← Upcoming WebinarsSports Law · Leadership · Career Development

Beyond the Game: Opportunities to Lead, Serve and Succeed in Sports

A Fireside Conversation on Careers, Leadership and Community in Sports

Monday, September 28, 2026

12:00 – 1:00 PM ET

Virtual · Free

45-minute discussion + 15-minute Q&A

Sports is more than a game, it is an industry, a community, and a platform for leadership, service, and opportunity. Whether you're an athlete, student, professional, or emerging leader, the sports industry offers countless ways to make an impact through leadership, service, business, and community engagement.

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

Drawing from their experiences in law, finance, nonprofit leadership, business operations, and community engagement, Tracy and Ciara will share how relationships, service, and a willingness to pursue opportunities outside traditional career paths helped shape their journeys in sports.

Briefing Agenda

What You Will Learn

The many career paths available throughout sports beyond playing, coaching, or working for a team.
How Tracy and Ciara navigated nontraditional paths into the sports industry.
Why relationships, networking, and mentorship are often the key to creating opportunities.
How nonprofit and community involvement can open doors and create meaningful impact.
The challenges and opportunities women continue to face in sports and sports-adjacent industries.
Practical advice for students, athletes, and professionals looking to break into or grow within the sports industry.
Lessons learned from building careers that combine professional success with purpose and community impact.

Audience

Who Should Attend

Athletes and former athletes exploring opportunities beyond competition.
Students and early-career professionals interested in sports-related careers.
Women looking to grow as leaders within sports, business, and their communities.
Professionals interested in sports business, nonprofit leadership, community engagement, and athlete advocacy.
Coaches, administrators, and sports professionals seeking to expand their impact beyond the game.
Anyone interested in using sports as a platform for leadership, service, and professional growth.

Perspective

There Is No Single Path Into Sports

Neither speaker followed a traditional path into sports. Their careers span law, finance, nonprofit leadership, business operations, and community engagement, demonstrating that there is no single roadmap to building a meaningful career in sports.

Some careers begin on the field or court. Others begin in a classroom, boardroom, nonprofit organization, or entirely different industry. Tracy and Ciara will share their unique journeys and the lessons they've learned about creating opportunities, building relationships, and making an impact throughout the sports ecosystem.

Whether your goal is to work in sports, support athletes, lead organizations, or give back to your community, this conversation will provide practical insights on how to build a career with purpose and create opportunities beyond the game.

Meet the Speakers

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 & 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.

Event Details

Monday, September 28, 2026

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET · 45-minute discussion + 15-minute Q&A

Virtual Event — Free to Attend