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19
Sessions, Oct–Jun
9
Leaders & facilitators
3
Day Leadership Summit
4
Specialist streams
Program Purpose
Why Future Leaders exists, and what it's built to change.
Leadership is defined by impact, not title. Future Leaders is grounded in that philosophy — participants don't need to hold a formal position or already identify as leaders. The program is about recognising potential, building a deeper understanding of how you lead, and developing the confidence and capability to make an impact wherever you sit within the game.
Women remain underrepresented across leadership, coaching, officiating and administration in basketball. Creating change takes more than a pathway — it takes deliberate investment in people, flexibility in how they develop, and real opportunities to build confidence, capability and connection. Future Leaders is She Hoops' investment in the women who can help shape what comes next, developing the person alongside the professional.
Participants learn directly from an exceptional group of leaders across Australian and international sport — including Holly Ransom, Erin Phillips, Jenni Screen, Sandy Brondello, Donna Orender, Dee Kantner, Georgia Dale and the team at EQ Minds.
Learning Outcomes
What participants can do by the end of the program.
Articulate a confident understanding of their own leadership and the impact they can have, regardless of role or title.
Apply greater self-awareness and emotional intelligence to how they lead, communicate and build relationships.
Strengthen their capability and perspective within their chosen area of the game.
Understand their personal brand and values, and what it means to show up authentically as a leader.
Draw on the lived experience of accomplished figures across Australian and international sport to inform their own journey.
Broaden their understanding of the careers, pathways and opportunities available across the game.
Build meaningful relationships with a national network of peers, mentors and leaders across the game.
Design and deliver an Authentic Leadership session for Next Gen participants at the Leadership Summit.
Program Inclusions
A place in Future Leaders is an investment in you. Every participant receives:
2 leadership workshops with Holly Ransom, one of Australia's most sought-after leadership voices.
A personal DISC profile, plus 2 facilitated DISC sessions on self-awareness and leadership style.
2 Emotional Intelligence workshops with EQ Minds, covering self and social awareness and relationship management.
3 Icon Series workshops with some of the most accomplished figures in Australian and international sport.
5 facilitated group mentoring sessions to unpack and apply learning throughout the program.
2 specialist development workshops in coaching, officiating, administration, or marketing & events.
1 dedicated one-on-one mentoring session with a specialist stream lead.
1 Personal Branding & Authenticity workshop with Georgia Dale.
1 Careers and Leadership in Basketball session with leaders from Basketball Australia and the WNBL.
A 3-day, all-expenses-covered Leadership Summit — travel, accommodation and meals included.
The opportunity to design and deliver an Authentic Leadership session to Next Gen participants.
Official She Hoops merchandise pack, supplied by iAthletic.
A national network of peers, mentors and leaders, with an ongoing connection to She Hoops and Australian basketball.
Schedule at a Glance
Tap a session for the full overview.
October
14 OctInduction + DISC IntroShe Hoops+
Welcome to the program and an introduction to how it runs, plus your first look at DISC — the framework you'll use throughout to understand yourself and how you work with others.
21 OctUnderstanding Yourself + DISC ProfilingShe Hoops+
A deeper dive into self-awareness through DISC profiling — unpacking your profile, your strengths and your natural style, and what that means for how you lead.
28 OctBold Leadership: You Don't Need a Title to LeadHolly Ransom+
In the first of two workshops, Holly challenges participants to step into their potential and lead boldly regardless of role or title. Drawing on the philosophy behind her book The Leading Edge, participants explore how to lead themselves first, back their own judgement, and recognise the influence they can have from wherever they sit within the game.
November
11 NovThe Mattering Effect: Leadership That Brings Others With YouHolly Ransom+
Holly's second workshop explores how real change happens through people, not job titles. Participants learn how the best leaders bring others with them by building trust, creating ownership and making people feel they genuinely matter to the mission — and the difference between change that sticks and change that stalls.
18 NovGroup Mentoring: Leadership & ImpactShe Hoops+
Facilitated group sessions to unpack, discuss and apply what you learned in Holly's two workshops, exploring what leadership without a title means in your own environment.
December
7 DecIcon Series: Breaking New GroundErin Phillips+
A fireside conversation with one of Australia's most accomplished dual-code athletes, exploring a career spent breaking new ground across basketball and Australian football — from the Opals and WNBA to becoming one of the defining athletes of the AFLW, and what she learned from environments that changed what was possible for women in sport.
14 DecPersonal Branding & AuthenticityGeorgia Dale+
An interactive workshop exploring how brands build identity, create connection and influence the way people feel. Using real-world campaigns, participants unpack what makes a brand memorable and authentic, then turn those ideas back on themselves — exploring their own values, strengths and identity, and how to show up authentically and consistently.
January
13 JanIcon Series: Inside the Best TeamsJenni Screen+
A fireside conversation on what Jenni experienced inside some of the most successful teams in Australian basketball history. Drawing on a career that included World Championship gold, two Olympic medals and more than 100 games for the Opals, Jenni shares the relationships, standards and unseen contributions behind sustained success.
20 JanGroup Mentoring: Identity & PerspectiveShe Hoops+
Facilitated group sessions to unpack, discuss and apply what you're learning from Georgia, Erin and Jenni, exploring your own values, identity and the experiences that shape people.
February
3 FebIcon Series: At the Highest Level4 streams+
A rare chance to hear directly from women who have reached the highest levels of their area of the game. Participants join their specialist stream for an intimate conversation with Sandy Brondello (coaching), Donna Orender (administration), Dee Kantner (officiating) or leaders from the Seattle Storm (marketing & events), exploring the experiences, decisions and realities behind careers at the highest level of global sport.
10 FebSpecialist Stream DevelopmentSpecialist Leads+
A technical development workshop tailored to each participant's stream, delivered by Mel Downer (coaching), Caitlin Grove (officiating), Nikita Vogel (administration), and Grace Buckmaster & Courtney Schild (marketing & events). Participants build capability specific to their own role and environment.
March
1 MarGroup Mentoring: Learning from the Highest LevelShe Hoops+
Facilitated group sessions to unpack, discuss and apply what you heard through the Icon Series and specialist streams, and what it means for your own journey.
15 MarCareers & Opportunities in BasketballBasketball Australia / WNBL+
Leaders from Basketball Australia and the WNBL take participants inside the breadth of careers that exist across the game — sharing how they found their way into sport, the relationships that opened doors, and what participants can do now to build experience.
April
7 AprEQ Series: Self Awareness & Self ManagementEQ Minds — Jay Pottenger+
Part one of the EQ Minds Emotional Intelligence series, focused on understanding your own emotions and learning to manage them — the foundation of self-leadership.
14 AprGroup Mentoring: Leading YourselfShe Hoops+
Facilitated group sessions to unpack, discuss and apply EQ Minds' self-awareness and self-management content to real situations in your own leadership.
May
12 MayEQ Series: Social Awareness & Relationship ManagementEQ Minds — Chelsea Pottenger+
Part two of the EQ Minds Emotional Intelligence series, focused on reading and understanding others, building strong relationships and leading well through connection.
19 MayGroup Mentoring: Leading With OthersShe Hoops+
Facilitated group sessions to unpack, discuss and apply what you're learning about relationships and communication, and how you want to show up as you move towards the Summit and beyond.
June
9 JunSpecialist Stream DevelopmentSpecialist Leads+
A second technical development workshop tailored to each participant's specialist stream, deepening the knowledge and practical skills built in February.
24–27 JunLeadership SummitShe Hoops+
An in-person experience bringing the national cohort together to connect, reflect and put their development into practice. Participants take part in leadership experiences, connect with leaders and peers from across the game, and work alongside Future Leaders from their own state or territory to deliver an Authentic Leadership session to the Next Gen cohort — the shift from learning about leadership to putting it into practice.
Ongoing
One-on-One Specialist Mentoring — a dedicated conversation with a specialist stream lead, held during the program, giving participants the chance to discuss their individual development and explore where they want to go next.
Speakers & Facilitators
The leaders participants learn directly from.
HR
Holly Ransom
Leadership Strategist & CEO, Emergent
A globally recognised leadership strategist and Fulbright Scholar who has delivered 500+ sessions across six continents, and was personally selected by Barack Obama to moderate his 2018 Australian conversation. Her keynote, The Mattering Effect, explores how people who believe they matter to the mission drive lasting change.
EP
Erin Phillips OAM
Dual-Code Champion — Opals & AFLW
A nine-season WNBA champion and decade-long Opal who helped shape the AFLW's culture as a three-time premiership player and two-time league best and fairest since the league's 2017 launch. One of the most respected voices in Australian sport.
JS
Jenni Screen OLY
Dual Olympic Medallist & Leadership Specialist
A two-time Olympic medallist and World Championship gold medallist who played 100+ games for the Opals over a 16-year career. Now works in athlete wellbeing and leadership, including as Head of Leadership & Player Development at Hawthorn FC.
SB
Sandy Brondello
WNBA Champion Coach & Opals Head Coach
A four-time Olympian as a player, WNBA Coach of the Year, and champion coach with both the Phoenix Mercury (2014) and New York Liberty (2024). Head coach of the Australian Opals since 2017 and a She Hoops Ambassador.
DO
Donna Orender
Former President, WNBA
Led the WNBA for six years, driving double-digit growth in attendance, ratings and sponsorship, after 17 years as a senior PGA TOUR executive. Founder of Generation W and CEO of Orender Unlimited.
DK
Dee Kantner
Trailblazing Basketball Official
One of the first two women to referee in the NBA (1997), with NCAA Division I experience since 1984 and FIBA history including the 2000 Olympics. A Naismith Official of the Year and former WNBA Director of Referee Development.
GD
Georgia Dale
Elite Baller & Founder, Geodale Collective
A five-season NCAA Division I player with 1,000+ career points, now competing in the NBL1. Founder of a brand and digital strategy agency that has worked with 60+ brands including L'Oréal, Marie Claire and Starbucks.
JP
Jay Pottenger
General Manager & Speaker, EQ Minds
Holds a postgraduate degree in Mental Health and Neuroscience and spent 27 years on the hardwood. Works with brands including Amazon, Woolworths and Westpac on training teams to perform like athletes.
CP
Chelsea Pottenger
Director & Founder, EQ Minds
A psychology postgraduate and accredited mindfulness practitioner who played Division 1 college basketball, including a Sweet 16 run. Author of The Mindful High Performer and a Gidget Foundation Ambassador.
