Ellen Barkann

For twelve years Ellen Barkann was a competitive figure skater who, by age thirteen, was already achieving high levels in the sport in singles, pairs, and ice dancing categories. Having trained at the University of Delaware while attending college there, she competed nationally in ice dancing before she stopped skating to finish her college education. In 2013 Ellen was inducted into the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame for her figure skating accomplishments.

After her own competitive career ended, she coached for eight years on a local, regional and sectional level. She and her husband Michael married in 1992, moved to Boston for almost six years, and then returned to Philadelphia in 1997. Over the following twenty-five years, Ellen often assisted Michael on his way to becoming an iconic figure on the local sports scene as the host of Spotlight, Daily News Live, and the Philadelphia Phillies and Eagles pre-and-post game live broadcasts for Comcast SportsNet. Nationally, Michael also covered speed skating for three Olympics as well as tennis broadcasts for eighteen U.S. Opens and four French Opens for the USA Network, CBS, and NBC.

In 2005, Ellen created her own company, The Sports Events Group, which represented athletes for personal appearances and speaking engagements. Through her many retail, corporate, and media contacts, she was able to create entertainment and media opportunities, appearances, client experiences, and endorsements for athletes from all four major sports both in Philadelphia and nationally, as well as celebrities and entertainers from all over the country.

In 2011, Ellen put The Sports Events Group on hold in order to raise her children. While at home, she created The Barkann Family Healing Hearts Foundation, a non-profit 501c3 organization whose mission is to provide grants to local organizations and families throughout the Delaware Valley who are overcome by financial burdens caused by family crisis, long term illness, or sudden loss of life. To date, as the President of the organization, events she created and hosted for the Foundation have enabled the Barkann’s to give away over two million dollars to families across the Delaware Valley who are struggling with crippling financial adversity.

Ellen is a graduate of Temple University with degrees in Psychology and Physical Education. She currently lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with her husband and three dogs. Her most proud accomplishments are her grown children, Emily and Matthew.