Business of Sport Symposium

Taryn Morgan – VP of Athletic & Personal Development
IMG Academy

Taryn Morgan is the Vice President of Athletic and Personal Development at IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL where she oversees a staff of 75+ specialists in athletic training, strength and conditioning, mental conditioning, leadership, nutrition, sport science and vision training.

Alex Diaz – Chief Operating Officer
LA Clippers/Intuit Dome

As Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the LA Clippers and Intuit Dome, Alex Diaz oversees the operations planning for the organization, focusing primarily on the new arena. He also provides operational council for the Kia Forum. Diaz joined the Clippers organization in 2020 ahead of Intuit Dome’s opening in 2024 and has more than two decades of facility operations experience managing some of the country’s most prestigious and frequented venues. Before the Clippers, Diaz founded Signature Operating Purveyors (S.O.P.) to provide design and operational consulting services to sports franchises, leagues, venues, architects, and other related businesses in the field of sports and entertainment. He also previously was the Senior Vice President and General Manager of Madison Square Garden, the Senior Vice President and General Manager of arena operations for Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, and the Senior Vice President and General Manager of facilities for the Miami Heat at the American Airlines Arena in Miami. Diaz was named one of Sports Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 in 2012, is fluent in Spanish, and earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Florida.

Lisa Ben-Chaim – VP Player Engagement & Community Outreach
Florida Victorious

Lisa Ben-Chaim is the Vice President of Player Engagement and Community Outreach at Florida Victorious, where she oversees the daily execution and operations of student-athlete involvement. Her role includes managing onboarding, charity initiatives, brand activations, and overall student-athlete experience for the company . A proud alumna of the University of Central Florida, Lisa brings a wealth of experience and passion for athlete empowerment. Originally from Taunton, MA, she is dedicated to fostering their development outside of athletics.

James Tsismanakis – Chief Executive Officer
DeKalb County Convention & Visitors Bureau

James Tsismanakis is the Executive Director and CEO of Discover DeKalb Convention & Visitors Bureau and Sports DeKalb, leading initiatives that drive tourism and economic growth across DeKalb County. Under his leadership, Discover DeKalb launched the DeKalb Talks Tourism podcast and the first mobile podcast van for a Destination Marketing Organization, while expanding into culinary and international culture projects. He also oversees major tourism developments, including bringing a convention center and hotel to Dekalb Peachtree Airport in Chamblee. 

A Marshall University graduate with a master’s in Global Hospitality Management from Georgia State University, James is pursuing his Ph.D. at Clemson University and serves on several state tourism and hospitality boards.

Sanja Komljenovic – CEO & Executive Creative Director
ONA Creative

Sanja Komljenovic is the Founder, CEO, and Executive Creative Director of ONA Creative, a boutique creative agency she launched in 2015 with a mission to drive social change. Inspired by her commitment to women’s rights and representation for marginalized communities, Sanja has grown ONA into a powerhouse working with global brands such as Nike, U.S. Soccer, WNBA, Ulta Beauty, Oakley and Meta, as well as the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and trailblazing women-led startups. A champion of gender equality and diversity in sports and marketing, Sanja brings a unique perspective shaped by her background as an immigrant from Bosnia and her career with top-tier organizations like the LA Clippers and Nike. Through her work, she aims to amplify voices and create meaningful impact across industries.

Dr. Molly Harry – Assistant Professor, Dept. of Sport Management
University of Florida

Molly Harry is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sport Management. Prior to coming to UF, she was an assistant professor in the Department of Recreation and Sport Management (RESM) at the University of Arkansas.

Through predominantly qualitative and mixed methods approaches, her research explores ways to integrate “big-time” athletics into the American academy with a focus on two areas: (1) Understanding the relationship between the NCAA, institutions, and athletic departments, and (2) examining ways the NCAA, institutions and athletic departments can improve athletes’ developmental opportunities and experiences.

Harry was named the College Sport Research Institute’s (CSRI) Emerging Scholar (2024). She has served in roles as an Assistant Editor for the Journal of Higher Education and Athletics Innovation and an Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics (JIIA). Harry has several publications in JIIA, the Journal of Intercollegiate Sport (JIS), and Innovative Higher Education, with forthcoming works in both the Sociology of Sport Journal and Communication and Sport.

Joleen Cacciatore-Miller – Director
Gainesville Sports Commission

Joleen Cacciatore Miller is the Executive Director for the Gainesville Sports Commission (GSC) which is a not-for-profit organization, founded in 1988, whose mission is to promote tourism through sporting events by hosting or helping others host events to create economic impact for Gainesville and Alachua County.

Aldo Kafie – Head of Partnership Management
FIFA Worldwide

Aldo is currently the Head of Partnership Management on FIFA’s Commercial Partnerships team, where he leads the day to day planning, relationship management and rights servicing of FIFA’s global and regional partners. Prior to FIFA, Aldo spent 15 years at Octagon where he was the Senior Vice President Integrated Marketing & Partnerships, leading global partnerships and servicing for clients including Expedia Group, Mastercard, DXC and The Home Depot – and he has also consulted across a number of existing global football properties and partners. He has extensive experience leading partnership planning and sponsor executions for corporate clients across major properties including FIFA, UEFA Champions League, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, MLS, NBA and the Mexican national team. Aldo previously occupied roles in market research at Navigate Research and in sponsorship business development at Arizona State, where he obtained his MBA in 2008. Aldo is an undergraduate alum of the University of Florida, where he obtained his B.S. in Industrial Engineering and a Finance minor.

Chris Gargani – VP Sales & Marketing
Jacksonville Jaguars

Chris is a seasoned sports marketing and live entertainment professional with over 20 years of experience, currently serving as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Since joining the team in 2018, he has led a team of 50 in driving ticket sales, marketing and operations for EverBank Stadium, Daily’s Place and international events like the Jaguars’ games at Wembley Stadium in London. Prior to this role, Chris held leadership positions with Live Nation Entertainment, the Washington Nationals, and multiple professional sports teams across MLB, NBA and NHL. A University of Florida graduate, Chris resides in Neptune Beach, Florida, with his wife, Tona.

Justin Giangrande – Founder/CEO
Network (Marketing Partnerships & Brand Development)

Justin J. Giangrande is CEO and Founder of NETWORK, a sports marketing agency, brand studio and entertainment production company that manages elite athletes, develops creative strategies and fosters partnerships for global brands, and produces culturally relevant original content. He primarily works with elite high school and college athletes, such as DJ Lagway (Florida), Malachi Nelson (UTEP), Julian Lewis (University of Colorado) and the Nourse Twins (USC), building their brands through innovative marketing and partnership opportunities, including Gatorade, Cactus Jack, SKIMS, Therabody and Leaf Trading Cards. With over 20 years of experience in the sports industry, Justin has been recognized as a thought-leader and expert in Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) speaking at various events, including, the Brand Innovators Sports Marketing Upfronts during the 2023 Super Bowl, SXSW’s “Friday Night Rights: Name, Image, Likeness” panel, and the Trusted Advisors 2021 Summit.  

Jason Siegel – President & CEO
Greater Orlando Sports Commission

Jason Siegel has enjoyed more than 30 years of success and accomplishments in sports tourism, major and minor league professional sports, as well as intercollegiate athletics. He is currently in his 9th year as President & Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission (GO Sports!). Under his leadership, the Greater Orlando Sports Commission (formerly the Central Florida Sports Commission) has hosted more than 400 events, projected to drive more than $1.5 billion in economic impact from 2016-2023.

Kristi Dosh – Founder & CEO / Adjunct Faculty
Business of College Sports / University of Florida

Kristi began her career as a corporate attorney and uses her legal expertise to educate athletes, parents, coaches and administrators on NIL. She currently teaches NIL courses in both undergraduate and graduate programs at the University of Florida.

Journalist and Personal Branding Expert

Kristi transformed her own career through blogging, social media, podcasting and more to go from corporate attorney to becoming a nationally-recognized sports business analyst. She left practicing law in 2011 to be ESPN’s sports business reporter, and since then has spoken on NIL and business and financial issues in college sports on television, radio, podcasts, in print media and more.

Ben Chase – Director of NIL Strategy
Florida Gators

Ben Chase is the current Director of NIL (Name, Image, & Likeness) Strategy for the Florida Gators, where he works with +450 athletes across 21 sports to maximize their NIL opportunities. Since joining the Gators in January 2023, Gators NIL has been recognized as one of the top NIL programs in the country by NIL Summit, and in 2025 Ben won “NIL Director of the Year” from NIL Store. Data has shown Florida Gator athletes to have consistently been at or near the top of having the most NIL deals of any school in the country. Additionally, Ben is a Gator Alum, who graduated from the Warrington College of Business, as well as GW Law, and is a licensed attorney in the state of Florida. Prior to his current role at UF, Ben helped launch NIL Collectives at Arizona, Gonzaga, UNLV, among other schools; and prior to NIL he practiced law in Orlando. In the fall of 2022, he was featured nationally on ESPN & SEC Network for his record 77 game college football road-trip. 

Jonathan Perzley – Co-Founder & NFL Agent
SportStars

Jonathan Perzley is a Partner and NFLPA-certified agent with Sportstars, Inc., bringing nearly two decades of experience in contract negotiation and athlete representation. Since earning both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Florida, he has negotiated hundreds of NFL contracts. Jonathan currently represents 50+ players in the NFL, providing a full suite of services including career counseling, endorsements, legal services and post-career planning. Committed to guiding athletes both on and off the field, Perzley leverages his expertise in communication, the art of negotiation, marketing and public relations to help clients maximize their professional and personal success.