Kean Holds First Student-Run Sports Summit
Kean University students, alumni and experts from the world of sports took part in the first Kean Sports Summit on Friday, November 30. The event was hosted by the Kean Sports Business Club and the President's Advisory Council, and introduced students to leaders and potential careers in professional sports. More than 230 students attended the event on campus and another 300 joined online.
Held at North Avenue Academic Building on Kean’s Union campus, the Sports Summit brought executives from across the industry – including the New Jersey Devils, New York Red Bulls, New York Jets, Brooklyn Nets, APM Music and more – to meet and network with students and recent alumni. It also featured panel discussions and a keynote address by motivational speaker, education consultant and Kean graduate Brad Butler '14.
Sebastian Salazar, a senior marketing major from Elizabeth (seated at left), is president of the Kean Sports Business Club and works for both the New York Jets and New York Giants. Salazar said the industry professionals who shared their experiences and advice with the Kean community were amazing. “Everyone here is so influential. They have great career paths. They were so helpful and inviting,” he said.
The day kicked off with a panel discussion with professionals in sports marketing, sports radio and sports teams, Sports Careers: Succeeding at a High Level. The group discussed how they each got their start and shared tips on how to launch a sports-related career. Tonilynn Taranto, community relations manager for the New York Red Bulls, was impressed by the scope of the event. "I wish my university had this when I was in school. The one-on-one interactions inspire you to keep going forward," Taranto said.
The Summit also featured a one-on-one virtual conversation with Creative Artists Agency’s (CAA) Co-head of Basketball Jessica Holtz Steinberg, a top sports agent who represents Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker. She walked the audience through her background, gave her definition of success, equity and diversity in the industry, and shared tips and strategies for building a career in sports business. A second panel discussion featured Kean's own sports industry success stories, Kean Alumni in Sports: Transition from Kean to Sports Industry.
Throughout the day, a career expo gave students and recent alumni the opportunity to speak with potential employers about how to break into the business of sports. Tyler Maisonet, inside sales manager for the Brooklyn Nets, took a moment to speak with Kean President Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D.
"This was an event organized by students, for students," Repollet wrote in his weekly message to the Kean community. "The student turnout was tremendous. I was extremely impressed by the quality of the work the students put into this event."