Michigan Athletics to Host Elevate HER Summit
8/10/2026 10:29:00 AM | Field Hockey, General, Softball, Women's Basketball, Women's Cross Country, Women's Golf, Women's Gymnastics, Women's Lacrosse, Rowing, Women's Soccer, Women's Swimming & Diving, Women's Tennis, Women's Track & Field, Volleyball, Water Polo
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan Athletic Department will host the Women in Sports: Elevate HER Summit on Thursday, Oct. 15, at Crisler Center on the Stephen M. Ross Athletic Campus. General admission tickets are $30 and go on sale on Monday, Aug. 17 at MGoBlue.com/Tickets. Entry is complimentary for all current varsity student-athletes by showing their MCard at the Michigan Athletics Ticket Office.
The Women in Sports: Elevate HER Summit is a high-impact Michigan Athletics event designed to promote the importance and value of creating opportunities for women in athletics; bring our community together to hear from industry leaders and alumni; and create meaningful professional development, networking and mentorship opportunities for student-athletes, alumni, and community members. The Summit will bring together high-profile, powerful women in the sports industry for an intentional evening of storytelling, leadership development, and networking.
"We are excited to host the Elevate HER Summit this fall, which is a program designed to advance and build a community for women in sports," said Warde Manuel, U-M's Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics. "Michigan has a great history of women working in the sports industry, and this is another way to give back, develop, and grow the next group of leaders in the profession."
The summit will be emceed by Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame inductee, author and U-M alumna Andrea Joyce (LSA, '76). A veteran broadcaster with NBC and CBS Sports whose career spans 18 Olympics, from Seoul in 1988 through the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games. Joyce will guide the evening's program, which will feature a panel discussion titled "Women in Sports: Pathways, Power and Persistence."
"This is an innovative way to connect with the community as we find and create new ways to strengthen our programs," legendary U-M softball coach Carol Hutchins said. "In this ever-changing climate of college athletics, this is an opportunity for us to take the next steps in how we can provide support to our coaches, student-athletes and programs."
The panel will feature four U-M graduates, each bringing a unique background and range of experiences:
KATE JOHNSON (U-M, political science, 2001): Johnson is the Global Marketing Director and Head of Global Sports & Entertainment Partnerships with Google. She previously served as Vice President of Global Sponsorship Marketing with Visa, where she also implemented global Olympic sponsorships and spearheaded relationships with the IOC and Olympic organizing committees in Rio, Pyeongchang and Tokyo. In 2025, Kate delivered a TED Talk titled "The Flourishing Future of Women's Sports." She is a Trustee Emerita for the Women's Sports Foundation. Johnson is a 2004 Team USA Olympic silver medalist and was a three-time All-American and Academic All-American on the Michigan rowing team. She is a member of the Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor.
LI LI LEUNG (U-M, psychology, 1995): Leung is the former president and CEO of USA Gymnastics, where she led the organization's cultural transformation from 2019 to 2025. During her tenure, she guided USA Gymnastics out of bankruptcy, secured the largest sponsorship partnerships, established the organization as a leader within the global Olympic movement, and oversaw a period of historic competitive success culminating in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Previously, she served as vice president of global partnerships at the NBA, helping to expand the league's worldwide business. A University of Michigan alumna, Leung was a member of four consecutive Big Ten championship women's gymnastics teams.
ESTEE PORTNOY (U-M, LSA, 1989): The senior vice president at Jump Management, LLC, Portnoy is credited with much of Michael Jordan's fame and success outside of basketball. She is his manager and a board member of the Jordan Brand. Portnoy was the executive producer of the "Last Dance" documentary following the Chicago Bulls' championship tenure and manages all corporate partnerships for Jordan on strategy, PR, licensing, media, advertising campaigns and appearances. She serves on the University of Michigan Sports Management Advisory Board and is co-founder of KEEN USA, encouraging kids with special needs to get involved in sports.
CASEY E. TAYLOR (U-M, Kinesiology, '09): A three-time Big Ten champion and member of the Michigan Women's Track and Field Hall of Fame, Taylor began her career at Michigan Athletics, where she led leadership development and fundraising initiatives supporting student-athletes. She went on to drive strategic partnerships, brand, and acquisition marketing at Procter & Gamble and Discover Financial Services before joining venture-backed StatusPRO as director of marketing, scaling NFL PRO ERA, the first NFL-licensed VR sports game, to over 1.7M users. Taylor now serves as an adviser to StatusPRO, guiding leadership on growth planning, external communications, and forecasting.
If you would like to learn more about the Elevate HER Summit, join our email interest list by signing up for future updates on the event.
