Rudy Gay, Professional Basketball Player, Utah Jazz

Rudy Gay was a forward for the UConn Huskies from 2004 – 2006. During his sophomore year, Rudy was the team’s leading scorer with 15.2 points per game while among players stacked with NBA prospects on its roster.  He was one of four finalists for the Naismith National Player of the Year Award and was named First Team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and received the Rupp Award.  Rudy was selected eighth overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, and immediately traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. He went on to play for the Toronto Raptors, Sacramento Kings, and San Antonio Spurs. He signed with his current team, the Utah Jazz, in 2021.

Brian Krause, Chief Development Officer, Focus Brands

Brian Krause serves as Chief Development Officer of Focus Brands, a leading developer of global, multi-channel foodservice brands, including Auntie Anne’s, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, McAlister’s Deli, Moe’s Southwest Grill and Schlotzsky’s. Krause is responsible for driving strategic, high-quality growth for the company in the United States and Canada by overseeing the Franchising, Real Estate and Development Planning, and Design and Construction efforts for the company, culminating in a best-in-class development program within the QSR industry. A crucial part of his role is working with brand franchisees and key development stakeholders to create efficient and effective opening processes, with a focus on net unit growth. To date, Focus Brands has more than 6,500 locations around the globe. A multi-sport athlete, Krause graduated from the University of Connecticut with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a concentration in Communications. While at UConn, Krause was a member of the Huskies Football team, fueling his desire to help today’s student-athletes find their voice in the increasingly complex collegiate athletic experience.

Lorin Dixon, Founder and CEO, ZaveryCakes

Lorin Dixon loved playing basketball but was always told that she would be too short to play after high school, but she never allowed that to stop her. She went on to win three straight high school state championships, was a McDonald's All-American, was named Ms. Basketball of New York and NY Gatorade Player of the Year. Dixon received a full scholarship to play for UConn under Geno Auriemma, where she went to four Final Fours and won two National Championships. She went on to play in the WNBA and for the Jamaican Olympic Team. Dixon has taken her experience of playing basketball and being an entrepreneur of previous companies to become the CEO and Founder of ZaveryCakes, a female-led pop culture bakeware brand providing a connection to pop culture through detailed character food molds designed to look exactly like your favorite pop culture icon, sports teams, TV show, and movie character, along with an exclusive NBA, WNBA, and UConn collection, bringing fandom to the kitchen table.

Aaron Torres, Owner, Aaron Torres Media

Aaron Torres co-hosts Fox Sports Radio’s national show every Saturday night alongside radio icon Arnie Spanier, with Torres serving as the youngest full-time host (outside of former athletes) on either the Fox Sports Radio or ESPN radio national platforms. He also hosts “The Aaron Torres Sports Podcast,” which routinely ranks at the top of the College Sports category on iTunes. The show hits on the biggest topics of the day, while also bringing on a slew of major guests from across the world of sports, with a heavy emphasis on the college sports scene. Torres has also authored two books in his career: One and Fun about the 2010 Kentucky Wildcats’ basketball program, and The Unlikeliest Champion, which chronicled the UConn’s run to the 2011 national championship. Both became Amazon best-sellers. He is also a former writer for outlets such as FoxSports.com and the

Amy Errett, CEO and Founder, Madison Reed

Amy Errett is the Founder and CEO of Madison Reed, an at-home hair color and hair care product line free of harmful chemicals, delivered directly to the customer. She is a self-described Disrupter and has more than 25 years of business and operating expertise as a leading entrepreneur, senior executive and social-mission visionary. Her multifaceted career has ranged from the online Web 2.0 media industry to the offline consumer marketplace to volunteer nonprofit leadership. Errett was honored by the San Francisco Business Times with the “Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business” award in 2015 and 2018 and named one of the Top 100 Female Business Founders by magazine in 2018. An active alumnus, Errett joined the UConn Foundation Board in 2015, previously serving on the Board of Directors from 1997 to 1998. She was inducted into the School of Business Hall of Fame in May 2014. While at UConn, Errett played on the women’s field hockey team.

Michael Woodward, Senior Vice President for Franchise Sales, Focus Brands

As Senior Vice President of Franchise Sales for Focus Brands, Mike Woodward leads the top-level franchise sales team, with an emphasis on intentional growth for Carvel, Auntie Anne’s, Jamba, Cinnabon, Moe’s Southwest Grill, McAlister’s Deli and Schlotzsky’s. He facilitates all aspects of the franchise sales and development function, including working with independent brand franchisees, the sales and real estate teams, and brand management teams to ensure incremental growth for seven iconic food brands in the United States and Canada. Prior to joining Focus Brands, Woodward served as the Senior Vice President of Franchise Development at Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, where he worked to increase sales growth across 20 brands. He has also held various roles at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and Phoenix Life Insurance Company, where he was responsible for a multi-state sales region in New England. Under his leadership, Woodward’s teams have broken multiple records for impressive sales growth. He holds Bachelor of Economics from UConn, where he played on the Men’s Basketball team. In his spare time, Woodward enjoys spending time with his family and mentoring high school and collegiate athletes on professional, career and real estate endeavors.