2022 Summit
Sessions
Kristyna Bertolone
Mental Performance Coach, Game Changers Mental Performance Coaching LLC
Kristyna Bertolone, also known as Coach K, is the owner/founder of Game Changers. As a mental performance coach, Coach K provides mental support to the student athletes she serves. It is the mission of Game Changers to help guide the next generation of athletes and coaches down a path of recognizing, embracing, and valuing the mental side of the game and have it "change them" from the inside out. Coach K is a former collegiate athlete, physical educator and youth/high school coach.
Antwon Harris
CEO/Founder, Antwon Harris Group LLC
Antwon Harris is an educational consultant who helps reimagine the future of education through the lens of Emotional Intelligence. As the CEO & Founder of the Antwon Harris Group LLC, Harris is proud to make a living by inspiring, motivating, and challenging people from all walks of life. He's worked with student athletes at all levels and served as a coach and academic coordinator at the collegiate level. He has an extensive knowledge of curating workshops, professional development seminars, and educational curriculum. A former college basketball athlete, Harris received his Bachelor's degree from Winthrop University.
Jaquese "JQ" Smith
PR Brand Manager, JQ Sports PR
Jaquese “JQ” Smith is a former NCAA basketball athlete who has played on various levels including Division 1, JUCO and Division II. A graduate of Liberty University, Smith earned her master’s in Human Services and Communications while balancing life as a student athlete. Using her wealth of experience as an athlete coupled with her desire to be of service, Smith has been able to successfully parlay her firsthand experience and media savvy into a career in public relations as founder of JQSportsPR.
Nafis Ricks
Mental Health Strategist, Collaboration Management
Nafis Ricks is a mental health advocate. A former professional basketball player, who looks to bridge the gap between sports and community. His primary goal is to reconstruct the narrative surrounding mental health in the inner cities, and underserved communities, by providing tools through speaking engagements, workshops and seminars.
Rukiya Jeffers Ware
Owner & Coach, Gold Medal Mind
A Team USA Track & Field Medalist and bestselling author of Kia and the Magical Spikes, Rukiya combines a lifetime of experience in athletics with 20 years in the field of education to provide leadership to the greater community in order to cultivate health, wellness and unity. Her six- week Gold Medal Mind program coaches parents of student athletes through the college acceptance process.