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Angela Ruggiero is a four-time Olympian for Team USA in ice hockey and was the youngest member of the team that won gold at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano. Now, as CEO and Co-Founder of Sports Innovation Lab, Ruggiero is looking to build a data-backed blueprint for fans, brands, teams, and leagues to invest in women's sports. Sports Innovation Lab's groundbreaking research effort, called The Fan Project, has unlocked the business potential for women's sports. The Fan Project's data backs up what has previously only been a gut feeling: women's sports are the biggest growth opportunity in the sports industry.

Data,Entertainment,Gender,Social Change,Sports Angela Ruggiero
CEO & Co-Founder, Sports Innovation Lab

Angela Ruggiero is the Co-Founder & CEO of Sports Innovation Lab, a technology-powered market research firm empowering industry-leading sports brands to identify the trends, products and services that will fuel the future of sports. As global fan experience and engagement experts, Sports Innovation Lab helps their clients create breakthrough fan experiences through technology.

Angela is a recognized, global sports leader, advocate, entrepreneur, author, brand ambassador, investor, motivational speaker, and podcaster. She has been recognized as an SBJ 40 under 40 recipient, Forbes Top 25 most powerful woman in sport, and Top 100 Most Influential People in Hockey.

She is a four-time Olympian and Gold Medalist in Ice Hockey and was the first female non-goalie to play in a men’s professional hockey league in 2005 with the Tulsa Oilers. She is a member of the 2019 USA Olympic Hall of Fame, the 2017 International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame, and the 2015 Hockey Hall of Fame (as only the 4th woman in the world).

She has been a distinguished International Olympic Committee Executive Board Member for over a decade, having served on the Executive Board of the IOC and as the Chairperson of the Athletes’ Commission, and has also served as the Chief Strategy Officer for the successful Los Angeles 2028 bid to host the 2028 Olympics.

She is a graduate of Harvard College (BA) and Harvard Business School (MBA), and earned a Masters in Education from the University of Minnesota. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx