800+ Attendees most in history of Bravehearts-hosted Summit.

The Worcester Bravehearts have announced today that the New England Sports Summit, held on Friday, February 14th was the most successful Summit the team has hosted in it's history.

A total of 804 attendees were present for the first-annual New England Sports Summit, formerly the Worcester Sports Management Summit. Students from 52 total colleges and 21 high schools were present at the event. Colleges from all six New England States were represented, as well as universities in Pennsylvania, New York and more.

Locally, the team welcomed 40+ students from Worcester Public Schools, and groups of students from other high schools around the city such as Worcester Academy and Notre Dame. High schools from across Worcester County were also represented such as Shrewsbury, Shepherd Hill, Quabbin and Uxbridge among others.

"Playing a part in jumpstarting someone's career in sports is very special to me," said Bravehearts Assistant General Manager Donny Porcaro, who organized the New England Sports Summit.

"I grew up in Worcester, and this type of thing didn't exist when I was in high school. Being able to grow this locally and keep it in the city of Worcester is special to me."

The Summit began with a Keynote conversation featuring ESPN Senior Director of Development Kati Fernandez. During the keynote, Fernandez discussed her career in sports, advice to those looking to get into the industry, and provided resources to students looking to take the first or next step in their career. The keynote was followed by an interactive Q&A session with Fernandez.

The Keynote Q&A was followed by two sets of two panel discussions from local industry leaders.

The first set of topics featured a "Social Media Surge" Panel discussing the different roles socials play within sports, and a "Jobs You May Not Know About" Panel, which highlighted unique roles in the sports industry.

The social media panel featured former Worcester Braveheart Social Media Manager, and current Plate Crate Socials Manager Aaron Bolduc, former Worcester Red Sox Content Creator and current Major League Baseball Content Creator Natalie Reid, and WWE Social Content Producer Anthony Santaniello.

The "Jobs You May Not Know About" Panel featured Assumption University Graduate and Boston College Assistant Director of Athletic Leadership Giving Brendan Desautels, New England Patriots Family Services Coordinator Halle Ross, Boston Red Sox Concessions & Merchandise Manager Olivia Bones, Red Sox Foundation Assistant Director of Programs Lidia Zayas and New York Yankees Premium Sales Specialist Ezra Rawdon.

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The second group of panel discussions featured a "Rise of Women in Sports" Panel and a "Hometown Greatness" Panel featuring speakers who got their start in sports in the Worcester area.

The Women in Sports Panel was moderated by Dr. Patty Raube-Keller, Sports Administration Graduate Program Director for Boston College. Brianna Robinson, Ticket Operations Coordinator for the Connecticut Sun, Kaity Goodwin, Events Administrator for  TD Garden Marketing and Nicole McEachern, Program Director of NBC Sports Boston/Philadelphia joined the conversation.

The Hometown Greatness Panel was moderated by Brandon Clay, Leicester-native and morning show host from 101.7 The Bull. Joining the panel was former Worcester Sharks intern and current Sports Partnerships Manager of The Kraft Group Joey Goldstein, former Worcester Red Sox & Railers Intern and current events specialist at Sofi Stadium Lara Hill, former Worcester Bravehearts intern and current Air Force Athletics Director of Donor & Alumni Relations Peyton Young and former Mass Pirates Sales Coordinator and current Tennessee Titans Sales Consultant Nic Clark.

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The final lunchtime panel was focused on seizing your first opportunity in sports. This panel featured Worcester Red Sox General Manager Brooke Cooper, New Jersey Devils Inside Sales Manager Trevor Dumay, Worcester Railers President Kim Golinski, UConn Senior Associate Director of External Strategy Chris Grosse and Programs Coordinator for ESPN NEXT Kyle Barry.

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The Summit also featured a job fair with representation from the Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, Boston Bruins Foundation, The Kraft Group, New Jersey Devils, 98.5 The Sports Hub and ESPN among others. In total, 32 Sports Organizations were represented, and seven colleges highlighting their Sport Management Programs.

In previous years, the Bravehearts had hosted the Worcester Sports Management Summit. This event, founded by former Bravehearts Ticket Sales Coordinator Jeff Gaucher, was put on in 2018, 2019 and 2023. The New England Sports Summit is the team's now-annual event that will continue to connect students to careers in sports.

The Worcester Bravehearts and Masis Staffing Solutions have already begun planning for the 2026 New England Sports Summit. For more information on Summit Partnerships, Collaborations and future events, please email Donny Porcaro Jr (Don@worcesterbravehearts.com).

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