LaunchBreak: The Podcast with Zora Stephenson

About LaunchBreak: The Podcast with Zora Stephenson

LaunchBreak: The Podcast with Zora Stephenson features inspiring conversations with women athletes leading across sports, business, entrepreneurship, and media. Hosted by Zora Stephenson, a 7x Emmy Award-winning NBC Sports broadcaster and trailblazing play-by-play voice, the show delivers actionable insights on career growth, leadership, networking, personal branding, and life after sports. From Olympians to executives and founders, each episode spotlights members of the LaunchBreak community of women athletes who are redefining what’s possible after competition. Perfect for student-athletes, professionals, entrepreneurs, and sports fans seeking real-world career inspiration and mentorship. Follow @thelaunchbreak on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Subscribe and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Publisher

Teresa Saputo-Crerend

Category

business · sports

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

28 Jan 2026

Latest episode

10 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

6 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   10 Apr 2026

   Building a Purpose-Driven League: Inside Athletes Unlimited w/ Hilary Meyer

   We’re back with another powerful episode of LaunchBreak: The Podcast, hosted by 7x Emmy Award–winning journalist Zora Stephenson. This episode features LaunchBreaker Hilary Meyer, Chief Impact and Athlete Engagement Officer at Athletes Unlimited, who is redefining what it means to build purpose-driven sports leagues in today’s world. A former Division I lacrosse and field hockey athlete at Colgate, Hilary brings over 17 years of experience in strategic planning, community engagement, and program development. Today, she’s leading the charge on how professional women’s sports can create meaningful social and environmental impact both on and off the field. At Athletes Unlimited, Hilary oversees athlete programming, social justice advocacy, civic leadership, and ESG initiatives, ensuring that impact isn’t just a side effort, it’s embedded into the league’s DNA. Her work sits at the intersection of sport, purpose, and community, empowering athletes as leaders while building deeper, more meaningful connections with fans. In this conversation, Hilary shares how she’s helping shape a new model for women’s sports, one where athletes are more than competitors, and leagues are platforms for real change. This episode is about leadership, impact, and what it truly means to use sport as a force for good. If you’re passionate about the future of women’s sports, athlete empowerment, or building brands with purpose, this conversation is for you. If you’re looking to support women leaders and founders in their next chapters, get in touch with us at LaunchBreak.com (http://LaunchBreak.com) and follow us @thelaunchbreak on IG and TikTok. This podcast is brought to you by 5wins. As 5wins scales, they’re seeking mission-aligned partners to help build the next playbook for the next generation of women’s sports fans, brands, and athletes. Learn more at 5wins.com (http://5wins.com). 🎧 LaunchBreak: The Podcast is available now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

2. 

   25 Mar 2026

   Rachel Fleitell: From Wall Street to Building, Scaling, and Analyzing the Business of Sports

   We’re back with another powerful episode of LaunchBreak: The Podcast, hosted by 7x Emmy Award–winning journalist Zora Stephenson. This episode features LaunchBreaker Rachel Fleitell, a former Brown University softball standout turned powerhouse in media, sports, and entertainment. Rachel most recently served as Chief Operating Officer at Thirty Five Ventures and Boardroom, where she led strategy, operations, and growth across some of the most exciting brands in the industry. From her early career at Goldman Sachs to leadership roles at Endeavor Group Holdings and William Morris Endeavor, Rachel has built a career defined by sharp business instincts, competitive drive, and the ability to turn bold ideas into high-impact businesses. In this conversation, Rachel shares the lessons she’s learned along the way, from her days as a college athlete to operating at the highest levels of sports and entertainment. She opens up about navigating career pivots, scaling brands, and what it really takes to lead behind the scenes. Rachel also gives us a look into her next chapter, how she approaches building in emerging spaces like tech, and the mindset that’s helped her succeed across industries. Her story is insightful, inspiring, and a reminder that the biggest moves often happen long after the final whistle. If you or anyone looking to support women athletes in their next chapters, please get in touch with us at LaunchBreak and follow us @thelaunchbreak on IG and TikTok! This podcast is brought to you by 5wins. As 5wins continues to scale, they are seeking mission-aligned partners to help build the next playbook for the next generation of women’s sports fans, brands, and athletes. Learn more at 5wins.com (http://5wins.com). 🎧 LaunchBreak: The Podcast is available now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

3. 

   11 Mar 2026

   Turning a Sideline Problem Into a Mainstream Business: Meredith Hudson and Sideline Bags

   We’re back with another powerful episode of LaunchBreak: The Podcast, hosted by 7x Emmy Award–winning journalist Zora Stephenson. This episode features LaunchBreaker Meredith Hudson, founder of Sideline Bags, former Division I field hockey player, proud Yale alum, and a real-life supermom navigating the fast-paced worlds of sports, business, and motherhood. Meredith shares the story behind Sideline Bags, a company she built to simplify the beautiful chaos of sports life for girls and families everywhere. From her days competing as a Division I athlete to leading in high-impact roles at companies like Roku, Snap Inc., Google, and Amazon, Meredith has built a career defined by grit, leadership, and resilience. In this conversation, Meredith opens up about what it really takes to balance motherhood, entrepreneurship, and a high-powered career. She talks about building something meaningful while showing up for her family, navigating career pivots, and embracing the evolving definition of success. Her story is honest, inspiring, and a reminder that sometimes the biggest launches happen off the field. If you or anyone looking to support women athletes in their next chapters, please get in touch with us at LaunchBreak and follow us @thelaunchbreak on IG and TikTok! This podcast is brought to you by 5wins. As 5wins continues to scale, they are seeking mission-aligned partners to help build the next playbook for the next generation of women’s sports fans, brands, and athletes. Learn more at 5wins.com (http://5wins.com). 🎧 LaunchBreak: The Podcast is available now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

4. 

   25 Feb 2026

   From Fencing To AI Founder: The Stephanie LeBlanc-Godfrey Story

   We’re back with another powerful episode of LaunchBreak: The Podcast, hosted by 7x Emmy Award–winning journalist Zora Stephenson. This episode features LaunchBreaker Stephanie, a trained engineer, tech leader, founder, and mom of three who brings a rare and urgently needed perspective to the AI conversation. Stephanie spent over a decade at Google, tackling complex problems at scale at the intersection of technology and everyday life. From engineering rigor to real-world leadership, she built her career inside one of the most influential tech companies in the world, all while navigating the realities of motherhood and ambition. Now, as the CEO and Founder of Mother AI, Stephanie is on a mission to help high-achieving women and working families make sense of artificial intelligence in practical, human ways. Her work supports how we work, how our children learn, and how families adapt in a rapidly changing digital landscape. She also dives deep into the broader impact of AI on childhood, identity, and family life. In this conversation, Stephanie shares her own launch break, the moment she stepped away from corporate security to build something of her own and why she believes women and families must move from reacting to AI to actively shaping its future. Her story is thoughtful, empowering, and a reminder that leadership in the next era of technology must include the voices of women and parents at the table. If you or someone you know is navigating a career pivot, building in tech, or thinking about how AI will shape your family’s future, this episode is for you. If you’re looking to support women leaders and founders in their next chapters, get in touch with us at LaunchBreak.com (http://LaunchBreak.com) and follow us @thelaunchbreak on IG and TikTok. This podcast is brought to you by 5wins. As 5wins scales, they’re seeking mission-aligned partners to help build the •next• playbook for the •next• generation of women’s sports fans, brands, and athletes. Learn more at 5wins.com (http://5wins.com). 🎧 LaunchBreak: The Podcast is available now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

5. 

   6 Feb 2026

   Wrestling With My Brothers Prepped Me For Team USA Rugby: The Nicole Heavirland Story

   We’re back with another powerful episode of LaunchBreak: The Podcast, hosted by 7x Emmy Award–winning journalist Zora Stephenson. This episode features LaunchBreaker Nicole Heavirland, West Point graduate, Team USA Rugby star, lover of nature and the outdoors, and a lifelong competitor. Nicole takes us through her unconventional path to elite athletics: growing up wrestling with her brothers, being a basketball star, sharpening her grit at West Point, and earning a spot representing the U.S. on the world rugby stage. She opens up about how competition has shaped every chapter of her life and what happens when the final whistle blows. Now facing her next launch break, Nicole shares what’s ahead: continuing to compete while preparing for her next career move. Her story is raw, driven, and a reminder that elite athletes don’t stop chasing purpose when the game ends, they just find new arenas. Be sure to follow Nicole's journey @nicole406heavirland If you or anyone looking to support women athletes in their next chapters, please get in touch with us at LaunchBreak.com (http://LaunchBreak.com) and follow us @thelaunchbreak on IG and TikTok! This podcast is brought to you by 5wins. As 5wins starts to scale, they are seeking mission-aligned partners to join in building the •next• playbook for the •next• generation of women’s sports fans, brands, and athletes. Check them out at 5wins.com (http://5wins.com) 🎧 LaunchBreak: The Podcast available now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

6. 

   28 Jan 2026

   D1 Athlete, Marketing Executive, Beating Cancer: The Nina Ryan Story

   Today’s guest is driven by purpose in every sense of the word. We’re joined by Nina Ryan, a builder, storyteller, and powerful advocate for human-first impact in sports and healthcare. As a Division I rower at the University of North Carolina, Nina identified a gap in sports tech and helped launch a first-of-its-kind fellowship supporting more than 120 women entering the industry. Then, at just 24 years old during the pandemic, Nina was diagnosed with stage IV cancer. Instead of retreating, she turned outward, using storytelling to build a community of over 150,000 people and becoming a trusted, authentic voice in the oncology space. Today, Nina is a Senior Marketer at Teamworks, where she leads collegiate market strategy and continues to advocate for athletes, patients, and the humans behind the data. This conversation is about resilience, purpose, and building meaningful impact both in your career and your life. Be sure to give her a follow @ninaryan on IG and @ninaluker on TikTok. If you or anyone looking to support women athletes in their next chapters, please get in touch with us at LaunchBreak.com (http://LaunchBreak.com) and follow us @thelaunchbreak on IG and TikTok! This podcast is brought to you by 5wins. As 5wins starts to scale, they are seeking mission-aligned partners to join in building the •next• playbook for the •next• generation of women’s sports fans, brands, and athletes. Check them out at 5wins.com (http://5wins.com)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

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Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.