Former ESPN President John Skipper joins Project Level Advisory Board

MEMORANDUM

TO:

Friends of Project Level

FROM:

Mellody Hobson, Founder and Chairwoman, Project Level

DATE:

July 28, 2025

RE:

Former ESPN President John Skipper joins our Advisory Board


MEMORANDUM

TO:

Friends of Project Level

FROM:

Mellody Hobson, Founder and Chairwoman, Project Level

DATE:

July 28, 2025

RE:

Former ESPN President John Skipper joins our Advisory Board


I am delighted to share an important and inspiring addition to our team.

John Skipper, the former President of ESPN and Co-Founder and Former CEO of Meadowlark Media, is the newest member of the Project Level Advisory Board.

John is a visionary who has spent his career pushing boundaries in media, sports and culture. At ESPN, he championed women’s sports coverage long before it was fashionable—and at Meadowlark, he challenged the status quo by building platforms that tell sports-related stories with depth and impact.

His passion for innovation and excellence aligns perfectly with the mission of Project Level: to change the game for women athletes—on and off the field—and in so doing, elevate women.

We created Project Level because we see the undeniable value, economic power and inarguable growth of women’s sports.

With John’s insights, leadership and deep knowledge of media rights, we are doubling down on our conviction and expanding our ability to back bold ideas and extraordinary talent.

We are honored to have him at the table and are excited for all that is to come. For more background on John, see below.


About John Skipper

John is the Co-Founder and Former CEO of Meadowlark Media. In January 2021, Skipper and Dan Le Batard launched Meadowlark, a content studio and diverse creator network focused on premium storytelling. Skipper previously was the Executive Chairman of DAZN. In that role, he oversaw DAZN’s global expansion, rights acquisition strategy and corporate positioning. Prior to joining DAZN in May 2018, John Skipper spent more than two decades with The Walt Disney Company. From 2012-2017, Skipper served as ESPN President and Co-Chairman, Disney Media Networks, during which time he secured a series of long-term, multiplatform agreements with major rightsholders, including the NBA, MLB, the College Football Playoff, major college conferences, U.S. Open Tennis, and the Rose, Sugar and Orange Bowls. In 1997, John Skipper launched ESPN The Magazine and went on to hold a variety of leadership positions including Executive Vice President, Content prior to being named President. Diversity was a hallmark of Skipper’s tenure at ESPN, changing the way the network looked both in front of and behind the camera. He is also an active philanthropist, serving on the boards of such organizations as the Institute for Sports and Social Justice, Glasswing (which creates safe communities for youngsters in several Central American countries) and Pacunam (a Mayan excavation project that will provide jobs and encourage tourism in the impoverished nation of Guatemala). Skipper began his career in publishing, rising to senior roles with Rolling Stone, Us and Spin magazines. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English Literature from the University of North Carolina and Columbia University, respectively.


A list of our other world-class directors and advisors is below.

Beth Brooke | Director

Beth is the Former Global Vice Chair of Public Policy at Ernst & Young where she was also a member of the firm’s global executive board. Among other endeavors, she currently serves on the board of the New York Times Company as well as the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Beth pioneered the seminal research showing a correlation between success in sports and success in life for girls. More specifically, her work revealed 94% of women in the C-Suite played sports and over half of them played at the university level.


Lewis Hamilton | Advisor

Lewis is a seven-time Formula One Champion and the most decorated driver in the history of the sport. Recently signed to drive for the Ferrari F1 team, he is the only Black driver on the track and the only F1 driver to be knighted while still competing. Lewis is a capsule collection designer for Men’s Dior and the founder of Mission 44 which works to bring minorities and women into F1.


Queen Latifah | Advisor

Queen Latifah is a Grammy-award winning, Emmy-award winning and Academy Award-nominated rapper, singer and actress. She currently stars in and executive produces the hit television series “The Equalizer.” In addition to global fame and numerous accolades, she is a two-time New Jersey state high school basketball champion.


Cynt Marshall | Director

Cynt is the Former CEO of the Dallas Mavericks—the first Black woman CEO in the NBA. During her tenure, she helped launch a new TV partnership and oversaw a stadium upgrade. In 2023, she helped guide the sale of the franchise. Before the Mavericks, she served in executive roles at AT&T for 36 years.


Stella McCartney | Advisor

Stella is the named founder of the British fashion house distinguished by its design as well as its focus on sustainability. Her successful activewear collection combines high-performance and high-style—including collections for running, swimming, yoga and tennis. In 2012 and 2016, Stella designed the Great Britain Olympic and Paralympic team uniforms. She was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire by King Charles III in 2023.


Steve Mills | Director

Steve is the Former President of the New York Knicks and Former Chief Operating Officer of Madison Square Garden where he oversaw the business operations of the NY Knicks, NHL’s Rangers and WNBA’s New York Liberty. Prior to the Garden, he worked for the NBA for 16 years. Steve currently serves on the boards of AMC Networks, MSG Sports, Selective Insurance Group and the Ladies Professional Golf Association as well as the Hospital for Special Surgery.


For more information, please contact [email protected]