Our Team
Chris Glidden
Chris Glidden is an accomplished sports communications professional with extensive experience spanning nearly a decade working in professional soccer. He has held key roles within various professional sports organizations, including the Philadelphia Union, LA Galaxy and Major League Soccer prior to founding the North American Soccer Business and Media Awards.
Chris began his career in Major League Soccer with the Philadelphia Union, where he served as the Press Coordinator, leading all communications initiatives for the club. After two years with the Union, he later joined the LA Galaxy, where he most recently served as the Senior Communications Manager of both the club and its venue, Dignity Health Sports Park. Over the course of eight seasons, he helped lead various initiatives that garnered widespread recognition and multiple awards across marketing, communications and digital efforts.
Throughout his career, Chris Glidden has had the opportunity to collaborate with some of the biggest names in the sport, including Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Javier Hernandez, amongst others. His interactions with renowned players, coaches, media and industry professionals have further solidified his expertise within the soccer community.
In addition to his impactful work within professional sports teams, Chris also shares his knowledge and experience as an Adjunct Professor of Sports Communications at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications and Sports Management programs. In this role, he imparts valuable insights and practical skills to aspiring sports communicators and business professionals, preparing them for successful careers in the field.
Chris holds a bachelor's degree in Public Relations with a minor in Spanish from the University of Florida. His educational background, combined with his hands-on experience, has equipped him with a comprehensive skill set that encompasses strategic communication, media relations and creative writing.
Throughout his career, Chris Glidden has received accolades and recognition for his exceptional contributions to the field of sports communications. He has been part of award-winning teams, receiving honors such as PR Team of the Year, Digital Team of the Year, and Marketing Team of the Year, all issued by Major League Soccer.
Raquel Braun
Raquel Braun is a seasoned sports and media business executive with an extensive background in strategy & operations, media rights negotiations, production, and high-profile talent engagement. Raquel has worked with the biggest sports leagues and events in the world, including FIFA, the NFL, Formula 1, MLB, MLS, UEFA, the Premier League, the NHL, UFC and NASCAR.
Most recently, Raquel served as a senior Business Development executive at EA SPORTS where she managed three new verticals within the business development organization, transforming media partnerships, talent engagements, and Esports initiatives across EA SPORTS’ portfolio of brands. During her time at EA SPORTS, Raquel led negotiations on first-of-their-kind partnerships, such as the award-winning Ted Lasso x FIFA23 integration with Apple and WB, development of the feature film “Fantasy Football” with Nickelodeon, Spring Hill Productions and Paramount+, and the Sports Emmy-nominated 2022 Madden Bowl, which featured the creation of the first Madden NFL channel and audio-only production on iHeartRadio. In this role, Raquel also played an integral part in the development of new short and long-form content concepts, including the integration of Madden NFL into select games from Amazon Prime’s inaugural season of Thursday Night Football and the creation of new Esports show formats, such as FIFA Face-Off featuring Trevor Noah, Becky G, Jason Sudeikis and Nicky Jam. Additionally, Raquel and her team worked on the development of multi-faceted talent partnerships with athletes such as Deion Sanders, Kylian Mbappé, Max Verstappen, and more.
Prior to joining EA SPORTS, Raquel was Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs at FOX Sports where she managed high-profile talent negotiations, advised on production operations and strategy, and oversaw production-related deal-making for FOX Sports’ premier properties. In this role, she led on-the-ground business and legal affairs efforts in Russia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Paris and Vancouver for the FIFA Women’s World Cups in 2019 and 2015, respectively, Miami for Super Bowl LIV, and Houston & Los Angeles for the 2017 World Series, amongst other events. In prior roles with FOX, Raquel worked on the acquisition of major sports rights for FOX’s global sports networks, the development of original programming, including documentaries, game shows and reality shows, and provided support on the launches and management of various FOX Sports international networks and businesses.
Raquel is an alumna of Georgetown Law, where she is also an Adjunct Professor, and the University of Florida. She serves on the Georgetown Law Alumni Board and as the Chair of the University of Florida Sports Management Industry Advisory Board.