Over a year ago, Karen Murphy received a message from a group of undergraduate students at her alma mater — the University of Wisconsin-Madison — who were looking to launch a sports business conference with the help of an alumni advisory board.
The Bears' executive vice president of stadium development & chief operating officer did not hesitate to jump in and spend the following year helping the students structure the conference, set success metrics and find revenue streams.
That work came to fruition Thursday with the inaugural Wisconsin Sports Business Conference, where attending students connected with established professionals, gained industry insights through a series of panels and engaged with recruitment opportunities in the sports business world.
Murphy — who earned a bachelor's degree in business administration, accounting, from Wisconsin — made the trip up north to attend the conference and participate in its first panel: "You're Not Ready for a Career in Sport. Here's How You Can Get There."
"I am honored to have consulted with students from my alma mater over the past year to launch the inaugural Wisconsin Sports Business Conference," Murphy said. "When asked to speak on a panel on landing a job in sports, I jumped at the opportunity to represent female leaders in the sports industry and provide insights to these aspiring future business leaders.
"The passion from the attendees on Thursday was incredibly inspiring, and I am excited to watch how these students impact our industry in the future."
Co-president of WSBC Devin Mehta — a sophomore pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration — moderated the panel. Murphy was joined by Jordan Solomon, a partner at Arctos Partners to discuss how to break into the sports industry. Murphy gave students advice on a variety of topics including ways to stand out when networking or interviewing for sports careers, how to approach selecting a major and making educational decisions in undergrad to benefit their long-term career pathway.
"Karen offered unique perspectives on the value of developing passion for a particular, technical skill set, and applying it to the sports industry," Mehta said. "She made clear to students the challenges of earning a career in this space, and to the crowd's delight, provided a few insights into decision-making processes at the Bears. Our audience was extremely appreciative of her presence, and enjoyed her conversation with Jordan Solomon."
The topic felt particularly special to Murphy, who is passionate about her role as a female leader in sports. She wanted the students to see a woman who earned a spot in the executive leadership team of the NFL's charter franchise and has held the role for over two decades.
Murphy has given over 25 years of dedicated service to the Bears, beginning in 1999 when she joined the club as a controller. She was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in 2002 then senior vice president of business strategy in 2016.
Murphy was elevated to her current position with the Bears last March. She collaborates closely with President & CEO Kevin Warren to drive forward the Bears' long-term vision and strategic objectives of developing a new, world-class stadium for the Chicagoland area.
"Karen is an exceptional and innovative leader and has been a positive force for both the Chicago Bears and the National Football League," Warren said. "From the moment I met Karen, it was clear that she was an individual who would focus on being excellent every day and operate with a championship mindset."
Murphy's presence during the conference's planning period along with her words of wisdom on the panel were inspiring to young women such as WSBC director of marketing Jordyn Hawkins — a junior journalism student.
"I think it's really important for something as new as WSBC to have such a strong alumni presence from Karen Murphy," Hawkins said. "For me, a woman looking to break into the sports industry, it's especially inspiring for me to see a woman from my same university work her way up in such a competitive space. I was really excited for Karen to join us and am appreciative of her insight as an alumni advisor."
