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DivInc Pop Up
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| With Yolanda Moore (2X WNBA Champion), Monica Rogers (GM, Toronto Tempo), Fran Harris (Founder, W In Austin), Laura Dixon (CEO, Pro Sports Assembly). |
| Venue, 506 Congress Ave, Austin
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Mar 08 (Sat) , 2025 @ 01:00 PM
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FREE |
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| DETAILS |
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DivInc is BACK at DASA with WNBA Legend Fran Harris
Join us in celebrating International Women's Day for a power-packed panel of CHAMPION athletes from the WNBA.
These star players turned league executives have fueled decades of growth in the WNBA. On March 8th, they will come together to reflect on the past, present, & future of the league as it approaches the end of it's third decade of pro ball. You will love this conversation if you are:
A sports tech founder wanting to hear from athlete-entrepreneurs about the business of basketball
Are a sports tech investor wanting to meet founders & hear these leaders' hot takes on the future of the women's sports industry
Enthusiastic about seeing a WNBA franchise in Austin
NOTE: This event is not officially associated with SXSW.
Agenda
1:00pm-1:30pm Registration
1:30pm-2:45pm Champions Panel
2:45pm-4:00pm Networking Reception
Featured Speakers
Fran Harris
Founder, W in Austin
1X WNBA Champion
Yolanda Moore
2X WNBA Champion
Monica Rogers
General Manager, Toronto Tempo
3X WNBA Champion
Moderator: Laura Dixon
CEO, Pro Sports Assembly
About DivInc
Our mission is to generate social & economic equity through entrepreneurship. Our vision is a world that is authentically diverse, equitable & inclusive, where social & economic disparities no longer exist.
We occupy a unique space of providing resources to support underrepresented groups while creating a community. We are unique because we care about our founders at our core & reflect that in every action.
About Fran Harris
Well-behaved women rarely make history.
Fran Harris is the Founder & CEO of Electra Beverages & Nutritionals, a better-for-you electrolyte drink company she launched in 2021 on ABC's award-winning reality business show, SHARK TANK. She's also Founder/Owner/Operator of The Athletic Club, a DFW-based portfolio of indoor & outdoor multi-sport sports complexes.
The former Procter & Gamble sales executive managed the highly coveted Kroger account, enroute to numerous sales awards with the consumer products giant before transitioning 100% into a multi-faceted sports career. She boasts more than 25 years of experience in sports - tech, marketing, management, operations, media, films & investing. As a sports executive, Fran has created, curated, managed & produced 300+ camps, combines, tournaments & events including with partners that include NBA, WNBA, NFL, iBall, Skills Pay Bills, City of Austin, LA Fitness, & 30+ universities including her alma mater, The University of Texas Longhorns.
Fran is the former host of HGTV's renovation show, Home Rules, & has been featured in hundreds of media outlets as a business, sports & media thought leader including The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, FOX Business News, & magazines Black Enterprise, Inc, & Entrepreneur. A former ESPN Announcer, Fran brings 20+ years on-air & production experience as a play-by-play announcer, color analyst, studio host, sideline reporter, game commentator, writer & producer. She's currently a color analyst for the WNBA's Dallas Wings.
At the University of Texas, Fran led the Longhorns to an undefeated (34-0) NCAA Championship in 1986. She earned ALL Southwest Conference honors in 1984, 85 & 86, & was the Player of the Year in 1986. She finished her career at Texas as the fourth leading scorer in program history with 1,798 points. A decade later she played on the WNBA's first championship team with the Houston Comets. Fran earned a BA, Journalism & MA, Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, & a Master of Science in Tech Commercialization from The University of Texas McCombs School of Business. The author of more than 20 books including HOUSTON BY MORNING, a novel set in the world of women's pro hoops, Fran's also a filmmaker & content creator, who produced & directed A LEAGUE OF OUR OWN, a feature length documentary about women's professional basketball, which debuted in May 2024. Today she's leading the charge to bring a WNBA expansion team to Austin, Texas.
About Monica Rogers
Monica Rogers is a proven & accomplished professional both on & off the basketball court. She is a 7-year WNBA veteran & 3-time WNBA champion, who was recently appointed as Toronto Tempo's first General Manger, the WNBA's newest franchise alongside Portland & Golden State. She previously served as Vice President, Assistant General Manager for the Phoenix Mercury. She oversees scouting/talent ID, salary cap management, basketball operations, & is a liaison between business & basketball.
Prior to this, she served as the Elite Basketball Women's Operations Lead for the NBA's International Basketball Operations Department. In this role, she aims to grow the game of basketball internationally at the grassroots level, with a focus on girls.
Before switching to the sports business side, Monica was an NCAA Womens' Basketball assistant coach for the University of Virginia & Liberty University for 3 total seasons. Before her coaching career, she played professional basketball overseas & in the WNBA for the Minnesota Lynx from 2010-2015, & the Seattle Storm form 2015-2016.
Monica graduated from the University of Virginia where she played for Hall of Fame coach, Debbie Ryan. In her freshman run, she was named the ACC Rookie of the Year. In the 2007-08 season she was named to the ACC All-Defensive Team & also notched her 1000th point. As a junior, Monica was named to the All-ACC defensive team & was also rewarded with a spot on the All-ACC first team as the league's top scorer. As a senior Monica was named ACC Player of the Year, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, & National Defensive Player of the Year.
After a successful college career, she was selected 2nd overall by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2010 WNBA Draft. In July of 2015, Monica was traded to the Seattle Storm where she was able to play for her longtime mentor & fellow University of Virginia alumni, Jenny Boucek. During this season she was voted by her peers to serve as Secretary-Treasurer for the Women's National Basketball Player's Association, where she was responsible for quarterly meeting notes & monitoring financial reporting in strict compliance with the US Department of Labor.
Monica is a strong advocate of women & girls health & served as an ambassador for womenshealth.gov & girlshealth.gov for several years. She is the co-founder of 1FOR1 Project, which focuses on girls having more visibility & access to women in professional sports careers.
About Yolanda Moore
Yolanda is a two-time WNBA Champion, award-winning coach, & ESPN basketball college basketball analyst. Despite facing challenges, having two babies & three knee surgeries during her collegiate career, she excelled in the WNBA as part of the Houston Comets' back-to-back championship teams in 1997 & 1998. Her international experience includes playing in both Europe & Asia.
An accomplished athlete, Yolanda was inducted into the Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame in 2010 & named an SEC Legend in 2012. She has five seasons of experience as a head women's college basketball coach, leading both the LSU-Eunice & Clark Atlanta programs to conference championships. At Clark Atlanta, she garnered the 2018 SIAC Coach of the Year award for transforming the team from "worst to first," culminating in NCAA Tournament qualification.
As a leadership & career development professional, she has empowered over 1,000 individuals to enhance their leadership & communication skills while crafting tailored career development strategies. With a strong foundation in workforce development, Yolanda creates transformative learning experiences across various sectors, including sports, education, & business. She specializes in identifying performance & leadership gaps, helping organizations develop effective programming to strengthen employee relations & leadership capabilities. Yolanda also designs programs to support youth in alternative schools & juvenile centers, enabling them to discover their strengths, set goals, & create a vision for their futures.
About Laura Dixon
Laura Dixon is a high-value, trusted advisor in the sports industry. She grows sports-centric businesses by building strong relationships & sustainable financial strategies. Laura is CEO & co-founder of Pro Sports Assembly, the industry association for professional sports organizations & business leaders. She is also the Founder of long game ventures, a firm that guides & invests in businesses committed to making an impact through sport.
She is a Past Chair of The Texas Lyceum & serves on the national Board of Directors for the PLAYS Coalition. She has also served alongside the US State Department on sports envoys, fellowships, & programs connecting sports leaders & organizations across the globe. Prior to long game ventures, she served as head of external relations for Spurs Sports & Entertainment, leading government & public affairs & serving as executive director of the Spurs Foundation. When Laura joined Spurs Sports & Entertainment, she was a partner at Victor Credo, an advisory firm that supported talent agents, high profile coaches & athletes in advancing their careers, social impact, & off-court business ventures. Her clients included NBA All-Stars, Olympic Gold Medalists, NCAA Champions, youth sport organizations, coaches associations, municipalities, school districts, universities & North American indigenous tribes. Ultimately, her forte is partnering with sport executives to build coalitions, set a vision, develop a plan, & execute with excellence. In doing so, she enjoys helping clients make lasting connections with external stakeholders & organizations to enhance their business reputation & impact. She possesses an exceedingly high track record of success in leading ventures at the intersection of sport & social impact.
Laura received an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, a BS from Texas Tech University & executive certificates from Texas Christian University, Southern Methodist University, & the University of Kentucky. She was in the first cohort to receive a Certified Sports Event Executive designation & Certificate of Inclusive Leadership in professional sports. Throughout her career, Laura has served on numerous state, municipal & nonprofit boards.
PARKING INFO
Please take advantage of public transit, micro-mobility, & bicycle options if you are able!
DASA has a discounted parking rate for event guests at the Littlefield Garage at 508 Brazos (entrance on Brazos between 5th & 6th St, west side). Please follow the instructions below.
Additional parking is available at Indeed Tower Garage, 200 W. 6th, 600 Congress Ave Garage, & City Hall Garage, 301 W 2nd. Most of these options have a max rate of $33 for the day.
See you soon!
-DivInc
Discounted Parking
Littlefield Garage @ 508 Brazos St, Austin, TX 78701
A parking validation is offered for $6 for your first 2 hours. After the first 2 hours, the rate resets to $6 per hour.
1. UPON ENTRY insert credit card at the garage. **The last 4 digits of credit card is your ticket.**
2. UPON EXIT visit the Flash Valet Login website at https://v.flashvalet.com/Secure/Login.aspx
Login email: hello@downtownaustin.com
Login password: test123
3. ENTER TICKET NUMBER: Use the last 4 digits of the credit card used for entry.
4. Validation complete
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