About KB2
the life lessons learned on and off the field of competition, both possess a sense of urgency and desire to “pay it forward” and apply their nearly fifty years of combined experience as leading sports executives to elevate the game and the wins for women’s sports.
Kristin Bernert and Karen Bryant—the KB’s—share more than a common nickname, they share a common path and an uncommon conviction. Both sports junkies at a young age, the “KB’s” were most often the first girls picked and the last girls standing. Armed with
KB: More than a common nickname.
Co-founded by WNBA OG’s and industry leaders, Kristin Bernert and Karen Bryant, KB2 Sports advises and collaborates with key stakeholders spanning the sports industry to identify and operationalize transformative growth opportunities for the advancement of women’s sports.
KB2 Sports is led by two industry veterans and represents a network of industry professionals focused on unlocking the transformative growth of women’s sports.
“We are moving fast to take advantage of this moment. We have the credibility, the relationships, a network spanning the sports industry, and the track record of being extremely successful in operating franchises.”
As the former Executive Vice President, Sports Operations, Madison Square Garden Sports, Kristin was responsible for leading the business operations for Company’s professional sports franchises – New York Knicks, New York Rangers, Westchester Knicks, Counter Logic Gaming and Knicks Gaming – including developing their overall commercial strategy, vision and goals, as well as managing business financial matters, building key strategic relationships, and leading fan as well as brand development.
During her decade-long tenure at MSG, also served as Senior Vice President, Business Operations, MSG Sports, where her role included strategic planning, budgeting and day-to-day team business operations, and led the New York Liberty’s basketball operations and was responsible for player personnel, development and team performance..
Kristin has been recognized as a “Game Changer” by the Sports Business Journal for having a major impact on the sports industry. She has also been named to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Hall of Fame Honor Roll and was enshrined in “The MAAC Experience” exhibit at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA.
Prior to joining MSG, Kristin’s roles in the sports industry included: President of the Los Angeles Sparks; Vice President of Team Marketing and Business Operations at the NBA; Vice President at the Detroit Shock; Assistant Marketing Director at Ohio State University; and Assistant Athletic Director at Bowling Green State University. Kristin played Basketball at and graduated from Siena College with a BA in Psychology and received an MA in Sports Management from The Ohio State University.
Kristin Bernert
“We are at the tipping point. Our dream is that there will be real breakthroughs in women’s sports. These breakthroughs will require strategic thinking, risk taking, persistence, conviction, and relentlessness. We want our mark to be ubiquitous in these moments and in the storytelling around what transpired.”
Karen is a top Senior Executive in the sports industry with over 25 years of experience leading world-class organizations and a passion for impact. Her storied career in sports began in her role as General Manager for the Seattle Reign, managing operations for a start-up professional women's basketball franchise during the launch of the American Basketball League.
Karen then began a 15-year tenure with the Seattle Storm, leading a range of business and operations roles and culminating in her serving as President and CEO for 6 years. Karen successfully led the organization’s transition from an NBA-affiliated team to an independently-owned team in 2008, achieving unprecedented financial performance and positioning the Storm as one of the premier franchises in the WNBA.
After leaving the Storm Karen founded Suite J Consulting in 2014, a sports management consulting firm serving clients including the University of Washington, Seattle Sports Commission, City of SeaTac, Atlanta Dream, Nube9 and Seattle University. In 2017, Karen entered the sports tech space as CEO of Atavus Sports, a coach education and performance analytics startup. Karen played basketball at Seattle University and University of Washington and graduated from UW with a BA in Communication.
Karen Bryant
Change the Game.
• Over four decades of first-hand industry experience
• An operator’s perspective on strategy and growth
• A collaborative approach to serving as facilitators, connectors, and aggregators
• An unwavering belief that the world is changing and we are poised and to help seize the moment for women's sports
TOGETHER WE BRING
From their decades of experience on the basketball court, they bring a spirit of teamwork, collaboration, healthy competition, persistence, and commitment to their work with clients. And from their decades of experience as franchise operators, they bring strategic thinking, business acumen, a drive for results, and risk-taking to the results they deliver.
Karen and Kristin are collaborators at their core. They believe that a true transformation can occur when the right people are brought together to solve a problem or realize an opportunity.
Kristin and Karen are uniquely experienced and expertly equipped to navigate complexity and help teams make decisions that drive transformative growth.
Why Us?
