44. Karla Valdez

Welcome to the 3rd season of 2Goals Podcast. A platform inspiring female’s present and future in football. Today with the collaboration of a very special guest: Karla Valdez, a Mexican colleague, a football practitioner and enthusiast, a storyteller and the host behind Fan Fest Podcast.

Itzel Luna is a Panamanian sports journalist, with experience at the national and international level, who is currently working for the Department of Public Relations at the Panamanian Institute of Sports. She shared with us her thoughts on professionalizing the different roles within communications, the state of women’s football in Panama, and the lessons learned while working abroad.

On this episode, we are talking with Sylvia "Pilu" Meneses, an Ecuadorian lawyer and sports manager with experience in journalism, broadcasting and marketing. She will be sharing her thoughts on the football media landscape evolution in Latin America, her projects on sports professionalisation and her way into the most important governing body of the continent, Conmebol.

Jenny Ninck Pico is a Colombian Business Administrator, with several years of experience overseas in areas such as project management, sponsorship development and counselling in players status. An advocate for many social causes and an influencer herself, Jenny is here to open her path on how she made into the most important governing body in football.

On another episode from the Leadership Woman Football Series, we are happy to talk to Santiago Gallo, Associate General Manager of OL Reign. Santiago is a Colombian Industrial Engineer who moved from the corporate world directly to the heart of one of the most recognized women’s football brands in the world: The Olympique Lyonnais Group and he will be discussing with us about his daily routine, women’s football as an espectacle, pre and after covid, athlete activism and his passion for football jerseys.

Resident of the United States and a Spanish native, José Luis Campos is a professional in Public Relation and Publicity, currently working as Program Development Manager for the Portland chapter of Street Soccer USA. The core of this new “Leadership Woman Football Series” episode? Inclusive leadership, tailor-made marketing both for men and women’s football, the role of sports to reduce inequality and poverty, among others.

On another episode of the “Leadership Woman Football Series”, we had the pleasure of speaking with Brittany Gropp, an American professional specialized in business development, partnerships and communications, currently working in Seville, Spain, on her awarded social enterprise, FutboLISTAS, where she teaches girls life skills through football and mentorship.

Within the “Leadership Woman in Football Series” we are welcoming Paula Villarraga, a Colombian professional player for América de Cali and a Politics and International Relations professional, with an extensive background in governmental and social impact institutions. She will be talking with us about choosing football as a career in Colombia, the importance of having a Ministry of Sports for her country and her commitment with the development of women’s football.

Janis Ann Espino-de Vera is a Doctor with a degree in Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, a consultant in these topics for the Philippine Sports Commission, the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) Medical Committee and one of the panel of doctors of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). From the Philippines, she will discuss with us about female recovery in sports, working for the paralympic movement and other governing bodies and the importance of inner care and training.

Our second "Leadership Woman Series" episode brings us Marisa Schlenker, a former professional player with a background in sports international development, cooperation and partnerships around sport for development. She will be talking with us about her consulting career and her top objective: Helping social business models contribute to sustainability goals in sports.