Founder and Chief Strategist, The Sports Publicist
Ashley Blackwood is the Founder and Chief Strategist for The Sports Publicist, a multidisciplinary marketing communication agency whose mission is to provide premium public relations and branding services to the sports industry. Ashley, a highly skilled communications strategist and crisis management expert, has over a decade of experience in professional sports and entertainment.
Prior to becoming a fulltime entrepreneur, Ashley worked alongside Judy Smith, the real-life Olivia Pope, at her firm known for its crisis management and the inspiration for the ABC TV series Scandal. During her tenure, Ashley constructed and implemented the growth strategy for the Sports division while working with an exclusive list of clients in sport, entertainment, politics, and business.
Ashley has publicly represented athletes and brands like the National Football League, Nickelodeon Sports, the National Basketball Players Association, New York Knicks, New York Liberty, Los Angeles Clippers, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Allan Houston (NBA Executive), John Starks (NBA Executive), Carmelo Anthony (NBA), Jabari Parker (NBA), Spencer Dinwiddie (NBA), Danny Green (NBA), DeAndre Jordan (NBA), Eli Apple (NFL), and more. She was the Global Sport and Entertainment Lead at GMR Marketing overseeing SAP’s marcomms strategy for its partnerships with the NFL, NBA, NHL, Live Nation, Yankees, WTA, golf, soccer, racing and sailing. Additionally, Ashley was in PR and Marketing for six seasons at the New York Knicks and Madison Square Garden, worked in Community Relations for Phoenix Suns, and was a consultant for the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks.
Ashley holds a bachelors from the Florida State University, an MBA and a Masters of Sport Business Management from the Devos Sport Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida, and participated in the Sports Business Graduate program at NYU.
During her free time, Ashley is the co-founded of THE MAJORS, a platform designed to elevate minority sports business influencers, holds a position on the Board of Directors for the Track & Field Athletes Association, and conducts social media trainings for youth, reinforcing her passion to use sport as vehicle for social change.