Portland Cascades Win the VP Circle Capstone Competition at The Assembly 2026
Cohort 3 Nominations and Applications are open until September 4
Austin, TX - August 20, 2026 – Pro Sports Assembly ("PRO"), the association for professional sports organizations and business leaders, celebrates the Portland Cascades, the winning team from Cohort 2 of the VP Circle with The Venn Collective. The Cohort, made up of 20 PRO leaders from across teams, leagues and unions, completed an immersive leadership experience that ran from November through capstone presentations on the final day of The Assembly 2026 in Austin, Texas.
Cohort 2 concluded with four teams acting as the executive leadership team of a fictional professional sports organization in football, basketball, soccer and hockey. Each team faced a different scenario across its franchise while adapting to evolving operational, financial and cultural priorities. Every team had ten minutes to present, then took questions from the judging panel and from the room.
A panel of five industry executives scored the teams as they presented, deliberated, and named the winning team before the session closed.
Judging panel for the 2026 Capstone Competition
Shareef Abdur-Rahim – President, NBA G League
Alex Chang – Chief Revenue Officer, Gotham FC
Christina Donelson – Chief People Officer, League One Volleyball
Jeff Fong – Executive Vice President, Finance, San Francisco 49ers
Clarence Nesbitt – Chief Legal Officer, PLYRS UNTD
The Portland Cascades earned top honors for a modernization plan that carried a legacy football franchise into a new ownership era without dismantling the culture that built it, tying every business priority back to community, culture and commerce. Judges responded to a presentation that was as disciplined as it was creative, holding a single "Flow Together, Rise Together" idea from the opening slide through naming rights, international expansion and standing commitments to staff.
Portland Cascades with the judging panel following the VP Circle Capstone Competition at The Assembly 2026 in Austin, Texas.
Meet the Portland Cascades Front Office
Carlin Hudson – Head of Strategy, National Women's Soccer League
Jamie Litoff – Executive Director, Partnership Marketing, Chicago Bulls
Danielle Mansell – Vice President, Service and Fan Experience, Dallas Mavericks
Tunde Oguntimein – Vice President, Club Performance, Major League Soccer
Samantha Santana – Vice President, People and Culture, Climate Pledge Arena
Offered to high-performing and high-potential professional sports leaders, the VP Circle with The Venn Collective provides PRO members with new relationships and resources to elevate their influence and impact. Over the course of the program, all members of the Cohort participate in collaborative work, and explore strategies for driving organizational performance, fostering innovation, and leading through change.
"VP Circle was a great program and a great experience. I learned a lot from a leadership standpoint, and it was great to network with people at the same level and grow and learn alongside them. The capstone was exactly that, a capstone on all the hard work, where we put everything we learned in the program together. Winning was great, and I had great teammates. Getting experience presenting in front of judges was valuable on its own. I could not recommend it more to anyone thinking about applying." - Tunde Oguntimein, Vice President, Club Performance, Major League Soccer
Applications and Nominations for Cohort 3 of the VP Circle with The Venn Collective
Applications and nominations are open for Cohort 3 of the VP Circle with The Venn Collective, and those selected join an alumni community driving value for the professional sports industry. Cohort 3 begins on November 5. The Cohort meets monthly in virtual sessions and comes together in person for capstone presentations at The Assembly 2027. The deadline to apply is September 4.
“The caliber of leaders who have joined our first two VP Circle cohorts has been tremendous, and it reinforces something I feel strongly about: the future of the sports industry is in great hands. Our third cohort can expect to be both inspired and challenged, while gaining practical skills to navigate this pivotal stage of their careers and building meaningful relationships with other high-performing, values-driven leaders across the industry.” - Dr. Matt Dubin, Co-Founder & Head of Client Partnerships, The Venn Collective
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Members of Cohort 2 of the VP Circle with The Venn Collective
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About Pro Sports Assembly
Established in 2019, Pro Sports Assembly (“PRO”) is the industry association for professional sports organizations and business leaders. PRO members prove the value of informed and inclusive leadership while preparing to lead the next trillion-dollar industry. The power of Pro Sports Assembly comes to life because PRO members champion the industry, profession and workforce. Collectively, PRO members set the standard for leadership excellence in professional sports. For more information on Pro Sports Assembly, please visit www.prosportsassembly.org and connect on LinkedIn.
About The Venn Collective
At The Venn Collective, we help organizations create the conditions where leaders, teams and cultures consistently perform at their best. Our work is grounded in the science of Flow and informed by organizational psychology, but always designed for the realities leaders face every day. For every client, Venn curates a high-performing, fluid team of seasoned experts: organizational strategists, coaches, master facilitators and leaders who have sat in the C-suite. Peak-performing organizations. People at the top of their game. Our clients include NWSL, USOPC, USA Swimming, Toronto Blue Jays, NY Mets, Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco 49ers, LA Rams, LA Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, NYCFC, LPGA, PGA of America and more.
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