The Horse Racing Women's Summit (HRWS) committee has partnered with the Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation to offer access to digital tickets from the Inaugural Horse Racing Women's Summit for a suggested donation of $25.
“Finding a way to share the incredible insights that our speakers shared with attendees in September was a goal from the beginning,” said committee member Shona Rotondo. “Doing so in a way that also benefits the Safety Net Foundation is a win-win for all.”
Digital tickets include access to all three summit panels and the keynote address featuring author and entrepreneur Susan Packard.
The inaugural edition of the Horse Racing Women's Summit (HRWS) is just three weeks away and the planning committee behind the buzzed-about event is so enthusiastic about spreading the word that they say down with the TDN to share how the multi-day summit is gaining national attention and discuss why it is important that the event will be bringing in women from all facets of the industry.
“The Horse Racing Women's Summit is designed to empower, connect and remove barriers in leadership in racing,” said Jodie Vella-Gregory, a member of the planning committee and the Director of the Office of Innovation at 1/ST Racing. “It's really for anyone who is interested in pushing the industry forward and is ready to discuss not only how to overcome challenges, but also how we can identify growth opportunities. We see it as a place for leaders, future leaders and any industry participants and we see it as a catalyst to start a conversation and bring people together.”
The summit will be held September 28-30 at Santa Anita Park. Susan Packard, the first woman to join the Churchill Downs Inc. Board of Directors and a key player in the launch and development of CNBC, HGTV and HBO, will be the keynote speaker. Thursday's session will include three panels called Thriving Through Challenges, Looking Ahead–Opportunities for the Industry and Industry Integrity–A Brighter Future. Each panel will feature notable industry participants from various aspects of the sport and will end with a Q and A session.
The event will conclude on Friday, which is also opening day of Santa Anita's fall meet, with a handicapping seminar from TVG's Christina Blacker. HRWS attendees will have access to reserved box seats throughout the weekend of racing at Santa Anita, which will be highlighted by two Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' races.
Committee Chair Stephanie Hronis of Hronis Racing was the visionary behind the event. She explained how the idea formed last summer after a Thoroughbred Owners of California women's luncheon at Del Mar was a smashing success.
“Seeing women come together with the opportunity to network there was such a good energy,” Hronis said.
From there, Hronis formed a team and started putting out feelers on how a national summit would be received by the industry.
“It was kind of like tapping into a sleeping giant,” Hronis explained. “The wave of interest was huge. What started out as a vision for bringing women together has really grown into this movement of a summit and bringing people both from within the industry and outside of the industry, which you will see with our panelists and our keynote speaker Susan Packard.”
HRWS committee member Jordyn Egan, who is also the Executive Director for the Thoroughbred Owners of California, said that they received immediate interest from a vast array of women in the industry.
“The feedback was very diverse,” she said. “It was everything from, 'I want to become an owner but I'm intimidated' to 'I've been working in this industry for 20 years and I don't know what to do next.' We had to really think about what we are going to do with this event that will help address, connect and empower all women in racing so that regardless of where you are, this is a great professional and personal development opportunity.”
The HRWS planning team laid out the five core pillars that they hope will be accomplished through the event: to remove barriers, to empower, to build inclusivity and leadership, to mentor, and to develop and grow the sport.
Committee member Kellie Hill, who is involved in the industry as the CEO of Stay Classy Horse Racing and who also works outside of the sport as the Sr. Vice President of MedWest Realty, talked about how the concept of removing barriers will benefit horse racing as a whole.
“What they have found with so many different studies, from Harvard Business Review to the London Business School, is that the more you have gender equality, the profits go up, the innovation goes up and the efficiency goes up,” Hill explained. “So when we're saying that we want to remove barriers, it's so that we can get equal representation across the board in order to propel the whole industry up.”
1/ST Racing and FanDuel TV will be the presenting sponsors for the event with over a dozen other organizations also backing the summit. Hill said the support they have received from the industry through sponsorship has been overwhelming.
“I can't tell you how shocked I have been by the level of sponsorship that has come in and embraced this event,” she explained. “Most of our sponsors pretty much immediately said, 'Yes, no problem' and they have made a bigger leap than we anticipated. I think that put the wind in our sails when we first started this so that we knew that we were headed in the right direction and that this is absolutely needed.”
Shona Rotondo, the Head of Marketing at MyRacehorse, serves as the unofficial East Coast representative of the HRWS committee. She said their team does not shy from the fact that they must receive support from organizations outside of California in order to properly represent women in racing from all across the country.
“This is not just a West Coast Thing,” she said. “We understand that the travel and investment in getting people from the East Coast to the West Coast is a little tricky, but it's also an opportunity to challenge your company to invest in women.”
“I would not take the location as an excuse not to go out there or not to push your company to give the opportunity,” Rotondo continued. “I have said to a lot of businesses, including my own, to invest in your women, send leaders in your organization who are smart and capable and passionate, and let's all get together and come up with some really actionable ideas.”
To learn more about the Horse Racing Women's Summit and to purchase tickets, visit womeninracingsummit.com.
Conference tickets are now on sale for the inaugural Horse Racing Women's Summit (HRWS), Sept. 28-30 at Santa Anita Park. The conference features speakers and networking opportunities for women currently engaged in the Thoroughbred horse racing industry and those that wish to be.
Tickets can be purchased at www.WomeninRacingSummit.com. Sales will be limited in order to maximize the experience for all participants.
“Our planning committee is small but mighty and has been working intently to provide an impactful experience,” said Stephanie Hronis, HRWS chair. “We are awestruck by the outpouring of support and enthusiasm from generous sponsors, compelling speakers, and individuals ready to volunteer. The HRWS is designed for women (and men) from all facets of the industry and we look forward to engaging in a meaningful way in September and at follow up events in the future.”
Thursday kicks off with a keynote address from Susan Packard, author, speaker, former board member of Churchill Downs, Inc., and media entrepreneur. The day
will continue with three panels addressing current events and offering meaningful takeaways for attendees. Each panel will end with a Q&A session allowing for audience engagement.
Friday morning, which also is the opening day of Santa Anita's 2022 Autumn meeting, attendees are invited to a handicapping seminar with TVG's Christina Blacker and will also have the opportunity to attend the charitable Safety Net Foundation's Fashionable Fillies luncheon event in the Chandelier Room (discounted luncheon tickets available for HRWS attendees).
Additionally, HRWS attendees will have access to a reserved section of box seats for the opening weekend of racing at Santa Anita, featuring two Breeders' Cup Win and You're In races.
“I am immensely grateful to be included in the Inaugural Horse Racing Women's Summit taking place this September,” said Dora Delgado, Executive Vice President, Chief Racing Officer, Breeders' Cup Limited and HRWS panelist. “Being able to connect and share experiences among women of all facets of horse racing will not only empower those attending but will serve as a model going forward for fostering engagement, building networks and inspiring others to reach their goals.”
The inaugural Horse Racing Women's Summit (HRWS) has been confirmed for Sept. 28-30 at Santa Anita Park. The multi-day event aims to bring together people from all facets of the horse racing industry with the mission of connecting and empowering women in horse racing. To that tune, Susan Packard, an entrepreneur and co-founder of popular TV channels like CNBC, HGTV and Food Network, has been announced as the keynote speaker for the event.
Originally a vision of Stephanie Hronis, the Committee Chair for the Horse Racing Women's Summit, the event started out as an idea to connect women in California, but when it quickly gathered national attention, the decision was made to expand the summit's reach. The HRWS planning committee now has bi-coastal representation and is being designed to embrace a national group of participants.
“On behalf of our Horse Racing Women's Summit planning team, we are excited to offer this summit and honored to have Susan Packard as our keynote speaker for this inaugural event,” Hronis said. “As an internationally recognized business power player and author, Packard embodies all that is being offered to our HRWS participants. We look forward to having her inspire attendees to be trailblazers, build networks, meet new friends, foster deep discussions, and ultimately Engage, Innovate, and Invest. If you are currently or interested in becoming a racehorse owner, bloodstock agent, executive, young professional or a veteran of the sport, this event is for you.”
Packard is no stranger to horse racing as she served from 2004 – 2010 on the Board of Directors of Churchill Downs Incorporated, where she made significant contributions in guiding their television strategy to expand and enhance its performance and attract a more female audience. She has also been on the ground floor of building major media brands like HBO, CNBC, and HGTV. She was the co-founder of Scripps Networks Interactive and former chief operating officer of HGTV. Under Packard's guidance, HGTV became one of the fastest-growing cable networks in television history.
In addition to the keynote, the HRWS will include opportunities for participants to network, learn and enjoy. Speakers, topics and related opportunities will be released as they are confirmed. To sign up for announcements regarding future details, visit www.womeninracingsummit.com.
