Erin Blecha-Ward, President, Founder
With 17 years of experience in the sports, entertainment and public relations industries, Erin’s roles have included heading up marketing, service integration and fan experience teams in college, pro and agency settings. Erin founded Evolved Solutions Group in 2017 to help grow the sports and brand experience industry's use of data driven strategy.
Erin’s previous experience leading fan experience teams in collegiate and professional sports settings includes overseeing strategy and activation for marketing, entertainment and service experiences for premier brands. She was responsible for designing and activating over 250 events annually ranging from small training groups to multifaceted game productions for 55,000+ guests. She has been instrumental in piloting and integrating innovative technology into the game-day experience.
With a background in communication and psychology, and a focus on research and the psychology of sports consumers, she uses data and analytics as an integral piece of all she does. Erin has been published in several research-based academic journals for her work on media depictions of athletes and the effects of racial stereotyping on fan perception and bias. Erin has applied these research skills to creating a quantifiable approach to the fan experience. Her patent-pending, automated tracking tool is the first of its kind in the industry and has been adopted by collegiate and professional teams internationally to optimize their experience.
Erin is an avid sports fan and adventurer. She enjoys traveling, working out and spending time with her husband Andy and their dogs.
BUSINESS & EXPERIENCE TEAM
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Megan Lodestro
DIRECTOR OF EXPERIENCE ANALYTICS
Megan has spent more than 15 years in the sports and entertainment industry and has been with EES since 2019. Prior to joining the team, she focused on guest services, building operations and security for pro and college teams. She specializes in customer service, security operations and training including emergency training, procedures, and security equipment for large events and venues. She has helped with event production for Live Nation, festivals and Division I sports at her alma mater, Coastal Carolina University.
Megan lives in the north Georgia mountains and loves being outdoors with her two dogs Mila and Mae, going hiking, and painting. -

Katie Judge
EXPERIENCE & OPERATIONS MANAGER
Katie has over thirteen years of experience in the collegiate and professional sport industries. She spent most of her career in intercollegiate athletics as a marketing director focusing on game day atmosphere, fan experience and leading her team in digital marketing.
In 2015 she chose to turn her focus towards raising her children. Never stopping being involved in athletics. She volunteers on the boards of Scituate Foster Glocester Little League, Scituate Youth Basketball and with the Potterville Volunteer Fire Department.
A graduate of Michigan State University and the University of Illinois, Katie currently resides in Scituate, RI with her husband and two sons.
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Domenic Noto
EXPERIENCE ANALYST
Domenic has 12 years of experience in collegiate athletics and managing university focused brand partnerships. During his time in Division 1 athletics, he focused extensively on fan experience, sponsorship sales and activation, and marketing initiatives. Following his time in athletics, Domenic has spent over five years managing university partnerships for a brand heavily focused on collegiate athletics.
A graduate of UC Davis, Domenic lives in Sacramento with his wife, daughter, and dog.
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Matt Calvo
INTEGRATED EXPERIENCES MANAGER
Matt brings more than 25 years of experience spanning professional sports, broadcast media, nonprofit communications, and corporate learning in a career filled with storytelling, intentionality, and moments that make guests feel something. His career has taken him from edit suites and production booths to leading creative teams, to supporting professional development from one of the world's most recognized guest experience brands. With a mindset of fierce collaboration, Matt is a cross-functional integrator working to drive process improvement and strengthen the guest experience from the inside out.
Matt is a Florida native and graduate of the University of Florida who is passionate about belonging, creativity, and the belief that great guest experiences don't happen by accident, they're designed, practiced, and lived. When he's not working, Matt enjoys time with his wife, son, and extended family. You can often find him out in the world being a guest: visiting theme parks, sports events, theaters, and restaurants because the best way to understand guest experience is to be a guest.
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Julia Sweetman
EXPERIENCE INTERN
Julia is currently in her junior year at Xavier University, majoring in Public Relations with minors in Advertising, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, and Psychology. She is also a Division I student-athlete on the women’s swim team. Outside of the classroom and the pool, Julia is passionate about improving the student-athlete experience and volunteers as a mentor for first-year athletes.
Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, Julia is loving life in Cincinnati, Ohio. When she’s not in class, working, or training, she enjoys exploring the city, especially local coffee shops, parks, and restaurants. Julia is interested in pursuing a career in sports after graduation and is excited to learn as much as she can during her time at Evolved Experience Solutions.
DATA & TECHNOLOGY TEAM
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Jason Petit
SOLUTIONS ARCHITECT
Jason is an expert solution architect with over 14 years of experience building software platforms and architecting enterprise solutions. His technical expertise and broad range of experience allow him to create cutting-edge and elegant solutions to complex problems.
Jason lives in Illinois with his wife and their two children.
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Jason Nikowitz
DATA ANALYST, MATHEMATICIAN
Jason has over three years of experience analyzing large data sets, applying cognitive computing, predictive modeling, and traditional analytical approaches. He also develops intelligent automation solutions, applying both scripting and robotic process techniques. Previously he spent over five years teaching mathematics and statistics at the high school and college level. He is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society, a Chartered Property Casually Underwriter, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Purdue University.
Jason lives in Illinois with his wife, Caitlyn, and their two sons. When not programming or analyzing data, he often combines spending time with his family with cheering on his favorite sports teams, playing one of many musical instruments, or upgrading and maintaining his saltwater fish tank.
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Christopher McKinley
STATISTICIAN
Christopher brings years of experience working with primary and secondary data, leading advanced analytics and managing research programs at top RI academic institutions. With a focus on media, Chris’ expertise lies in applying quantitative approaches to measure the effects of messaging (both persuasive and informational) on diverse audiences. Chris received his MA from San Diego State University and his PhD from the University of Arizona. Currently an Associate Professor in the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University, Chris focuses on education and research in and out of the classroom.
Chris lives in New Jersey with his wife Faye and their two children.

