HBSA & HCSF Exclusive with Warriors’ President Brandon Schneider & Valkyries President Jess Smith
Enjoy a pre-game talk by Brandon Schneider, team President & COO and Jess Smith, President of
Date: Thursday, January 23, 2025
Time: 4:30 - 9:30pm PST
Location: Chase Center in San Francisco (1 Warriors Way)
**Networking starts at 4:30pm and talk by Brandon Schneider and Jess Smith starts at 5pm followed by the game vs. Chicago Bulls at 7pm
**All-inclusive Hispanic themed buffet, wine, beer and soft drinks included. Hard alcohol is available for purchase.
Tickets: (limit 4)
HCSF Members: $295
Click Here to Register
**Limited tickets available, will sell out fast!!
**No refunds, all ages welcome and you cannot buy tickets for just the talk.
**Questions: Sean Jacobsohn (sjacobsohn@gmail.com) Tickets will be issued 1-2 days prior to the event date through email.
About this Event:
Watch the game against Chicago Bulls seated together in the Modelo Cantina which has a large dining and networking space. There is a lot of space to move around, making this a very social and fun seating section. Guests often are moving around to chat with one another, the space flows very nicely. The seating is higher up, like a row 9 on the 200 level but the view is still good.
**All-inclusive Hispanic themed buffet, wine, beer and soft drinks. Hard alcohol is available for purchase.
About Speakers:
Brandon Schneider | Warriors President & Chief Operating Officer
The 2024-25 NBA season will mark Brandon Schneider’s 23rd season with the Warriors organization, and his fourth as the team’s president and chief operating officer. In this role, Schneider reports to Co-Executive Chairman & CEO Joe Lacob and Co-Executive Chairman Peter Guber, and oversees all business-related operations for the Warriors, including Chase Center and Thrive City, a privately financed sports and entertainment district in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood that opened in September 2019. Schneider was promoted to his current role in April of 2021, following three years as the chief revenue officer.
In his tenure as President and Chief Operating Officer, the Warriors have elevated both the organization and the sports business industry to new heights. Valued at over $7.5 billion—the second most valuable professional sports team in the world—the Warriors have continued to lead the NBA in all major revenue metrics, including ticket sales, partnerships, viewership ratings and merchandise. Additionally, the organization launched an original content arm, Golden State Entertainment, a first of-its-kind for a professional sports team. Golden State Entertainment has produced two documentaries to-date, including 38 AT THE GARDEN, an award-winning piece that highlights the plight of Asian Americans in the country, as told through the rise of NBA player Jeremy Lin.
In his three years as chief revenue officer, Schneider was responsible for strategic planning and execution related to all the organization’s sales and activation efforts at Chase Center including tickets, suites, and corporate partnerships. He oversaw the team’s digital and marketing teams as well as philanthropic efforts led by the community relations group and the Warriors Community Foundation of which he sits on the board. He managed the team’s retail business both online and at Chase Center and worked to create the best overall fan experience at Chase Center. Schneider also oversaw the Warriors’ NBA G League team, the Santa Cruz Warriors. Prior to assuming chief revenue officer, Schneider served four seasons as senior vice president, business development; two seasons as group vice president, ticket sales and services; and three seasons as vice president, ticket sales and services. Schneider originally joined the Warriors in the summer of 2002 as a season ticket account executive before being promoted to ticket sales manager in June of 2004 and assistant director of ticket sales the following April.
Under Schneider’s leadership the Warriors’ season ticket base has grown to a capped-out level of 12,000 seats, and he spearheaded a successful renewal strategy that has resulted in a 90-percent plus season ticket renewal rate in each of the past six seasons. The Warriors launched a Priority Wait List for season tickets prior to the 2013-14 season, and that list has grown to more than 40,000 members who are committed to purchasing season tickets if/when they become available. He pushed the organization to successfully adopt a dynamic ticket pricing model prior to the 2011-12 campaign and mirrored the innovative model on the suite level shortly thereafter. He led the Warriors to a franchise-record 377-game-and-counting sellout streak by the end of the 2019-20 season, during which the Warriors received a league-leading five “best in industry” awards at the 2019 NBA Sales and Marketing Meetings.
During his tenure with the Warriors, the organization has been recognized with several prestigious awards, including being named “Franchise of the Decade” among all professional sports teams by Sports Business Journal in 2019. Additionally, the Warriors became the first professional team to win Sports Business Journal’s “Sports Team of the Year” award on multiple occasions (2014 and 2016). Schneider was named to Sports Business Journal’s Power Players list in 2018 after being named to the publication’s Forty Under 40 list in 2017. These honors followed Schneider’s inclusion on Forty Under 40 lists by Diablo Magazine in 2015 and the San Francisco Business Times in 2016. Schneider was heavily involved with the completion of the Warriors’ state-of-the-art new arena, Chase Center. A year after its opening in September 2019, Chase Center was named Sports Facility of the Year by Sports Business Journal and has received numerous distinctions and industry awards.
A Bay Area native, Schneider graduated from UCLA in 2001 with a degree in business economics and an accounting minor. A die-hard fan of both the San Francisco 49ers and San Francisco Giants, and an owner of Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC), he lives in Hillsborough with his wife Amanda and their son Tommy.
Jess Smith | President of the Valkyries
Jess comes with a wealth of experience across US sport, most recently off the back of a four-year stretch as Angel City’s Head of Revenue, as the team’s enormous growth saw revenue hit record levels. She’s also had previous experience with the likes of the San Jose Earthquakes, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Oakland Athletics.
Event Disclaimer:
Because this event is in person, you acknowledge the below by coming to this event.
I acknowledge and understand that: (i) I am not required to participate in this event; (ii) my participation is voluntary and at my sole risk; and (iii) I am responsible for my own protection against Covid-19, including, without limitation, following all health and safety protocols communicated to me or posted at the event venue.
About Our Sports Events:
From the organizer, Sean Jacobsohn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanjacobsohn)
For the past several years we have hosted exclusive events with the Kings, Warriors, Giants, Earthquakes, A's, Sharks, and 49ers. I am a venture capitalist at Norwest Venture Partners focusing on business software, but started my career in the sports industry. While at HBS, I worked for the NFL and Major League Baseball and then also began organizing events for both sports beginners and old sports fans. It was during this time that I realized the power of the sports industry from a business standpoint, but from a social perspective as well. My events have included dyed-in-the wool sports fans, but also those who are interested in visionary leadership, crowd-watching or simply spending time with a dynamic group of people and making lasting friendships here in the Bay Area. Today, we host about six events each year. Our group of HBS alumni and their friends and family from across the world, have made a positive impression on the teams. Each season, we are welcomed back and get to enjoy a collegial friendship that would not be available to us otherwise. Many consider our group a highlight of the being an HBS alumnus here in the Bay Area. If you haven't attended our events in the past, we hope you do this sometime soon. Feel free to email me at sjacobsohn@gmail.com and I'll add you to our email list to give you early access to sign-up for upcoming sports events prior to promotion.
Quotes from past attendees:
"These are my favorite HBS alumni events. Meeting sports team execs is like an active HBS case study, and I get to have a great time with alumni in a casual setting. For example, I learned the true story about the Oakland A's effort to build a new stadium. Then, there was witnessing Warriors as they were building a championship team and business machine. It's fun doing this while bringing a family member, friend or business contact." (Rajiv Parikh)
"A truly memorable experience for several reasons - not only was I able to connect with HBS alumni from several decades at a networking event that felt like anything but that - it also gave me an opportunity to bring friends who share my love of sports and business." (Dileepan Siva)
"Sports-related events organized by HBSANC are unique, can't miss experiences which bring you up close and personal with the executives who run local sports franchises and provide the full luxury box treatment." (Dan Rosen)
"We had a wonderful time at the HBS event at the Giants game at Oracle park. It was great to catch up with HBS friends, make some new ones, and get some "behind the scenes scoop" from the Giants' GM and management team. All around, it was a great evening." (Chris Bates)
"I find the quality of the HBS sports events to be top notch. They are always well-run, valuable and fun. It is great to have the networking and the insider perspective from a speaker while watching one of our beloved Bay Area teams play." (Steffan Haithcox)
"The HBSNC Sports Events prove why the HBS MBA is so valuable. They offer an incredible opportunity that isn't available elsewhere to hear directly from the management of the teams. The HBSNC Sports Events are a highlight of my year. Attendees receive unparalleled access to the management of the teams while also getting to catch up with lifelong friends." (Eric Newhouse)