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Chris Gade is the Vice President for Communications at the University of Minnesota, where he leads strategic marketing and communications efforts to elevate the University’s reputation and engagement across local and global communities. With nearly 40 years of experience in public affairs—including over three decades at Mayo Clinic—Chris has played a pivotal role in shaping communications, branding, and executive visibility for leading institutions. His tenure at Mayo Clinic included serving as Chief Public Affairs Officer, where he oversaw media relations, government engagement, and thought leadership strategies, as well as leading the development of The Mayo Clinic (2018) documentary by Ken Burns. He later brought his expertise to Rush University Medical Center in Chicago before returning to Minnesota. Chris holds a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School and an undergraduate degree from Luther College, where he now serves on the Board of Regents.

Roberto Rios is Chief Marketing Officer at Schwan’s Company, where he leads the organization’s marketing strategy with a focus on driving brand growth and purpose-led engagement. He brings over 25 years of experience in the consumer goods industry, having held global leadership roles at PepsiCo, including Global Chief Marketing Officer for Beverages. In that role, he stewarded iconic brands like Pepsi, Gatorade, and Aquafina. Roberto began his career in research and development at Procter & Gamble in Mexico after earning his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the National University of Mexico. His diverse professional journey has spanned multiple countries across Latin America, sharpening his global marketing perspective and passion for connection through shared values.

Wells Fargo will serve as the Official Volleyball Sponsor

WWT will use innovative technology to enhance event experience for athletes, coaches and fans

Chad Gable exudes the competitiveness, intensity, and confidence of an Olympic athlete for good reason: He was one.

Milestone ignites a coast-to-coast campaign that spotlights athletes and lights up the Twin Cities skyline in gold

Alexa Guarachi Bruner started playing tennis at age 5–both of her parents are teaching pros and were her coaches growing up. Alexa has an older brother named Stefan with Down syndrome who is her inspiration. She played collegiate tennis at the University of Alabama, where she graduated with a degree in Public Relations in 2013 and earned multiple All-America and All-SEC honors. Alexa says that her best tennis memory so far was playing mixed doubles against Serena Williams and Andy Murray on Centre Court at 2019 Wimbledon. She holds dual citizenship in the US and Chile, and she competed in the Pan American Games, was a French Open finalist, and was a US Open semifinalist. Currently, Alexa serves as the Director of Tennis & Pickleball at Watersound Club in Florida.

Mel Reid is a professional golfer from England who has played on both the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA. Mel is an Olympian, has seven professional wins, and is a four-time member of the Solheim Cup for Team Europe. She recently launched a podcast, Quiet Please! With Mel and Kira and is now serving as an analyst for NBCUniversal’s Olympic Coverage and works with Golf Channel.

Tom Grossi is an American YouTube content creator and comedian, that is most well known for being the creator and primary host of Packast. The former high school teacher has been making content since 2015 and has nearly 1M subscribers on YouTube. He has raised over $2,000,000 for various charities and even won 2024 NFL Fan of the Year.

Bank of America’s $5 million grant fuels athlete leadership and inclusivity ahead of the 2026 USA Games