--Award to be presented at the NextUp Leadership Summit on Oct. 1 in Chicago, Ill.--

CHICAGO, Sept. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NextUp, the premier nonprofit dedicated to advancing all women in business, announced that the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is the recipient of the 2024 NextUp Advancing All Women Impact Award. This annual award recognizes an individual or organization that demonstrates exceptional impact and leadership while building women's empowerment and gender equality. 

"Our committee was unanimous in their support of the WNBA and their leadership team as this year's honoree for consistently demonstrated excellence in leadership, setting a benchmark for sports globally," said NextUp President and CEO Lisa Baird. "The values of the WNBA — building community, commitment to social justice and equality, innovation, and development and support of their employees and players — align with our mission of providing learning and leadership experiences to advance all women and build inclusive workplace cultures."

The WNBA has achieved unprecedented success in 2024, reaching new milestones in attendance, viewership and fan engagement. This meteoric surge in popularity has inspired millions of people to believe that empowering all women allows them to ascend to new heights. 

"The WNBA stands for more than basketball. Our organization represents the power of women in sports, and this recognition is a testament to that," said WNBA Chief Growth Officer Colie Edison. "We know our work is never done and remain committed to connecting and uplifting girls and women in everything we do."

The 2024 Advancing All Women Impact Award will be presented at the 23^rd annual NextUp Leadership Summit on Oct. 1 in Chicago, Ill. Building on the success of last year's record-breaking event, NextUp will welcome more than 1,600 attendees, including top executives from companies committed to advancing gender equity in business. This year's conference – made possible through the generous support of Presenting Partners, The Coca-Cola Company and Suntory Global Spirits, and Premier Partner PepsiCo – will feature powerful keynotes from Erin Loos Cutraro, Founder and CEO of She Should Run; Sophie Morgan, Broadcaster, Author, and Disability Advocate; and Tunde Oyeneyin, New York Times Bestselling Author, Peloton Instructor, and Nike Athlete.

In addition to being recognized with the Advancing All Women Impact Award, the WNBA will also be gifted 150 NextUp membership seats by NextUp sponsor American Express, a long-time partner of the WNBA and proud supporter of women's sports, athletes and the organizations that support them. The seats can be provided to WNBA league staff, WNBA team staff and WNBA players as part of the shared missions of NextUp, WNBA and American Express to foster an empowering, inclusive community for women in business. 

To learn more and register for the 2024 NextUp Leadership Summit, visit nextupisnow.org/summit.     

About NextUp
For more than 20 years, NextUp has brought professional women, allies and corporate partners together to champion gender equity and Advance All Women in Business. NextUp has a powerful, growing community of more than 17,000 members and 300+ national corporate partners and regional sponsors. NextUp works to create leadership opportunities, amplify women's voices in the workplace and ensure that all women in business can seize opportunities now and in the future. To learn more about NextUp, visit nextupisnow.org or on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram (@nextupisnow).

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SOURCE NextUp