film producer/entrepreneur Emma Krokdal, Dolph Lundgren, film producer/Honorary Consul General of Sweden in Los Angeles Gudrun Giddings, John Heilman
In celebration of the FIFA World Cup 2026, leaders across sports, entertainment, technology, finance, and media convened for an exclusive, invitation-only evening titled Role Models in Sports, focused on the psychology of elite performance and the mentors shaping the next generation of athletes.
Hosted by AthreQ Chairman Peter Stridh and CEO Katriina Lillelund, including Managing Director of The Agency Berlin GmbH Stefanie Unger, the event took place last week on June 9 at The London Hotel West Hollywood. The evening began with an intimate networking cocktail reception, followed by opening remarks from West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman, Ms. Lillelund and Mr. Stridh.
Ms. Lillelund opened the discussion with a question, “Why is it that sports is so fascinating? I guess it’s because it’s the ultimate unfolding of human potential, really. When you look at elite performance, elite sports; it is the ultimate unfolding of human potential. It’s magic. It’s something that draws people to watch it again and again.”
She added, “So, the conversation of this evening is not only about elite performance, it’s really about the future of sports. It’s about how we can become much better at evaluating, creating much better systems, structures, technology that supports young, current and next generation athletes to truly be seen for who they are, help them in their development and become the best version that they can be.”
Strategically timed ahead of the World Cup’s June 11 opening match—and Los Angeles’ major tournament programming, including the U.S. Men’s National Team match at SoFi Stadium on June 12—the event spotlighted one of the fastest-evolving conversations in global sports: how psychology, leadership, mentorship, technology, and data are redefining how athletes are identified and developed.
The featured panel, Understanding the Signature Psychology of the World’s Best Athletes, was moderated by Gudrun Giddings, Honorary Consul General of Sweden in Los Angeles. The distinguished panel included Dolph Lundgren, Katriina Lillelund, Andrew Beinbrink, and Lisa Tengbom, who explored how psychological traits influence team culture, recruitment, performance outcomes, and long-term success. Key discussion themes included resilience, confidence, emotional regulation, competitiveness, coachability, leadership, talent identification, and the growing role of AI in uncovering insights beyond traditional methods.
Panelist Dolph Lundgren brought a unique perspective as a Swedish actor, filmmaker, engineer, martial artist, and lifelong high-performance athlete. A former captain of the Swedish National Karate Team, Lundgren is a champion in Swedish, European, and Australian heavyweight full-contact karate and previously served as Team Leader of the U.S. Olympic Modern Pentathlon Team during the 1996 Atlanta Games.
As Founder and CEO of AthreQ, Katriina Lillelund highlighted the company’s work in AI-powered player intelligence, helping sports organizations evaluate and develop talent through advanced psychological profiling and data-driven insights.
Andrew Beinbrink, Founder and CEO of SportsForce, and a former Arizona State All-American and professional baseball player with the Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers organizations, shared insights on guiding student-athletes through recruitment and scholarship opportunities.
Lisa Tengbom, a Swedish-born strategy and growth leader and former professional alpine skier and Swedish National Champion, contributed expertise spanning performance longevity, wellness, and mentorship.
Gudrun Giddings, Andrew Beinbrink, Lisa Tengbom, Katriina Lillelund, Dolph Lundgren
The evening concluded with the presentation of the Living the Example Award, by Mentor Foundation USA, recognizing leadership, resilience, and positive impact on youth. The award was presented to 15-year-old student Larissa Gomez by Ruth Morales of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Operation Engage Los Angeles Division and Gudrun Giddings, who also serves on the Board of Directors of Mentor Foundation USA. The organization is part of the global Mentor International network, founded in 1994 by H.M. Queen Silvia of Sweden in collaboration with the World Health Organization, and is dedicated to helping young people make healthy, informed life choices.
Ruth Morales, Gudrun Giddins, Larissa Gomez, and Mrs. & Mr. Gomez
The event was supported by AthreQ AI, Amazon Web Services, and Milkadamia. AthreQ focuses on AI-driven athlete assessment and psychological profiling; AWS provides the cloud infrastructure and AI capabilities powering the future of sports technology; and Milkadamia is a plant-based nutrition company committed to regenerative agriculture and sustainable food innovation.
Featured photo: Lisa Tengbom, Katriina Lillelund, Mayor of West Hollywood John Heilman, Peter Stridh | Photos by Lizeth Ramirez for AthreQ
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