Photo Credit: ESPN
ESPN is the biggest sports outlet of all time which had branched out to include multiple ESPN platforms. One of the most underrated platforms is espnW, or ESPN Women. This week’s spotlight goes out to Laura Gentile, the creator of espnW. Even before that, Gentile had been a very vocal presence at ESPN and one that definitely deserves to be noticed.
Before landing her job at ESPN, Gentile attended Duke University where she received degrees in both English and Political Science. She then went on to graduate school at Boston College where she received her MBA in Marketing and Organizational Behavior. She would go on to work at Ogilvy & Mather before landing her job at ESPN which is where her career really took off.
She would start off as Senior Director of Marketing, a position she held for three years. She would become the Vice President of ESPN which is when she created espnW. However, her latest job opportunity has really helped her earn her spotlight title. As Senior Vice President Of espnW and Women’s Initiatives, Gentile is responsible for “overseeing the espnW business and expanding ESPN’s presence in the lives of women who love sports,” which is something that doesn’t get nearly enough attention in the media or in general.
As the creator, she has not only opened the door for female athletes, but female fans too. One of the biggest events that Gentile has started with espnW is the Impact25. Her decision to collaborate with Marvel to showcase the women who impacted 2015 in sports was a stroke of genius and one that won’t soon be forgotten.
What she chooses to feature on espnW gives women an interesting alternative to the traditional ESPN homepage which is usually the same setup every day. While espnW has news content like ESPN, there are two tabs entitled “Athlete’s Life” and “W In Action.” Athlete’s Life focuses on a certain athlete and provides more background. Recently, they featured a Rose Bowl TV Camera Operator, performers at the Rose Bowl and some NWHL players. W In Action focuses on female athletes who are making a different in their sport, or in general, which are where the features about the Impact25 are.
Gentile’s presence can be felt throughout espnW and even though she was recently promoted to senior VP. She has already succeeded in trying to make women feel more included in the world of sports and the more she does, hopefully the more comfortable women will feel talking about sports. As one of the biggest and underrated supporters of female fans and athletes, Gentile is exactly what female athletes and fans need.
