- Melissa Heiter, a 2019 Game Changers honoree from CAA Icon, happily joined in the awards celebration Wednesday night for colleague and 2024 honoree Beth Penfield. Heiter explained that she was unable to attend the 2019 Game Changers event because of a long-planned vacation, which centered on her love of horseback riding. She said she contemplated canceling the trip to attend, but she didn't have the heart to sacrifice the vacation. She said attending this year felt like she was finally getting to celebrate her own recognition, in addition to supporting Penfield.
- Catie Griggs, a 2017 Game Changer and now president of business operations for the Orioles, sent her well wishes from across town. Griggs had traveled with the club as they played at Yankee Stadium, laughing at how close she was to the event and yet still not able to attend.
- Patti Kleinman-Fallick, a 2024 Game Changer, was accompanied to the award ceremony by her daughter Ashley, a VP at Smith & Co.
- Game Changers honoree Nicole Deal had enough time to dance with emcee Bonnie Bernstein onstage -- apparently she had taught some folks salsa dancing while stationed in Algeria -- before her work with the USOPC called her back. The chief of security and athlete services, Deal had to leave at midday Thursday to prepare for Team USA's White House visit Monday. Around 400 athletes will be part of the delegation there to celebrate their success in the Paris Games this summer.
- Rocky Harris, Deal’s boss and the chief of sport and athlete services, flew in for the ceremony and to support Deal. But he had to return to Colorado Springs for a visit from IOC Thomas Bach before heading to Washington himself.
- Elevate senior operating advisor Molly Mazzolini has been a regular Game Changers attendee, and didn’t miss this year, but had to leave on Thursday afternoon to get back for Bach’s visit to Utah around Olympic preparations.
- Founder and CEO of Klutch Sports Group Rich Paul and Co-Head of UTA Sports Andrew Thau were in attendance to support Nicole Lynn, president/football at Klutch Sports Group and a 2020 Game Changers honoree, as she took the stage for a one-on-one discussion with Bonnie Bernstein.
- ESPN's Elle Duncan joked onstage with SBJ media reporter Mollie Cahillane that the two of them were dressed like a "gender reveal" during their NFL-Verizon panel Thursday afternoon.
- After her appearance on stage, Vanguard Maven Group co-founder and Women's Sports Foundation board member Nicole Jeter West, whose daughter is a huge Jade Cargill fan, came up to ask for a pic for her daughter with the WWE champ.
- Team members from MLB encouraged fellow attendees to try the signature drink of the evening, The MLB Mule, while on line at the bar during the post-ceremony reception.
