In this episode of The Sports Umbrella presented by GalwayPlus, host Kelly Okun interviews Mollie Marcoux Samaan, who was recently named the CEO of US Squash. You may recognize her as the former LPGA Tour Commissioner.

Mollie shares her sports background, from her own college athlete days (ice hockey and soccer) to growing youth sports at Chelsea Piers to becoming Princeton's Athletic Director.

Mollie has a love for all sports and the lessons they teach, so it was no surprise she accepted the role as LPGA Tour Commissioner in 2021. She spent over three years there prioritizing the player environment and the tour's commercialization. Not only did she increase the purses by over 90%, but she also improved the players' facilities and offerings, including 100%-free healthcare.

That's just the tip of the iceberg for the impact Mollie had on the LPGA Tour and girls playing sports in general.

With all her experience, Mollie divulges her strategies for growing women's sports, from building fanbases to leveraging data to finding valuable partnerships. You don't want to miss all these insights!

The Sports Umbrella is a Fairway to Green podcast sponsored by GalwayPlus. Learn more about GalwayPlus at www.galwayplus.com.

In this episode of The Sports Umbrella presented by GalwayPlus, host Kelly Okun interviews Kelenna Azubuike, an NBA-player-turned-color-commentator for the Golden State Warriors.

Kelenna shares how he felt like he lost his identity when he was injured while playing for the Golden State Warriors and how the NBPA program, Broadcaster U, at Syracuse helped him fall back in love with the game as a TV analyst.

His story is also one rooted in faith, which can be seen in how he gives back off the court with his nonprofit, The Athletes' Corner. His campaign - "Swishes for Dishes" - with the Warriors has raised over half a million meals for Feeding America.

The episode closes with a story about his wife, Rona, and how they experimented with unique cornbread flavor combinations and decided to start “Kelenna’s Famous Cornbread."

The Sports Umbrella is a Fairway to Green podcast sponsored by GalwayPlus. Learn more about GalwayPlus at www.galwayplus.com.

In this episode of The Sports Umbrella presented by GalwayPlus, host Kelly Okun speaks with Dean Burden, a former insurance executive turned spirits connoisseur. He co-founded The Nashville Distillery with a keen eye for marketing and a start in celebrity golf tournaments as a white label partner.

Dean has found much success with his 4547 whiskey and Big Dog Bourbon, which appeals to golfers. He has found ways to white label his high-quality spirits in a way that charities and corporations use them as a personal touch for fundraising and as unique party favors.

Dean and Kelly also discuss marketing constraints in spirits, potential sports licensing opportunities, industry trends, favorite golf courses and a daily “small wins” mindset that's useful for all entrepreneurs.

The Sports Umbrella is a Fairway to Green podcast sponsored by GalwayPlus. Learn more about GalwayPlus at www.galwayplus.com.