Jenn Sylvester

Assistant Director of Corporate Partnerships @ Fort Wayne TinCaps

Thank you, Jenn Sylvester, Assistant Director of Corporate Partnerships at the Fort Wayne TinCaps, for sharing your journey!

Jenn leads full-service sales for the TinCaps, driving revenue through ticket packages, group sales, and corporate partnerships. With a BA in Sport Management and an MBA earned after gaining real-world experience, she’s built a strong foundation that allows her to see the business both strategically and operationally.

A defining step in her career was transitioning into corporate sales, where she’s gained exposure to running teams, managing vendors, and building partnerships that strengthen the organization. Jenn is intentional about making her voice heard in a male-dominated space and believes in finding personal “work-life harmony” that prioritizes self-care.

She loves creating memories, building lasting relationships, and making an impact in the community. Her advice: gain customer service experience, stay out of the drama, and focus on doing great work. Long term, Jenn hopes to become a MiLB General Manager — and she’s already checked 20 MLB ballparks off her bucket list.

— Zara

Please describe your role & responsibilities at that position?

I sell full service for the TinCaps meaning I sell both tickets and corporate partnerships. Main responsibilities include generating new sales revenue for ticket packages, groups and sponsorship.

What did you study in college and how did your educational background shape your career in the sports industry?

BA in Sport Management and MBA. I always knew I wanted to work in sport and my educational background helped cement that and introduce me to the TinCaps and other organizations through internships and practicums. I got my MBA after being in the industry a few years which was helpful to really be able to apply it to my everyday responsibilities and see things at a more conceptual level.

Can you share the key milestones in your career that led you to your current position in the sports industry?

Transitioning into the Corporate Sales department was a defining moment in my career. It’s opened the door to learn how to run my own team and learn about the nuances of an organization. I’m involved with who are beer distributors are and other food vendors and helping create partnerships that make our organization better.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a woman in the sports business, & how have you overcome them?

It can be easy to be overlooked being a female in this industry and I make sure to make my voice heard in a room. You have to do it tactfully, but make sure your opinions are shared.

​Balancing a career is demanding. How do you manage a work-life balance? What strategies have worked well for you?

If you figure this one out let me know. I like to call it work life harmony. Everyone’s harmony is different. Some need to completely shut off from work when they’re at home and some are connected 24/7. I choose taking care of myself as a priority and always hit the gym or take walks, however, I will check email when I’m at home or off. Sometimes checking it makes it easier to return to the office. If something take a couple minutes to do I am all about taking care of it right away.

How important is mentorship for women in the sports industry? Have you had mentors or role models who played a significant role in your career and can give some details?

It’s super important. Women don’t have an easy road so to have trailblazers to look up to and ask for advice is super important.

In a male-dominated industry, do you feel women are given equal opportunities? What steps do you think can be taken to promote gender equality in the sports industry?

We are making really good steps. When I first started over 10 years ago, I was one of only a handful of females on our full-time staff and now that number is close to 40%. We are proving that we can hang around in the “boys” club and if female leaders continue to show success in leadership positions that will continue to open up doors.

What aspects of your work in the sports industry do you enjoy the most? What parts do you find the most challenging ?

Getting to create memories and so many lasting relationships. We make a difference in the community we operate.

The hours are a grind but it’s for the love of the game. Customers are getting a bit more difficult to work with as it seems to be a sense of entitlement and urgency that didn’t exist before.

What advice do you have for young women aspiring to build a successful career in the sports industry?

Get experience specifically customer service. Stay out of the drama. We had a class of mostly female interns this year and there was so much drama. We walked away saying maybe we shouldn’t hire so many girls. Don’t let this be the case! Be low maintenance and get your shit done.

What is your long-term personal goal that you still want to achieve both business wise and personal?

I want to be a general manager for a MiLB team.

Any fun facts or interesting things you’d like the world to learn about you? Favorite food, hobbies, pet peeves, etc.?

Bucket list is to visit all MLB ballparks. I have hit 20 out of 30!.