Gelsomina Picariello is the Head of Studio and Development for Foolish Club Studios – the entertainment studio launched by the leadership of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs – and the organization’s Sr. Director of Media Programming & Development. In these roles, she works closely with the club’s Chief Media and Marketing Officer to lead the development and execution of media and creative-led growth strategies. She is also a proud member of the Producers Guild of America (PGA).

Picariello was an integral member of the team that launched Foolish Club Studios in February 2025. The studio builds on the legacy of American sports pioneers and Kansas City Chiefs Founder Lamar Hunt. This has inspired the ethos of the studio that celebrate the heart, humor, and hope of “foolish dreamers” who dare to believe in something bigger.

She served as a co-executive producer on The Kingdom – the six-part ESPN and Disney+ docuseries that chronicled the history of the Kansas City Chiefs and documented the club’s pursuit of an unprecedented third-consecutive Super Bowl during the 2024 NFL season.

The formation of the studio followed the success of the Chiefs Hallmark Channel collaboration, Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story – the number one cable movie of 2024 and a project under Picariello’s purview.

A national Sports Emmy Award winner, Picariello has more than 13 years of experience across the sports, media, and entertainment landscape. She began her career at The Walt Disney Company at ABC Sports and ESPN, contributing to a wide range of sports properties, including ESPN international and the network’s tennis portfolio (the U.S. Open,
Australian Open, and Wimbledon).

Since joining the Chiefs in January 2022, she has helped launch numerous programs and campaigns focused on driving audience growth and deepening fan loyalty. In 2023, she played a key role in “The World’s Largest Tailgate” – the club’s combined live and virtual season kickoff program – which was nominated for the Producers Guild of America’s
Innovation Award.

Picariello is a former mentee of Sports Business Journal’s (SBJ) Game Changers program, which pairs industry trailblazers with women in the early stages of their sports careers. She was selected to the NFL’s Mid-Career Executive Education Program at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.

A native of Weehawken, N.J., Picariello holds a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from Montclair State University and a master’s degree in business strategy and branding from School of Visual Arts (SVA).