Girl Power

Driven by dreams of Olympic gymnastics, Mel spent the majority of her time from the age of 7 training to be an Olympic gymnast until she injured her back at 13. Despite a setback, she shifted her focus to earning a college scholarship and competing in Division I NCAA Women’s Gymnastics. Mel ultimately found her place at Michigan State University, where she excelled both athletically and academically as a Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy student. After law school, Mel took a role as the first and only in-house counsel for a healthcare advisory service and analytics company. From there she became Assistant General Counsel at the American Medical Association where she worked until making the life-changing decision to start her own law firm in 2022. She’s the Founder and Managing Attorney of MDG Law Virtual which she started July 2022.

Jewell is a professional basketball player who was drafted first overall in the 2015 WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) by the Seattle Storm, her current team. She has also played for Perfumerias Avenida of Spain’s Liga Femenina de Baloncesto. During Women’s History Month, Jewell partnered with Los Angeles Lakers’ assistant coach Phil Handy’s 94 Feet of Game app and DJ Khaled’s We The Best Foundation for the Future of Basketball Is Female campaign. She is also an ambassador for Eye to Eye, focusing on mentoring people with learning disabilities.

Danielle (Dani) Tyler is the most decorated softball player in Illinois history. She played a pivotal role in Team USA’s first Olympic gold medal win in 1996. Graduating from Oak Park River Forest High School in 1992, Dani earned numerous awards, including Athlete of the Year and the School’s Traditional of Excellence Award. She was also named Female Athlete of the Year by both the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. At Drake University, she became their most decorated softball player, receiving multiple NCAA awards. Dani was a member of the United States Softball Team from 1994-2000, winning Olympic Gold in 1996. She is member of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame, has won numerous athletic and humanitarian awards throughout the United States, has been a motivational speaker for several organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, and is actively involved in several charitable and civic organizations throughout the Chicagoland area.

Bridget Venturi Veenem, a two-time World Cup Champion and Olympic Trials Coach, has made significant strides in the world of sports. As the first woman to win the American Gladiator Grand Championship in 1989, she’s also a gold medalist in the Women’s World Cup in 2004 and 2006. Bridget’s achievements extend beyond her playing career; she’s served as an assistant coach for Team USA trials and was the first woman selected to the USA Baseball board of directors. A former two-sport athlete at the University of Michigan, earning All-Big Ten honors, Bridget continues to inspire through her coaching and leadership roles.