Welcome to The Future of Purpose-Driven Sponsorship.
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As fan expectations continue to evolve, purpose-driven sponsorship is set to become a defining force in the future of the industry. This session looks ahead at what will shape the next era of purposeful partnerships, highlighting the innovations, strategies and societal forces transforming how brands show up in sport and culture. We’ll explore the biggest forces shaping the future of purpose-driven sponsorship, how they deliver measurable social and business impact, and uncover what it truly means to sponsor with purpose now and in the years to come.
Register below and join us Thursday June 4, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EDT / 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM BST
FEAtured speakers
Fiona Morgan | Chief Brand Officer, Whisper Fiona Morgan is the Chief Brand Officer at Whisper, where she leads global brand strategy and commercial growth for the award-winning production powerhouse. Joining in March 2026, Fiona is a key architect of Whisper’s next chapter, focused on disruptive storytelling and driving a future-focused, 50:50 gender-balanced leadership team. With a career spanning Sky, XIX Entertainment, and her groundbreaking role as Chief Purpose Officer at SailGP, Fiona has a 20-year track record of scaling iconic brands and athletes, including Lewis Hamilton and David Beckham. A pioneer in purpose-led growth, she established the world’s first ""Podium for the Planet"" and remains a leading advocate for diversity and women’s sport. Fiona also founded Second Nature Sisters, a community dedicated to empowering women in purpose and their careers, and serves as an advisor to the British Paralympic Association.
Dr. Di Buono is President of Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, a national charity committed to ensuring Canadian youth have access to sport. Dr. Di Buono played an instrumental role in shaping Jumpstart since 2015 when he joined as AVP, Programs & Operations. He led the Charity’s growth, doubling the size of its disbursements to ]reach over 500,000 youth annually. He led the transformation of Jumpstart to become a global leader in sport for development, serves as a trusted ally to various levels of government and sport sector leaders, and most importantly has developed enduring relationships with community leaders across Canada. Before joining Jumpstart, Dr. Di Buono spent three years as Vice President, Science, Research & Professional Education at the American Heart Association, where he was responsible for the Association’s $170 million research enterprise and oversaw the development of clinical practice guidelines and professional education resources. Prior to entering the charitable sector, Dr. Di Buono oversaw Scientific & Regulatory Affairs at Kellogg Canada, wherein he played a role in product innovation. Dr. Di Buono holds a Ph.D. in Nutrition Sciences from the University of Toronto and serves on several non-profit Boards.
Mark Harrison founded the MH3 Collective, a group of ventures grounded in passion, people, profit and purpose. The Collective includes Humanity, T1, Sidekick, and SponsorshipX. In addition, he co-founded the Black Talent Initiative to combat racism through economic resilience and Park Street Education, a charity to remove all barriers to children’s education. His community involvement includes serving as the Board Chair of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto and as a Board Member of the CAMH Foundation and the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences/The JUNO Awards. Mark is a recipient of the Black Business and Professional Association's Harry Jerome Award, the Association of Canadian Advertisers’ 2022 Gold Medal Award winner, a 2025 American Marketing Association Marketing Hall of Legends inductee, and the 2025 Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada Hall of Fame winner. Mark is also CBC Toronto Metro Morning’s business columnist, regularly discussing marketing, workplace, and entrepreneurial matters.
Nicole Smart is an award-winning leader, educator, and speaker who transforms championship principles into business results. With over a decade rooted in sports and entertainment — including roles in the NFL, NCAA, and pioneering the first diversity & inclusion department for Actors Equity Association — she built a consultancy that expanded into tech, finance, and media, achieving year-over-year profit growth for three consecutive years while helping organizations advance culture, DEI, and organizational effectiveness. As the founder of Smart EDI Solutions LLC and its evolution, Purpose Tracks, she partners with individuals and organizations at inflection points — helping leaders clarify why they lead and helping organizations align purpose with culture and community. Operating at the systems level, Purpose Tracks combines deep human engagement with intelligent applications to sharpen insight and accelerate impact. Nicole serves as lead fellow and adjunct faculty at NYU's Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport and hosts the Purpose Tracks powered by Executive Presence podcast, exploring leadership at the intersection of sports and culture. A graduate of NYU and Cornell University, Nicole is a 2024 Schneps Media Caribbean Life Impact Award recipient, advisory board member for global nonprofit love.fútbol, and executive committee member for the NYU Women's Initiative.
With 30+ years of experience helping brands and sports properties maximize their return on investment, Neill embraces purpose as a key strategic business driver to deliver positive social, environmental, and business outcomes.