Meet the WISE LV Women of Inspiration 2025!
WOMAN OF INSPIRATION IN SPORTS
LINDY LA ROCQUE
Women’s Basketball Head Coach, UNLV
Lindy La Rocque has quickly proven to be one of the most impactful head coaches in college sports as she crafted a championship-winning team in her second season at UNLV. She is the eighth full-time head coach in UNLV women’s basketball history and is the first originally from Las Vegas to be hired to lead the Lady Rebel program.
In her first four seasons at the helm of the Lady Rebels, La Rocque became the first head coach in program history to reach the 100-win mark in the same amount of time. La Rocque, who is entering her sixth season as head coach of the program became the first Mountain West coach to be named Coach of the Year three times in just her first five seasons.
Prior to UNLV, La Rocque was an assistant at her alma mater, Stanford, from 2017-20 under legendary head coach and Hall of Famer Tara VanDerveer. La Rocque began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Oklahoma, working for Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer Sherri Coale, while she earned her Master’s Degree in Adult and Higher Education.
La Rocque played her collegiate career at Stanford from 2008-12, appearing in 138 career games which ranks eighth in Cardinal program history. La Rocque earned a Bachelor's Degree in Science, Technology and Society, with an emphasis in earth systems, civil and environmental engineering, and calculus from Stanford in 2012. She was a decorated student-athlete at Durango High School in Las Vegas, where she became the school's (boys and girls) all-time leading scorer with 2,678 points and holds many other program records.
La Rocque married Dan Cunningham, a Concordia College (New York) alum, in August 2021. The pair have two children, Ellie and Buddy.
WOMAN OF INSPIRATION IN EVENTS
LORI NELSON-KRAFT
Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
Lori Nelson-Kraft is the senior vice president of corporate affairs for the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix (LVGP). In this role, she oversees communications, government affairs, and community engagement.
Before joining the LVGP, she served five years as senior vice president of communications for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and 14 years as vice president of corporate communications for Station Casinos.
Ms. Nelson-Kraft currently serves as a Board Trustee for the Vegas Chamber of Commerce and as the President of the Leadership Foundation. She also proudly serves on the board of directors for Noah’s Animal House, a full-service pet shelter located next door and in partnership with The
Shade Tree Shelter in Southern Nevada and with the Domestic Violence Resource Center in Northern Nevada in support of victims of domestic violence.
Ms. Nelson-Kraft has loved living in Southern Nevada for three decades after growing up in Detroit, Michigan, and graduating from Eastern Michigan University.
WOMAN OF INSPIRATION CONNECTING GAMING WITH SPORTS
STEPHANIE BRUCKNER
Vice President of Global Portfolio Strategy, Light & Wonder
With almost two decades in gaming, technology, and hospitality, Stephanie Bruckner serves as the Vice President of Global Portfolio Strategy at Light & Wonder (formerly Scientific Games). Since 2016, she has advanced through pivotal roles in market research, customer/player insights, and business analytics to now overseeing global hardware and technical product management, as well as shaping the global games content strategy for Light and Wonder across land, digital, and social channels. She is passionate about building high-performing teams that drive ambitious organizational and product growth.
Stephanie’s career began at Paragon Gaming in 2006 as a Development Analyst. She then ascended to Development Manager, where she oversaw new business casino and resort development opportunities across North America. Over the years, Stephanie has held various roles at Caesars Entertainment, including Director of Enterprise Gaming Analytics, and Product Owner at Caesars Interactive Entertainment (now Caesars Digital), where she managed the Caesars online gaming platform for the New Jersey market. Before that, she launched the North America Market Research program at Aristocrat Gaming, delivering key customer insights, player segmentation, and market analytics to drive player led product and commercial strategies.
An impassioned advocate for women's professional development, Stephanie co-founded and co-chairs Light and Wonder's EmpowHer Employee Resource Group. She most recently co-launched and sponsors UNLV Rebels EmpowHer presented by Diana Bennett—a career center dedicated to equipping student-athletes with the resources to launch their careers post-collegiate sports, which will retain and seed future women leaders into our local economy. Believing that "the only constant in life is change," Stephanie strives to embody the change she wishes to see in the world.
WOMAN OF INSPIRATION GLOBAL IMPACT
IVETTE FERNANDEZ
Vice President of Government Relations, TKO
Ivette Fernandez has over 25 years of experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors. She currently serves as the Vice President of Government Relations for TKO- a premium sports and entertainment company that comprises UFC, WWE, PBR, IMG Media, and On Location.
Before joining the private and non-profit sectors, she worked for President George W. Bush at The White House; as a political appointee at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and in the U.S. Senate for two of Alaska's senators.
Ivette has been recognized for her contributions to the community by numerous entities, including in 2023 by the Clark County Commission during Hispanic Heritage Month for her company leadership position and service to the Las Vegas community. Additionally, she was honored with the United Way of NYC’s 2012 Women’s Leadership Council “Woman of Distinction Award,” and in 2008, she was the feature of LATINA Style Magazine’s article “Inspirational Latina, Ivette Fernandez,” and was 1 of 15 nationwide recipients in 2006 recognized as a Hispanic American leader by the Government of Spain’s “Young Hispanic Leaders Program,” where she was honored by HRH Crown Prince Felipe of Spain.
Ivette is a current Board Member and former Chair of the Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas LIFE Board of Director and was selected to be a member of the 2024 Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee for Community Affairs. She is also a member of several non-profit organizations, including the Easy Day Foundation Event Committee, Vegas Chamber Executive Women’s Council, Women in Sports & Events Las Vegas Chapter, Hispanic Scholarship Fund Las Vegas Advisory Council, and Junior League of Las Vegas.
Ivette was born and raised in Fairbanks, Alaska, and in 2000, won the title of Miss Alaska USA and Miss Congeniality and competed in the 2001 Miss USA Pageant. Ivette received her Bachelor’s degree from The George Washington University and her Master’s degree from Georgetown University.
WOMAN OF INSPIRATION OF THE YEAR
KIM FRANK
President, Vegas Golden Knights Foundation
Head of Community Relations and Player Initiatives, Vegas Golden Knights
Kim Frank is a strong leader with over twenty years of experience in sports marketing, community involvement, and brand development. As President of both The Folded Flag Foundation and the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation, Kim supports initiatives that honor military families and strengthen community bonds in Southern Nevada and beyond.
In her role with the Vegas Golden Knights, Kim also manages Community Relations and Player Initiatives. She fosters meaningful connections between players and fans, spearheads impactful outreach programs, and cultivates a culture of giving within the organization. Her skills cover partnerships, large event management, digital and social media strategies, and growing fan engagement for both professional and college sports.
Throughout her career, Kim has held important positions with major sports organizations, including the NHL’s Washington Capitals, the NBA’s Washington Wizards, and Georgetown University Athletics. Her strong dedication to community engagement and her ability to connect purpose with performance have made her a respected leader in the sports and nonprofit fields.
WOMAN OF INSPIRATION LAS VEGAS TRAILBLAZER
DIANA BENNETT
Chairman of the Board & Co-Founder, Paragon Gaming Founder, Rebels EmpowHer
Diana Bennett is a second-generation casino operator and philanthropist. She serves on multiple 501C3 boards throughout Nevada. She and her cousin, Scott Menke founded Paragon Gaming, an owner, operator and developer of multiple properties through western United States and western Canada. Paragon is still running various properties in Nevada. As President of the Bennett Family Foundation, she is one of Nevada’s most recognized philanthropists. Her foundation supports many organizations that focus on health, education, and wellbeing of women and children throughout the valley. Ms. Bennett has been recognized as one of the top ten women in gaming and received the ultimate honor of being inducted into the American Gaming Hall of Fame in 2017.
WOMAN OF INSPIRATION LEGACY AWARD
BRETTE SADLER
Senior Director of Marketing, Jacksonville Jaguars
Founder of WISE-LV Chapter
Brette Sadler began her sports and entertainment career working for University of Miami Athletics, while she finished her BS in PR, Psychology and Minor in Sport Management. She joined the Florida Panthers Hockey Club & Sunrise Sports & Entertainment where her career launched her from ticket sales to senior director of partnership activation. After 13 years, she relocated to Atlanta, where she joined Octagon and worked on Home Depot’s partnerships. In 2011, Brette headed west to Las Vegas to the home of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and led the Global Marketing Partnership Activation team. In 2017, she launched the WISE Las Vegas chapter, one of the highlights of her journey. After eight years, she was named Head of Corporate Partnerships at MGM Resorts International, where she led the team that focused on corporate partnership sales and client management. In 2022, Brette joined PRP, a full-service sports management company and then went onto the Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee. After a whirlwind, milestone event, the Washington Commanders brought her on board to help restructure their new partnerships team. In July of 2024, she migrated back to the Sunshine State, where she now oversees Marketing for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Her rockstar team manages Brand Strategy, Creative, Performance Marketing, Digital, Social, Live Event Marketing and Retail.