Her official start in sports:

Nadia is a first-generation American whose parents fully immersed her in their culture at home. At school, she found one of the few cultural commonalities through sports, which became her passion and a way to connect with others. Despite her love for sports, Nadia didn’t attend a professional sporting event until after finishing high school. This is where her passion for bringing fans closer to the game through digital experiences and products came from. Nadia studied Sports Management & Business Law at St. John's University. The unofficial start of her career was a summer job at Nike Town, NY, volunteering at sports activations to make connections and get a feel for various sports properties. After graduation, Nadia took a temp assistant role with the marketing team at the Brooklyn Nets. During her time there, she learned foundational skills about operating in any corporate environment and how marketing organizations function from the ideation/briefing stage to the execution of a campaign. Most importantly, Nadia figured out her interests: digital innovation and marketing. At the time, many new mobile apps and digital products were launching, which fascinated her.

Digital Sports Products and Marketing:

Nadia's passion for digital experiences and marketing led her to apply for her first full-time job at the NBA league office, where she worked in Digital Product and Emerging Technology. She was thrilled to join such an innovative team and contribute to providing digital experiences for sports fans. After spending a few years in that role, Nadia became more interested in the process after a product development cycle is completed - the marketing, storytelling, and introducing new solutions to consumers to get them excited and emotionally invested. To gain experience in this area, Nadia moved to Wasserman, an agency that provided her with a brand and product marketing crash course. Nadia then returned to the brand side of the business and worked on marketing the ESPN+ service at Disney. She left Disney after a friend she made at Nike Town, NY, reached out with an opportunity at Nike. Nadia spent the next few years working in Global Membership at Nike, where she helped grow Nike's DTC business and North America Nike & SNKRS Brand Marketing, where she told authentic stories to sell incredible products and serve some of the best consumers in the world. Nadia has always enjoyed being part of teams that communicate and create new, meaningful, and fun experiences for sports fans. So, when Apple was searching for a Sports Marketer to work on their upcoming live sports offerings, Nadia jumped at the opportunity! Today, she works at Apple in Sports Marketing, overseeing MLS Season Pass integrated marketing and Apple ecosystem synergy partnerships with some of the most brilliant teammates she has ever had.

A few lessons learned:

Nadia has learned a valuable lesson while working in the sports media industry. She discovered that if she and her team solve a consumer problem in a unique way and communicate that solution in a clear and understandable manner, consumers are more likely to care and support them. This approach increases the chances of success.

If you’re pursuing a career in sports, attending relevant events or conferences and volunteering your time can provide valuable experiences with event organizers/professionals and their insights. If you’re already interning or just starting in the industry, identifying problems or work that other team members want to avoid, or leaders need more resources to tackle -- and offering to provide that service to fill the gap will help you stand out and make you a valuable contributor.

What’s Happening in Sports

🏀 Knicks’ unbelievable comeback shocks 76ers: DiVincenzo’s dagger clinches Game 2

🏈 Jets Trade Quarterback Zach Wilson to the Broncos, AP Source Says.

⛳️ Scottie Scheffler wins at RBC Heritage for fourth win in five starts.

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