| Submission declined on 13 November 2024 by HitroMilanese (talk). This submission's references do not show that the subject qualifies for a Wikipedia article—that is, they do not show significant coverage (not just passing mentions) about the subject in published, reliable, secondary sources that are independent of the subject (see the guidelines on the notability of people). Before any resubmission, additional references meeting these criteria should be added (see technical help and learn about mistakes to avoid when addressing this issue). If no additional references exist, the subject is not suitable for Wikipedia. This submission appears to read more like an advertisement than an entry in an encyclopedia. Encyclopedia articles need to be written from a neutral point of view, and should refer to a range of independent, reliable, published sources, not just to materials produced by the creator of the subject being discussed. This is important so that the article can meet Wikipedia's verifiability policy and the notability of the subject can be established. If you still feel that this subject is worthy of inclusion in Wikipedia, please rewrite your submission to comply with these policies.
Where to get help
How to improve a draft
You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Editor resources
|  |
Laura C. Gentile Laura Gentile’s tenure as EVP and Chief Marketing Officer for ESPN was marked by breakthrough campaigns, namely “There’s No Place Like Sports.” Her department’s successes and impact resulted in Gentile being named to Forbes Global CMO List in 2023, ranking #15 on the list worldwide.
Website: lauragentile.studio
Early life: From big fan to major player: Laura Gentile parlayed a love of sports into the creation of espnW. Laura Gentile was born 1972 in Oceanside, NY. Neighbors snickered at Gentile when she was a little girl as she was always outside playing sports with the boys. When she heard the word “tomboy” for the first time and wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or not. As she grew she soon began to dominate athletically. Gentile was a three sport athlete at Sachem High School, All- Conference in Basketball, All-State for Softball, All-America in Field Hockey.
Education: Gentile was recruited to Duke University on a full tuition field hockey scholarship. It was a dream come true. At Duke, Gentile was named first-team All-ACC three times, and was later selected by the ACC as a member of the league's 50th Anniversary Team. In 1992, she had keyed Duke to its first NCAA Tournament appearance and first tournament win, a 4-2 victory over Virginia. Duke Field Hockey is now consistently nationally ranked in the Top 10, competing for the National Championship last season. Gentile was named All-American in 1992 and her 58 career goals and 129 points still place her in Duke's top 10 lists. She was a two-time team Captain, receiving ACC and NCAA post-graduate scholarships that would help jump start her future.
Upon graduation, Gentile went directly to Boston College, receiving an MBA in Marketing and Organizational Behavior from Boston College’s Carroll School of Management.
Career: Gentile made her mark in the world of advertising, working for Ammirati Puris Lintas on marquee accounts UPS and Goldman Sachs, and Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide on the global brand IBM. At Ogilvy, Gentile was a core member of the team that won Ogilvy’s first-ever GRAND EFFIE for advertising effectiveness, an honor Ogilvy has gone on to win consistently.
The world of sports still beckoned she said, “l missed the sports world, missed its rhythms, its sense of teamwork, the competition and striving for the greater good. I asked myself what would be my perfect job? ESPN! A brand I’ve loved since it was founded in 1979. I put together my portfolio and they invited me in." ESPN was to be her next and most natural fit. Gentile started at ESPN in 2003. The company put her marketing expertise to work, first as Director of Brand Management within ESPN Marketing, then as a Chief of Staff to ESPN’s President, George Bodenheimer.
Gentile helped design much of ESPN's iconic advertising including the This is SportsCenter campaign, with spots featuring LeBron James and Eli Manning, work for the NHL and the launch of Monday Night Football. At ESPN, Gentile identified an opportunity. "I've always felt women had to be a bigger part of our future in order for us to remain relevant and continue to grow," Gentile said. "Women are an incredibly powerful audience for us to serve. And it's ultimately an opportunity for the entire industry." Gentile presented research and the plan to develop a new brand and soon founded espnW, a dedicated platform to focus on women’s sports and serve women who love sports.
espnW launched in September 2010 with The espnW: Women + Sports Summit, held in LaJolla, CA. The likes of Billie Jean King, Julie Foudy, Jessica Mendoza, Hannah Storm, Jennie Finch and Summer Sanders were in attendance to usher in the next stage of women’s sports ascendancy. espnW now reaches over a million followers on Instagram, and 965,000 Facebook followers. espnW has developed numerous programs to advance women and girls in sports, including the espnW/US Department of State Global Sports Mentoring Program, Campus Conversations (held at universities and colleges across the United States to speak with student-athletes about their future) and Sports4Life grants with the Women’s Sports Foundation that enable girls from underserved communities to stay in sports and reap the benefits of participation.
espnW is the leading sports media brand dedicated to the stories of female athletes and women’s sports. espnW has helped enable the growth and production value of many women’s sports properties including the WNBA and NCAA Collegiate Championships, particularly the Women’s Final Four, the Women’s College World Series and the Women’s College Cup.
Gentile’s tenure as EVP and Chief Marketing Officer for ESPN was marked by breakthrough campaigns, namely “There’s No Place Like Sports.” Her department’s successes and impact resulted in Gentile being named to Forbes Global CMO List in 2023, ranking #15 on the list worldwide. Gentile had influence over and responsibility for the health of the iconic, global sports brand, and led marketing for all brands, platforms, shows, and events. As audiences continue to migrate to streaming and as younger audience consumption is more “highlight” based, Gentile’s oversight of ESPN’s ecosystem of digital assets— from social media to the ESPN App— were increasingly important growth engines for the company and its network of partners. Gentile is currently functioning as a Senior Advisor to 17 Sport, a global marketing agency focused on Purpose based in Paris, and to PeacePlayers International. Gentile also serves on Global Board of The WICT Network and Dream BIG!
Awards: ● 2023 Forbes "World's Most Influential CMOs list ● The WICT Network’s Fearless Leader Award in 2023 ● Forbes “Most Powerful Women in U.S. Sports” list ● Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, 2002 GRAND EFFIE for advertising effectiveness, a first in Ogilvy & Mather’s history ● Member of the V Foundation’s Marketing Executive Committee ● Advertising Women of NY Changing the Game Paradigm Shift Award ● WICT Network’s Global Board of Directors and the WICT Network’s Signature Accolade for espnW’s Global Sports Mentoring Program ● Fellow of the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute Class XVII ● Street and Smith’s Sports Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 Class and an SBJ Game-Changer ● U.S. Department of State’s Council to Empower Women and Girls Through Sports
References: https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2022/06/06/Power-Players/Disney-ESPN.aspx
https://fortune.com/2016/01/23/sport-women-c-suite/https://clios.com/clio_juror/nojs/3504
https://schedule.sxsw.com/2023/events/PP129944
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanaglass/2013/10/10/laura-gentile-espnw-imagines-the-future-of-womens-sports/ https://dewitt.sanford.duke.edu/qa-futrell-award-winner-espnw-founder-laura-gentile/
https://schedule.sxsw.com/2023/events/PP129944 Bibliography: https://lauragentile.studio/