Kati Fernandez is an Afro-Latina born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Cambridge, MA, with a wealth of experience in content creation, strategy, production, management, operations, and marketing. As the Senior Director of Development at ESPN, Kati currently leads the strategy and development team. In this role, she oversees creating compelling content across ESPN Originals, ESPN Films, 30 for 30 documentaries, and Special Projects. Her journey in the industry has seen her contribute significantly to renowned platforms such as the NFL Network and Hulu.
Kati is also a HearstLab Scout, actively participating in evaluating potential HearstLab investments at pre-seed and seed stages. HearstLab supports women-led companies primarily in B2B and B2B2C SaaS business models with a working MVP or initial product and early market validation. Beyond her role at ESPN and involvement with HearstLab, Kati is the Vice President of WISE Boston (Women in Sports and Events). She is deeply invested in fostering connections, development, and elevation for women in the industry.
Kati's impact goes beyond borders, as she runs the non-profit Lazos Al Futuro in the Dominican Republic with her family. Translating to "Tides to the Future," the organization focuses on mentoring and sponsoring the growth and education of high school youth members. With a commitment to improving high school and college graduation rates, Lazos Al Futuro now extends its support to full college scholarships. Kati's involvement includes overseeing two offices in Santiago and Luperon, Puerto Plata, in the Dominican Republic, managing volunteer staff in the U.S. and the D.R.
With a Bachelor's degree from the College of the Holy Cross and a Master of Science in Communications from Syracuse University, Kati is a compassionate leader aiming to make a lasting impact in the sports and entertainment industry and beyond.
