organization while overseeing plans for a new stadium. In all, he has more than two decades of experience as an NFL executive with the then-St. Louis Rams, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and Bears.
Warren previously spent almost four years at the Big Ten Conference, where he was the first Black commissioner of a Power Five conference. In that position, he recruited perennial college athletic powers Southern California (USC) and UCLA to the Big Ten, negotiated a $7 billion media rights deal, and made strides toward racial and gender equity.
Sports Management at Carthage
Carthage offers a graduate business track in sports management and an undergraduate minor in sport business, as well as a five-day summer camp for high school students who are interested in the field. These programs draw heavily on the expertise of the college’s Sports Management Advisory Council, whose members include Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold and Milwaukee Bucks president Peter Feigin.
In 2023, the inaugural Spotlight on Sports conference drew more than 270 attendees. It featured a Q&A with longtime NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.
The Spotlight on Sports speaker series brings prominent sports industry leaders to campus to speak to students and the public about the business of sports. The series is made possible through the Sam and Gene Johnson Distinguished Visitors Program and the Craig L. Leipold Fund for Sports Management.
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