Neda Barrie is a seasoned veteran with over 25 years of experience in professional sports and currently serves as the faculty chair of the Sports and Entertainment program at Grand Canyon University. She is also a co-founder of Breaking BarrierZ, an educational platform dedicated to eliminating implicit bias and racism. Neda spent over 22 seasons in the NBA and WNBA, as a Senior Executive Vice President in both business operations and player development. She played a key role in strategic planning, marketing, branding, event management, corporate partnerships, and foundation development. Notably, she contributed to securing the naming rights deal for Oracle Arena and helped coordinate multiple NBA All-Star games and playoff events. She also served on the NBA’s Steering Committee for player development and supported numerous athletes in gaining national recognition for their off-court contributions. After her tenure in professional sports, Neda became a partner at IVC Global Sports and Entertainment and later joined Allison+Partners as Senior Vice President, leading marketing and communications efforts for major clients such as Toyota and the United States Equestrian Federation. A California native, Neda credits her faith and family for keeping her grounded. She and her husband Sebastian have two children, Sofia and Nicolas. Neda holds a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University, a Master’s in Sports Management from St. Mary’s College, and a Master’s in Human Relations from Liberty University.