Leonard N. Moore, interim vice president of diversity and community engagement and the George Littlefield Professor of American History at The University of Texas at Austin, will address professional sports owners this week at the Seventh Annual Global Sports Summit in Aspen. The Summit is a gathering of franchise owners and presidents from the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, European Football and other professional sports associations.

Created “by owners, for owners,” the summit allows owners to discuss their most important issues and challenges candidly and to share information, strengthen relationships, and drive organizational and team performance.

Moore will discuss some of the specific challenges facing African American professional athletes and how owners can address these challenges to enhance organizational effectiveness. “In today’s climate owners must be proactive when dealing with the sensitive issue of race,” said Moore. “The reactionary approach only exposes owners to unimaginable levels of risk.”

In addition to his role as an academic administrator and professor, Moore has spent much of his career mentoring Black student-athletes and consulting with college athletic directors across the country. He is the founder of the Black Student-Athlete Summit, held at UT Austin every January. This gathering has developed into a “must-attend” event for those in the world of intercollegiate athletics. Moore’s work around these issues has been featured in the New York Times and on ESPN.