Sports, Entertainment & Culture Summit

Thursday, April 23, 2026

• 8:30 AM Breakfast, Registration & Office Tours
• 9:30 AM Welcome Remarks

  Brandon Gutman, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Brand Innovators

  Marc Sternberg, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Brand Innovators

  Joe Varano, Vice President, Content and Community, Brand Innovators

  Dan “Big Cat” Katz, Media Personality, Podcast Host & Entrepreneur, Barstool Sports

  Emcee:  Ryan McDermott, Senior Vice President, Head of Sales, Barstool Sports

• 9:50 AM Winning in the Attention Economy

  In a world where attention is the most valuable currency, brands and media platforms must work harder than ever to earn—and keep—it. Join leaders from BODYARMOR and Barstool Sports as they share how they’re capturing culture, building audiences, and turning engagement into real business impact.

  Mary Beth Gambke, Senior Vice President, Partnerships & Marketing, Barstool Sports

  Danielle Hughes, Vice President, Communications, BODYARMOR Sports Nutrition

  Moderated by: John Malysiak, Global Head of Agency Partnerships, Innovid by Mediaocean

• 10:25 AM Culture Is the Strategy

  How brands win when they stop chasing trends and start shaping them. A conversation on cultural fluency, audience trust and why entertainment is the new media buy

  Jordan Anderson, Content & Partnerships Marketing Manager, Riddell

  Tania Haladner, Chief Marketing Officer, Chicago Sky

  Alex Schultz, Senior Director, Makers Mark, US Brands, Suntory Global Spirits

  Moderated by: Ahu Terzi, Vice President Business Development, 1021 Creative

• 11:00 AM Networking Break
• 11:15 AM From Homes to Stadiums: How Brands Are Building Deeper Consumer Connections

  From homes to stadiums, today’s leading brands are finding new ways to connect with consumers across the moments that matter most. This panel will explore how companies are using partnerships, experiences, and cultural touchpoints – from sports to everyday life – to build deeper, more authentic relationships with their audiences. Hear how marketers are turning engagement into lasting brand loyalty both inside and outside the home.

  Michelle Karagodin, Brand Director, Whirlpool

  Roderik Nuyens, Director of Marketing North America Retail, Snacking, McCain Foods

  Saverio Spontella, Chief Commercial Officer, Land O Frost

  Moderated by: Kristy Mahlo, Vice President Sales, Regional Offices & Sports, Scripps Networks

• 11:55 AM Designing Everyday Experiences That Build Brands

  From the meals we eat to the places we travel, brands are increasingly part of daily life. This discussion focuses on how marketers turn everyday touchpoints into memorable brand experiences that drive loyalty, differentiation, and long-term growth.

  Tom Trenta, Head of Foresight, Wells Enterprises

  Joyce Zhai, Senior Manager, Global Brand Marketing, United Airlines

  Brian Cleere, Global Brands Director, Kerrygold Butter, Ornua

  Moderated by: Mike Riley, Head of Sales and Customer Success, Chalice.ai

• 12:30 PM Lunch & Mini Golf Contest
• 1:30 PM Molson Coors Takes You Beyond the Beer

  How Coors Light and Miller Lite guide the fan experience. These cultural icons don’t rest on their name alone. They keep it fresh with Digital Engagement, Interactive Fan Competitions and a Stadium & Broadcast presence where fans become advocates.

  Nate Knaeble, Senior Media Manager, Coors, Molson Coors

  Josh McDonald, Marketing Director, Miller Lite, Molson Coors

  Vi Tran, Senior Brand Manager, Coors Light, Molson Coors

  Moderated by: Branden Miller, Senior Director, Business Development, The Trade Desk

• 2:00 PM Wax in Culture: The Collaboration Behind Babybel’s Smallest Drop

  Analog culture is resurging—“wax” now defines both the comeback of vinyl in music and the playful, creative reuse of Babybel’s iconic red coating. This project connects those two worlds through a creator-led collaboration that transforms Babybel wax into playable mini records, blending music, collecting, and culture into a single idea.

  Frank Dattalo, Chief Creative Officer, Havas Chicago

  Jamee Pearlstein, Chief Marketing Officer, Bel Brands

  Moderated by: Kat Ott, President, Havas Chicago

• 2:30 PM Betting on Engagement: What Performance Marketers Can Learn from Fandom

  How emotionally charged communities outperform sterile targeting strategies. We will discuss fandom and how sports teams and their partners can drive deeper relationships with their fan base, that goes beyond game day.

  Jen Martindale, EVP of Marketing & Communications Chicago Cubs

  Rachel Nimmons, Director, Sports Partnerships, Rocket

  Moderated by: Rogerio Alves, Senior Vice President Digital Sales, MediaCo

• 3:10 PM Networking Break & Ice Cream Social
• 3:30 PM Flush the Old Playbook: How Dude Wipes Continues to Disrupt

  Dude Wipes didn’t just enter the category—they flipped it on its head. In this candid conversation, learn how the brand keeps breaking the rules, driving growth, and turning humor into a serious competitive advantage.

  Ryan Meegan, Co-Founder & Chief Marketing Dude at Dude Wipes, Dude Products

  Moderated by: Lesa Nikolai, Head of Client Partnerships, Ampersand

• 4:00 PM Maximizing the Sports Activation Investment

  How brands and agencies bring their campaigns to life. From activation to programming, results matter.

  Lesa Nikolai, Head of Client Partnerships, Ampersand

  Felipe Osorio, Senior Vice President, Content Verticals, Canela Media

  John Postlethwait, Senior Marketer & Creative Strategist, Bob Does Sports, Doing Things

  Moderated by: Josh McDonald, Marketing Director, Miller Lite, Molson Coors

• 4:30 PM Choosing the Right Collab: What Makes a Partnership Iconic?

  What separates a forgettable collab from a cultural moment? This session explores how McDonald’s identifies the right partners, aligns on shared relevance, and turns collaborations into iconic brand-building platforms.

  Rosa Cubas, Senior Marketing Manager, Brand, Content & Culture, Partnerships, McDonald’s

  Moderated by: Allie Gibson, National Brand Partnerships, Atmosphere TV

• 5:00 PM Closing Remarks, NFL Draft Insights and Hot Takes

  Jon Gruden, Super Bowl Winning NFL Coach, Barstool Sports’ Football Authority.