When Kristian Stengel ‘21 was a freshman sport management student at Rice, he already had an idea of where he wanted to work after he graduated. Stengel knew he wanted to work at UFC, and by his final semester at Rice he was doing just that while also being a full-time student.
“He had a good idea of exactly what he wanted to do,” Tom Stallings, Professor in the Practice, said. “He really identified a role in an organization he wanted to work for and had a laser-like pursuit of lining up with that opportunity with our help.”
Now, almost four years after starting his job at UFC, Stengel was named by Sports Business Journal in the sixth class of New Voices Under 30, a group representing the rising generation of leaders, entrepreneurs and influencers across sports business.
“It’s more of a reflection of the people around me because I've been incredibly lucky to be surrounded by people who are just amazing mentors and people who have given me opportunities and people who have given me challenges,” Stengel said. “I think Rice played a big part in this as well. It was there that I learned how to problem solve and how to have an impact. The award and the recognition is as much a reflection on my peer group at UFC and my peer group at Rice as it is anything else.”
As a manager in the department of global partnerships, Stengel is in the business development side of sponsorships. There he focuses on North America, working with brands who want to reach fans in the United States. He credits Rice for getting him to where he is today.
“Rice's Department of Sport Management is the sole reason why I'm doing what I'm doing now,” Stengel said. “It was the best four-year experience that I could have possibly had. The education was invaluable. It was everything from the professors to the curriculum.”
The recognition is a reflection of the people around him, according to Stengel. He credits his mentors, those who have given him opportunities and who have challenged him throughout his journey. Stengel says following in his footsteps is very doable, as long as students listen to each and every piece of advice they are given.
“Listen to your professors, but also your alumni,” Stengel said. “There were so many alumni who took time out of their day to call me and tell me about their experiences following the blueprint, because there is a blueprint. You're not reinventing the wheel.”
Stengel is not the first Rice Sport Management student to be recognized as a young leader in the sports industry. In 2017, Sergio Santamaria ‘18 was named a Forbes Under 30 Scholar, a title presented to the most promising students in the country to reward their effort and drive. In 2022, Ben Schragger ‘19 was named to the Front Office Sports Rising 25 list, a list of the 25 most influential people in sports who are 25 years old or younger.
Stallings emphasized the difficulty of receiving these designations, as the sports industry is vast and there are many people making waves.
“A lot of times, there are very accomplished people that are doing amazing things,” Stallings said. “I think that what Kristian has accomplished since graduation was definitely worthy of inclusion and I'm glad that he did enough in the industry that the folks at SBJ recognized that and included him.”
While Stengel has already gone far in his career, he is only 26 years old, and has much ahead of him on his journey with UFC.
“It's a day at a time right now, for sure,” Stengel said of his job. “I mean that in the best way. It's such an exciting time to be a part of the company and we're just focused on delivering results week in and week out.”
Kathleen Ortiz, a junior from Kingwood, Texas, is studying Social Policy Analysis and Sport Management with a concentration in Sport Law.