Joann Klonowski was born and raised in Cleveland, OH. She began her career in finance and through a referral by a friend, worked in the accounting department of the PGA Championships when it was hosted in Detroit and Cleveland. That launched a luminous career in sports and sports team management. She has worked with such franchises as the Cleveland Indians, the Cleveland Cavaliers and LA Galaxy. She has established records in ticket sales for leading events such as the 1994 World Cup, and the 1999 Women's World Cup. She was also Vice President for the Special Olympics hosted in Los Angeles in 2015. She now teaches and does business development for Quint Events which arranges premier sports and entertainment experiences at such events as the Super Bowl, Kentucky Derby and Formula One.