University of California-Davis|Local Event
Wisdom of Women Symposium Unstoppable: Power, Investment & the Future of Women’s Professional Sports
Join us for a double-gold day featuring an exclusive conversation with two Olympic gold medalists: soccer legend Brandi Chastain and basketball phenom Candace Parker. They will share their wins and challenges and discuss how they have cultivated success as industry leaders, authors, and champions for women. Following, we’ll hear from Bay Area leaders about women thriving in a competitive world.
Brandi Chastain
Brandi Chastain is an iconic American athlete, retired soccer player, two-time Olympic gold medalist, broadcaster, and two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion. A California native, Chastain played professionally for teams including Shiroki FC in Japan, the San Jose CyberRays, FC Gold Pride, and California Storm. From 1988 to 2004, she played for the U.S. Women’s National Team, winning two Olympic gold medals and two World Cups.
Chastain has also worked as a soccer commentator for NBC Sports during the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics and for ABC/ESPN covering Major League Soccer and the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. A champion of girls’ health, she co-founded the Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative in 2005 to create programs and partnerships through which women athletes bring health, hope, and wholeness to the community. She is the author of It’s Not About the Bra: Play Hard, Play Fair, and Put the Fun Back Into Competitive Sports.
Candace Parker
Candace Parker is one of the most influential athletes of her generation. Selected No. 1 overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2008 WNBA Draft after a championship career at Tennessee, Parker became the first player to earn WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season. She went on to win three WNBA championships and two Olympic gold medals, helping redefine versatility and excellence in women’s basketball.
In 2026, Parker was named a headlining inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Off the court, she is a wife, mother of three, author, public speaker, activist, entrepreneur, and studio broadcaster for men’s and women’s basketball. Her recent book, The Can-Do Mindset: How to Cultivate Resilience, Follow Your Heart, and Fight for Your Passion, explores the principles that have shaped her success on and off the court.
Also Speaking
Ryann Greenberg, vice president of guest experience and venue operations, Bay FC
Greenberg leads match-day operations and guest experience for Bay FC and serves on the club’s executive leadership team. She has helped the club establish itself as a commercial force, leading the NWSL in merchandise sales and ranking among the top five in average home attendance. In its second season, Bay FC drew a sellout crowd of 40,091 to Oracle Park, setting the highest single-game attendance record in U.S. women’s professional sports league history.
Jess Smith, president, Golden State Valkyries
Smith began her tenure as president ahead of the Valkyries’ inaugural 2025 season. With more than 18 years of professional sports experience, she oversees all WNBA business operations. During their inaugural season, the Valkyries set WNBA records for average attendance (18,064) and total attendance (397,408), selling out all 22 regular-season home games.
Heather Vaughan, president, MLV NorCal
Vaughan leads MLV NorCal, Northern California’s Major League Volleyball franchise, and is overseeing the launch of one of the newest professional women’s sports teams in the country. With more than 25 years of experience in professional sports, entertainment, and live events, she has held leadership roles with Sharks Sports & Entertainment, the Pac-12 Conference, and Sacramento Kings. An award-winning marketer and university instructor, Vaughan is dedicated to uniting communities through sports and advancing women’s professional athletics.
Moderator
Pamela Wu ’95, director of news and media relations, UC Davis Health
Pamela Wu’s career spans broadcast journalism, public relations, and communications training.