Columbia’s Asian Sports Business Club's (ASBC) mission is to provide a community for Columbia University students interested in the sports business world to meet, learn, and network with one another and with Asian professionals in the sports industry. The organization will offer members networking opportunities, community-building events, and education about the Asian sports landscape.
As students aspiring to break into Sports, we noticed that Asians are underrepresented in this multi-billion dollar industry. To solve that, we wanted to create a network that can bridge the gap between the select few who have made it in the industry to those aspiring to break in.
Black Sports Management Union (BSMU)
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BSMU is an inclusive group geared towards advancing Black Pathways in the Sports Industry by providing educational resources and building meaningful connections to both professional and student members.
Notable guest speakers have included the following: Fred Whitfield (COO, Charlotte Hornets), Troy Vincent (NFL alum, EVP of Operations, NFL), Shaina Wiel (CEO/Founder, Minorities in Sports, CUSM alum), Andrew Hawkins (NFL alum, Entrepreneur/ Media Executive, CUSM alum), Lisa Joseph-Metelus (Executive, CAA) and Gianina Thompson (Director of Communications, Springhill Entertainment) many more.
(BSMU) is advised by Professor Len Elmore and Professor Pam Wheeler and was co-founded by Jeme Obeime and Layden Williams.
Women Sports Collective (WSC)
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The Women's Sports Collective of Columbia University is an organization for students, who identify as women, to develop and maintain a network and safe space dedicated to the development and empowerment of women in the sports industry. Through networking events, community activism and skill development sessions, women across all disciplines will have the opportunity to prepare themselves for a career in sports. We aim to create advocacy towards increased diversity and equal treatment of women at all levels of the sports industry.
Fall (2020) semester, we launched a WSC mentorship program with past women alums of CUSM and current CUSM students. The program has been a huge success so far, and a great way for Columbia Sports Management women to stick together as we all navigate careers in the sports industry!
Spring (2021) semester, we launched an “Empowerment Series”, were we brought in women leaders in the Sports industry from various careers. Each speaker shared their background, what it’s like to be a woman in sports, and their advice for WSC members in navigating a male-dominated industry. Examples of speakers include: Diana DePaul - Referee Scouting Lead for the National Basketball Association, Melanie LeGrande – Former Vice President of Social Responsibility at Major League Baseball, Dr. Caroline Silby – a renowned Sports Psychologist and nationally recognized expert on the development of athletes, and Cheryl Robinson – regular contributor to ForbesWoman, international speaker, and alum of CUSM.
The Sports Management Association of Columbia University is an organization of graduate sports management students that provides a forum for members to meet, learn, and connect with sports industry executives and professionals through hands on experience, visits, lectures and workshops. Additionally, we aim to create an advocacy and volunteer platform for students to participate in projects and activities that enhance and promote the value of the sports management program.
Over this past academic year (2020-2021), SMAC has provided its members with a mixture of social and professional events and opportunities for them. In these unprecedented times, our leadership team has made it a priority to provide students with ample opportunities to connect with each other and form a community in the sports management program. We've also taken advantage of our Zoom-iverse by bringing industry leaders virtually to our students through panel discussions.
Learn more about Columbia University’s M.S. in Sports Management program through interviews about our students' experiences and spotlights on their career paths.