First Horizon’s 2026 InfluenceHER Summit brings the athlete’s playbook to Knoxville’s businesswomen
The overlap in resilience, teamwork and leadership between athletics and business ran through every session of the day.
Knoxville’s businesswomen and community leaders took over Neyland Stadium on Aug. 25 for First Horizon Bank’s InfluenceHER Summit. The day was built around a simple idea: the skills that make women successful athletes are the same skills that make them successful financially, professionally and personally.
Event organizers pointed to research showing that 94% of women in the highest levels of business played sports, and 69% of women with high salaries did, too.
There’s also an economic case for championing women. Women often act as the “Chief Consumer Officer” of their households — managing childcare, aging parents and family spending — spanning the whole economic cycle. And since women tend to live longer than men, building independent financial and professional strength matters even more. The day’s panels helped Knoxville’s businesswomen do just that.
The pregame huddle: Your playbook for the day
Keyen Green, founder of Athletic Capital Group and a former Vol basketball player, opened the day with her own story of resilience. Green did everything right to prevent injury but still ended up with a busted knee, only to have her other knee give out the following season. This ended her playing career for good. But that setback became a pivot and that pivot become the foundation for her business.
“You may not control how the current play plays out, but you do get to choose which one you run next,” she said.
The athlete’s playbook: Lessons from Tennessee athletics
Moderated by former Vol swimmer Brittany Tarwater, this panel featured Lady Vols basketball coach Kim Caldwell and softball coach Karen Weekly. Both shared how legendary coach Pat Summitt‘s legacy still shapes their programs and the whole athletic industry today. Their advice for handling pressure translated well beyond the court: know your why, keep a backup plan rather than relying on one skill alone, limit your doom-scrolling and hold yourself accountable.
The financial playbook: Lessons from First Horizon
As presenting sponsor, First Horizon Bank took the stage and turned the conversation toward building financial momentum that carries into professional and personal life. Their practical takeaways included:
- Focus on what you can control — debt, spending, and estate planning.
- Start a savings plan and build three to six months of emergency funds.
- Build your credit early, but it’s never too late to start.
- Keep a “go bag” with emergency cash, a list of accounts and passwords and tell a trusted person where it’s stored.
- Automate savings and investments, then leave them alone rather than watching the market.
- Wait 24- to 48-hours with something “in your cart” to help mitigate impulse purchases.
- Find an “accounta-bill-a-buddy” to help stay on track.
Economic outlook for 2026
Sophia Kearney-Lederman, senior economist at FHN Financial which is First Horizon’s parent company, then gave attendees a broader economic picture of 2026.
She pointed to resilient GDP growth despite uncertainty from war conflict, with AI investment driving much of that growth over the past year and a half. At the same time, employment growth has slowed. Industries like healthcare, engineering and non-residential construction tied to AI infrastructure are adding jobs, while residential construction, entertainment production and insurance fields are not. Wage growth is also slowing as a whole.
For Knoxville’s businesswomen, the takeaway is mixed. There’s real opportunity in certain fields and being AI-knowledgable is huge, but there’s softer spending and hesitation at the Federal Reserve level. It’s a reminder that the day’s earlier advice that locking in on your finances is more important than ever.
The leadership playbook: Lessons from c-suite women
The last panel featured Knoxville-area executives: Beth Ardoin, SEVP and chief communications officer at First Horizon Bank; Chrystal Armstrong Brown, CEO of United Way of Greater Knoxville; Katie Penny, EVP of operations for Food City; Jennifer Podhajsky, former CEO of Yee-Haw Brewing Company; and Jennifer Reynolds, president of Baxter Properties.
Their advice for other women in business:
- Be willing to take the shot — you may end up in rooms you never thought possible.
- Change gracefully, since plans always pivot and complaining doesn’t help.
- Manage your time deliberately.
- Lean into women’s natural ability to relate across different people and circumstances.
- Shift your mindset from directing people to developing them as you move into leadership.
- Support eachother!
A day built by women, for women
Historically, women have had to work harder for a seat at the table when it comes to finance. Community events like this give them yet another tool for that climb.
As the note tucked into attendees’ goody bags put it: “The confidence to begin. The courage to keep going. The resilience to overcome setbacks. And the belief that you’re capable of more than you ever imagined. That’s the essence of InfluenceHER 2026. Your presence brought the athlete’s playbook to life, advancing women financially, personally and professionally.”
In further honor of this mission, First Horizon announced a $5,000 donation to Girls on the Run. The event concluded with a toast to the sisterhood in the room.
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