Episode 99: The Power of Mentors and the NBPA with Ricki Dean

Hailing from the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, Ricki Dean has always had a passion for sports. After graduating from Central High School of Philadelphia as a proud member of the 266th graduating class, Ricki took her talents and passion to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she double-majored in Exercise and Sport Science: Sport Administration and Sociology, with a minor in Spanish in the Professions. It was here, at UNC, where she first discovered she could combine her love of sports with marketing, management and entrepreneurship. As a manager for the women's basketball team, Ricki honed the business savvy required to succeed in the sports industry. Upon graduation from UNC in 2011, Ricki decided to further her education at Georgetown University by earning her Masters of Professional Studies in Sport Industry Management in 2012. While studying at Georgetown, she held internships at both the NFLPA and the Washington Wizards. She then went on to work in League Operations with Premier League Basketball, a start-up league in the United Kingdom, focusing on marketing partnerships. These experiences, coupled with her time as a manager at UNC, laid a solid foundation for her career and led her to pursue a career in sports management and marketing. Ricki began at the NBPA, the Union for active NBA players, as an Executive Assistant, supporting Executive Director, Michele Roberts and EVP, Strategy and Development, Chrysa Chin. After only six months in this role, Ricki proved she was ready for more responsibility and was promoted to Associate Manager, Strategy & Development. She is putting to use her experience in marketing and strategy on numerous upcoming projects for the union, two in particular, that she is spearheading. Great things are to come from Ricki and she is eager to take the sports world by storm! Connect with Ricki: email: [email protected]    Connect with Angie: Facebook: Angie R Lewis Twitter & IG: Angie_R_Lewis Email: [email protected]