HONEST GAME TEAM
KIM MICHELSON
CO-FOUNDER AND CEO
Kim Michelson’s communications career has been a 25-year journey, learning the focus, storytelling and collaborative work necessary when working in leadership roles with companies like
PepsiCo and Shell Oil Company. Most recently, Kim was the Executive Director of Beyond Sports Foundation (“BSF”), a unique non-profit that works with high school student athletes from underserved communities to transform their athletic ability into life opportunity. In her five years as Executive Director, Kim grew BSF from one to three tutoring centers, transformed the brand, diversified funding streams, modernized board governance, procured an AmeriCorps grant and tripled the annual budget. During her tenure, 89% of BSF students matriculated to four year universities on athletic scholarships. Kim serves on the Advisory Council of the Loyola University Chicago Baumhart Center, a business leadership hub comprised of the foremost leaders in social impact, enterprise and responsibility in Chicago. In 1987, Kim was the first female student-athlete in California to play on male varsity athletic teams, basketball and baseball. She has a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Missouri – Columbia and an M.A. in Global Strategic Communications from Georgetown University.
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JOYCE ANDERSON
CO-FOUNDER AND COO
Joyce Anderson has extensive experience working with high school student athletes, college coaches and the NCAA and NAIA eligibility centers. She is the College Bound
Student Athlete Advisor at Evanston Township High School just north of Chicago. In that capacity, she has advised over 1,000 high school student athletes on academic eligibility and recruiting. She also served on the NCAA Eligibility Center High School Advisory Board and as President of the Board of Directors for Girls Play Sports, a non-profit dedicated to fostering leadership skills and confidence in girls through the participation in multiple sports. Previously, she practiced litigation at Sidley Austin in Chicago. Joyce was a two time Captain of the Columbia University Women’s Tennis team, where she competed for four years and earned All-Ivy honors. She holds a B.A. from Columbia University and a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School.
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JACQUELINE BLACKWOOD
MANAGER, MARKETING AND CUSTOMER SUCCESS
Jacqueline Blackwood joins Honest Game with 7+ years in the professional sports industry with a passion for using sports as a platform for social change
and impact. She comes to Honest Game from the Minnesota Timberwolves where she was a Group Events Senior Account Executive. In her position, she partnered with organizations in marginalized communities to build once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and experiences at NBA games. She also brings experience from the non-profit sector having managed social media and marketing for Taste of the NFL, a non-profit that raises awareness and funds for food banks across America. She is eager to cultivate her experience and join the Honest Game team in providing more equitable access to higher education. Jacqueline holds a B.S. in Sociology from the Montana State University and an M.A. in Sports Industry Management from Georgetown University.
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CHAD DEELY
REGIONAL SALES DIRECTOR
Chad Deely joins Honest Game with 10+ years in the youth and amateur sports space along with a deep passion for the field. Most recently,
Chad was a Territory Manager with 6+ years of growth and promotions at SportsEngine, where he drove customer acquisition across North America. While at SportsEngine, Chad was the 2nd fastest promoted MDR (Market Development Representative) in company history, or maybe the first but who’s counting! Originally from Louisville, KY, Chad’s core passion for sport stems from his love for baseball and experience playing, coaching and working at the high school and college level. He is passionate about leveling the playing field for under-resourced students. Chad serves as a board member for Communities in Schools - Twin Cities. He holds a B.S. in Sport Administration from the University of Louisville and M.Ed. in Sport Management from the University of Minnesota.
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ERICA DORANTES
SENIOR MANAGER, OPERATIONS
Erica Dorantes joins the Honest Game team with more than 15 years of experience in operations, project management and event planning. She is driven by
social impact and applies this passion with her unique ability to understand how to streamline operational efficiencies so that organizations can realize impact faster. Erica has been an Operations Consultant with Honest Game and Aha! Marketing since late 2019, responsible for the operations and maintenance of the CRM systems for both organizations. Prior to working with Honest Game, she served as the Director of Operations & Grant Management for Beyond Sports Foundation (BSF). BSF is a college access organization working with high school student-athletes from underserved communities - using the power of sport to transform their athletic ability into life opportunity. During her time with BSF, she secured and oversaw the implementation of an AmeriCorps grant that doubled the organization’s annual contributions. Prior to BSF, Erica served as the Events & Marketing Manager at Lydia Home Association, a 100-year-old social service agency. In that capacity, Erica planned fundraising events, directed hundreds of volunteers annually and helped form a Junior Advisory Board. Erica holds a B.A. in Business Administration with a Marketing emphasis from Fort Lewis College in Colorado.
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DARIK HALL
LEAD DEVELOPER
Darik Hall joins Honest Game with nearly 10 years of software development experience. He holds a master's degree in Emerging Media Design and Development, centering
around design thinking, usability testing, and transmedia storytelling. He started his career working at the Garfield International Headquarters (yes, the fat, lazy cat) developing content management systems and administration tools for artists, sales agents, and licensees. Darik has a strong entrepreneurial mindset, loves being involved with startups, and working through complex problems. He is a motivated individual with a passion for all things interactive and a devotion to technical development, having worked on everything from SaaS apps to multiplayer games to interactive touchscreen displays.
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CAILEN HOFMANN
REGIONAL SALES DIRECTOR
Cailen Hofmann joins Honest Game with 15 years of professional experience working in the sports sector. Cailen began his career as a strength and conditioning
coach, working with athletes of all levels and abilities reach their full athletic potential while reducing their risk of injuries. Most recently, Cailen was a Senior Territory Manager with SportsEngine, an NBC Sports company. Cailen spent six years with SportsEngine building strong relationships and supporting youth administrators and coaches drive deeper value in their businesses. Cailen was a multi-sport high school athlete in Duluth, MN and then went on to play soccer at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, where he holds a B.A. in Exercise Science.
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SHANAY HOWARD
SENIOR MANAGER, LEAD COUNSELOR
Shanay Howard joins Honest Game with 12+ years of experience working with middle and high school students in both private and public schools. She has
served as Student Services Director, Athletic Director, and Head Basketball coach. As a licensed school counselor, she has directly advised over one thousand high school students on college admissions, academic eligibility, and athletic recruiting. She is the Educational Director for Team Durant and has been an Educational Consultant for other established travel sport organizations and individual student-athletes. Shanay was a 4 year starter at Fairleigh Dickinson University (NCAA DI), where she was a COSIDA Academic All American, NCAA SAAC representative for the Northeast Conference (NEC) and graduated with honors. She holds a B.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson University and M.S.Ed. from Queens College.
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KRISTEN KERECMAN
VP OF COMMUNICATIONS AND SOCIAL IMPACT
Kristen Kerecman joins Honest Game with nearly 20 years of experience leading strategic communications. Her passion and expertise centers on mission-driven communications campaigns that help
advance organizational and social impact goals. She comes to Honest Game from the University of Michigan’s central communications team where she directed communications programs for university priority initiatives, including those that addressed poverty and entrepreneurship. While there, she helped build the initiatives from the ground up, gaining national media attention and informing policy change. Kristen is proud to help share Honest Game's story and to work toward a more equitable and accessible educational experience for all students. Prior to joining U-M, Kerecman managed outreach and communications efforts for the U.S. Agency for International Development in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia. Before heading overseas, Kristen managed communications campaigns for a national environmental policy organization in Washington, D.C., and during her time there also worked with the Obama presidential transition team on behalf of the Green Group. She is a former Peace Corps Volunteer and has worked as a backcountry park ranger in Yosemite National Park, California, and in Colorado. Kristen has a master’s degree in global strategic communications from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s of science from Michigan State University.
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COURTNEY RICKARD
SENIOR MANAGER, COLLEGE SUCCESS
Courtney Rickard joins Honest Game with over 20 years of experience in college athletics, all of which centered around the academic success of collegiate student-athletes.
Her passion and expertise for guiding student-athletes toward graduation, coupled with her collaboration with coaches, athletic administrators, and university officials helped to propel her position within athletics administration. She comes to Honest Game from Stony Brook University, where most recently she was the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development and Life Skills/Senior Woman Administrator. In her time at both Stony Brook University and Seton Hall University, she developed and implemented Academic Success programs and Career Development Curriculum which increased student-athlete GPAs and graduation rates, while preparing student-athletes for life after college. Having met with thousands of prospective collegiate student-athletes in her time, Courtney is excited to join Honest Game and extend this reach. She holds a B.S. in Biology and an M.A. in Secondary Education both from Seton Hall University.
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COURTNEY SAKELLARIS
SENIOR MANAGER, HIGH SCHOOLS
Courtney Sakellaris joins Honest Game with 14+ years of experience as Assistant Athletic Director at Oak Park River Forest High School (OPRF). In 2021, she
was named Illinois Athletic Director Association's Assistant Athletic Director of the Year. Prior to this position she was a head coach, an assistant coach, and an academic tutor. She served for seven years as the USA Field Hockey Region 10 Futures program director and as a leader with the IL High School Field Hockey Association. With a passion for helping student-athletes to achieve their academic and athletic goals, Courtney has guided thousands of student-athletes through the NCAA and NAIA college athletic recruiting and eligibility process. Courtney holds a B.A. from the University of Rhode Island where she competed in NCAA D1 field hockey. She is the Founder and Director of Rise Field Hockey, a travel field hockey program based in the Chicagoland area. She is passionate about growing athletic opportunities to raise confidence in young women through sport.
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RICKY STARCK
VP OF SALES AND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
Ricky Starck joins Honest Game with a deep knowledge of youth, high school and collegiate sports. He is passionate about consultative selling, creating meaningful solutions
that support his clients in sustainable ways. His driving force in life are people and relationships. Ricky comes to Honest Game from SportsEngine, an NBC Sports company in the SaaS space. Starting as a Market Development Representative (MDR), Ricky was the fastest promoted MDR in company history. Ricky was promoted to a Senior Sales Representative role, and finally to an Executive Sales Representative. Ricky made President’s Club for many years and served as the company’s top performer in both recognized revenue and percent to quota attainment. Ricky was a multi-sport high school athlete at Champlin Park High School in Minnesota. He went on to play collegiate football at University of Wisconsin – River Falls, where he holds a B.A. in Marketing Communications, with a minor in Communication Ethics.
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BARB STEFFEN
MARKETING COORDINATOR
Barb Steffen joins Honest Game with more than 10 years of experience working in the marketing and public relations industry. She began her career working
for the American Institute of Architecture (AIA) New York and the non-profit program, Center for Architecture Foundation, before transition to the award-winning in-house marketing team for SmithGroup, the longest continuously running architecture and engineering firm in the country. With a passion for mentoring the next generation of student-athletes, Barb most recently served as the Chicago Site Director for RISE Field Hockey and has almost two decades of coaching experience at the youth and elite level. A former Division I field hockey student-athlete and team captain at the University of Connecticut, she holds a B.A. in Sociology.
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