2020 HOSTS & FEATURED SPEAKERS
Malika
Andrews
NBA Reporter
Kelley
Carter
Senior Culture Writer, The Undefeated
Chelsea
Clinton
Author, “She Persisted in Sports”
Antonietta
Collins
SportsCenter anchor
Ayo
Davis
Executive Vice President, Talent & Casting, ABC Entertainment & Disney+
DeMar
DeRozan
NBA All-Star & Olympic gold medalist
Glennon
Doyle
Founder, Together Rising, best-selling author, and activist
Elle
Duncan
SportsCenter anchor
Cathy
Engelbert
WNBA Commissioner
Julie
Foudy
espnW Writer & ESPN Commentator, World Cup champion
Dany
Garcia
Chairwoman and CEO, The Garcia Companies; Co-Founder, Seven Bucks Companies and Co-Owner, XFL
Laura
Gentile
Senior Vice President, ESPN Marketing & Founder, espnW
Gracie
Gold
Professional figure skater & Olympic medalist
Kate
Johnson
Head of Global Sports & Entertainment Marketing, Google
Flora
Kelly
Senior Director, Strategic & Brand Insights, ESPN
Suzy
Kolber
Monday Night Countdown Host
Jewell
Loyd
Professional basketball player, WNBA Champion
Simone
Manuel
Professional swimmer & Olympic gold medalist
Alison
Overholt
Senior Vice President, Multiplatform Storytelling & Journalism, ESPN
Gunnar
Peterson
Professional Trainer & Director of Strength and Endurance, LA Lakers
Shelley
Pisarra
Executive Vice President, Global Insights & Strategy, Wasserman
Jimmy
Pitaro
Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content
Natalie
Portman
Actress, filmmaker, and Angel City FC Co-Owner
LaChina
Robinson
Women's College Basketball and WNBA, Analyst and Sideline Reporter
Monica
Rustgi-Mody
Vice President, Marketing, Budweiser
Molly
Seidel
Professional distance runner, NCAA Champion
Sarah
Spain
espnW Columnist, ESPN Reporter and Radio Host, and Summit Co-Host
Sage
Steele
SportsCenter anchor and espnW Summit Host
Carol
Stiff
Vice President, Women's Sports Programming, ESPN
Shiz
Suzuki
Assistant Vice President, Sponsorships and Experiential Marketing, AT&T
Maria
Taylor
College Sports Host & reporter, NBA Countdown Host
Abby
Wambach
Soccer legend, best-selling author, and activist
Kelley
Carter
Senior Culture Writer, The Undefeated
Award-winning entertainment and pop-culture journalist Kelley L. Carter joined ESPN in January 2016 as a senior entertainment writer for The Undefeated. Based in Los Angeles, Carter covers film, television, and music for the ESPN platform exploring the intersections of sports, race, and culture. She is one of the renowned journalists who came on board for the launch of the content initiative in May 2016.
Carter began hosting The Undefeated digital series “Another Act with Kelley Carter” in March 2020, where she gives viewers direct access to some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. She also interviewed creators and stars of the filmed version of the original Broadway production of “Hamilton” in a special program titled Hamilton In-Depth with Kelley Carter, exclusive to Disney+ and The Undefeated on July 3. The roundtable conversation debuted alongside the premiere of Hamilton on Disney+.
Since joining The Undefeated, Carter has served as a special commentator on Oscars Countdown: The Red Carpet LIVE! on ABC in 2019 in 2020. Some of her critically acclaimed work on the platform includes tributes and appreciations on some of the African American entertainment stars she has covered such as film director John Singleton, multiple Grammy awards winning and hall-of-fame singer Aretha Franklin, and actor and star of “Black Panther’s King T’Challa” – Chadwick Boseman.
Carter joined the Undefeated from Buzzfeed, where she was a senior editor for entertainment from September 2014 to December 2015. Prior to Buzzfeed, she served as entertainment editor at Ebony magazine from 2012-’14 where she helped shape the entertainment and celebrity content for the African American general-interest magazine.
From 2009-2014, Carter worked as a freelance journalist covering travel, music, film, celebrities, and television for print and digital publications such as Ebony, MTV News, Essence, Jet, Uptown, Heart & Soul, Complex, and Vibe magazine. She also covered entertainment for ESPN.com’s Page 2 and espnW from 2010 to 2013. Carter’s expertise on music, film, television, and topical celebrity news has led to appearances on several TV networks – CNN, HLN, E!, Fox News, MSNBC, TV One, the TV Guide Channel, and others.
As USA Today’s celebrity reporter based in Los Angeles (2008-’09), Carter spearheaded the paper’s coverage of Michael Jackson’s death, funeral, and news on the aftermath of his death. She covered film music and television for Chicago Tribune from 2007-’08 and was a music critic and entertainment columnist for Detroit Free Press from 1998-2007.
Over her career, Carter has interviewed some of the country’s top-tier movie and music stars such as Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, Jada Pinkett Smith, Samuel L. Jackson, Denzel Washington, Drew Barrymore, Jamie Foxx, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Sean Combs and more.
A native of Detroit, Mich., Carter graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University. She is one of the leading entertainment journalists in the country and serves as chair of the NABJ Arts and Entertainment Task Force.
In August 2019, Carter received the special NABJ President’s Award for her contributions to the organization and the craft of journalism.
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