2022 Chicago Sports Summit Episodes

Episodes will be available to view as they are released, here on the site, Facebook and YouTube.
Links to watch the episodes will be added on the date the episode is released.

Episodes will be available to view as they are released, here on the site, Facebook and YouTube.
Links to watch the episodes will be added on the date the episode is released.

October 04

Episode 1

Sports betting boom: DraftKings founder shows his cards

Featuring: Matt Kalish, President/Co-Founder, Draft Kings, and Danny Ecker, Crain’s

Matt Kalish is the President and Co-Founder of Draft Kings and has changed the way we interact with sports. He created an international platform for sports betting, fantasy teams, NFT sales, and now sits at the head of a company with a multi-billion-dollar valuation. Enjoy his frank conversation with popular Crain’s Chicago Business reporter Danny Ecker who has covered everything from general business to sports.  We’ll bet you enjoy this one!

View below or on YouTube or Facebook

October 04

Episode 1

Sports betting boom: DraftKings founder shows his cards

Featuring: Matt Kalish, President/Co-Founder, Draft Kings, and Danny Ecker, Crain’s

Matt Kalish is the President and Co-Founder of Draft Kings and has changed the way we interact with sports. He created an international platform for sports betting, fantasy teams, NFT sales, and now sits at the head of a company with a multi-billion-dollar valuation. Enjoy his frank conversation with popular Crain’s Chicago Business reporter Danny Ecker who has covered everything from general business to sports.  We’ll bet you enjoy this one!

View below or on YouTube or Facebook

October 11

Episode 2

Big goals: The woman at the helm of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club

Featuring: Ishwara Glassman Chrein, President of Business Operations, Chicago Fire Soccer Club, and Dionne Miller, sports anchor, ABC7 Chicago

Ishwara Glassman-Chrein, President of the Chicago Fire, is a driving force behind the Fire’s new direction. As one of only four female top executives among 26 MLS teams, she brings personal style, passion, and a strong business background to running one of the top men’s soccer clubs in the U.S. She’s joined by sports media reporter/anchor Dionne Miller of ABC7 Chicago. Whether a soccer fan or not, you’ll enjoy this conversation.

View below or on YouTube or Facebook

October 11

Episode 2

Big goals: The woman at the helm of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club

Featuring: Ishwara Glassman Chrein, President of Business Operations, Chicago Fire Soccer Club, and Dionne Miller, sports anchor, ABC7 Chicago

Ishwara Glassman-Chrein, President of the Chicago Fire, is a driving force behind the Fire’s new direction. As one of only four female top executives among 26 MLS teams, she brings personal style, passion, and a strong business background to running one of the top men’s soccer clubs in the U.S. She’s joined by sports media reporter/anchor Dionne Miller of ABC7 Chicago. Whether a soccer fan or not, you’ll enjoy this conversation.

View below or on YouTube or Facebook

October 18

Episode 3

The business of re-energizing a 100+ year old ball club and its fans

Featuring: Crane Kenny, President of Business Operations, Chicago Cubs, and David ‘Kap’ Kaplan, host, ESPN and NBC Sports

What impact did the 2016 World Series win have on business? What’s it like working with the Ricketts? What about sports betting at Gallagher Way? Crane Kenney, President of the Chicago Cubs, is joined by popular sports host David Kaplan known to most as ‘Kap.’ You may know a lot about the Cubs…. but here’s some inside scoop you haven’t heard.

October 18

Episode 3

The business of re-energizing a 100+ year old ball club and its fans

Featuring: Crane Kenny, President of Business Operations, Chicago Cubs, and David ‘Kap’ Kaplan, host, ESPN and NBC Sports

What impact did the 2016 World Series win have on business? What’s it like working with the Ricketts? What about sports betting at Gallagher Way? Crane Kenney, President of the Chicago Cubs, is joined by popular sports host David Kaplan known to most as ‘Kap.’ You may know a lot about the Cubs…. but here’s some inside scoop you haven’t heard.

October 25

Episode 4

From former NFL lineman to calling plays for Chicago Public School students

Featuring: Mickey Pruitt, Director of Athletics, Chicago Public Schools and former NFL player, and Solomon Wilcots, NFL analyst and former NFL player

Mickey Pruitt and Solomon Wilcots met as teammates while playing football at the University of Colorado and both went on to enjoy careers in the NFL. Pruitt brought home a Super Bowl ring while playing for the Dallas Cowboys. A home-grown Chicagoan who once played for the Bears, Pruitt is now impacting the lives of under-resourced children as the Director of Athletics for Chicago Public Schools. Enjoy his story and challenges as he shares it with Solomon Wilcots, a long-time sports broadcaster and NFL sports analyst.

October 25

Episode 4

From former NFL lineman to calling plays for Chicago Public School students

Featuring: Mickey Pruitt, Director of Athletics, Chicago Public Schools and former NFL player, and Solomon Wilcots, NFL analyst and former NFL player

Mickey Pruitt and Solomon Wilcots met as teammates while playing football at the University of Colorado and both went on to enjoy careers in the NFL. Pruitt brought home a Super Bowl ring while playing for the Dallas Cowboys. A home-grown Chicagoan who once played for the Bears, Pruitt is now impacting the lives of under-resourced children as the Director of Athletics for Chicago Public Schools. Enjoy his story and challenges as he shares it with Solomon Wilcots, a long-time sports broadcaster and NFL sports analyst.

November 01

Episode 5

Gatorade: How the brand continues to quench our thirst in today’s changing marketplace

Featuring: Jeff Kearney, Global Head of Sports Marketing, Gatorade, and Dr. Brian Cole, Managing Partner, Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush

We all know the brand Gatorade. And we naturally associate it with sports and athletes, right? Well, that didn’t happen just by magic. So how did that happen and how does a brand like Gatorade stay on top with changing consumer tastes and lots of competition? Jeff Kearney talks with sports medicine physician and Sports Medicine Weekly podcaster Dr. Brian Cole about how the brand is staying on top.

November 01

Episode 5

Gatorade: How the brand continues to quench our thirst in today’s changing marketplace

Featuring: Jeff Kearney, Global Head of Sports Marketing, Gatorade, and Dr. Brian Cole, Managing Partner, Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush

We all know the brand Gatorade. And we naturally associate it with sports and athletes, right? Well, that didn’t happen just by magic. So how did that happen and how does a brand like Gatorade stay on top with changing consumer tastes and lots of competition? Jeff Kearney talks with sports medicine physician and Sports Medicine Weekly podcaster Dr. Brian Cole about how the brand is staying on top.

November 08

Episode 6

Beijing Olympic athlete takes a shot at competing in China and how she’s become a role model for younger girls

Featuring: Jesse Compher, member 2022 U.S. Women’s Olympic Hockey team, and Dionne Miller, sports anchor, ABC7Chicago

Jesse Compher competed in the Beijing Olympics earlier this year as a member of the U.S. Women’s Olympic Hockey Team and is a member of the U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team. A Northbrook native and just 23 years of age, she founded a not-for-profit organization encouraging girls to play ice hockey. She shares her struggles and successes as a female hockey player with ABC7 Chicago’s sports reporter/anchor Dionne Miller. Both of these strong women have broken barriers in sports and are an inspiration to females and males alike.

November 08

Episode 6

Beijing Olympic athlete takes a shot at competing in China and how she’s become a role model for younger girls

Featuring: Jesse Compher, member 2022 U.S. Women’s Olympic Hockey team, and Dionne Miller, sports anchor, ABC7Chicago

Jesse Compher competed in the Beijing Olympics earlier this year as a member of the U.S. Women’s Olympic Hockey Team and is a member of the U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team. A Northbrook native and just 23 years of age, she founded a not-for-profit organization encouraging girls to play ice hockey. She shares her struggles and successes as a female hockey player with ABC7 Chicago’s sports reporter/anchor Dionne Miller. Both of these strong women have broken barriers in sports and are an inspiration to females and males alike.