From Confidence to Community: A WISE Arizona Roundtable

Editor's Note: This episode was recorded live at the 2026 Sports ETA Symposium in April. As a result, some discussions reference upcoming events and opportunities that have since taken place.Following their impactful panel at the recent Women’s Summit, we are going behind the scenes with three powerhouse leaders from WISE Arizona. In this episode, Yolanda Mendez, MBA, SPHR, is the Vice President of Human Resources at Desert Services, and Past President and Founding Member of WISE Arizona, Maria Mwangi, CEO of Warehouse215, and President of WISE Arizona, and Gina Phelps Thoebes, PhD, ACC, Vice President, Organizational Performance for the Arizona Cardinals Football Club, and on the Board of Directors for WISE Arizona sit down to expand on the journey from building personal confidence to fostering a thriving professional community. We dive into the importance of advocacy in sports, the power of mentorship, and how leading with a spirit of "giving back" is transforming the landscape for women in the industry.