GENDER EQUITY PANEL EVENT
Caroline Simard
Managing Director,
Stanford VMware Women's Leadership Innovation Lab
Summer Verhoeven
Executive Director,
USTA NorCal
Rosie Casals
Member of International Tennis Hall of Fame
Carolyn Gan
Executive Director,
California Partners Project
Carol Zhao
Professional Tennis Player on the WTA
Melissa Pine
Vice President Global Program Development, WTA
Championing Equality, Fighting to Achieve Pay Parity
Fifty years ago, Billie Jean King won equal pay for women at the 1973 U.S. Open, a groundbreaking achievement that revolutionized women’s sports. Today, as recently noted in the New York Times, professional tennis has a gender pay gap problem. And it’s getting worse, not better; the Financial Times reports that, excluding the Slams, prize money at men’s ATP events in 2022 was 75% percent higher than women’s WTA events, the greatest gap in two decades.
Alongside Stanford University, the Golden Gate Open will host a curated panel discussion on what happens – and why it matters beyond the court – when competition is built on a foundation of equality.
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Thursday, August 17
5pm to 6pm
Stadium Court @ Taube Tennis Center
Night Session Quarterfinals to Follow
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The Golden Gate Open is looking forward to furthering the discussion on gender pay equity in sports. Caroline Simard, Director of Stanford's VMware Women's Leadership Innovation Lab, will moderate and is joined by a panel of influential and inspiring women. We are thrilled to welcome Summer Verhoeven, Carolyn Gan, Rosie Casals, Carol Zhao, and Melissa Pine to the GGO's first Gender Equity Panel!
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Entry to panel discussion is included in purchase of any Golden Gate Open ticket.
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To learn more about becoming a panel sponsor, contact mindy@goldengateopen.com.
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