Courtesy of the Southwestern Athletic Conference
The Southwestern Athletic Conference has announced the additions of Chrysa Chin and Megan Holston-Alexander to its SWAC Advisory Board.
“We’re extremely elated to welcome Chrysa Chin and Megan Holston-Alexander as members of the SWAC Advisory Board,” said SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland.
“Since its inception members of this board have served as valuable resources towards assisting with the advancement of the strategic initiatives of the Conference Office across a wide array of platforms. Our student-athletes have also been positively impacted by the contributions of our board members through professional development seminars, group lectures, and internships.”
“We look forward to working with our board members in the near future to provide additional programming and mentorship opportunities that will significantly enhance the development of our student-athletes in multiple facets.”
Chin is the NBPA’s first-ever Chief Player Engagement Officer. Under her leadership in this new role, Chin is responsible for delivering a powerful set of player-centric services that provide players with the best resources and solutions to protect their physical and mental well-being, develop their careers, and maximize their success on and off the court.
Chin has more than 30 years of experience in sports and entertainment, focused on developing and managing relationships to influence behavior and outcomes. In her previously held role as EVP, Strategic Engagement & Development, Chin was charged with creating processes to identify, preempt, and provide player counseling and support in connection with challenges and disruptions faced by members.
She led crisis management initiatives which included oversight of the Anti-Drug Program, and partnered to provide strategic solutions for resolving on and off-court issues. In addition, Chin served as the primary liaison with draft prospects, elite youth, and rookies.
Prior to her 2014 return to the NBPA, Chin was the NBA’s Vice President of Player Development. She oversaw the department’s player interaction, including at-risk player management, spearheaded its “20 and Under” program, and served as a League representative in the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug program.
In her early years, Chin served as the Special Assistant to the Executive Director of the NBPA, later departing to consult for Nike, Inc. She has also played an active role within the NBA/NBPA Rookie Transition Program, USA Basketball, and the WNBA among others.
Chin attended Hobart and Williams Smith Colleges and received a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations.
Holston-Alexander is a partner at Andreessen Horowitz where she leads the firm’s Cultural Leadership Fund (CLF). CLF connects the world’s greatest cultural leaders, including professional athletes, entertainers, musicians, and c-level executives, to the best new technology companies and engages, empowers and elevates Black builders and creators on their journey towards excellence in the technology industry.
Launched in 2018, CLF is Silicon Valley’s first venture capital fund consisting exclusively of Black cultural leaders and organizations committed to Black wealth generation. CLF has invested in more than 300 startups across industries including consumer, crypto, enterprise, fintech, and healthcare/biotech.
In turn, 100% of the management fees and carry associated with the fund are donated to non-profit organizations that share CLF’s mission of advancing more African Americans in technology. Megan also oversees the CLF Talent Network which connects Black professionals to opportunities in the technology industry.
Holston-Alexander cofounded When Founder Met Funder, an annual conference focused on connecting Black female entrepreneurs with peers and investors for networking and fundraising support.
Born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama, she grew up in the heart of the SWAC as the daughter of two Alabama A&M University alums with many other SWAC schools across the family.
Holston-Alexander earned a BA from Clark Atlanta University and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she relaunched the Black Business Conference after a 10+ year hiatus. She has also served on the advisory committee of the 50 Fund, the official philanthropic arm of Super Bowl 50. She currently serves on the boards of three nonprofits – All Stars Helping Kids, HBCUvc, and The Hidden Genius Project.
