espnW Brings its Signature Event to the Windy City This April

espnW will bring its signature Women + Sports conference to the Midwest with the inaugural espnW: Women + Sports CHICAGO taking place on Wednesday, April 20. Registration for the event is open to the public (http://www.espnwimpact.com/), and espnW writer and ESPN Radio host Sarah Spain, a native Chicagoan, will host. The one-day conference will include discussions, presentations and activities geared towards advancing the agenda of women in sports and focused around the "Make an Impact" theme.

Among the featured speakers and panelists will be Gatorade CMO Morgan Flatley, who will deliver a keynote address on "Innovation at Gatorade" and Laura Desmond, Chief Revenue Officer, Publicis Groupe.

Local sports stars Elena Delle Donne of the Chicago Sky and 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Champion/Chicago Red Stars defender Julie Johnston will also be showcased, with Johnston joining fellow prospective Olympians: World Champion wrestler Adeline Gray, fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, paratriathlete Melissa Stockwell and water polo gold medalist Maggie Steffens on the "Road to Rio" panel to discuss their experiences in preparing for this summer's Games.

"Our annual espnW: Women + Sports Summit has sparked tremendous conversation and action around women in sports and has become the marquee industry event," said Laura Gentile, senior vice president, espnW & Women's Initiatives. "We feel this is the right time to expand this event to cities around the country and want to ensure the opportunities the Summit offers are more accessible to a wider audience. Chicago - with its rich sports and business traditions and central location - is a prime spot for this expansion."

Additional ESPNers joining Gentile and Spain in Chicago will be ESPN CFO Christine Driessen, espnW and ESPN The Magazine editor-in-chief Alison Overholt, SPORTSCENTER host Cari Champion and espnW's Julie Foudy and Alyssa Roenigk.

The success of previous espnW: Women + Sports Summits demonstrates the enormous interest in developing ideas that will fuel further growth. The 2016 CHICAGO event will offer participants the opportunity to participate in a variety of sports activities, including a 5K lake run with Foudy, as well as network with experienced executives during "Office Hours."

For more information about espnW: Women + Sports CHICAGO, and to see the complete agenda visit http://www.espnwimpact.com/ or follow on Twitter with @espnW and #espnWChicago.

About espnW espnW serves women who love sports. espnW.com provides an engaging environment that offers total access to female athletes and the sports they play, takes fans inside the biggest events, and shares a unique point of view on the sports stories that matter most to women. Founded in July 2010, espnW lives across digital, television, films, events, educational platforms and social media. The annual espnW: Women + Sports Summit is the leading event of its kind in the sports industry.

Image courtesy of ESPN press

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