Full Name
Fran Harris
Job Title
Co-Founder
Company
EXALT
Speaker Bio
Fran Harris has been a champion on and off the court for more than 30 years. She led the University of Texas to a 34-0 NCAA championship, and in 1997, played on the WNBA’s inaugural championship team with the Houston Comets. A former Procter & Gamble health and beauty sales executive, speaker and biz consultant to more than 70 Fortune 100 companies, Fran’s career in sports includes tenure as a high school basketball coach, community marketing & fan engagement in college athletics, and mentor and confidante to over 50 professional athletes, coaches and execs.
Fran was the first black woman to host her own renovation show on HGTV, the leading home & lifestyle television network in 100 million homes. After retiring from the W, she spent 17 years as an ESPN announcer, and is a current TV color analyst for the WNBA’s Dallas Wings franchise. She has appeared as a business thought leader on Good Morning America, The Today Show, CNBC, CNN, MSNBC, BET, TV One, Oprah's Radio Network, America's Next Great Restaurant, and recently appeared on ABC's hit reality business show, SHARK TANK, pitching ELECTRA, her better-for-you electrolyte powders made by and for women. In 2025, Fran led the bid to bring a WNBA expansion franchise to Austin. In 2026, she will launch EXALT, a developmental basketball ecosystem for girls and women – headquartered in Austin, Texas.
She’s the co-founder/owner of THE ATHLETIC CLUB indoor and outdoor sports complexes, and the creator/host of the AUSTIN SPORTS AWARDS, an annual event honoring the best and brightest in Austin’s vibrant sports scene. She earned a BA & MA in Journalism from UT, and a Master of Science in Tech Commercialization from UT’s McCombs School of Business. In 2025, she joined business titans Mark Cuban, Lisa Davis and Elon Musk on the Austin Business Journal’s “Texas 100” list of the state’s most influential businesspeople. In November 2025, she’ll be bestowed the highest honor given by The University of Texas - the Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Fran was the first black woman to host her own renovation show on HGTV, the leading home & lifestyle television network in 100 million homes. After retiring from the W, she spent 17 years as an ESPN announcer, and is a current TV color analyst for the WNBA’s Dallas Wings franchise. She has appeared as a business thought leader on Good Morning America, The Today Show, CNBC, CNN, MSNBC, BET, TV One, Oprah's Radio Network, America's Next Great Restaurant, and recently appeared on ABC's hit reality business show, SHARK TANK, pitching ELECTRA, her better-for-you electrolyte powders made by and for women. In 2025, Fran led the bid to bring a WNBA expansion franchise to Austin. In 2026, she will launch EXALT, a developmental basketball ecosystem for girls and women – headquartered in Austin, Texas.
She’s the co-founder/owner of THE ATHLETIC CLUB indoor and outdoor sports complexes, and the creator/host of the AUSTIN SPORTS AWARDS, an annual event honoring the best and brightest in Austin’s vibrant sports scene. She earned a BA & MA in Journalism from UT, and a Master of Science in Tech Commercialization from UT’s McCombs School of Business. In 2025, she joined business titans Mark Cuban, Lisa Davis and Elon Musk on the Austin Business Journal’s “Texas 100” list of the state’s most influential businesspeople. In November 2025, she’ll be bestowed the highest honor given by The University of Texas - the Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Speaking At