Growing the Game of Soccer in North America: A conversation in celebration of the FIFA World Cup ⚽
The FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11th — and so do we.
Join South Asians in Sports for an evening celebrating the sport the world can't stop talking about, right here in New York City. We're bringing together some of the most influential voices in global football to talk about what it actually takes to grow the game in North America — the fans, the business, the culture, and what comes next.
Panel: Growing the Game of Soccer in North America
Thursday, June 11 | 5:30–8:00 PM | NYC
The panel runs from 6:00–7:00 PM, followed by a networking reception with light bites and refreshments to connect, celebrate, and soak in the fact that the World Cup is literally happening TODAY!
Meet the panelists:
Akash Jain, Managing Director U.S., Premier League — Akash has spent nearly 20 years growing some of the world's biggest sports brands globally, including a decade with the NBA (five of those years launching the league's business in India) and five years at the NFL headquarters overseeing international commercial strategy. Since joining the Premier League in 2023, he's been leading the League's U.S. growth strategy from New York.
Dee Kundra, Managing Director (Americas), FC Bayern Munich — Dee has been building FC Bayern's presence across North, Central, and South America since 2017, overseeing brand strategy, audience development, and the club's commercial growth in the region. Before Bayern, she held senior roles at Liverpool FC, the New York Cosmos, and Lexis Agency on the Barclays Premier League global sponsorship.
Moderated by Amar Singh, SVP Content & Creative Strategy, MKTG Sports + Entertainment, — Amar brings 20+ years at the intersection of sport, content, and culture. He's led global campaigns for Budweiser across the Premier League, LaLiga, and Lionel Messi partnerships, was Head of Content at West Ham United, and today runs The Sports Marketeer, a newsletter and podcast reaching 20,000+ people in 90 countries. He also teaches at the Football Business Academy.
Keynote by Bobby Sharma, Founder & Managing Partner, Bluestone Equity Partners — Bobby Sharma is the Founder & Managing Partner of Bluestone Equity Partners, an institutional private equity firm focused on the global Sports, Media & Entertainment industry. A business leader with a global track record of accomplishment across finance, strategy, operations, and law, Sharma has held senior leadership roles at some of the most influential organizations in sports and media.
This event is free and open to everyone — you don't need to be an SAIS member to attend. But you do need to register.
Deadline: Tuesday, June 9th at 11:59 PM ET.
A huge thank you to our event sponsors, Bluestone Equity Partners — a leading institutionally-backed private equity firm focused on sports, media, and entertainment, and Foley & Lardner LLP — a preeminent law firm that stands at the nexus of the Energy & Infrastructure, Health Care & Life Sciences, Innovative Technology, and Manufacturing Sectors.
Their support makes evenings like this possible.
See you on the pitch ⚽