Dr. Ashleigh Huffman is an internationally recognized expert in sports diplomacy, gender equity, and research-driven social impact. As Sr. Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Aspen Institute, she forges alliances with governments, corporations, sports leagues, and academic institutions to drive system-level reform that promote sport for all.
Previously, Dr. Huffman served as the Chief of Sports Diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State, where she played a key role in shaping international sports policy, advising on major global sporting events—including the Olympics, Paralympics, and World Cup—and leading strategic initiatives that leveraged sport to advance U.S. foreign policy priorities. Before that, she co-founded the Center for Sport, Peace, and Society at the University of Tennessee, leading research on sport’s role in gender and community development. Read more Dr. Huffman co-created the Global Sports Mentoring Program with the State Department and espnW, a pioneering initiative recognized with the ESPN Stuart Scott Humanitarian Award and Peace and Sport “Diplomatic Action of the Year” Award. Across 130+ countries, she has worked with athletes, coaches, corporations, and policymakers to implement research-based solutions that create lasting impact. A former two-time basketball captain at Eastern Kentucky University, she earned her PhD in Sociocultural Studies from the University of Tennessee and remains committed to using sport as a platform for systemic change worldwide.
