At Forefront of 2028 Olympic Partnerships: Tech, Athletes and Zaileen Janmohamed

Prepping for an Olympic sport requires a lifetime of preparation, focus and passion. But this doesn’t just apply to the athletes. Enter Zaileen Janmohamed. As the head of partnership development and innovation for LA28, the organizing committee for the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, Zaileen gets to leverage her love for sports and professional experience to ensure brand partners fulfill their business objectives and athletes get exposure and sponsorships during their big moment. Such a task would seem overwhelming for some but Zaileen is centered, focused and—most importantly—curious. Her “what’s next” approach and investment in curiosity is the driving force behind her success. This is especially noticeable in her career journey where she opted to choose people and opportunities that felt right rather than lean into things that might check all the typical boxes. For more inspiration from a humble and hard-working leader, read on to find out how Zaileen got to where she is today, her advice for work-life integration and why she’s not worrying about what comes next. How did you get to where you are today? I’ve always been passionate about sports. I grew up playing in a community where many females didn’t play—nor did they play the sports I liked (favorite: hockey). While it took her some time to understand my passion, with my mom’s influence, I learned from a young age to stay true to myself and my interests. Going to U-Mass for grad school was critical in my journey; it was the gateway to the industry, relationships and possibilities I could have never found on my own. If I had to name one pivotal moment in my career, it was during my time at Visa when Ricardo Fort changed my role in the Sponsorship group. It was the first time I really owned and did analytical and strategic work. I realized I had—and loved—skills that I never knew I had. Having a leader who helped cultivate my untapped potential really did set up the rest of my career. Tell us about what you are doing now. Simply put, I get to create and build every single day. My role in Partnership Development and Innovation is to change the way our partners see, access and activate the Olympic & Paralympic movement in order to drive their own business objectives. Every day I get to stretch my brain a little further and ask myself, ‘what’s next?’ This means that one day I’m analyzing the tech landscape to understand the right technologies and companies that we need to partner with, and the next day I’m working on creating a digital platform that allows our athletes to earn more money while allowing partners better access to these athletes for sponsorships. Every day is different and every day I get to stretch my brain a little further and ask myself, “what’s next?” How do you foster strong professional relationships as you grow in your career? My relationships are almost always informal because after all: we’re all human. No matter where we are in life, we’re all going through everyday things together and I find that to be common ground. While that keeps it informal, it builds lasting relationships and trust that extend far beyond the conference room/Zoom lens, which leads to work getting done a little faster and often with more impact. What’s one way you’ve invested in yourself that’s had the most impact over the course of your career? What about within the past year? This may sound a little strange, but I’ve really focused on becoming very good at being curious over the course of my career; to question how and why things are done the way they are and then trying to make those things incrementally better. That often requires a new approach but also a lot of research; understanding the right questions to ask and doing the hard work to find solutions. You also need to be a very good storyteller by finding ways to tell a story—or propose a solution—in the simplest way possible. I’ve really focused on becoming very good at being curious over the course of my career. Specifically, in the last year I’ve gotten smarter by pouring myself into the tech sector. I carve out the time to do it and I read everything from what new b-to-b and b-to-c tech is coming to market, to general trends and emerging technologies. My role requires me to be the expert in this space for our organization and I invest the time and energy to do so. How do you view work-life integration, especially now, and what advice can you share with others who may be struggling with it? For me, there is no work versus life or work-life—it’s all just life and there are many variables that need to be integrated at different points in time. It’s less about balancing work with life and more about prioritization; there are seasons where I really pour my energies into certain areas but my family always does come first. What advice do you have for other women on how to overcome typecasting at work? Lean into who you are and while you may not match up with someone else’s skills or a particular job listing, don’t change to fit the job. Figure out how your skills can be applied differently and how they can be applied in a smarter, better way. What’s one tip you can share or something you’ve learned on how to handle salary negotiations or raises? I do the work to understand what my position is worth, relative to the market, and I come prepared to advocate for myself with facts and figures in addition to my work performance. Who has helped you in your journey and how did they help shape your career? First: my current boss, Chris Pepe. He’s the first person who’s really entrusted me with an initiative of this size and given me the visibility and confidence to push the boundaries and build the impossible. That trust comes from a very open and authentic working relationship we’ve had with each other since day one. The second is LA28 CMO Amy Gleeson. We have known each other since I blindly reached out to her through the U-Mass alumni network. We’ve supported each other through work, pregnancies, job moves and the ups and downs of life. She’s been my boss, client, colleague, and dear friend (even though I underestimated San Francisco traffic and missed our very first coffee meeting 15 years ago!). What’s the single best piece of advice you’ve ever received? The quote that has stayed with me since I wrote it in my high school yearbook: “Life’s greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” I’ve clung to it all my life. What does success mean for you? To me, success is this feeling of complete contentment and knowing that at this exact moment, I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. It’s about waking up, excited and ready to go and not wondering or worrying about what’s next for me. I am successful when I’m content in the present. GoDaddy’s CMO Reveals Blueprint for Being a Leader at Work and at Home

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At Forefront of 2028 Olympic Partnerships: Tech, Athletes and Zaileen Janmohamed

The LA28 head of partnerships shares life lessons, her investment in curiosity and why she's exactly where she needs to be

Luz Corona

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Luz Corona