Name: Deborah Slaner Larkin
Position: Women’s Sports Foundation CEO
Where I’m from: Westchester, New York
Where I call home: I split my time between N.Y. and Vermont.
Focusing on right now: The Women’s Sports Foundation’s 30th annual Salute to Women in Sports (starts today). We’re arranging for 750 people to come celebrate with about 70 champion athletes, as well as leadership in sports and business organizations. We’re also helping the athletes the day before on a one-day seminar to help them transition from their competitive careers to their next stage. LAILA ALI, JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE, TAMIKA CATCHINGS and MICHELLE KWAN will be there, along with more than 30 Rio Olympians.
Best advice: Taking risks with guidance. I’ve always been one to kind of push the envelope a bit in terms of social change, and in order to do that you have to push, but you have to make sure you set the right tone in doing so. BILLIE JEAN KING always says, “Pressure is a privilege.” I’ll take the pressure and take the responsibility and want to make a change.
A must for a new hire: They have to want to learn, work hard and have confidence, but leave their ego at the door. And they have to fit in. We spend more time with our teammates than we do with the people we live with.
Person I admire the most: My daughter MARGARET. She’s 24 and reminds me every day that this generation is smart and has a great work ethic and sense of humor. Her sensibilities about life and people has me in awe. Also my father, ALFRED. He was very smart, very fair. He was very successful and a great father.
Best book I’ve read this year: I like “The Underground Railroad,” by COLSON WHITEHEAD. I love reading, and it’s the most recent good book I’ve read.
First thing in the morning: When I drive up to Vermont three days a week, it gives me a chance to think of the future of the Women’s Sports Foundation. Sometimes, when you do the everyday stuff, you’re in the office and everybody says, “Deborah, Deborah, Deborah.” When I’m in the car I get to think.
Talking tech: We’re in the process of creating a Title IX app. We’re in the beginning stages. One of the things we’re doing this weekend is holding focus groups to try and find out how to best reach college and high school athletes about Title IX. The app will be a game, the game for social change. We want to get (younger females) more engaged in sports and physical activity. We’re working with Games for Change on the app.
Must-have music: Forever, it’s been ARETHA FRANKLIN. I love jazz, like JOHN COLTRANE, as well as country music. And Margaret would kill me if I didn’t say BEYONCE.
Food for thought: As boring as it is, I’m a salad eater. LIDIA BASTIANICH, I would watch her cooking shows, and I love to eat Italian. Olive oil and garlic with everything.
How I unwind: I’ll work out or play tennis, or have a glass of good red wine.
A day in the life: About 16 hours of working, thinking, mentoring, teaching, learning. Getting so excited about the possibilities of the work that we’re doing for girls and women. I work with very bright, inspirational people. Whether they’re athletes or members of our board or the people we collaborate with, we couldn’t do what we do if we didn’t collaborate with some of the sport organizations and girl-serving groups in the country. I like to be intellectually stimulated, and this job does that.
