IU Elevate

Elevate your passion for sports

Join us on Thursday, Feb. 20 for a one-of-a-kind summit that brings together two of the most rapidly changing industries of our time: athletics and technology. You'll spend the day learning about the many ways sports innovation pioneers are revolutionizing the human experience through athletics, surrounded by others who share your passion. You'll hear from sports industry leaders, IU Indianapolis faculty, and notable IU alumni on topics ranging from human performance to business, technology, and more.

Event information

Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025
NCAA National Office
700 W. Washington Street
Indianapolis

Pricing and registration

SAVE with early-bird registration: $39 till Jan. 14, 2025 ($49 after)
Student registration: $29
Sponsor a student: $29
Registration ends Feb. 14, 2025

What to expect

Start your day with a keynote address from USA Track & Field CEO Max Siegel, who led Team USA to a record 34 Olympic medals in Paris.

Your summit registration also includes two panel sessions, thought-provoking discussions, and opportunities to connect with presenters and fellow attendees. Lunch will be provided, with refreshments and beverages available throughout the event.

Cap off your day with a networking reception and a post-summit Horizon League Swimming and Diving Championship watch party at the IU Indianapolis Natatorium.

If you are a behavioral health or human service provider, you can even get continuing education credit!

Schedule
Time	Description
10–10:30 a.m.	Registration
10:30–11:45 a.m.	Keynote address
12–1:15 p.m.	Lunch & Session 1
1:30–2:30 p.m.	Session 2
2:30–3:30 p.m.	Networking reception
4:30 p.m.	Optional: Horizon League Swimming and Diving Championships

Sports Innovation Summit agenda

IU Indianapolis (formerly IUPUI) Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Mitchell Gauger, BS’13, MBA’15, will be your host throughout the day.

Max Siegel, CEO of USA Track & Field, will deliver the keynote address:
Impacting Organizations, Industries, and Culture Through Sports

Human performance – Stuart Warden, professor and associate dean for research in the School of Health & Human Sciences
Sports in business – Eric Neuburger, BS’02, JD’11, director of Lucas Oil Stadium
Sports and technology – Jeffrey Hintz, BS’01, executive director, Sports Tech HQ
Sports for good – David Pierce, BS’03, MS’04, PhD’07, professor of sport management, School of Health & Human Sciences

Moderated by Liz Wanless, School of Health & Human Sciences associate professor and director of the Sports Innovation Institute.

Panelists:

LaKoya Gardner, BGS’10, director, Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy
Isang Jacob, community activist, soccer coach
Sandy Searcy, BS’86, MS’88, director of sports, National Federation of High Schools

Moderated by Devina Jani, BSW’03, MSW’05, School of Social Work lecturer and director of the school’s career services.

Drinks and light hors d’oeuvres will be served.

All are invited to join host Mitchell Gauger for the 2025 Horizon League Swimming and Diving Championships, taking place nearby at the Natatorium.

IU Natatorium
901 W. New York Street
Indianapolis

All summit activities will take place at:

NCAA National Office
700 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis

Parking is available at the IU Indianapolis Riverwalk Garage, 245 University Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46202.

For more information about the IU Elevate: Sports Innovation Summit, please contact Brian Brase at bbrase@iu.edu or 317-278-1720.

Meet the speakers

Max Siegel

CEO of USA Track & Field

Keynote address: Impacting Organizations, Industries, and Culture Through Sports

Nationally renowned sports and entertainment executive Max Siegel has led USATF to financial growth and programmatic evolution, as well as guiding Team USA to a record 34 Olympic medals in Paris in 2024. His achievements at USATF crown a more than 30-year track record of competitive success in sports and entertainment. As the owner of Rev Racing, Siegel has led NASCAR’s efforts to recruit and develop more multicultural and female talent to the sport. Siegel is an accomplished author of three books and a film producer.

Liz Wanless

Associate Professor, School of Health & Human Sciences, Director of the Sports Innovation Institute

Panel moderator: The Four Pillars of Sports Innovation at IU Indianapolis

Liz Wanless is an accomplished researcher and educator in sport analytics, with a strong reputation both nationally and internationally. She designs and teaches innovative sport analytics courses and has developed a comprehensive curriculum that integrates artificial intelligence. Liz is dedicated to collaborating with industry stakeholders and facilitating relationships with sport organizations.

Devina Jani

Director of Career Services, Indiana University School of Social Work

Panel moderator: Sports: A Humanistic Approach

IU alumna Devina Jani is a licensed social worker who also holds a certification in Sport Social Work. Her practice background is in leadership and administration, program development and design, community organizing and building, and nonprofit sustainability. Her passion is working with young people from diverse backgrounds. Jani earned her MSW from the Indiana University School of Social Work, where she works as the school's university-wide Director of Career Services.

Mitchell Gauger

IU Indianapolis (formerly IUPUI) Athletics Hall of Fame inductee (2020)

Host

Mitchell Gauger is an alum of IU Indianapolis, where he was captain of the men’s swimming and diving team. His mother and father were also collegiate student-athletes, as were both of his siblings. Gauger has spent over a decade in higher education and nonprofit fundraising and is currently senior director of development at Purdue University’s Mitch Daniels School of Business. Gauger also serves on the IU Indianapolis Athletics Advisory Board and is a member of the IU Indianapolis (formerly IUPUI) Athletics Hall of Fame.

Panelists

Session 1

Stuart Warden

“Human performance” – Professor, School of Health & Human Sciences

Stuart Warden completed advanced degrees at the University of Melbourne before embarking on post-doctoral work at the Australian Institute of Sport and the IU Department of Orthopedic Surgery. He is currently a professor of physical therapy and associate dean for research within the IU School of Health & Human Sciences. Warden serves as associate editor for the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy and as an editorial board member for Bone: Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, and the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.

Eric Neuburger

“Sports in business” – Director of Lucas Oil Stadium

Eric Neuburger is stadium director of Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts. He previously served Indiana University for nearly 10 years, latterly as senior associate athletic director, where he oversaw the university’s sports facilities, including major renovations to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall and Memorial Stadium, and other campus sports facilities. Neuburger is an attorney with the Indianapolis law firm Kroger Gardis & Regas, where he advises domestic and international clients on sport related matters.

Jeff Hintz

“Sports and technology” – Executive Director, Sports Tech HQ

As executive director of Sports Tech HQ, Jeff Hintz directs innovation for the Indiana Sports Corporation while also leading Indiana’s efforts on becoming an international hub for the sports tech sector. Sports Tech HQ is a nonprofit organization tasked with building a tech ecosystem by driving innovation and investments for this rapidly growing sector. With over 20 years of experience in sports, Hintz has become a trailblazer in planning and executing major events that define the industry.

David Pierce

“Sports for good” – Professor, School of Health & Human Sciences

David Pierce is a professor of sport management and chair of the Department of Tourism, Event, and Sport Management. He is the founding editor of Sports Innovation Journal and served as the director of the Indiana University Sports Innovation Institute from 2017–2024. He currently serves as director of the technical team for the Center for Sports Transformation in charge of working with Indiana communities to build a healthy youth sports ecosystem using the principles of long-term program development.

Session 2

LaKoya Gardner

Director, Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy

LaKoya Gardner is director of the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy’s Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy, whose core mission is to understand the perceptions, practices, experiences, and needs of individuals and institutions that undertake philanthropy in underrepresented communities. Gardner has pioneered programs such as the “Athlete to Advocate Executive Certificate,” which provides training to professional athletes, enhancing their philanthropic activities while helping them target and alleviate social injustices and inequalities.

Isang Jacob

Director of Health & Wellness, District Athletics Liaison, Pike Township Schools

Isang Jacob has many years of teaching and coaching experience in secondary and higher education. He has been a faculty member at college level and was head soccer coach at Warren Central High School and IUPUI. He has been inducted into the United Black Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame, the IU Indianapolis (formerly IUPUI) Athletics Hall of Fame, and was recently inducted into the Indiana Soccer Hall of Fame. Jacob is currently the director of health and wellness, and district athletic liaison at the Metropolitan School District of Pike Township in Indianapolis.

Sandy Searcy

Director of Sports, National Federation of High Schools

Sandy Searcy is director of sports for the National Federation of State High School Associations. She previously served as assistant commissioner for the Indiana High School Athletic Association, where she oversaw numerous sports and activities. Searcy has served on numerous national boards and committees, including the USA Diving Board of Directors, USA Softball Board of Directors, and USA Swimming. Her background as an athlete, coach, educator, and administrator informs her leadership role at the NFHS in working with education-based athletics and activities.

About IU Elevate

IU Elevate is an annual IU Indianapolis campus event and reimagining of the formerly titled Weekend U.

IU Elevate is your opportunity to:

Advance your understanding of complex topics by hearing from industry insiders, IU Indianapolis faculty, and other experts.
Connect with presenters and fellow attendees who share your passion for learning and engagement.
Enrich your life with interesting subject matter and all the benefits that come with lifelong learning.