NBA/Jennifer Potteiser
Keri Lenker
Director, On-Court and Brand Partnerships, National Basketball Association
Age: 28
Born: Sparta, N.J.
Education: University of Connecticut, B.A., sport promotion, business minor (2013); New York University, Stern School of Business, MBA (expected in 2022)
About you
Could not go a day without: Reading a book at night before bed.
Most common misperception of your generation: That we lack a strong work ethic.
Go-to person when you need help: My husband, Nick. He’s been my teammate since kindergarten, helps me keeps everything in perspective and challenges me when I need it the most.
[In 10 years I hope to be] showing women in sports that anything is possible.
In the Industry
Biggest surprise at career’s start? I was surprised by how much there was to learn. I quickly realized that I needed to absorb as much information as possible and seek the context required to make business decisions.
Most exciting aspect of sports business: The next challenge. I love creating and finding the solution.
Questions for networking: What are the challenges you face every day? What’s going on in your life that you’re most excited about?
How should sports address social issues? Sport should continue to bring people together in an effort to find commonality amongst individual differences.
The sports industry needs to do a better job of … : Pushing, innovating and continuously embracing creative change.
