Chelsea Handler, Chlöe Bailey, and Billie Jean King will participate in the ESPNW Women and Sports Summit from Oct. 14-16, 2026, in Ojai, California.
Chelsea Handler, Chlöe Bailey, and Billie Jean King are set to participate in the ESPNW Women and Sports Summit, scheduled for October 14-16, 2026, in Ojai, California. This announcement comes from The Hollywood Reporter, highlighting a significant lineup of influential women in sports and entertainment. Other notable participants include soccer star Abby Wambach and Olympic gold medalist Hilary Knight.
Handler will deliver a keynote address, with additional keynotes featuring National Women's Soccer League Commissioner Jessica Berman and Dr. Vonda Wright, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine. Bailey is expected to showcase her talent with an evening keynote and musical performance. Meanwhile, King will participate in a live taping of the "Welcome to the Party" podcast, along with Wambach and fellow soccer star Julie Foudy. Following this conversation, an advance screening of the documentary Give Me the Ball!, directed by Liz Garbus and Elizabeth Wolff, will take place.
In addition to the keynotes, the summit will host a panel titled "World-Class Athletes," featuring Knight alongside U.S. women’s lacrosse player Chloe Humphrey and the captain of Mexico’s Women’s National Flag Football team, Diana Flores. Another featured panel, titled "Women at the Helm," includes influential leaders like Blizzard President Johanna Faries and Mattel’s Natalia Premovic.
An engaging panel discussion called "Elite Comeback: Motherhood & Performance" will feature prominent women in sports, such as WNBA player Skylar Diggins, Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, and WWE superstar Becky Lynch.
The summit will be hosted by Jess Sims, an ESPN college sports reporter, with various panels moderated by prominent ESPN figures including Hannah Storm and Chiney Ogwumike. Susie Piotrkowski, vice president of women’s sports programming at ESPNW, emphasized the importance of this gathering, stating, "The summit gives us an opportunity to bring together the people shaping the women’s sports ecosystem and setting the path for where the business is headed next."
For those unable to attend in person, the event will be livestreamed across ESPNW's digital and social platforms, ensuring broad accessibility for viewers eager to engage with discussions that impact women's sports today.
The participation of prominent figures like Handler, Bailey, and King emphasizes the growing recognition and platform for women in sports and entertainment. The summit stands as a crucial backdrop for discussions surrounding women's roles in various professional arenas and is likely to attract attention from fans and industry professionals alike. For more details about this event, further information can be accessed through The Hollywood Reporter’s coverage here. The event and its programming not only celebrate the contributions of women in sports but also highlight ongoing developments and opportunities in the women's sports ecosystem, which has seen significant growth in recent years.
For additional context on the influence of major events in the sports industry, check out our articles on Lewis Hamilton's first-look deal with Skydance Sports and the latest on Naomi Watts discussing evolving roles for older women.
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