About
This two-day event, hosted in collaboration with the National Basketball Players Association, will run from July 23-25 and will explore the latest developments and advantages in the sports performance and tech space.
Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in expert-led workshops and attend interactive demonstrations. The event takes place in Andalucía, a unique location that provides a retreat-style feel for our attendees. It allows them to engage in thought-provoking discussion with fellow leaders and athletes while enjoying the local culture, climate, and cuisine.
The National Basketball Players Association serves to protect and support the rights and talents of the 450 best basketball players in the world, magnify the power of their collective, and amplify their voices as leaders. With that in mind, we’re excited to invite and welcome attendees to the 2nd iteration of the NBPA Performance Summit @ The Sanctuary, where we will bring together some of the most renowned experts, athletes, and decision-makers in the sports tech industry.
Meet Our Speakers
Jaylen Brown
NBPA
Vice President
Alexander Bielefeld
FIFPRO
Director Global Policy & Strategic Relations
Alexander Bielefeld is Director Global Policy & Strategy (Men’s football) at FIFPRO, Football Players Worldwide. Alexander has been working for a decade on matters affecting the world of work of players and has represented player’s collective interests at the various levels of international professional football. In his current role he represented professional player unions in international employment negotiations on matters including workload, peak performance, health and safety, financial regulations, human rights, technology and data as well as other strategic labour rights matters. He also coordinates FIFPRO’s knowledge centre, Player IQ, that hosts amongst other things the Player Workload Monitoring Platform and most recently integrated the High-Performance Advisory Network. Alexander previously worked as a consultant for Burson-Marsteller and holds degrees in international (sports) politics and management from College of Europe, CDES Limoges and INSEAD amongst others.
Andrew Barr
Quantum Performance
CEO
Dr. Andy Barr DPT is an established leader in the field of high-performance sport with over 25 years of experience working with elite professional sports teams and athletes. He is the inventor of the Q-bands system, a versatile resistance training tool and the founder of Quantum Performance, a sports medical and performance consultancy company, specializing in rehab, sports science, biomechanical analysis and utilizing state-of-the-art modalities to deliver data-driven insights that help athletes reduce injury risk and maximize performance.
A native of the UK, he started his career as a professional football (soccer) player with Luton Town F.C. but his career was cut short by injury. Driven by his passion to help other athletes avoid injury and maximize their potential, he studied for a physiotherapy degree. In 2001, he began his medical career at Bolton Wanderers F.C. as the 1st team physiotherapist in one of the most pioneering sports science and medical interdisciplinary teams in the world. He played an integral part in the most successful team in the Bolton Wanderers’ history, achieving established Premier League status and consistently competing in European football.
Subsequently, Andy held roles with Southampton F.C. and Manchester City F.C. as the Head of Sports Medicine and Head Physio. In 2009, he was head hunted by the New York Knicks to serve the organization in an injury prevention and performance role. He was promoted to Director of Performance and Rehabilitation and was an integral part of the Knicks' success in 2013 when the team captured the NBA's Atlantic Division title, the most successful season for the Knicks in over 25 years. Andy also set up the Medical and Performance Department for New York City Football Club in the MLS and served as the Director of Medicine and Performance during their inaugural season.
After many years in a team environment, he decided he could have a greater impact in the health of more athletes by going out on his own and having the freedom to work with athletes from different teams and sports. Through his company Quantum Performance, he works with athletes and teams from the NBA, NFL, EPL, UEFA, MLS, PGA and Olympics. Athletes ravel to his high-performance facility in LA for off-season work, biomechanical testing or for injury rehabilitation. He also travels to athletes and teams when needed. More recently he brought Kevin Durant back to his best after his achilles tendon injury.
Andy is currently consulting with Chelsea FC and MSG sports teams (NY Knicks + Rangers) and running a software company called Quantum Movement that specializes in return to play testing using motion capture sensors and cameras. Andy also provides educational courses on injury risk reduction and athletic performance development to sports practitioners and organizations around the world. You can follow him on twitter and Instagram @andybarrPT.
Boki Nachbar
EuroLeague Players' Association (ELPA)
Managing Director
Boštjan "Boki" Nachbar (born July 3, 1980) is a former Slovenian professional basketball player, who spent most of his career between the NBA and the EuroLeague.
Native of Slovenia, Bostjan moved to Italy in 2000, where he was the youngest Italian League foreign player, representing the Benetton Treviso basketball club. He won the Italian League championship and Italian SuperCup in 2002.
Bostjan was selected by the Houston Rockets as the 15th overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. He played six seasons in the NBA, wearing the jerseys of Houston Rockets, New Orleans Hornets and New Jersey Nets. In 2008 he returned to Europe and played in Russia, Turkey, Germany and Spain, before retiring in 2018. He won numerous championships in four different countries, including the Spanish ACB league title with FC Barcelona in 2014. Bostjan also regularly represented his country and played for Slovenian national team in four European Championships and two World Cups.
Since 2007 he manages one of the biggest and most successful basketball camps in Slovenia – the Boki Nachbar International Basketball Camp. He co-founded a social project called Basketball is Life, which uses basketball to connect schoolchildren with people with disabilities. Bostjan also participated in two UNICEF missions to Africa in the conflict and disaster zones of Chad and Guinea. From 2013-2020 he was a co-host of a widely popular Slovenian podcast called The Details Podcast. In 2020 Bostjan obtained a Bachelor degree in Leadership and Management from Northumbria University in Newcastle, England.
Bostjan currently resides with his family in Barcelona, Spain and works as Managing Director of the EuroLeague Players Association (ELPA), which in 2021 reached a landmark achievement – it signed the first collective agreement between players union and the league in any of the pan-European international sports competitions.
Brian Finegan
Anthropy Partners
Co-Founder and Managing Partner
Brian has spent 20 years in the health, wellness, sports, outdoor, and fitness markets. At Anthropy, he invests in and partners with early-stage technologies that improve physical and mental performance for the global population. He helped build Amazon's Sports and Outdoors business into the world's largest, has mentored thousands of brands from startups to Fortune 500 companies, and is a contributor to the Aspen Institute’s Sports and Society program, which aims to transform US youth sports.
C. Mikael Mattsson
Svexa
CEO
Dr. C. Mikael Mattsson is a leading expert in the field of sports performance and precision health. With a PhD in Exercise Physiology, he has dedicated his career to advancing the practical implementations of science-driven knowledge and technologies. As the CEO of svexa, a company at the forefront of sports performance analytics, Dr. Mattsson leverages his extensive expertise to develop innovative solutions that optimize athletic performance and health.
Cody Burkhart
NASA HumanWorks
Managing Director; Lab Chief
Cody Burkhart: A Visionary in Human Performance and Space Technology. Cody Burkhart is the Co-Founder and Managing Director at Anthropy Partners, a firm dedicated to advancing human mental and physical capacity through early-stage technologies. He also serves as the Chief of NASA HumanWorks, where he leads initiatives in human performance and space technology. With a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering Sciences, another B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an M.S. in Neuroscience and Behavior, Cody's career spans over two decades and includes multiple NASA awards for his contributions. In addition to his roles at NASA and Anthropy Partners, Cody has extensive experience training professional athletes, Olympians, world champions, and special forces operators. He has run multiple gyms and a remote coaching team, further showcasing his dedication to human performance.
David Putrino
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Professor & Director Of Rehabilitation Innovation
David was trained clinically as a physical therapist before completing a PhD in Neuroscience. He worked as a clinician in Australia, before moving to the United States to study computational neuroscience at Harvard Medical School, MIT and NYU. He is currently a Professor of Rehabilitation and Human Performance at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He works to develop innovative technology solutions for individuals in need of better healthcare accessibility. His work spans the ability spectrum: ranging from helping completely paralyzed people achieve autonomy using novel brain computer interfaces to partnering with organizations such as the US Olympic Team, the Brooklyn Nets and Red Bull to enhance athletic performance. He is the author of Hacking Health: How to make money and save lives in the HealthTech world, which is available from Amazon and Springer-Nature. In 2019, he was named "Global Australian of the Year" for his contributions to healthcare.
Deborah Embaie
Andreessen Horowitz
Partner, Cultural Leadership Fund
Deborah Embaie is a partner on the Cultural Leadership Fund focused on growing the firm’s relationships across the sports industry by connecting the world’s greatest professional athletes and sports figures to the best new technology companies.
Prior to joining a16z, Deborah was an athlete manager at Roc Nation Sports where she managed the careers of numerous professional players across the NFL, NBA, and MLB. Deb also served as an adjunct professor at American University, teaching sports and entertainment marketing courses for both undergraduate and graduate students.
Deb earned a BA in management and marketing from Holy Names University and an MPA in public administration and management from New York University. She loves to attend live music showcases and spend time with her family, friends, and her beagle, Zuma.
Derrick Brown
Free Fenix, EuroLeague
President and Co-Founder, Former NBA and EuroLeague Player, Player Association Vice President
Derrick Brown is an investor and connector specializing in growth opportunities at the intersection of the venture capital, franchisor and private equity worlds. Brown graduated with a dual degree in Marketing and Entrepreneurial Studies from Xavier University. He also has an MBA degree from Wake Forest University. Brown was selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the National Basketball Association Draft, setting off an 11-year career spanning tenures in both the NBA and the Euroleague.
His next move was to serve as the Vice President of ELPA (Euroleague Players' Association) headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, which allowed for a seamless transition to his current leadership role as President and co-founder of Free Fenix, LLC., where Brown and his team have acquired ownership interests in the fast-growing companies Duck Donuts, Salata Salad Kitchen and Hustle House Fitness. His latest venture is Founder and President of FreeSpade which is building an ecosystem connecting industry leaders to connect, grow and thrive.
Derrick's focus, since his days as a professional athlete, has been trained on continuing to build and grow his potential as a businessman and a marketplace visionary, including successful investments in publicly traded and privately held (pre-IPO) venture backed companies Facebook, Uber, Beyond Meat and several others. Much like with his playing days, Derrick is true to Charlotte, but continues to see the business world through a global lens.
Dr. Asheeh Bedi
National Basketball Players Association (NBPA)
Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Bedi works with NBPA leadership to set the strategic direction for player health, leads the NBPA’s sports medicine programming, and oversees initiatives related to policy development, evidence-based research, technology, educational opportunities, and public outreach, among other responsibilities.
Dr. Bedi has 15+ years of experience practicing medicine as an orthopedic physician, surgeon, medical researcher, and team physician. He has published over 375 peer-reviewed publications and is widely regarded as a key opinion leader in sports medicine. Dr. Bedi is the Director of the Comprehensive Sports Medicine and Joint Preservation Program, Vice Chair of Research at NorthShore Orthopedic Institute, and an Adjunct Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS).
Dr. Bedi recently worked as an Orthopedic Team Physician for the Chicago Bears and a second opinion consultant for the NHLPA. Dr. Bedi is also the former Division Chief of Sports Medicine and Head Orthopedic Team Physician at the University of Michigan and a former Medical Director for the Detroit Lions organization. Dr. Bedi also has experience working with the NBPA and its members, serving as the Head Orthopedic Consultant for the union since 2016.
Dr. Bedi is certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery (ABOS) in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine. He received his B.A. from Northwestern University and his M.D. from the University of Michigan Medical School. Dr. Bedi completed his Sports Medicine and Hip Preservation Surgery training at the Hospital for Special Surgery/Weil Cornell Medical Center in New York City.
Grant Williams
National Basketball Players Association (NBPA)
First Vice President
Grant Williams, a forward for the Charlotte Hornets and First Vice President of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), is celebrated not only for his on-court prowess but also for his significant contributions off the court. Drafted by the Boston Celtics in 2019, Williams quickly emerged as a leader and key player, particularly noted for his role in the Celtics' 2022 NBA Finals run.
Beyond basketball, Williams is deeply involved in player advocacy and representation. As the NBPA's First Vice President, he actively works to improve conditions and opportunities for players, demonstrating his commitment to the broader basketball community. His educational background from the University of Tennessee, where he excelled both academically and athletically, further highlights his dedication to personal and professional growth.
John Bull
Management Futures
Director & Lead for High Performance Research
John is, in his understated way, fanatical about helping individual leaders and teams to create high performance. He soaks up research, and translates it into immediately practical learning that people find easy to digest and apply. He is a member of the institute for study of high performance, and recent research subjects have included the NZ All Blacks, the UK Sport Performance System, Pixar and Google.
John’s work with clients focuses on high performing teamwork, leadership skills, and helping organizations to create a positive performance culture. He combines a light hearted sense of fun with a passion for helping people to make quick breakthroughs. His expertise is offered with a lightness of touch and humility.
Working with John will put a smile on your face and leave you inspired by your potential to make a dent in the world!
Jonas Baer-Hoffmann
OneTeam Partners
SVP Global Business Affairs and Head of OneTeam International
Jonas Baer-Hoffmann is the SVP Global Business Affairs and Head of "OneTeam International" with OneTeam Partners. In his role, he is overseeing the international expansion of OneTeams existing business with US Player Associations, while focusing on scaling diverse Player Association partnerships and bespoke commercial strategies for the international women's and men's sport industry across continents and sports.
An 18-year veteran of the player association movement, he was previously the General Secretary of FIFPRO, the global player association umbrella organization in football/soccer covering approximately 70 countries. He was also a Vice President for the World Players Association and part of the founding team of a player association in German basketball in the mid-2000s.
He was focused his professional career on representing the collective interests of athletes across all major team sports and continents, negotiating agreements on each level from FIFA World Cup player compensation and conditions to local employment agreements in various countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, or Latin America. An expert across the global sport regulatory and business landscape he is now building group licensing and other collective business opportunities for athletes and their player associations.
Jonathan Swerdlin
Function Health
Co-Founder & CEO
Jonathan Swerdlin is a serial entrepreneur and venture investor focused on empowering people with control over their health. In 2021, he co-founded Function Health, where he currently serves as CEO. Jonathan has played pivotal roles in the growth of multiple ventures, from seed stage to sale. As an investor, Jonathan has backed over 100 early stage companies, focusing on those that intersect consumer needs and health demands. He is an active angel investor and co-founder of venture firm Wisdom VC. Jonathan is based in Austin, TX.
Jose Calderon
Cleveland Cavaliers
Special Advisor
Jose Calderon is a highly accomplished 14-year NBA player, renowned for his exceptional skills and leadership. He has earned three Olympic medals, a Gold Medal in the FIBA Basketball World Cup, and triumphs in Eurobasket. As a UNICEF Ambassador, he actively supports initiatives for children's welfare. Calderon holds key roles as a Special Advisor to the Front Office at the Cleveland Cavaliers and a Global Advisor at Sngular. Additionally, he has ventured into entrepreneurship, co-founding Owqlo, and embraced the media world as a talk show host for UNIQ.
Julia Klim
Equinox
Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Business Development
Julia Klim is a Vice President and Head of Strategic Partnerships and Innovation at Equinox Group, the leading luxury high performance brand, reporting directly to the Chairman.
Since joining Equinox in early 2019, Julia has been pushing the boundaries of what we know today as wellness. In an effort to create hyper-personalized experiences, she helped launch Equinox’s digital venture and created a data connected ecosystem, driving more meaningful engagement and affinity for the brand across Equinox’s 2 million community reach.
Today, Julia is building Equinox’s strategic partnerships arm, defining new pathways to growth via technology, creating new frontiers within health-span and lifespan and reimagining wellness’s role in fashion and culture.
Prior to Equinox, Julia worked at PJT Partners in NYC, an investment bank, and PIMCO, an asset management house in CA. She has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a First Class Honours in Bachelor of Science in Computer Sciences and Management from University College London. Julia is born and raised in Poland.
Justin Goltz
Hawk-Eye Innovations
Commercial Director
Justin is the Commercial Director for Hawk-Eye North America. He oversees their relationships with the domestic sports leagues and federations in the US (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, B1G, SEC, etc.) as well as drives commercial initiatives associated with those partnerships.
Kirk Vallis
Global Head of Creative Capability Development
Kirk helps organisations all over the world to use creativity to solve problems. Whether it's facilitating teams and leaders to new ideas and solutions around critical challenges like how Google search can use AI to create unique powerful user features in search, or by training high performers with the tools, techniques and behaviours to help place creativity at the top table of our skillset. Whatever the challenge, for the past 12 years Kirk has been Alphabet's (Google parent company) go-to creative problem solving expert. He is the creator of Magic Academy, one of the company's most demanded development programs in it's history.
Kirk is also an advisor, trainer and speaker to some of the world's most forward thinking organisations like Adidas, Intuit and Mastercard, and also supports elite sports teams and athletes to 'outthink the opposition'. He leads a module within the English FA's Pro Licence on Creative problem solving within leadership, and is part of coach development programs in global rugby, cricket, and soccer.
Lorena Torres
You First
Player Performance Director
Dr. Lorena Torres holds a Ph.D. and an MBA and currently serves as the Performance Director at You First. With an extensive background in high-performance sports, Dr. Torres has previously worked with the NBA and the Spanish Basketball Federation. Her expertise spans sports science, athlete performance, and strategic management, making her a key figure in advancing sports performance and health. Dr. Torres's contributions to the field are marked by her dedication to integrating scientific knowledge with practical applications to optimize athlete performance and well-being.
Maggie Corry
Booz Allen Hamilton
Human Performance Senior Lead Data Scientist
Maggie Corry is the Senior Lead Data Scientist, leading data products, strategy, and science for Booz Allen Hamilton’s R&D group BrightLabs. She aims to provide comprehensive strategy around consolidating data to enable insights, visualizations, and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) in the cloud and at the edge. Maggie has a B.S. in Applied Mathematics and is working towards her Master in Information and Data Science from University of California, Berkeley. She has also worked in the human performance and sports science domain for the past 7 years, providing data-driven insights and data products to Warfighters, Researchers, mixed reality trainers, and Athletic organizations.
Megan Holston-Alexander
Andreessen Horowitz
Partner, Head of the Cultural Leadership Fund
Megan Holston-Alexander is a partner at Andreessen Horowitz where she leads the Cultural Leadership Fund (CLF), Silicon Valley’s first venture capital fund consisting exclusively of Black cultural leaders and organizations committed to Black wealth generation. Megan oversees CLF’s dual missions of connecting the world’s greatest cultural leaders including athletes, entertainers, musicians and C-level executives, to the best new technology companies and engaging and elevating African Americans in the technology industry.
Born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama, Megan graduated with a BA from Clark Atlanta University and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she relaunched the Black Business Conference after a 10+ year hiatus. Megan also co-founded When Founder Met Funder, a conference focused on connecting Black female entrepreneurs with peers and investors for networking and fundraising support.
She currently serves on the board of THINK450, the partnership and innovation engine of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), the boards of three nonprofits, All Stars Helping Kids, HBCUvc, and The Hidden Genius Project, along with the advisory board of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Megan previously served on the advisory committee of the 50 Fund, the philanthropic arm of Super Bowl 50. Megan enjoys spending her down time with her two boys, Holston and Jack, and truly believes you can’t beat a good spa day.
Paul Saluan
Cleveland Clinic
Orthopaedic Surgeon
Dr. Saluan is an orthopaedic surgeon with expertise in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery. He holds leadership roles at Cleveland Clinic in both the Center for Sports Medicine and the Center for Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery, directing advancements in youth sports injury care. He has held multiple positions in specialty organizations throughout his career including the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, amongst others. He is an Associate Professor of Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, is well published in the field of sports medicine, and serves as the head team physician at the collegiate and high school levels.
Dr. Saluan is dedicated to surgical innovation and education. He pioneered the Arthroscopy Skills Lab Curriculum, enhancing surgical training and promoting excellence in arthroscopic techniques. He developed the Catastrophic Sports Injury Simulation Lab focused on preparing healthcare providers for the most challenging scenarios encountered in the field. His research focuses on improving outcomes for young patients in various sports, exemplified by his work on the development of a novel Pediatric Outcomes Instrument, and integral involvement in the development of numerous multi-institutional collaborative research networks.
Dr. Saluan has been in the practice of orthopaedic surgery for 25 years. Recognized for his impact, Dr. Saluan has received accolades such as the Teacher of the Year Award and the Pinnacle Performance Center Award for Clinical Excellence in Sports Medicine. Beyond his clinical practice, he serves as Medical Director for major global sporting events, and the porfolio of high school, collegiate and professional teams partnered with Cleveland Clinic, advocating for sports safety and community health.
Dr. Saluan is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery in orthopaedic surgery and sports medicine. He received his B.S from John Carroll University and his M.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Cleveland Clinic and subsequently completed a fellowship in Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery, Sports and Scoliosis Surgery at Children's Hospital affiliated with the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, Colorado.
Dr. Saluan's commitment to advancing sports medicine care through innovation and leadership continues to shape the future of his field, making a profound difference in the lives of young patients and athletes.
Shaun Livingston
National Basketball Players Association (NBPA)
Player Engagement Director
Shaun Livingston is a former professional athlete known for his resilience, leadership, and versatility on the court. Over his 14-year NBA career, Shaun earned a reputation as a dependable guard, contributing significantly to three NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors (2015, 2017, 2018).Since retiring from the NBA in 2019, Shaun has served as a director of player affairs and engagement for the Golden State Warriors, where he worked to support and develop the team’s players both on and off the court.Shaun is an active investor and advisor in several startups and business ventures, with a keen interest in technology, sports, and wellness industries. He is passionate about giving back to the community and is involved in various philanthropic initiatives aimed at empowering youth and providing opportunities for underprivileged communities. Shaun currently serves as Player Engagement Director for the National Basketball Players Association.
Stephania Bell
ESPN
Senior Write & Injury Analyst
Stephania Bell joined ESPN as a senior writer and injury analyst in 2008. A licensed physical therapist, board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist emeritus and certified strength and conditioning specialist, Bell regularly appears on ESPN’s NFL and fantasy football coverage, including SportsCenter, The Fantasy Show and Fantasy Football Now, in addition to co-hosting ESPN Audio’s Fantasy Focus Football podcast.
Bell has been part of the Sunday morning Fantasy Football Now pregame program since she joined ESPN and part of the Fantasy Focus Football podcast since its inception in 2008. She started working on the podcast as a contributor multiple days per week before her promotion to co-host alongside Matthew Berry and Field Yates in 2016.
In May 2020, Bell and ESPN’s E:60 profiled Washington quarterback Alex Smith’s year-long rehabilitation from a devastating and life-threatening leg injury. With unprecedented access to Smith, his family and his medical team during the recovery, Bell spearheaded the multi-platform Project 11 which included a primetime television special and an ESPN.com feature, both of which she reported.
Bell has filed additional television features for Sunday NFL Countdown, SportsCenter and Outside the Lines, including stories on former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett and former South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore. Bell has also contributed to NFL Live, Baseball Tonight, ESPN Radio and ESPN.com.
Prior to joining ESPN, Bell worked for Kaiser Permanente in San Jose, Calif., and taught at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship. She has held teaching positions in the physical therapy programs at Samuel Merritt College and the University of Kansas and has lectured nationally on various topics. She has also served as a consultant for athletes and performing artists with complex conditions.
Bell was elected to positions in the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists (AAOMPT) and was heavily involved in the early stages of developing standards for credentialing of post-professional residency and fellowship programs. She remains active in both the AAOMPT and the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
Bell graduated from Princeton University with a degree in French Literature and earned a Master of Science in physical therapy from the University of Miami (Fla.). She earned a certification in orthopedic manual therapy from the Ola Grimsby Institute.
Bell has received many industry honors and awards. In 2019, the Vincera Foundation honored her with the Vinci Award for Sports Medicine Journalism. She was also elected to the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame in 2017, becoming the organization’s first female inductee. Bell was also named a Top 40 Influencer by UpDoc Media, a digital media and marketing company specializing in physical therapy and healthcare services.
Other major honors for Bell include the University of Miami Alumni Fellowship Award, the AAOMPT John McM. Mennell Service Award and the Media Orthopedic Reporting Excellence (MORE) Award from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS). She is a two-time recipient of the Newswomen’s Club of New York Front Page award, which recognizes newswomen in the New York metropolitan area for excellence in journalism.
Ted Rath
Philadelphia Eagles
Vice President of Player Performance
Ted Rath is the Vice President of Player Performance for the Philadelphia Eagles. He has nearly two decades of experience in the NFL. He assists with talent acquisition through the NFL draft and free agency and monitors team schedules to optimize performance. Rath was on the Head Coach Hiring Committee that led the team to bring in Coach Nick Sirianni.
Following the 2022 season and a Super Bowl appearance for the Eagles, Rath was voted NFL Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year for the second time in his career. The Eagles achieved the most wins (14) in franchise history.
Rath was elected as the inaugural President to represent the Professional Football Performance Coaches Association (PFPCA) in early 2023. This society was established to represent all strength and performance professionals working in Professional Football, including Strength and Conditioning Coaches, Sports Science Professionals, and others in related fields.
In his first season leading his own Strength and Conditioning Program, Rath was named the NFL Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year for the first time. Rath was an integral part in the Rams Sports Science program, which helped L.A. finish the 2017 season as the healthiest NFL team based on adjusted games lost, according to Football Outsiders, an innovative statistics website.
In 2018 the Rams earned a trip to Super Bowl XIII. The health and performance of the team over the two-year span helped them earn the best record in the NFL from 2017-2018. Prior to joining the Rams, Rath was named Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Miami Dolphins for the 2016 season, a year in which they clinched their first playoff berth since the 2008 season. Before his stint with the Dolphins, he spent seven seasons (2009-15) with the Detroit Lions as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach. The team earned multiple playoff appearances during this span.
Prior to Detroit, Rath was an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at The University of Toledo, where he directed the strength and conditioning programs for all fifteen of the school’s Olympic sports.
Rath has helped publish numerous research articles. He has written for several industry publications and speaks regularly at conferences and corporate events both domestically and abroad. He sits on the NFL’s Lower Extremity Soft Tissue Injury Task Force. Rath is married to his high school sweetheart Robin and the couple have three children Brooklyn, Brady, and Emmy.
Teena Murray
The Pictor Group
High-Performance Consultant
Teena Murray has spent over 25 years in college, professional and international sport. Most recently, she served in front-office roles in the NHL (Pittsburgh Penguins) and the NBA (Sacramento Kings) after a long tenure as Director of Performance at the University of Louisville.
Teena is renowned as a pioneer of the high-performance movement in North America. As VP of Health & Performance for the Sacramento Kings, she was the first to advance an integrated transdisciplinary model, tearing down the walls between medical, performance, player development, and coaching to advance individualized, athlete-centered care. Similarly, as SVP of Integrated Performance with the Pittsburgh Penguins, she was the first to implement a new mindset, new model, and integrated approach to player care and team performance.
In the early 2000s, Teena was among North America's earliest adopters of sport science and performance analytics. At the University of Louisville, she created the NCAAâs first performance analytics division in partnership with CATAPULT. Over 14 years at UofL, the Cardinals climbed from 144th in the Learfield Cup Standings, to perennial Top 25. Between 2006-2010, she embedded sports science infrastructure with the U.S. Womenâs Olympic Hockey Team to optimize performance and reconditioning processes, resulting in a silver medal performance at the Vancouver Olympics.
While at Louisville, Teena was instrumental in creating a graduate program in strength and conditioning, where she served as an adjunct lecturer for 6 years. She also established a Research & Development Taskforce to drive innovation efforts between athletics, academic, and corporate partners. Passionate about advancing the field, Teena has co-authored over a dozen peer-reviewed publications, written numerous book chapters, and has recently created a graduate course in High-Performance Leadership for Boise State University.
Teena's career began as a strength and conditioning coach at Cornell University and the University of Connecticut. She has also worked as a performance consultant for the Hartford Wolfpack, the Florida Panthers, the Anaheim Ducks, the International Ice Hockey Federation, and the Turkish Basketball Federation.
Teena holds degrees in exercise physiology and sports nutrition, education, and kinesiology. She holds graduate certificates in executive leadership and negotiation from Kellogg School of Management and is currently completing an InnerMBA. This Fall she will begin a Doctorate in Organizational Development.
She is currently an organizational effectiveness consultant with The PICTOR Group and a founding partner with PROSPER.
Tom Ryan
National Basketball Association (NBA)
Vice President of Basketball Strategy
Tom Ryan currently serves as Vice President, Basketball Strategy & Analytics for the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he oversees basketball technology and innovation for the league, helping to advance and grow the game through cutting-edge initiatives, products, and partnerships. After witnessing the impact that basketball had on his life, he decided to use his background in business and technology to continue improving the game for athletes worldwide.
Wajid Mir
Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA)
General Counsel & EVP
Wajid Mir currently serves as General Counsel and Executive Vice President for the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) and its for-profit commercial licensing arm, Winners Alliance. In these roles, Wajid provides strategic legal and business leadership, helping to advance the interests and rights of professional tennis players worldwide. His extensive experience and dedication make him a pivotal figure in the sports industry.
Schedule & Topics
Welcome Reception
Location: Infinity Rooftop Bar
Description:
Attendees will be arriving throughout the day, so when you have touched down in Andalucia, please join us at the Hotel Higueron's Infinity Pool Bar for an unforgettable Welcome Reception filled with networking, refreshing drinks, and delectable tapas inspired by the classic aperitivo tradition. Immerse yourself in the stunning setting, offering breathtaking views and a relaxed ambiance that sets the perfect tone for meaningful connections and conversations.
LOCATION
Explore Andalucia, Spain and learn more about the rich culture and history of the region.
Stay at the 5-star Higueron Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton