Candi N. Smiley was recently named one of Sports Illustrated’s, “100 Most Influential Black Women in Sports”, and an attorney with an enduring passion for the intersection of sports, gender, and the law. 

Early in her career, this passion took her to USA Track & Field’s Business & Legal Affairs department and later to the National Football League’s Management Council. In 2014 Attorney Smiley made a career change and decided to focus her passion and legal acumen on the eradication of Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault as well as the promotion of inclusion in the college and university environment. 

Attorney Smiley has championed Civil Rights compliance for nearly a decade.   She began her career in Civil Rights compliance at Howard University as the Title IX Director.  She continued this work at the University of California, Los Angeles. First as Deputy Title IX Director and then as the Interim Director of Staff Diversity & Equal Employment Opportunity Compliance. 

Attorney Smiley is committed to educating individuals from the classroom to the C-Suite with the knowledge they need to navigate their educational and professional careers in an environment free of harassment and discrimination. And when total eradication is not possible, empowering individuals to advocate for themselves and others.  She has created the curriculums for and facilitated hundreds of trainings and workshops for both the academic and the business communities.