Dr. Allison Barber: President at Marvella Academy and Former President of the Indiana Fever on Building the Next Generation of Leaders Through Girls’ Sports

Aug 15, 2025

01:07:00

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What does it take to transform a team, ignite a movement, and build a future that didn’t exist before?

In this episode, Linnea Jungnelius sits down with Dr. Allison Barber – trailblazing leader, former president of the Indiana Fever, and now the force behind Marvella Academy, the first-of-its-kind youth sports and leadership campus built entirely for girls.

From reimagining a professional sports franchise to shaping the next generation of leaders, Allison shares lessons from the locker room, the boardroom, the Pentagon, and beyond. Her stories reveal how vision, conviction, and the courage to show up, again and again, can create lasting impact in business, sports, and life.

What You’ll Learn:

How to reimagine and rebuild a brand from the ground up
The framework used to turn fans into loyal, lifelong advocates
How to prepare your team for a transformational “lightning strike” moment andsustain it
Why the best leaders show up in the community, not just the corner office
How investing in girls’ sports creates a talent pipeline for future CEOs and leaders

Timecodes:

00:00 Intro

01:23 Allison Barber: Trailblazing Leader

03:41 Building a Championship Culture

05:20 The Electric Caitlin Clark Moment

11:02 The Movable Middle: Fan Engagement

19:29 The Power of Optimistic Leaders

28:58 From Teacher to Pentagon Leader

35:44 A Day That Changed Everything: 9/11 Reflections

37:46 Leadership Under Pressure: Lessons from Crisis

40:44 A New Mission: Founding Marvella Academy

42:45 Empowering Girls Through Sports: The Vision of Marvella Academy