7th Annual espnW: Women + Sports Summit to Welcome Key Industry Influencers & Athletes

espnW will again bring together sports industry leaders and top female athletes for the seventh annual espnW: Women + Sports Summit presented by Toyota from October 13-15, at the Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, Calif. The two-day conference will include panels, keynotes, work sessions, presentations and activities geared towards advancing the agenda of women in sports and focused around the "Vision, Action, Impact" theme.

Highlighting the event this year will be several of the gold medal-winning women from this year's Summer Olympics including Maya DiRado (swimmer), Kayla Harrison (judo), Ashleigh Johnson and Maggie Steffens (water polo), Helen Maroulis (wrestler), Dalilah Muhammad (track & field), who will participate in the "In Pursuit of Excellence: World-Class Athletes of the Rio Olympics" panel on Friday, Oct. 14. Also, softball player Monica Abbott - who made history by earning the first million-dollar contract in professional softball - and transgender triathlete Chris Mosier will each speak about BREAKING BARRIERS as elite athletes. Tatyana McFadden, a 17-time major marathon winner, will discuss her career and success in a "W Power Talk" on Thursday, Oct. 13. Award-winning American poet and author Nikky Finney will give two original performances during the event.

"We're extremely proud of the quality and depth within this year's Summit programming," said Laura Gentile, senior vice president, espnW & Women's Initiatives. "The dialogue surrounding women in sports has evolved and expanded since we created the first-ever Women + Sports Summit six years ago. The conversation is more vital and relevant than ever before, and we continue to drive forward, with all of our attendees, for greater progress."

On Friday, Good Morning America's Robin Roberts will sit down with espnW's Julie Foudy for a keynote interview, "Embracing the Journey." Additionally, industry leaders like Hearst Chief Content Officer Joanna Coles, WME/IMG executive Jill Smoller and LA Clippers President of Basketball Operations Gillian Zucker will offer their insights on various panels regarding the ever-changing business of sports.

Image courtesy of ESPN press

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