Angela Ruggiero

Angela Ruggiero is recognized as a leading figure in women's ice hockey and sports innovation. A four-time Olympic medalist, Ruggiero played more than 15 years with the U.S. Women's National Team, beginning her career at age 15. She was the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team that won the first gold medal in the sport at the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. Ruggiero later contributed to Team USA's silver medal in Salt Lake City, bronze in Torino, and silver in Vancouver. She holds the record for most games played for Team USA, male or female, with 256 appearances.

Ruggiero competed in eight International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's Championships, helping Team USA secure gold medals, including in 2005, 2008, and 2009. At the 2005 World Championships, she scored the decisive shootout goal that secured the United States' first World Championship title. Ruggiero was named top defenseman at three consecutive world championships and at both the 2002 and 2006 Olympic Winter Games. She also made history by playing alongside her brother, Bill, for the Central Hockey League's Tulsa Oilers, becoming the first brother-sister pair to play together in a professional hockey game in North America and the first non-goalie woman to play in a men's professional hockey game in North America.

Ruggiero's academic achievements include playing college hockey at Harvard University, where she won the Patty Kazmaier Award as the top player in women's college hockey. She scored 214 points during her college career, setting a record for a college defenseman. Ruggiero was a three-time team MVP, a four-time All-America selection, and a recipient of the NCAA's Top VIII Award. She holds degrees from Harvard Business School (MBA), Harvard College (BA), and the University of Minnesota (M.Ed.).

Her contributions to ice hockey have been recognized with inductions into the Hockey Hall of Fame, United States Hockey Hall of Fame, and IIHF Hall of Fame. Ruggiero has been named to Sports Business Journal's 40 Under 40 List and Forbes' Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Sport. She served as a member of the International Olympic Committee and the IOC Executive Board, having been elected Chairperson of the IOC Athletes' Commission.

Ruggiero is the CEO and co-founder of Sports Innovation Lab, a market research firm focused on sports technology and innovation. Her previous roles include Chief Strategy Officer for the Los Angeles 2028 Candidature Committee, Senior Management Associate at Bridgewater Associates, New Business Consultant for NBC Sports, and Director at the New York Islanders Hockey Club. Ruggiero has also worked as an Olympic hockey analyst for NBC. Her memoir, "Breaking the Ice," details her experiences in sports and leadership.