

Dr. Allison Barber: President at Marvella Academy and Former President of the Indiana Fever on Building the Next Generation of Leaders Through Girls’ Sports
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
44:59 The Impact of Sports on Leadership and Mental Health
50:10 Building the Future: Marvella Academy's Ambitious Plans
52:43 The Business of Women's Sports: Opportunities and Challenges
01:03:59 Lightning Round: Personal Reflections
Resources:
Dr. Allison Barber:
Website: https://www.marvellasports.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-barber-phd-06201a2/
Linnea Jungnelius:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/linneajungnelius
Explore the Podcast:
Spotify: https://acertitu.de/allison-barber-spotify-podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://acertitu.de/allison-barber-apple-podcast
Blog: https://acertitu.de/allison-barber-blog
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