People

Kenneth L. Shropshire

Chief Executive Officer

Professor Shropshire is CEO of the Global Sport Institute and the adidas Distinguished Professor of Global Sport at Arizona State University. He took on this current leadership role following a thirty-year career as an endowed full professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

There he was also Director of the Wharton Sports Business Initiative, Professor of Africana Studies, and Academic Director of Wharton’s sports-focused executive education programs. He now holds the title of Wharton Endowed Professor Emeritus.

Shropshire's career has been highlighted by leading the launch of several noteworthy ventures in a variety of sectors including: leading the boxing competition during the last profitable Olympic Games, which was also the most televised event of the Games in 1984; founding and leading the Wharton Sports Business Initiative, one of the world’s most respected sports business think tanks in 2004; serving as a founder and board member of the Valley Green Bank, which was sold to Univest Corp. for $76 million in 2014; and guiding the launch of the non-profit Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) in 2016 and serving on its board. As a sports-industry leader he is former President of the Sports Lawyers Association, the largest such organization in the world, and also former Program Chair of the ABA Forum Committee, Sports Law Section. His views and insights on the sports industry can be heard via his “Why Sport Matters” podcast.

As an author, his most recent books are "The Mis-Education of the Student Athlete: How to Fix College Sports"; "Sport Matters: Leadership, Power, and the Quest for Respect in Sports"; "Negotiate Like the Pros: A Top Sports Negotiator’s Lessons for Making Deals, Building Relationships and Getting What You Want"; and "Being Sugar Ray: The Life of America’s Greatest Boxer and First Celebrity Athlete". Additional works include the foundational books "In Black and White: Race and Sports in America"; "The Business of Sports"; and "The Business of Sports Agents".

Shropshire’s consulting roles have featured a wide variety of projects including work for the NCAA, Major League Baseball, National Football League, National Football League Players Association, the United States Olympic Committee and PGA golfer Rory McIlroy. In addition to RISE, he serves on the board of directors of Moelis & Company, a global independent investment bank, on the non-profit board of USA Volleyball, and as an advisor to the Sixers Innovation Lab.

Shropshire earned an undergraduate degree in economics from Stanford University and a law degree from Columbia University. He joined the law firm of Manatt, Phelps, Rothenberg and Tunney in Los Angeles prior to working with the 1984 Olympic Games and beginning his lengthy career at Wharton.

Karina Bohn

Chief Operating Officer

Karina Forbes Bohn joined Arizona State University in January 2016 as the Executive Director of the Global Sport Institute and was named Chief Operating Officer in August 2017. Before joining ASU, Bohn was a front office executive with the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team from 2004 – 2016.

There she most recently held the position of Vice President, Marketing. In this role, she was responsible for building the D-backs brand and driving revenue by developing the team's annual marketing strategies. During her tenure, the marketing department took a lead role in generating single-game ticket sales by creating targeted special events, game day giveaways, theme nights, ticket packages and other promotions.

Prior to the D-backs, Bohn was with Momentum Worldwide, an experiential marketing agency, where she developed methods for tracking and measuring the return on investment for clients' sports-based hospitality events and assisted with local and national sponsorship activation. She has also previously held various technology marketing positions, including Director of Corporate Communications for the Phoenix-based national headquarters of a publicly traded e-business integrator.

Bohn obtained an undergraduate degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, received a Master of Mass Communication from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications at ASU, and earned an MBA from the W. P. Carey School of Business at ASU. During her time at W. P. Carey, she served as president of the MBA Association and was recognized with the school's Sports Business award for outstanding academic achievement.

Scott N. Brooks, PhD

Director, Research

Dr. Brooks is an Associate Professor with the T. Denny Sanford School of Social & Family Dynamics at the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at ASU. As Director of Research for the Institute he acts as campus liaison, assists in the allocation of research grants, and coordinates the Institute's research agenda and projects.

As a scholar, Brooks is primarily interested in: youth and sport; inequality in sport, coaching and leadership; and community based sports interventions. He has published in academic journals, edited volumes, and textbooks; been quoted and reviewed by the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Der Speigel, and SLAM magazine; and invited to speak on the topic of sport internationally. His book, Black Men Can’t Shoot (University of Chicago, 2009), tells the importance of exposure, networks, and opportunities towards earning an athletic scholarship. Additionally, Dr. Brooks has consulted the NFL, MLB, college and high school coaches and athletes; and is a senior fellow at the Wharton Sports Business Initiative and Yale Urban Ethnography Project.

Kathy Kudravi

Executive Editor, GlobalSport Matters

Kathy Kudravi is GlobalSport Matters' Executive Editor. Kathy is the owner of Kudravi Media, a communications and media consultancy based in Atlanta where she worked with clients such as the Georgia Association of Broadcasters, Cox Media Group's LandofTen.com and UPI.com.

She launched and ran the digital platforms for American Sports Network, which was based in West Palm Beach, Fla., a startup network focused on college sports.

From 2012-2014, she was sports editorial director at CNN/CNN International. She spent 13 years at ESPN as a news editor and bureau chief, responsible for a staff of 40 who reported for SportsCenter.

Before moving to television, she spent 13 years at newspapers ranging from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Tennessean, The Plain Dealer in Cleveland and the Myrtle Beach Sun News. She is a two-time Emmy and APSE award winner. While at CNN, she won a Foreign Press Association award for Best Sports Story of 2013 for the documentary "Branded a Rebel."

When she is not chasing down sports stories, Kathy enjoys running 10ks and half marathons (that being relative), bemoaning the fate of most Cleveland sports teams, cooking and gardening. She is a graduate of Kent State University.

Jeff Kunowski

Associate Director, Innovation Programs

Jeff Kunowski is the Associate Director of Innovation Programs for the Global Sport Institute. Jeff oversees the Global Sport Institute’s sport-related development and funding programs including the Global Sport Venture Development Program and the Global Sport Social Impact Challenge.

He also serves as an advisor for numerous start-ups and is a member of the ASU W.P. Carey Sports Business Advisory Board.

In addition to his role with the Global Sport Institute, Jeff was recently brought on by Leyard/Planar, a world leader in digital display technologies, to manage business development in the sports and entertainment markets. Prior to joining Leyard/Planar, Jeff held several positions with Panasonic Corporation of North America focused on sports venue technology. He joined Panasonic after reaching an aqua-hire deal with MK Solutions Group, a Scottsdale based consulting firm that he co-founded. Jeff got his start in the sports business space in 2010 when he founded Illumin8 Outdoor Media, an award-winning signage company based in Phoenix, AZ.

Luke Brenneman, PhD

Manager, Events and Communications

Luke Brenneman is the Manager of Events and Communications for the Global Sport Institute. He conceptualizes, organizes, executes, and assesses events and projects for the Institute. Brenneman earned his PhD in Communication from ASU and conducted his dissertation research at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Dr. Brenneman’s research focuses on enhancing the fan experience and leveraging the unifying power of sport to reduce prejudice and foster positive contact between fans of various group identities. He has developed strategies and templates for organizing events to achieve these goals based on his research at the 2016 Rio Olympics, 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, 2014 FIFA Men’s World Cup, and other events. Brenneman has been published in academic journals, edited volumes, and Host City magazine. He has certificates in Conflict Mediation, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and Social Transformation and has experience organizing public dialogue events, professional and academic conferences, and university events. He has also taught courses at ASU on conflict and negotiation, intercultural communication, and other topics.

Chrisal Valencia

Manager, Marketing and Communications

Chrisal is the Manager, Marketing and Communications for the Global Sport Institute. Previous to joining the Global Sport Institute team, Chrisal served as the Creative Marketing Director for Local First Arizona, an organization that cultivates local ownership to build a diverse and inclusive Arizona economy.

After graduating from the Marketing program at The Art Institute of Phoenix, Chrisal rediscovered her passion for community development work. She served her first term of service through an Americorps program hosted by the ASU Lodestar Center, Public Allies Arizona. There she helped create and develop free community events at the Downtown Civic Space Park in collaboration with the ASU College of Public Service and Community Solutions, City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation, Downtown Phoenix Inc., and the Lincoln Family Downtown YMCA.

For her second term of service with Public Allies Arizona, Chrisal sought out Local First Arizona where she was subsequently hired on. In a total of seven years with Local First Arizona and the Local First Arizona Foundation, she served on the leadership team as Creative Marketing Director, directing the organization's brand, marketing, and design work across all mediums in print and digital.

When not at work, you can find her devouring local foods across the Phoenix Metro area and spending time with her husband, 2 weirdly awesome daughters, and their stage 5 clinger pit-mix dog.

Stephon Preston

Executive Assistant to the CEO

Stephon Preston serves as the Executive Assistant to the CEO for the Global Sport Institute. In this role, he oversees the affairs of the CEO and assists in the daily operations of the Institute. Stephon brings close to ten years of managing operations and office logistics, most recently in the Sports Non-Profit sector.

Before joining the Institute, Stephon was the Director of Business Operations for the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality in New York City, where he worked closely with the CEO to create and oversee employee policies, audited monthly budgets, and created RISE’s internship program. While in New York, Stephon had the unique opportunity of working with various sports leagues and teams to manage fan-driven event activations, including the Miami Dolphins Community Tailgates, PAC-12 Basketball Championship, and Super Bowl LI NFL Experience.

Yulia Bulanova

Business Operations Specialist

Yulia Bulanova is a Business Operation Specialist for the Global Sport Institute. She is responsible for accounting and HR functions of the department. Yulia is originally from Moscow, Russia. She earned her MBA with a concentration in Management from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Prior to her relocation to Arizona she was working for 7 years at West Kendall Baptist Hospital in Miami, Florida and her last position was as an Operations Manager of the Nutrition Services Department. Before joining Global Sport Institute Yulia was a Business Operation Specialist at Student and Cultural Engagement & International Student Engagement department at ASU.

When not at work Yulia loves hiking, reading, and travelling when possible around Arizona and United States with her family.

Adrian Morales

Communications and Outreach Specialist

Adrian Morales is the Communications and Outreach Specialist for the Global Sport Institute. He is a student pursuing his undergrad with the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions. He is expected to graduate in Spring 2019.

Growing up in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, Adrian was involved with a variety of service organizations leading him to pursue a major in Nonprofit Leadership and Management. During undergrad he has interned in Special Events with Southwest Human Development and worked as the Outreach and Special Projects Student Coordinator at the Sun Devil Fitness Complex (SDFC) in downtown Phoenix. There he helped facilitate partnerships with student groups, community partners, execute their service initiative, outreach for SDFC events to the student body, and planned a variety of events relevant to the SDFC’s mission.

Currently, he is serving in the Americorps program hosted by the ASU Lodestar Center, Public Allies Arizona. He is currently serving his 10-month position with GSI and is excited to help expand the capacity of the programs they offer and the audiences they reach. As a huge sports fan, one of his main interests is to see how sports programs can be incorporated into lower socio-economic communities to improve academic achievement and human potential.

Edwin Elias

Postdoctoral Research Scholar

Stacey Flores

Graduate Assistant

Stacey Flores is a PhD student in The Sanford School. Ms. Flores spent 10 years in higher education at Arizona State University (ASU), Glendale Community College (GCC), and South Mountain Community College (SMCC).

At ASU Stacey led graduate and undergraduate student recruitment initiatives, served as an Academic Success Specialist, and Student Engagement Coordinator. At GCC she worked as the Program Advisor for the Honors Program. Most recently Ms. Flores served as the Program Advisor for Upward Bound at SMCC focusing on the college transition process. Stacey has coached high school softball and cross country. Ms. Flores earned an M.Ed. in School Counseling from Northern Arizona University (NAU), an M.Ed. in Postsecondary and Higher Education and a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership and Management both from ASU. Stacey was a two-sport collegiate athlete, competing in softball and cross country while earning her B.A. in English and Communication at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi.

Katie Cross

Special Projects Assistant

Katie Cross serves as the Special Projects Assistant for the Global Sport Institute. She aids in the organization and execution of events and projects across programs. She is pursuing her dual undergraduate degrees in Sports Business and Sustainability with an emphasis in Urban Dynamics. She is expected to graduate in the Spring of 2021.

Prior to her current position, she was a member of the GSI undergraduate research lab, a Marketing and Gameday Presentation Intern within Sun Devil Athletics, and a Health & Wellness Supervisor at the Tempe Sun Devil Fitness Complex. She looks forward to exploring different intersections of sport and society while advancing the mission of the Global Sport Institute as a whole.

In her free time, she enjoys playing badminton, drinking tea, and exploring parks and museums across the valley.