It should be no secret by now that the Super Bowl LIX is about more than football. It’s also about coming together to celebrate and honor the sports industry’s top athletes, executives and trailblazers. More specifically, at ESSENCE, we are all about highlighting and uplifting our own, which is why we partnered with the Minorities in Sports Business Network (MiS) and its hub of over 1,000 sports professionals for their 2025 Toast to Black Sports Luncheon.
“A Toast to Black Sports was born out of not having a lot of events for people who look like us during Super Bowl week,” explains Shaina Wiel, founder and CEO of MiS. “This is an opportunity to bring us all together, where we can take off that corporate mask for a little bit, stop the code switching for a few hours and just really be able to fellowship and celebrate with each other. My goal was to celebrate those who don’t often get celebrated, [yet] they are some of the best ones behind the scenes. I love to give flowers while people can still smell them.”
This year’s exclusive, invite-only event was designed to spotlight “Innovative Women in Sports” and celebrate two trailblazing Black women who have made significant strides and broken glass ceilings across the sports industry. One of the honorees, Carmen Green-Wilson, is a visionary leader responsible for spearheading branding and marketing efforts for NBA star Chris Paul. She is also the co-founder of Play Make Her, whose mission is to support the advancement of women and girls interested in sports and entertainment careers.
“I created Play Make Her eight years ago because [I] felt that there was a need to be more inclusive of women in sports,” Wilson says. “We have so many women who work in and around the space that, at that time, weren’t getting recognized for what they were doing. So we wanted to create an opportunity for people to network, share information and make connections in a safe space.”
The second honoree is Jennifer King, who made history as the first full-time Black female coach in the NFL as the assistant running backs coach for Washington in 2021 and currently serves as offensive assistant for the Chicago Bears. While she was honored to make history, she also wished it happened sooner.
“Representation matters. It’s so much easier to be it when you can see it. If I could’ve seen it earlier, I would’ve tried to do it earlier. Instead, my route was all over the place to get here, but representation is huge. That’s one of the biggest things for kids – to be able to see people in places they didn’t know they could be in.”
While their work speaks for itself, Wiel shares why she thought these two women were the perfect honorees.
“I chose them because not only are they trailblazers in the industry, but both of them are amazing women,” she says. “They lift others up as they climb. They have that open door policy. They make sure they are always helping the generations behind them. It is our responsibility [as Black women] to continue to bring those who are coming up behind us with us. And both women do that.”
The luncheon began with a cocktail hour, followed by a seated lunch. Shortly after, Wiel presented both Green and King with their awards, and each of them expressed to ESSENCE how grateful they are for this recognition.
“I’m a behind-the-scenes person. I just do the work and like to sit back and see the projects or initiatives I work on come to life,” Wilson says. “So to be honored is humbling, and I’m excited that MiS has decided to acknowledge me for my years of hard work.”
“It means a lot to be honored today,” King adds. “Sometimes, the biggest reward is to be honored by your peers, which is why it’s so exciting to be here at today’s great event.”
For the third year in a row, “A Toast to Black Sports Luncheon” was sponsored by Wasserman, a global leader in sports, music and entertainment that empowers talent and brands to inspire fans worldwide.
“The momentum we have been building over the last few years makes this so special because we are now building community, not just networking,” says Lindsay LaBennett, vice president of global inclusion for Wasserman. “With the climate we are in right now, women and people of color are being counted out in ways we don’t deserve. Knowing what’s going on around us makes these moments even more special – for us to just lean into each other and say, ‘we got each other, we’re good, we deserve this,’ and we need that reminder right now.”
Both Wiel and LaBennett expressed how impactful it is to have ESSENCE as the media partner for this year’s luncheon.
“I didn’t care about all the sports publications because to me, I always say ESSENCE knows who their market is, and they have never tried to steer away from that. ESSENCE is always about standing 10 toes down for black women, and that’s how I try to run my company. I am here for black people in sports and to celebrate us, and I intend to stand 10 toes down on that no matter what.”
LaBennett adds, “ESSENCE has always understood our fight, but they also understand the joy and celebration that comes along with being a black woman. They speak our language and represent us authentically. There are so many negative narratives around black women and people of color right now. But we can count on brands like ESSENCE and MiS to say, ‘that is chaos that we are not going to listen to. We are going to be steadfast and represent who we are and do it with the grace and class and style we are known for.’”