Alumni Trailblazer Award
Document Type
Presentation
Publication Date
10-10-2025
Bio
Katlyn Gao is the Co-Founder and CEO of League One Volleyball (LOVB), the largest youth volleyball brand in the U.S. and home to a new professional league led by Olympic medalists from Team USA. Under her leadership, LOVB is redefining the sport across youth, college, and professional levels—expanding opportunities for women and pioneering one of the most innovative models in professional athletics. She brings deep consumer brand and strategy expertise from leadership roles at Lululemon, Sephora, and Coach, as well as Bain and Harvard Business School. Recognized as a trailblazer in modern sports leagues, Katlyn has attracted support from investors such as Atwater Capital, Left Lane, Ares Management, Billie Jean King, Kevin Durant, and Chelsea Handler. Her story has been featured by NPR, Sports Illustrated, Bloomberg, and Northwestern Magazine, and she has spoken at leading forums including the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. Her work offers a blueprint for integrating sports, business, and community to drive opportunity, representation, and innovation.
Recommended Citation
Gao ’97, Katlyn J., "Recipient of the 2025 Alumni Trailblazer Award" (2025). Alumni Trailblazer Award. 10.
https://digitalcommons.imsa.edu/alumni_trailblazer/10