As the chief executive and president of the downtown nonprofit Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission, Kathryn Schloessman should be recognized as the city’s ambassador for sports and entertainment.

Since her leadership began in 1997, the organization has secured a variety of sporting events in the county, including the NBA All-Star game in 2004, 2011, 2018, and upcoming 2026; Super Bowls LVI and LXI (for 2027); the 2015 Special Olympics; the 2017 NHL All-Star Game; the FIFA World Cup in 2026; and the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.

Named as one of Los Angeles Business Journal’s LA500 most influential business leaders in 2025, the former commercial real estate veteran launched the LASEC Business Connect program to build a stronger connection between L.A.’s business scene and the sports and entertainment community.

You have an extensive background in business development and operations. How did you come to choose this sector as your career path?

Completely by accident. In my role as head of the downtown L.A. sales office for CBRE, I wanted to support the efforts of developers Ed Roski and John Semcken, to build an arena (now Crypto.com Arena) in downtown L.A. I thought it would be an important attraction for downtown and would help bring businesses here. Through these efforts to get the arena approved, I worked alongside Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission chairs Tom Tellefsen and Rick Welch, and they eventually offered me my current position.

Can you connect the dots for our readers – in terms of how you moved into the sports world at L.A. Sports & Entertainment Commission?

I came from a sales and marketing background. Through my roles at CBRE, I met and interacted with numerous business leaders. The role I was hired for was not a typical sports job. It was a leadership role of a sports organization. They hired me because I had a strong network of relationships, and I knew how to get things done.

What do you enjoy most about your work as a leader of the LASEC?

I used to think we were in the event business. Over the last several years, I’ve realized that we are in the impact business. And it’s the community impact that I enjoy the most. Our Business Connect program provides our local diverse businesses the opportunity to earn contracts around the major events we host. When one of these suppliers tells me that we’ve helped them win business, that means a lot.

In your position, you’re challenged with attracting sporting events to our city. What’re the factors that you and your team consider when thinking through that process?

ROI (return on investment). With so many events taking place in Los Angeles, is this new event going to move the needle? Is this event going to be meaningful to our community? For us to pursue an event, it has to generate significant economic impact, community impact and/or media visibility that drives tourism, for it to be something we want to go after.

What do you deem to be some of your team’s greatest success at LASEC?

So many things. The 2022 Super Bowl was pretty special. Not only was it the first Super Bowl in Los Angeles in 29 years, (but) it was also the first event when our city came out of (the Covid-19 pandemic). Being able to deliver that event, with a full house, during that time period, was pretty monumental. But our biggest successes are on the horizon – with the FIFA World Cup 2026 and another Super Bowl (LXI in 2027) coming up. It also kick-started this unprecedented decade of major events in L.A. that have already generated more than $1 billion in economic and community impact. And now, we are preparing for a stretch of major events unmatched by any destination, as we welcome FIFA World Cup ‘26, Super Bowl LXI, and the 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games over the next three years.

What has surprised you most about working in sports and entertainment?

How much being part of these events makes a difference to people. Hearing from people that some of the best moments in their lives are the experiences and memories they’ve made at these sporting events. Being able to pull that together and deliver that, means a lot for our team.

The number of women in front offices of sports teams and/or in sports-related industries is growing. What does that say or mean to you?

I’m a big believer in hiring the best person for the job. I hope we get to a point where people aren’t asking that question because it’s no longer relevant.

What do you hope to see in the future for women pursuing a career in sports – not necessarily on a field or a court?

For men or women pursuing a career in sports, it’s an industry where you can really make an impact on people’s lives. It doesn’t matter if you are the biggest sports fan or not. Sporting events are opportunities to create lasting memories. — Monée Fields-White