NBCUniversal's Local & GALvanize Partner To Empower Emerging Women In Sports Media Surrounding Super Bowl LVIII

NBCUniversal Local’s Digital Innovation Team and GALvanize – the Laura Okmin-led organization that provides training and mentoring to women in sports media – are partnering to deliver educational opportunities and experiences leading up to and surrounding Super Bowl LVIII, including onsite reporting and production in Las Vegas. As part of the program, the participants’ content will be featured across NBC- and Telemundo-owned station and regional sports network platforms.

In the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, NBCU Local’s Digital Innovation Team is conducting trainings and informational sessions for the participants. Those include instruction on video editing, graphics creation, interviewing best practices, and social and web publishing. Interactive discussions featuring NBCU Local’s reporters, anchors, producers, editors and executives are being hosted to provide insights on sports media.

Empowered and sponsored by the Empower Campaign, the program culminates with a week-long experience reporting and producing from the Super Bowl. Based on ‘Radio Row,’ the participants will work with NBCU Local’s Digital Innovation Team, who will continue to provide guidance while collaborating on coverage of Super Bowl activities. That content will be presented across TV, streaming, digital, social and audio channels.

"I covered my first Super Bowl in 1992 and, three decades later, my most vivid memory is how overwhelmed and in over my head I felt – which affected my confidence long after Super Bowl Sunday,” said Okmin, Founder of GALvanize. “The greatest privilege and joy of my career is helping women build their resumes, while building up their confidence, and here is no bigger stage to do that than during Super Bowl week and no bigger honor than doing it with NBCUniversal Local. The education, support and platform they are providing GALvanize is invaluable for these seven exceptional women who represent GALvanize so beautifully in what they do and WHO they are. For the second straight year, GALvanize is empowered by the generosity of Empower Campaign, which allows me to pay women their worth.  I am grateful – and galvanized – by the benevolence of a team of wonderful people who share the same North.”

Founded and led by Okmin, a longtime sports reporter and producer, GALvanize has trained and mentored women seeking opportunities in sports for more than a decade through bootcamps, workshops and coaching. GALvanize has impacted women of all ages and backgrounds, many who have become sports reporters, producers, directors, agents, writers, as well as public relations, marketing and business executives. The organization now counts more than 5,000 women who are connected throughout the sports landscape.

“We are committed to supporting the next generation of diverse voices as they pursue careers as content creators and leaders in sports media,” said Lora Dennis, EVP of Digital Media for NBCU Local. “Working with these women and seeing them support each other’s work creates the kind of foundation that will have a lasting impact professionally and personally. We are thrilled to partner with Laura and GALvanize to give them the opportunity to level the playing field on one of sports greatest stages.”

The GALvanize participants are Meghan Caffrey (Basking Ridge, N.J.); Katie Caldwell (Kimberley, B.C.); Myckena Guerrero (Mission Viejo, Calif.); Drew Jones (Alameda, Calif.); Mariah Ross (Greer, S.C.); and twins Amanda van Frankfoort and Brittany van Frankfoort (Ottawa, Ont.)

“We can’t express our level of gratitude for this invaluable experience and are so grateful to NBCUniversal for not only elevating Laura’s efforts to empower women in sports, but also for equipping us with the knowledge, support and skills to achieve success on Radio Row — and beyond,” said Amanda and Brittany van Frankfoort. “Representing Laura and the community of women she has built continues to be one of the greatest honors of our careers; we deeply appreciate the opportunity to earn heartfelt conversations and to explore creative storytelling all while being empowered by and empowering our GALvanize sisters.”