DivInc Unofficial SXSW Pop Up 2025
DivInc is BACK at DASA with WNBA Legend Fran Harris 🏀
Join us in celebrating International Women's Day for a power-packed panel of CHAMPION athletes from the WNBA.
The WNBA nearly doubled its attendance from 2023 to 2024 and has seen a 41-fold increase since 2018.* These star players turned league executives have been on the front lines fueling decades of growth in the WNBA. On March 8th, they will come together to reflect on the past, present, and future of the league as it approaches the end of it's third decade of pro ball. You will love this conversation if you are:
A sports tech founder wanting to hear from athlete-entrepreneurs about the business of basketball
Are a sports tech investor wanting to meet founders and hear these leaders' hot takes on the future of the women's sports industry
Enthusiastic about seeing a WNBA franchise in Austin
NOTE: This event is not officially associated with SXSW.
Agenda
1:00pm-1:30pm Registration
1:30pm-2:45pm Champions Panel
2:45pm-4:00pm Networking Reception
Featured Speakers
Fran Harris
Founder, W in Austin
1X WNBA Champion
Yolanda Moore
CEO, Yolanda Moore Global Coaching & Consulting
2X WNBA Champion
Monica Rogers
General Manager, Toronto Tempo
3X WNBA Champion
Moderator: Laura Dixon
CEO, Pro Sports Assembly
About DivInc
Our mission is to generate social and economic equity through entrepreneurship. Our vision is a world that is authentically diverse, equitable and inclusive, where social and economic disparities no longer exist.
We occupy a unique space of providing resources to support underrepresented groups while creating a community. We are unique because we care about our founders at our core and reflect that in every action.
About Fran Harris
“Well-behaved women rarely make history.”
Fran Harris is the Founder & CEO of Electra Beverages & Nutritionals, a better-for-you electrolyte drink company she launched in 2021 on ABC’s award-winning reality business show, SHARK TANK. She’s also Founder/Owner/Operator of The Athletic Club, a DFW-based portfolio of indoor and outdoor multi-sport sports complexes.
The former Procter & Gamble sales executive managed the highly coveted Kroger account, enroute to numerous sales awards with the consumer products giant before transitioning 100% into a multi-faceted sports career. She boasts more than 25 years of experience in sports – tech, marketing, management, operations, media, films and investing. As a sports executive, Fran has created, curated, managed and produced 300+ camps, combines, tournaments and events including with partners that include NBA, WNBA, NFL, iBall, Skills Pay Bills, City of Austin, LA Fitness, and 30+ universities including her alma mater, The University of Texas Longhorns.
Fran is the former host of HGTV’s renovation show, “Home Rules”, and has been featured in hundreds of media outlets as a business, sports and media thought leader including The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, FOX Business News, and magazines Black Enterprise, Inc, and Entrepreneur. A former ESPN Announcer, Fran brings 20+ years on-air and production experience as a play-by-play announcer, color analyst, studio host, sideline reporter, game commentator, writer and producer. She’s currently a color analyst for the WNBA’s Dallas Wings.
At the University of Texas, Fran led the Longhorns to an undefeated (34-0) NCAA Championship in 1986. She earned ALL Southwest Conference honors in 1984, 85 and 86, and was the Player of the Year in 1986. She finished her career at Texas as the fourth leading scorer in program history with 1,798 points. A decade later she played on the WNBA's first championship team with the Houston Comets. Fran earned a BA, Journalism and MA, Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Master of Science in Tech Commercialization from The University of Texas McCombs School of Business. The author of more than 20 books including HOUSTON BY MORNING, a novel set in the world of women’s pro hoops, Fran’s also a filmmaker and content creator, who produced and directed A LEAGUE OF OUR OWN, a feature length documentary about women’s professional basketball, which debuted in May 2024. Today she’s leading the charge to bring a WNBA expansion team to Austin, Texas.
About Monica Rogers
Monica Rogers is a proven and accomplished professional both on and off the basketball court. She is a 7-year WNBA veteran and 3-time WNBA champion, who was recently appointed as Toronto Tempo's first General Manger, the WNBA’s newest franchise alongside Portland and Golden State. She previously served as Vice President, Assistant General Manager for the Phoenix Mercury. She oversees scouting/talent ID, salary cap management, basketball operations, and is a liaison between business and basketball.
Prior to this, she served as the Elite Basketball Women’s Operations Lead for the NBA’s International Basketball Operations Department. In this role, she aims to grow the game of basketball internationally at the grassroots level, with a focus on girls.
Before switching to the sports business side, Monica was an NCAA Womens’ Basketball assistant coach for the University of Virginia and Liberty University for 3 total seasons. Before her coaching career, she played professional basketball overseas and in the WNBA for the Minnesota Lynx from 2010-2015, and the Seattle Storm form 2015-2016.
Monica graduated from the University of Virginia where she played for Hall of Fame coach, Debbie Ryan. In her freshman run, she was named the ACC Rookie of the Year. In the 2007-08 season she was named to the ACC All-Defensive Team and also notched her 1000th point. As a junior, Monica was named to the All-ACC defensive team and was also rewarded with a spot on the All-ACC first team as the league's top scorer. As a senior Monica was named ACC Player of the Year, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and National Defensive Player of the Year.
After a successful college career, she was selected 2nd overall by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2010 WNBA Draft. In July of 2015, Monica was traded to the Seattle Storm where she was able to play for her longtime mentor and fellow University of Virginia alumni, Jenny Boucek. During this season she was voted by her peers to serve as Secretary-Treasurer for the Women’s National Basketball Player’s Association, where she was responsible for quarterly meeting notes and monitoring financial reporting in strict compliance with the US Department of Labor.
Monica is a strong advocate of women and girls health and served as an ambassador for womenshealth.gov and girlshealth.gov for several years. She is the co-founder of 1FOR1 Project, which focuses on girls having more visibility and access to women in professional sports careers.
About Yolanda Moore
Yolanda is a two-time WNBA Champion, award-winning coach, and ESPN basketball college basketball analyst. Despite facing challenges, having two babies and three knee surgeries during her collegiate career, she excelled in the WNBA as part of the Houston Comets' back-to-back championship teams in 1997 and 1998. Her international experience includes playing in both Europe and Asia.
An accomplished athlete, Yolanda was inducted into the Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame in 2010 and named an SEC Legend in 2012. She has five seasons of experience as a head women's college basketball coach, leading both the LSU-Eunice and Clark Atlanta programs to conference championships. At Clark Atlanta, she garnered the 2018 SIAC Coach of the Year award for transforming the team from "worst to first," culminating in NCAA Tournament qualification.
As a leadership and career development professional, she has empowered over 1,000 individuals to enhance their leadership and communication skills while crafting tailored career development strategies. With a strong foundation in workforce development, Yolanda creates transformative learning experiences across various sectors, including sports, education, and business. She specializes in identifying performance and leadership gaps, helping organizations develop effective programming to strengthen employee relations and leadership capabilities. Yolanda also designs programs to support youth in alternative schools and juvenile centers, enabling them to discover their strengths, set goals, and create a vision for their futures.
About Laura Dixon
Laura Dixon is a high-value, trusted advisor in the sports industry. She grows sports-centric businesses by building strong relationships and sustainable financial strategies. Laura is CEO and co-founder of Pro Sports Assembly, the industry association for professional sports organizations and business leaders. She is also the Founder of long game ventures, a firm that guides and invests in businesses committed to making an impact through sport.
She is a Past Chair of The Texas Lyceum and serves on the national Board of Directors for the PLAYS Coalition. She has also served alongside the US State Department on sports envoys, fellowships, and programs connecting sports leaders and organizations across the globe. Prior to long game ventures, she served as head of external relations for Spurs Sports and Entertainment, leading government and public affairs and serving as executive director of the Spurs Foundation. When Laura joined Spurs Sports and Entertainment, she was a partner at Victor Credo, an advisory firm that supported talent agents, high profile coaches and athletes in advancing their careers, social impact, and off-court business ventures. Her clients included NBA All-Stars, Olympic Gold Medalists, NCAA Champions, youth sport organizations, coaches associations, municipalities, school districts, universities and North American indigenous tribes. Ultimately, her forte is partnering with sport executives to build coalitions, set a vision, develop a plan, and execute with excellence. In doing so, she enjoys helping clients make lasting connections with external stakeholders and organizations to enhance their business reputation and impact. She possesses an exceedingly high track record of success in leading ventures at the intersection of sport and social impact.
Laura received an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, a BS from Texas Tech University and executive certificates from Texas Christian University, Southern Methodist University, and the University of Kentucky. She was in the first cohort to receive a Certified Sports Event Executive designation and Certificate of Inclusive Leadership in professional sports. Throughout her career, Laura has served on numerous state, municipal and nonprofit boards.
🚘 PARKING INFO
Please take advantage of public transit, micro-mobility, and bicycle options if you are able!
DASA has a discounted parking rate for event guests at the Littlefield Garage at 508 Brazos (entrance on Brazos between 5th and 6th St, west side). Please follow the instructions below.
Additional parking is available at Indeed Tower Garage, 200 W. 6th, 600 Congress Ave Garage, and City Hall Garage, 301 W 2nd. Most of these options have a max rate of $33 for the day.
See you soon!
-DivInc
Discounted Parking
Littlefield Garage @ 508 Brazos St, Austin, TX 78701
A parking validation is offered for $6 for your first 2 hours. After the first 2 hours, the rate resets to $6 per hour.
1. UPON ENTRY insert credit card at the garage. **The last 4 digits of credit card is your ticket.**
2. UPON EXIT visit the Flash Valet Login website at https://v.flashvalet.com/Secure/Login.aspx
Login email: hello@downtownaustin.com
Login password: test123
3. ENTER TICKET NUMBER: Use the last 4 digits of the credit card used for entry.
4. Validation complete
*Source: https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/consulting/athena-pledge-rev.pdf