Meet the Rising 25 Class of 2018: Katie Cook

1. Tell Us About Yourself and Your Current Role

I have been a Manager of Community Development and Growth at Whistle Sports for the past 8 months. Whistle Sports is a digital entertainment and lifestyle brand and we specialize in bringing engaging video content to a younger generation of sports fans. This allows us to bridge the gap between this generation and traditional sports leagues through our partnerships with the NFL, MLB, and NASCAR. Whistle Sports in built up of a community of social media creators and a network of professional athletes, and my primary role is to manage their involvement in branded content, Whistle Sports’ original series, and OTT programming.

2. Where do you see yourself in 15 years/dream job?

This is a difficult question for me to answer because the media and entertainment atmosphere is always changing and I believe that it is nearly impossible to predict where it might be in 15 years. However, this is what I love so much about the industry. It makes every day exciting and is constantly challenging us to get creative and stay on top of the trends that lead to success. While I might not know exactly where I will be in 15 years, I hope to stay creative and be at the forefront of change and development in the sports and entertainment space.

3. Who is your mentor at this point?

There are so many people that I have worked with through my short time in the sports & entertainment professional world that have helped me develop both in and out of the office. One person in particular that has made a large impact on my career since starting at Whistle Sports has been Suemyra Shah. Suemyra is our General Counsel, but she has also spearheaded initiatives for women at Whistle Sports. She is committed to equal opportunity for women in our male-dominated industry and has led countless networking events, including our monthly speaker series featuring other female executives in the sports and entertainment industry. Suemyra has inspired me to push the boundaries and never settle. I hope to one day make an impact on rising women in our industry, as she has with me and many others.

4. What’s one thing you’ve learned early in your career that you didn’t know until you started working in the industry?

I have learned so much in the past few years about this industry that you cannot fully understand being on the outside looking in. Most notably, that the sports and entertainment industry encompasses so much more than just the traditional teams and leagues. Whether you’re watching Dude Perfect make an insane trick shot out of a helicopter or FamousLos analyze an NBA game with his out-of-the-box style, there are countless people out there changing the way we watch sports. This level of creativity and non-traditional sports content will continue to flourish and create even more opportunities for sports to bring people together like they never have before.

5. What does winning the Rising 25 Award mean to you?

Being named to the Rising 25 Award list is an extremely humbling experience and a true honor. I am thankful to have found such a great organization in Whistle Sports that is committed to developing the careers of their employees and, most notably, my team and managers that are my support system every day and nominated me for this award. It is great to see what young people are accomplishing in our industry and makes me excited for the future.