Bonnie-Jill Laflin is a trailblazing sports broadcaster, philanthropist, and TV personality. With a determined spirit and an unwavering passion for sports, she has carved a remarkable career path, becoming a prominent figure in the sports industry. The first and only female NBA scout, holding the front office executive position with the Los Angeles Lakers, Bonnie-Jill holds many “firsts” throughout her prolific career. She’s the first woman to dance at a professional level for three teams, in two sports, starting with the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, and moving to the NFL for both the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys. She is the first female to be awarded six championship rings in two professional sports, earning a Super Bowl ring during her time cheering for the 49ers, and five NBA championship rings as an executive for the Lakers. Most recently, Bonnie-Jill adds a new “first” to her repertoire as co-host of the brand-new “Women’s Western Sports Roundup” on the Cowgirl Channel. Outside of her professional endeavors, Bonnie-Jill is a committed philanthropist that actively supports numerous charitable endeavors that champion the welfare of animals and U.S. Veteran's rights – causes that are near and dear to her heart. She is the founder of Hounds and Heroes and Horses, a non-profit that pairs rescue dogs as service and therapy dogs with wounded warriors and veterans, as well as rescue horses as equine therapy for our service members and sponsoring retreats. Working to improve the lives of veterans, she has traveled to military bases across the country and abroad on 19 USO tours, including visits to bases in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In her latest book, In a League of Her Own: Celebrating Female Firsts in Sports shares the stories of nineteen impactful women in sports, including Billie Jean King, Danica Patrick, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Laila Ali, Jeanie Buss, and Mary Lou Retton. These iconic women open up to Bonnie-Jill Laflin, herself a trailblazer as the first and only female NBA scout, about the sobering realities females face in the sports world and the many obstacles they had to overcome. But they also celebrate the amazing support they received from colleagues, friends, family, and the women who came before them, and impart their own desires to inspire young women through their stories. Bonnie-Jill will also discuss her non-profit Hounds and Heroes and Horses.