Theo Epstein, Senior Advisor, Fenway Sports Group; Three-time World Series Champion Baseball Executive

Title: 1-on-1 with Theo Epstein

Abstract: This conversation will explore Theo's unique career path, his tenures as General Manager of the Boston Red Sox and President of Baseball Operations with the Chicago Cubs, and his influential role at the Major League Baseball league office. He will describe how data influenced him at each stage of his career and how his approach to data-informed decision-making evolved over time. The session will conclude with questions from the audience.

Theo Epstein is the former President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs, a role he held until 2020. In 2002, he became the youngest GM in the history of Major League Baseball when the Boston Red Sox hired him at the age of 28. Under his leadership, the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004—their first championship in 86 years—and again in the 2007 season. On October 21, 2011, Epstein resigned from the Red Sox to join the Chicago Cubs as their President of Baseball Operations. During his tenure with the Cubs, Epstein signed a five-year contract extension on September 28, 2016. The Cubs finished the 2016 season with a 103–58 record, the best in MLB and their best since the 1910 season. Their successful campaign continued in the playoffs, defeating the San Francisco Giants in the NLDS, and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS, securing their first pennant since 1945 and sending them to the World Series. The Cubs went on to win their first World Series championship since 1908 by defeating the Cleveland Indians in a historic 7-game series.

Epstein graduated from Yale University in 1995 with a degree in American Studies and served as the sports editor of the Yale Daily News. He later earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Diego School of Law while working for the San Diego Padres. His professional speaking topics encompass management, leadership, team building, philanthropy, and sports. In 2017, Time Magazine recognized his significant influence by naming him one of the world's 100 most influential people.

Lauren Poe, Sports Analytics Engineer, ESPN

Title: A Journey in Sports Analytics

Abstract: This talk will revolve around my professional journey, detailing how I navigated my way to becoming a Sports Analytics Engineer at ESPN. I will share experiences from my career path and discuss the nuances of sports analytics roles at ESPN. Drawing from personal experience, I will explain how sports data is analyzed, interpreted, and utilized for both fan-facing and backstage processes. The objective of this talk is to explore the value of a career in multi-sport analytics, providing students with a real-world perspective on the industry's challenges and rewards.

Lauren Poe is an engineer on ESPN’s industry-leading Sports Analytics team. She and the team create analytical storytelling tools, like the Football and Basketball Power Index ratings used across collegiate and professional sports, and develop products and experiences to support insightful and innovative storytelling. Before moving to Connecticut to work at ESPN in 2013, the Oklahoma native and University of Oklahoma mathematics graduate started her career by blending her love of sports and numbers as a high school math teacher and coach. While at OU, she represented on the sidelines with the pom squad allowing her to experience memorable sports moments from the sidelines. Lauren and her husband, John, live in Connecticut with their dog, Watson. The Poe-Parolin family loves to spend their time celebrating Boston and Oklahoma sports – most notable being OU Softball’s NCAA Championships!

Cade Massey, Practice Professor, Operations, Information and Decisions, The Wharton School

Title: Analyst as Difference-Maker: Lessons from Firefighting in the American West

Abstract: Building a great model is very different from actually influencing an organization’s decisions. Unfortunately, many analysts with a great deal to offer sit powerless in their offices because of this difference. But there is a great deal an analyst can and should do if they want their analytics to matter. Wildland firefighting in the American West 2015-2025 provides a case study in building impact as an analyst. Advanced analytics were present in the National Forest Service from the early 2000s but it wasn’t until the late 2010s that they gained any real traction. What led to this change? What lessons can we draw from a domain so analogous to sports analytics it has been called “Moneyball for Fire”?

Cade Massey is a Practice Professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and the Faculty Director of Wharton’s People Lab. He received his PhD from the University of Chicago and was on faculty at Duke and Yale before moving to Penn in 2012. Cade works at the intersection of academia and industry, striving to bridge the gap between research and practice on decision-making, influence and personal development. He has had long-term collaborations with Google, Merck, Doctors Without Borders and multiple professional sports teams. He is originally from West Texas and now lives outside of Austin, Texas, with his wife, one cat, two dogs and three goats.

Panel Discussion: Communicating Advanced Analytics in Real Time 

Abstract: Join us for a thought-provoking conversation with sports industry leaders on the challenges of translating advanced analytics into insightful, real-time commentary during live sports broadcasts and beyond. Key discussion points will include:

• Strategies for effectively communicating complex analytical concepts in a way that is accessible, engaging, and actionable for different audiences.
• Real-world examples of in-the-moment analytical communication and its impact on performance and decision-making.
• The art of tailoring analytics messaging based on the audience---whether it’s fans at home, athletes on the field, or executives in a meeting room.
• The future of real-time analytics communication in sports: emerging trends, opportunities, and predictions for the next 5-10 years.

This panel promises to offer valuable insights into the intersection of advanced analytics and real-time communication in sports, making it a must-attend session for those interested in the future of sports broadcasting and data-driven decision-making.

Brian Burke is a Sports Data Scientist at ESPN. Founder of the popular website Advanced Football Analytics and an early pioneer in football analytics, joined ESPN as a sports data scientist in June 2015. As a member of ESPN Analytics, Burke is expanding upon his previous work to ensure ESPN has the best-in-class football analytics. His recent accomplishments include Receiver Tracking Metrics, the widely successful Pass Block and Run Block Win Rate metrics and other models based on player tracking data. Burke founded AdvancedFootballAnalytics.com in 2007, where he pioneered the development of metrics like Expected Points and Win Probability, which remain the core tools for analysis in football. Burke was a regular contributor to The New York Times, The Washington Post, Slate and other outlets.

A regular speaker at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, he also previously worked as an analytics consultant for multiple NFL teams and supplied statistics and analytics insights to NBC Sports and ESPN The Magazine. Before entering the world of sports analytics, Burke had a distinguished career as an officer and aviator with the United States Navy as an F/A-18 carrier pilot. He flew numerous combat missions and was awarded the Air Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal, and numerous other personal and unit commendations.

Originally from Baltimore, Burke graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with the Class of 1993. He attended the Naval Postgraduate School and returned to Annapolis as an instructor. After leaving the Navy, Burke worked as a defense contractor, serving as a strategy and tactics expert and then as a business unit director before launching Advanced Football Analytics.

He earned a masters degree in Operations Research from George Mason University and teaches there as adjunct faculty. When not analyzing football and other sports, Burke can be found zipping around the local raceway in his track car. He resides with his family in Reston, Virginia.

John Parolin Research Producer at ESPN. John Parolin is entering his 8th season as the Research Producer on Monday Night Football, a role he's had for 7 of the 19 seasons since the show moved to ESPN in 2006. He first joined ESPN in 2009 and has worked in production on the NFL Draft (with both ESPN NFL & College Gameday crews), Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles & Super Bowl LVII in Arizona, Pro Bowl Games, Stanley Cup Playoffs, FIFA World Cups, European Championships, NFL Live and SportsCenter, among other assignments. He’s also written for ESPN’s digital platforms (including ESPN.com & FiveThirtyEight), contributing to NFL coverage, fantasy sports, betting and soccer over his 16-year ESPN career. He is a 2-time Sports Emmy Award winner (Monday Night Football & Monday Night Football with Peyton & Eli) and 5-time nominee (four for MNF and one for a whiteboard animation execution for Numbers Never Lie).Originally from Nashua, NH, John graduated in 2008 from Stonehill College with a degree in communication. He lives in Bristol, CT with his family.

Theo Epstein (see keynote speaker bio above).

Seth Walder (Moderator) Sports Analytics Writer at ESPN. Seth Walder has been a sports analytics writer at ESPN since 2017, focusing on football coverage using quantitative metrics. His work includes topics ranging from season projections to player analysis based on NFL Next Gen Stats to prop bet forecasting. He writes for ESPN.com and makes appearances across ESPN studio programming. Prior to joining ESPN, he worked as a reporter for the New York Daily News for six years, primarily covering the New York Jets and New York Giants, with occasional analysis of the New York MLB, NBA and NHL teams as well as high school sports. He grew up in London, United Kingdom and attended Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. He lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York.