KEYNOTE: AHMAD NASSAR
President & Executive Director of the Tennis Players Association (PTPA) and CEO of Winners Alliance

Ahmad is the Founding CEO of Winners Alliance, a global, athlete-centric commercial powerhouse that safeguards, optimizes, and maximizes the collective brand value of premier athlete groups. He has built his career by dedicating himself to working with athletes and helping them generate more value from their professional careers. Prior to joining Winners Alliance, Ahmad served three years as Founding CEO of OneTeam Partners, and spearheaded the successful sale of OneTeam at a valuation of nearly $2B. Earlier in his career, Ahmad led NFL Players Inc. as President and helped grow the NFL Players Association’s marketing and licensing business into one of the largest for-profit licensors in sports, doubling annual revenue and payouts to players during his tenure. Ahmad is an alumnus of the University of Michigan and University of Chicago Law School.

EVAN DAVIS
Gaming and Sports Practice Lead at Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld

Evan Davis heads the Gaming & Sports practice at Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC, where he advises on gaming and sports wagering law, including partnerships, market access, licensing, and regulatory compliance across U.S. jurisdictions. He has extensive experience in the industry, having previously served as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Penn Entertainment, Inc., and General Counsel for Rivers Casino Philadelphia, where he helped launch sports wagering. Evan also held roles at SeventySix Capital Sports Advisory and major law firms like Dechert LLP and Pepper Hamilton LLP, and currently serves as a Sports Industry Affiliate for the UNLV Sports Innovation Institute. Evan has been recognized as a 2019 “Influencer of Law” by the Philadelphia Inquirer and as a “40 Under 40” honoree by both the Philadelphia Business Journal and Emerging Leaders of Gaming. He holds a B.A. from Duke University and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

KAREN DERTINGER
Managing Director at The Ohio State University

Karen Dertinger is the Managing Director of The Ohio State University Trademark Licensing Program, an independent licensing program for the state institution. She is also an alum of the university with a dual business degree in business administration and marketing. Karen is responsible for the programs strategic vision and business operations; including internal and external oversight for brand stewardship encompassing the academy, medical center, athletics and the alumni association. In addition to the university’s extensive trademark portfolio and brand enforcement. In the past 25 years at Ohio State, Karen has witnessed program growth from $70 million to over $250 Million brand value at retail. In addition to Licensing International and SPLiCE, Karen has been a long-standing member of International Collegiate Licensing Assocaiation, serving the Board of Directors for 8 years and now joining the esteemed ranks of Past President of that organization.

STEVEN HELLER
President of The Brand Liaison

With degrees in both law and accounting, and a 30+ year career in licensing and business development, Steven Heller leads award-winning licensing agency, The Brand Liaison, with over $1 Billion Dollars in branded product sales annually. Throughout his career, Steven has been active in all aspects of business and licensing including licensing top fashion brands, celebrities, professional and collegiate sports and top character and entertainment properties and has worked with virtually every major US retailer. Also known as “The Professor,” Mr. Heller is a renown public speaker and a professor of business and law at both the graduate and undergraduate level. Mr. Heller graduated cum laude in the top 5% at Fordham Law School, 1991 and graduated SUNY Albany in 1987. Mr. Heller is a licensed attorney and member of the New York bar, and currently sits on Global Licensing Group Advisory Board and previously on the Board of Directors of Licensing International.

ALEX KERMAN
Senior Director of Business Operations & Research at the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA)

Alex Kerman oversees SFIA’s premier research initiatives, including The Physical Activity Council survey, which tracks participation rates across 124 sports and activities in the United States, and The State of the Industry survey, which provides a comprehensive overview of the sports and fitness industry’s performance and key issues. He also directs the Soccer Industry Council of America and the Pickleball Council, where he collaborates with leading brands and governing bodies to address industry challenges and enhance the sports for everyone. Additionally, Alex leads SFIA’s research committee, spearheading various projects to advance the organization’s research goals. In his role, he also manages business development efforts, focusing on event registration, research revenue, and attracting new members. Alex frequently engages with SFIA members and delivers insightful presentations on the sports and fitness industry. He joined SFIA in 2015 and holds an M.P.S. in Sports Industry Management from Georgetown University and a B.S. in Business Administration from American University.

LAURAANN LAMANDO
Founder and CEO of FanGirl Fashionista

LauraAnn Lamando is the Founder and CEO of FanGirl Fashionista, a brand dedicated to creating stylish, well-fitted apparel for female sports fans while championing the support of female athletes. Before launching FanGirl Fashionista, LauraAnn built an impressive 25-year career leading and managing global sports merchandise and retail marketing programs for renowned organizations such as Foot Locker, The Coca-Cola Company, Paramount, FIFA, and two Olympic Games. Her experience extends to working in fashion for Ann Taylor and Ralph Lauren and brand merchandising and manufacturing for the Sundance Film Festival and Peanuts Worldwide. As a former athlete with a deep passion for sports, fashion, and equality, LauraAnn founded FanGirl Fashionista to merge these passions and advocate for greater equity in women’s sports. By bringing fashion to the stands, she aims to redefine the sports merchandise experience for female sports fans. LauraAnn resides in Los Angeles, California, with her two beloved fur babies, Max and Brooklyn.

RYAN OLLI
Senior Manager of Licensing, at Winners Alliance

Ryan spearheads the execution and management of licensing partnerships on behalf of Winners Alliance and its partners. Prior to joining Winners Alliance, Ryan consulted brands and properties across various categories within sports, entertainment and culture for Wasserman. Earlier in his career, he worked with REP Worldwide, where he launched group licensing programs for the WNBPA, USWNTPA & MLSPA; and the NFLPA, where managed and developed licensing partnerships.

MAURA REGAN
President of Licensing International

Maura Regan joined Licensing International in 2016 and assumed the role of President in July 2018, bringing with her more than 20 years of experience in the global brand licensing and media industries. Licensing International is the premier association for the global brand licensing industry, and Maura is responsible for leading the organization in fostering the expansion of licensing around the world and creating greater awareness of the benefits of licensing to the business community at large. As the former Head of Global Consumer Products at Sesame Workshop, the home of Sesame Street, Maura drove the non-profit organization’s strategic commercial initiatives with a focus on delivering significant unrestricted revenue to support its overarching philanthropic goals. Prior to Sesame Workshop, where she enjoyed an exhilarating 17-year tenure, Maura held executive positions with MTV Networks, Scholastic Entertainment, and The Jim Henson Company.