Women in Professional Sports: Building Careers in Law, Finance, and Business Leadership

The business of professional sports extends far beyond what happens on the field.

Behind every league, team, media division, and production organization are professionals managing legal strategy, financial planning, governance, compliance, and risk. Women are increasingly leading this essential work, yet the career paths into sports law, sports finance, and sports business leadership can still be difficult to navigate.

Join Tracy L. Schimelfenig of Cogent Law and Ciara B. Pierce of NFL Films for a practical fireside conversation about the careers, leadership decisions, and community work shaping women’s advancement in professional sports.

The discussion will explore the business infrastructure behind major sports organizations, the speakers’ paths into the industry, and the skills professionals can use to build meaningful careers in sports business.

What You Will Learn

• How legal and finance careers intersect with the business of professional sports.
• Why the sports industry offers growing opportunities for women in law, finance, operations, and leadership.
• Which corporate and nonprofit skills can transfer into sports-specific careers.
• How organizations such as NFL Films approach financial strategy and planning behind the scenes.
• Why governance, compliance, and risk management are critical to sports organizations.
• How women can build stronger professional networks and leadership pathways in the sports industry.
• What practical steps professionals can take now to prepare for a career in sports business.

Who Should Attend

This virtual event is designed for:

• Women attorneys advising corporate, nonprofit, entertainment, or sports-related clients.
• Finance professionals, corporate treasury leaders, and FP&A professionals exploring careers in the sports industry.
• General counsel, legal leaders, and compliance officers at sports-adjacent or nonprofit organizations.
• Women working in sports administration, athletics operations, or league and team business functions.
• MBA students and early-career professionals pursuing finance, law, sports management, or operations.
• Professionals interested in transitioning from corporate or nonprofit roles into the sports industry.
• Members of organizations supporting women in law, finance, leadership, and sports business.

Discover the Business Behind Professional Sports

Professional sports organizations rely on complex financial and legal systems to operate successfully.

From budgeting and financial planning to regulatory compliance, transactions, governance, and risk management, these functions influence nearly every major organizational decision. Understanding how they work can help professionals identify career opportunities that may not be visible from the outside.

This conversation will provide a practical look at the experience, skills, and relationships that can help women enter and lead within the sports business industry.

Meet the Speakers

Tracy L. Schimelfenig

Attorney, Cogent Law

Tracy L. Schimelfenig is a Cogent Law attorney with 20 years of experience advising corporate, nonprofit, and sports clients on governance, transactions, compliance, and risk management.

She has served as Chief Legal and Compliance Officer for a multi-million-dollar nonprofit organization, leading governance, regulatory compliance, and complex transactions, including real estate development. Her background spans both law firm and in-house roles, including extensive work as a fractional general counsel, giving her a practical, business-first approach to legal strategy.

A former collegiate basketball player with a graduate degree in sport administration, Tracy brings firsthand insight into the sports industry alongside her legal expertise.

Ciara B. Pierce

Finance Lead, NFL Films

Ciara B. Pierce is a finance professional with over 10 years of experience across investment banking, corporate treasury, financial planning and analysis, and investor relations.

She built her career at media, entertainment, and technology companies, including Comcast NBCUniversal, Amazon, Audible, and SiriusXM, along with three years in investment banking at JPMorgan Chase and Barclays.

As Finance Lead for NFL Films, Ciara leads financial strategy and planning for the NFL’s film and third-party production business. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Finance at Rowan University and serves as the current Philadelphia Chapter President of the National Black MBA Association.