Ashleigh Huffman, Ph.D. Email & Phone Number

For twenty years, I have been a leader in sport-based social change, working across sectors with athletes, corporates, government, and nonprofits to create holistic and sustainable models for community transformation. I have a PhD in Sociocultural Studies and multiple honors and publications in the fields of sport diplomacy, gender equity, and leadership development.As the former Sports Diplomacy Chief at the U.S. Department of State, I negotiated international sports policy, managed elite-level international sports exchanges, and developed comprehensive strategies for international sporting events. I worked closely with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, as well as the NCAA, and professional sports leagues to promote women’s empowerment, inclusion of persons with disabilities, racial justice, and refugee integration. Over the course of my career, I've trained 10,000+ leaders from 125+ countries in sport-based social innovation strategies and secured more than $50 million in funding and partnerships for sport diplomacy programs. As a sports diplomacy expert, I work with organizations like the United Nations, UEFA, FIBA, the U.S. Department of State, Sciences Po University, George Washington University, The Aspen Institute, The Institute for Sport and Social Justice, and Meridian International Center on sport-based policy and programming.Recent notable projects include the development of a comprehensive Sports Diplomacy Course for Olympic and Paralympic athletes and administrators participating in Paris 2024 and co-leading a National Youth Sport Policy Agenda for the U.S.My work in sports diplomacy and gender equity has been prominently featured in major media outlets such as the LA Times, The New York Times, MSNBC and NBC.My mission is to leverage the power of sport to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities of our time.

Listed skills include Nonprofits, Student Development, Sports Management, Higher Education, and 26 others.