Rachel Smith
Panelist
Sports Filmmaker & Content Creator
Rachel Smith’s life changed while watching the University of Miami football team play Duke. With a few lateral passes and an ending fit for a blockbuster, Rachel knew exactly where to take her talents: the 305. She is now a proud graduate of The U with a dual degree in broadcast journalism and sports administration. During her time there she created The Culture, a show that put the experiences of students of color on screen and earned her an Emmy nomination. It also helped her discover her purpose: to create powerful stories that challenge negative stereotypes, inspire young people, and spark meaningful impact. Her documentary "Bulletproof: The Christyn Williams Story" was featured in the Summer League Film Festival and highlights the resilience and brilliance of one of basketball’s most inspiring athletes.
Rachel continued that mission with work across major sports and media brands including Bleacher Report, ESPN, Madison Square Garden Networks, the Miami Dolphins, and Wasserman where she created content for Jordan Brand, Hennessy, Gatorade, TikTok, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta. Her storytelling expanded beyond the field and the newsroom. Girls of the Game is her video series spotlighting sports journalists like Taylor Rooks, Joy Taylor, MJ Acosta, and Molly Qerim Rose as they shared the personal stories that shaped their careers. In partnership with Kevin Durant’s Boardroom, she wrote stories covering everything from HBCU football culture to the sports references woven into Drake’s music.
Today Rachel runs her production company Credential Productions where she builds the playbook for athletes and brands to show up on social media through authentic storytelling and scroll stopping content.