About
Our Mission
Sports Business Scholars is an exclusive program for select undergraduate students, offering targeted professional development opportunities to prepare for careers in the sports industry. All scholars participate in a mentorship program, where they are matched with a W. P. Carey Sports Advisory Board member or other sports industry executive as their mentor. Scholars also have access to the extensive alumni network of former Sports Business Scholars who have successful careers across all facets of the sports industry.
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Meetings are held twice a month which include speaker meetings with local executives, site visits, workshops on personal branding and professional networking. Scholars are also paired up with an executive mentor in the sports business industry. For the 2025-2026 school year, we are planning to start off with New York for our fall outreach trip.
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2025-2026 Executive Board
(L to R): Andrew Vinci, Carine Heller, Abby Auerr, Owen Bateman, and Jered Baloloy
Sports Business Scholars Advisors
Elana Kutz
Managing Director, Student and External Affairs, Sports Business
Elana Kutz serves as the Managing Director of Student and External Affairs for the Sports Business program, where she leads student engagement initiatives, advises all affiliated student organizations, and manages key relationships with the sports business community. She also directs the Sports Business Advisory Board, composed of industry executives who provide strategic insight to the program.
As a Faculty Associate, Elana has taught courses including MKT 421: Fan Behavior and Sports Marketing, MKT 494: Final Four Experience, and WPC 101 for sports business students. In her role as advisor to the Sports Business Association and Sports Business Scholars, she oversees a wide range of initiatives, including professional development programming, outreach trips, career fairs, mentorship opportunities, and an annual symposium. Elana’s leadership has been recognized multiple times,
earning her the ASU W. P. Carey Student Organization Advisor of the Year award for the academic years
2024–25, 2019–20, and 2014–15. Previously, Elana served as Assistant Director of the W. P. Carey Graduate Career Management Center, where she coached MBA marketing and sports business students on career development, networking strategies, and personal branding.
Before joining ASU, Elana spent over a decade in the sports and entertainment industry. She conducted market research and development projects at Turnkey Sports & Entertainment, managed marketing and promotions for Madison Square Garden Sports Properties (including college basketball, boxing, women’s tennis, and the Harlem Globetrotters), and led concept development for ARAMARK’s Sports & Entertainment division. Her experience also includes marketing roles at FOX Sports Arizona and Radio City Entertainment, where she coordinated marketing efforts for touring Broadway productions.
Outside of her professional work, Elana is actively involved in her community. She serves as Vice President of Marketing for the Chaparral High School Parent Theatre Board and volunteers with local community theatre organizations. A dedicated advocate for celiac disease awareness, Elana founded the Phoenix support group Generation GF Phoenix (formerly Phoenix R.O.C.K.) and, together with her family, organizes the annual Celiac 5K in Scottsdale and Celiac Awareness Night with the Arizona
Diamondbacks. Elana earned her undergraduate degree in Communications with a minor in Marketing
from the University of Michigan and holds an MBA in Sports Business from the W. P. Carey School of
Business at Arizona State University.
Ryan Kota
Clinical Assistant Professor at the W. P. Carey School of Business, specializing in Sports Business
Ryan Kota is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the W. P. Carey School of Business, specializing in Sports Business. He also represents the Department of Marketing at ASU’s West Valley campus through the School of Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (TIE), where he supports local entrepreneurs via the Center for Small and Medium-sized Businesses.
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At ASU, Ryan teaches courses ranging from Sports Branding Strategy to The Business of Spring Training, always with a focus on connecting students to hands-on experiences with industry leaders. He also leads a study abroad program in London, where students collaborate with Premier League clubs and other global sport organizations.
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Before joining ASU, Ryan worked as a consultant for outdoor adventure companies, directed race operations for one of the nation’s largest urban off-road biking organizations, and managed commercial real estate properties.
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When he’s not in the classroom, you’ll likely find Ryan climbing mountains with his husky, capturing semi-professional photos, or training in martial arts.
Sports Business Advisory Board
The ASU Sports Advisory Board is made up of exceptional leaders who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the Greater Phoenix sports business community. Members are committed to mentoring our students, assisting the program with curriculum decisions, and providing programming and career support.
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Industry:
Board Chair: Devney Majerle - President & CEO, Downtown Phoenix, Inc.
Joe Bertoletti - General Manager, Insignia Event Services & Prof of Practice, ASU
Chantel Carlson - Senior Director, Business Operations, Phoenix Raceway / NASCAR
Kenny Farrell - Vice President, Marketing & Analytics, Arizona Diamondbacks
Tina Givens – Vice President, People Operations, Arizona Cardinals
Calder Hynes - SVP, Global Communications, Wasserman
Michael Kadous - Chief Operating Officer, Bad Birdie
Jeff Kunowski - Founding Director, SPORTx, ASU
Peter Lubell – Vice President, Partnerships, Barrett-Jackson
Chris Montgomery - Vice President, Volunteer Engagement, Fiesta Bowl
Rob Mougey - Partner & President of Golf, The Familie
Wes Nee - Officer, The Neon Foundation
Anita Petersen - Account Executive, Swire, Coca-Cola
Amanda Phillips - Chief Performance Innovation Officer, EXOS
John Pierce – Partner, Player 2 & Professor of Practice, ASU
Daniel Shoup - Head of Finance & Administration, Arizona Golf Association
Brittani Willett - Executive Director, Sun Angel Collective, ASU
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W. P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University:
Jack Balon - Assistant Director, Employer Engagement
Frank Jee - Clinical Assistant Professor, Sports Business, Department of Marketing
Ryan Kota - Clinical Assistant Professor, Sports Business, Department of Marketing
Elana Kutz – Senior Director Student Engagement & External Relations, Sports Business, Department of Marketing
German Aguilar Tinajero - Career Counselor, Career Services Center
Daniel McIntosh – Teaching Associate Professor & Faculty Director, Sports Business, Department of Marketing
Katie Reifurth – Clinical Assistant Professor, Sports Business, Department of Marketing
Evan Singletary - Assistant Director of Development, ASU Enterprise Partners
Sebastian Solis Felix - Career Counselor, Career Services Center