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INDIANAPOLIS – UMBC sophomore Heidi Williams of women’s basketball recently participated in the NCAA Legacy Lab, a four-day hands-on program hosted by NCAA leadership development staff members. 47 sophomores and juniors participated in the event.
“Legacy Lab showed me that my dreams are bigger than the game, and my legacy starts with the choices I make today,” said Williams.
See below an excerpt from the NCAA release!
At the NCAA Legacy Lab, handshakes don’t close deals. They open doors for a lifetime of connection, learning, and impact.
It starts with a simple message: Let’s build. The student-athletes in the program saw these words from program director Ashley Jocelyn again and again — in emails, LinkedIn comment sections, and plastered on signs around the venue in Indianapolis, where the NCAA hosted the second iteration of the event last weekend.
The program
Forty-seven sophomore and junior student-athletes across all three divisions attended the interactive four-day session complete with keynote speakers, workshops, games and the program’s hallmark pitch competition, the Hustle Bowl.
The Legacy Lab is about empowering student-athletes to build something they are proud of, whether it’s a business, a brand or a career making a difference. Learners selected one of three tracks:
Brand in Motion: Explore how to monetize your name, image and likeness responsibly and effectively.
Blueprint to Breakthrough: Learn the essentials of starting, operating and growing a business.
Built To Serve: Design ventures that prioritize social responsibility alongside profitability.
The Legacy Lab’s curriculum was built in alignment with the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 to help student-athletes develop the network, tools and mindset to build a career they love, whether it’s in entrepreneurship or not.
The most essential material for building something meaningful is the courage to get started. The NCAA’s Jocelyn said Legacy Lab’s mission is to empower learners to take the leap.
Legacy Lab is hosted by NCAA leadership development staff members, who organize and develop year-round programming for student-athletes, postgraduates, coaches, administrators and others. The programs support the NCAA membership through leadership development, educational resources, scholarships, grants, awards and events. Learn more about educational and leadership opportunities from the NCAA leadership development team.