2026 Power Play Panelists

MEET YOUR 2026 POWER PLAY PANELISTS!

HOLLY DE BEER | Chief Operating Officer; Harris County - Houston Sports Authority


Holly De Beer serves as Chief Operating Officer for the Harris County–Houston Sports Authority (HCHSA), bringing extensive experience in sports, event management, and community engagement. Now in her second tenure with the organization, Holly oversees daily operations, event strategy, and partnerships, as well as the bidding and execution of major sporting events that drive economic impact and strengthen Houston’s position as a premier global sports destination.
 
Before rejoining HCHSA, Holly was President and Co-Founder of the marketing and events agency RelEvent Worldwide. She previously spent nearly nine years with the Sports Authority in progressively senior roles, culminating as Vice President of Events, where she played a key role in securing and delivering world-class sporting events across youth, collegiate, professional and international levels.
 
Among her career highlights, Holly served as President of the 2023 NCAA Men’s Final Four Houston Local Organizing Committee. A recognized industry leader, she received the 2018 Game Changer Award from the National Association of Sports Commissions for her outstanding contributions to both the sports industry and her organization. Holly was also a 2025 WISE Houston Woman of Inspiration Honoree. 
 
A passionate advocate for sports and community, Holly earned her bachelor’s degree in Sports, Entertainment, and Event Management from Johnson & Wales University, where she also competed as a student-athlete on the women’s basketball team. She holds a master’s degree in Sports Administration from the University of Northern Colorado and previously held roles with the United States Olympic Committee and USA Boxing before relocating to Houston.

MARTYE KENDRICK | Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director; Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation - NRG Park


Martye Kendrick serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation (HCSCC), where she leads the strategic vision and daily operations of NRG Park—one of the largest public event complexes in the United States and home to the NFL’s Houston Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. In this role, she oversees NRG Park operations, capital development, tenant relations, and community impact.
 
Before taking the helm at HCSCC, she served as Of Counsel at Greenberg Traurig, LLP, where she advised on public finance, infrastructure development, and municipal law. Her practice focused on bond transactions and real estate strategies that shaped public institutions across Texas. She also held Of Counsel roles at Johnson Petrov LLP and Leon Alcala, PLLC, where she led legal teams in structuring financing and land deals for school districts, cities, and utility districts, providing both legal counsel and policy insight.
She also served as a real estate attorney at national firms including Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP and Riggs Abney, where she advised institutional investors, developers, and Fortune 500 clients on commercial acquisitions, financing, and leasing transactions. 
 
Her leadership and impact have earned her many honors, including being named one of Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women by Houston Woman Magazine, and recognized as a Women Who Mean Business honoree by the Houston Business Journal. She currently serves on the City of Houston Water Adjustment Board and previously served on the board of the Harris County–Houston Sports Authority.
 
She earned a B.A. from Trinity College, a J.D. from Howard University School of Law, and an LL.M. in taxation from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.
 

JESSICA O'NEILL | President of Business Operations; Houston Dynamo FC


Jessica O’Neill is the President of Business Operations for the Houston Dynamo Football Club (HDFC). In this role, O’Neill oversees growth efforts for Houston Dynamo FC of Major League Soccer, the Houston Dash of the National Women’s Soccer League, Shell Energy Stadium in downtown Houston and Houston Sports Park, the teams’ training facility.
 
O’Neill joined HDFC in March 2022 and was named to her current role in January 2024. She leads strategic off-the-field initiatives to drive reach, revenue and engagement for the teams and facilities to ensure that HDFC is a destination of choice for staff, players, fans and partners. With the support of majority owner Ted Segal, her tenure is marked by significant facility renovations, an improved stadium experience and a new corporate headquarters. O’Neill and the HDFC team are focused on growing the Dash and Dynamo fanbases in advance of Houston serving as a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in addition to collaborative long-term planning for Shell Energy Stadium and Houston Sports Park as well as HDFC HQ in East Downtown (EaDo).
 
O’Neill relocated to Houston in 2022 from Charlotte, NC where she was leading marketing and communications for MLS expansion team Charlotte FC ahead of the club’s record-breaking launch. Prior to that, she spent eight years in ticket sales with the Carolina Panthers, which included maximizing luxury suite, premium seating and private event revenue for the NFL team.
 
The Tampa Bay, Fla. native graduated from the University of South Carolina. She currently serves on the board of directors for Downtown Houston+, the EaDo Management District and the Greater Houston Partnership as well as Dynamo & Dash Charities. In 2024, she was a recipient of the 40 Under 40 award from the Sports Business Journal and Houston Business Journal.
 

MINAL PATEL DAVIS | Chief Legacy Officer; HOU26 Men's FIFA World Cup Host Committee


After a 20+ year career spanning the public, private, and non-profit sectors, Minal Patel Davis launched the HeneKom Group to lend her unique experience and skills to those that want to account for human rights policy integration. Davis was the founding Director of the Houston Mayor’s Office of Human Trafficking and was the Human Rights Chair of the HOU26 Men’s FIFA World Cup Host Committee.
 
She formulated Houston’s human trafficking strategic plan after speaking with 250 stakeholders in six months, assessing the gaps in the field, and forging public private partnerships to address the needs for a robust, whole government approach to trafficking. The plan was dubbed the first comprehensive municipal response to human trafficking by Polaris Project, a national human trafficking think tank. After solidifying the city’s model, Davis replicated it by creating a two-day immersion program for Mayors Offices across the US. She has also replicated aspects of the Houston model to some parts of the globe at the request of the US Department of State, and the assistance of Jones Day Foundation and others.
 
As HOU26 Human Rights Chair, Davis worked with 120 stakeholders in four months across eight human rights areas for a top-notch submission to FIFA during the bid process. Her effective translation of the UNGPs and OECD guidance caught FIFA Zurich’s attention. She conceptualized HeneKom Group in response to FIFA’s request for human rights and sustainability advisory services to support all 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup and has since taken on additional clients and grown her team. Davis has presented, trained, or conducted workshops for city governments, FIFA 2026, the US Department of State on human rights due diligence, strategic planning, or whole government responses to human trafficking. Her work has been covered in numerous national and international news outlets including the Associated Press, New York Times, Washington Post, and NPR.
 
The White House also awarded her the prestigious Presidential Medal for Extraordinary Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons, the highest US honor. Davis is a board member of Verité, the global fair labor organization and she earned her JD and MBA from University of Connecticut and a BA in political science from New York University.
 

[MODERATOR] TAMARA LUPO | Chief Operating Officer; Professional Sports Partners


As the quarterback of PSP, Tamara is at her best when the game is on the line. Keeping clients’ goals and objectives at the forefront of planning, Tamara is the first to ask “What does success look like?” and then calls the play for her team to score the winning touchdown. 
 
Tamara leads the team at PSP to over-deliver for clients, challenging them all to re-think the status quo and push the boundaries for brands beyond their expectations. Having been with PSP since its launch in 2012, Tamara is a key leader on the executive team in shaping the trajectory of the agency. 
 
PSP has a strong roster of clients across the country, including Mahindra Tractors, Coaches vs. Cancer, 76, TDECU, Mattress Firm, Toyota, and Protective Life Corporation. Additionally, PSP is a go-to marketing partner for mega events here at home, including Men’s Final Four Houston 2023 and Houston’s World Cup Bid Committee. The sales consulting arm of PSP develops partnerships on behalf of properties, including the naming rights to CHI Health Center in Omaha, entitlement of the LendingTree Bowl in Mobile, and the jersey kit partners for Union Omaha and the Las Vegas Lights.
 
Prior to moving to the agency side of sports business, Tamara spent her career on the team side. With experience in minor league hockey and a touch of the NFL, Tamara worked with the NBA’s Houston Rockets for nine seasons, first in marketing/branding/promotions and later in corporate partner development and activation. 
 
A proud Longhorn, Tamara earned her BBA in Marketing from The University of Texas.