Laurel Walzak

Laurel Walzak is an Associate Professor of Sport Media at the RTA School of Media, Toronto Metropolitan University. She founded the Global Experiential Sport Lab (GXSLab) in 2018, focusing on global sport media, technology, and audience behavior research. Her expertise spans sports media vectors, AI in sports, and fandom analysis across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Education:

• BA, Western University
• MBA (Finance), Queen’s University
• Certificate in Artificial Intelligence for Business, MIT Sloan School of Management
• Post-Graduate Diploma in Sport and Event Marketing, George Brown College
• PhD Candidate (Sport Media & Fandom), London South Bank University

Research & Publications: Co-authored books on Global Sport Media Vectors and upcoming manuscripts on sport technology and AI in sports (2026). Active in industry collaborations with corporations, professional sports organizations, and government boards.

Affiliations: Director of GXSLab; Member, Hype Sports Innovation AI Workshop Steering Committee; Common Ground Research Networks Advisory Board; Academic Guest at University of Zurich’s CRSA (2025).