In its second year, the Front Office Sports Rising 25 Award, presented by INFLCR, received 180 nominations for 140 separate nominees. With so many great candidates, it was hard just to choose 25, but our nine esteemed judges – Jim Cavale, Stephanie Martin, Amie Kiehn, Ryan Mosher, Katrina Younce, Mark Gress Jr., Dan Werly, Stephanie Rudnick, and JP Abercrumbie – were up for the challenge.

The Rising 25 Award grew out of a desire to honor some of the hardest working people in the sports business industry, who oftentimes don’t get the recognition that they deserve. From there, we shaped the award to make sure we were selecting nominees who were making an impact, advancing the industry, and providing tangible results, all while being a first-rate individual.

How they were chosen:

Nominated by their peers, co-workers and family members, the nominees were then given to a panel of nine judges, all of whom have extensive experience working in the sports industry.

Based on what their nomination forms said, the nominees were then given a score by the judges on a scale of 1-10 for the following categories.

– Current Industry Impact

– Scope of Current Accomplishments and Responsibilities

– Industry Influence

– Leadership Qualities

– Results Driven

– Overall Intangibles

The nominees with the top 25 scores are who you see in front of you today as the members of the Rising 25 Class of 2018.

Rising 25 Class of 2018 By The Numbers:

2 are 23 years old, 9 are 24 years old, 14 are 25 years old.

10 are women and 15 are men

All 25 are working professionals

7 are from an agency setting, 7 work for a team or league, 4 work for a media company, 3 work in college athletics, 1 owns a business, 1 works for a players association, 1 works for an e-commerce company, and 1 works for an educational program

MEET THE CLASS OF 2018