Mary Kate Meals

School: School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management
Degree: BS, sport and recreation management, 2020
Hometown: Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

Growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Mary Kate Meals, STH ’20, EDU ’20, and her family frequently went into the city for sports, arts and entertainment events. She vividly remembers being in middle school and riding the subway jammed full of fans when the Phillies won the World Series in 2008. The energy was palpable, and she loved how people turned out for the home team. At the time, many in sports entertainment were predicting “the future is female.” Today, Meals is proving that to be true. In her current role with the Cleveland Cavaliers, she works to bring people of all identities together in shared celebration.

“Philadelphia is a great sports town that is racially and ethnically diverse. There are many colleges and universities in the city, but Temple University encompasses the Philadelphia culture more than any other institution. By attending Temple, I was able to benefit because I was submerged in a unique environment. The academic standard at the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management is one-of-a-kind.”

Click the audio to hear what she has to say.

Photography by Scott Goldsmith

A winning formula

Temple was the obvious choice for Meals because of its access to Division I sports teams and the academic rigor that she was looking for in her college education.

“There are many colleges and universities in the city, but Temple encompasses the Philadelphia culture more than any other institution,” she said. “The academic standard at the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality is one of a kind because the school is thoroughly committed to providing student-centered education and professional development.”

Additionally, within the College of Education and Human Development, Meals completed a certificate in diversity and inclusion.

“Racial diversity was an integral part of the on-campus environment, and I saw sports as a way to bring people together across different dimensions of diversity as a united fan base,” she said. Her thesis looked at how diversity and inclusion were impacting professional sports. Meals found that diversity, equity and inclusion could be leveraged to increase revenue, strengthen partnerships and remain authentic in the community. These facets form the strategy of her current role as manager of diversity, equity and inclusion for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Ultimately, she appreciated how her classes connected her directly to the industry she wanted to work in after graduation.

“Being in the heart of North Philadelphia opened tremendous access to the city’s major sports teams; local nonprofits; and Division I, II and III athletics,” she said. “I truly had the opportunity to immerse myself as a student in real-world experiences both in the curriculum and outside of the classroom.”

Shooting her shot

In her sophomore year, Meals took a class with Professor Richard Ridall, who encouraged her to go into sales. She doubted her proclivity for it, but when Ridall asked his students to interview experts in a field of interest, Meals emailed the Alliance of American Football for an informational interview. To her surprise, the senior vice president of the company for ticket sales Murray Cohn not only agreed to the interview but later invited her to an industry conference. There, she met staff members of the Cleveland Cavaliers and initiated the conversations that would soon shape her career.

“As a student, you have so much opportunity. You’re able to email someone and say, ‘I’m a student, I’d love to learn more about what you do,’ or, ‘I’m working on informational interviews for class; could I connect with you for 10–15 minutes?’ It’s such an advantage,” said Meals.

“Being in the heart of North Philadelphia opened tremendous access to the city’s major sports teams; local nonprofits; and Division I, II and III athletics. I truly had the opportunity to immerse myself as a student in real-world experiences both in the curriculum and outside of the classroom.”

–Mary Kate Meals
Manager, Diversity, equity and inclusion

Transforming the game

In her current role, Meals is the liaison between the social impact and equity team and internal teams. She also manages the organization’s eight team member resource groups serving individuals who identify as Latiné, Black and African American, LGBTQ+, women, Jewish, Asian American Pacific Islander, veterans, and parents and caregivers.

“What drives me is being able to create that experience for someone who wouldn’t walk into our building otherwise,” she said. “Whether it’s [offering] all-gender restrooms, [finding] a bilingual team member or [having] a partner who can provide transportation.”

And Meals acknowledges that the nature of her work may change in the future. “The scope of [DEI] work progresses with society, which is advancing quickly. I don’t really know what’s next. But I know that if I continue to walk in my purpose, those doors will open for me.”