“My experience at Simmons helped build my confidence as a leader,” says Laura Doran ’09, who majored in communications at Simmons. “I was encouraged to speak up, share ideas, and take on leadership roles. That has stayed with me throughout my career.”
Formerly a director of team operations and assistant general manager for the San Diego Wave Fútbol Club (part of the National Women’s Soccer League), Doran has transitioned to sports technology. She has spent the past year as a customer success manager at Teamworks, where she leads partnerships within the North America Professional Sports Division. She is also on the Advisory Board for the business and leadership in women’s sports concentration, part of Simmons' Master of Science in management program.
The Lure of Boston Sports
Sports fans will not be surprised by what motivated Doran to apply to Simmons.
“I was obsessed with the city of Boston,” says Doran. “I’m a huge sports fan. I thought, ‘How can I get to live in the city of Boston and become further embedded within the Boston sports culture?’”
Doran entered Simmons as a physical therapy major, with the goal of becoming an athletic trainer. “I figured that was the only way to work in sports without actually playing,” she recalls.
Her first internship as assistant producer/intern for the Dale and Holley Show at WEEI Sports Talk Radio broadened her perspective. “I would go to these interviews with the host and record them, then go to the studio to edit them for the show.”
The experience inspired her to pivot to a major in communications.
“The classroom experience was highly collaborative with both classmates and professors,” says Doran. “We all brought different perspectives together to problem solve and learn how to make informed decisions. It was also where I developed leadership and communication skills that are still valuable in my career.”
In addition to playing soccer for two years with the Simmons Sharks, and a brief stint as team manager for the basketball team, Doran used her time in Boston to her advantage.
“I went to a million games!” she says.
From Fenway Park to TD Garden
In 2009, Doran worked part-time at the Fenway Park ticket office.
“I saw it as another way to work in sports,” she says. “Customer service is all about how you keep these fans coming back by building relationships. It was really cool to learn about that.”
And she was already networking. At Fenway, she met a staff member who ran security training. “Now he’s the travel director for the Red Sox who came to our Teamworks event at Major League Baseball Winter Meetings,” she notes. “It’s great to reconnect with people. [My co-workers] joke that people from Boston find each other, wherever we are!”
During senior year, Doran was a full-time intern for the Boston Celtics. “I spent at least half the year in media relations, from a communications angle,” she says. “I assisted all departments, from marketing to video production.”
“My internships basically shaped all of the experiences I needed to grow and figure out what I wanted to do,” says Doran.
Women’s Soccer and the Pivot to Tech
After Simmons, Doran studied sports management at Southern New Hampshire University. While not focused on women’s sports, she sees many skills as transferable; Doran values diversification within staff, regardless of who is on the playing field.
After graduation, she applied for an internship as team manager for the Boston Breakers, a professional women's soccer club. “I knew I wanted to be in operations. That role broke open so many opportunities.”
After 10 years working in various teams in the National Women’s Soccer League, Doran’s most recent pivot has been toward technology and customer success with Teamworks.
“My accounts are within North American professional sports,” says Doran. She has developed partnerships with leagues including the National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), National Basketball Association (NBA), MLB, Major League Soccer (MLS), Northern Super League (NSL, a professional women's soccer league in Canada), United States League (USL, men’s professional soccer), National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
“It’s my job to see that they are adapting the product to their environment by getting a snapshot of how they operate as a whole: media, performance, marketing, human resources, and business,” says Doran. “I make sure they are getting the most value out of the product by collaborating together. I’m constantly educating myself as to how all of these teams can work more efficiently to be able to offer best practice solutions."
While many in the industry have played sports, Doran notes that it’s not crucial to success in the field. “I work alongside women leaders in the NFL. They have never played in the NFL, but they still have the knowledge, leadership abilities, and skills to be successful.”
Shaping the Future of Women’s Sports
Not only will the Simmons program prepare students to lead in the growing field of women’s sports, but it will prove a useful launching pad into the sports industry in general.
“Everyone is pushing for more women leaders in men’s sports,” notes Doran. “We have to find and develop them somewhere!”
Doran is excited to see the community that the concentration will develop among students, alumnae/i, and industry partners. “I’ve met with students and with other members of the advisory board,” says Doran, noting that there is a place for people who aren’t former athletes, but are interested in the business side of sports.
“We’re connecting all of these different generations and communities together. Students entering the program are entering an evolving industry with tons of opportunities to get involved — not just to participate in that growth, but to help shape the industry,” she says.
And Boston is still a hub of sports. This spring, Boston Legacy FC, the women’s professional soccer team, began their season with games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
“A huge network will be built from the Simmons program,” says Doran. “I can’t wait to collaborate with the members of the advisory board! Never mind how lucky these students are going to be. [The faculty] talk about wanting their students to get real-life experience. This program would have been a dream for me when I was in college! I’m looking forward to seeing how it grows and being part of the development.”