The Profluence Podcast
Conversations with the founders, operators, and investors building the future of sports. Hosted by Andrew Petcash and Scott Garber.
- #313
Ayden Syal, MOGL - The Evolution of NIL
Ayden Syal is the Founder & CEO of MOGL, a leading athlete influencer marketing platform helping brands connect with more than 30,000 college athletes for sponsorships, endorsements, and digital campaigns. Founded in 2019 ahead of the NIL e
- #312
Brett Goldberg, TickPick, and John Brennan, AC Momento - The Future of Ticketing
Brett Goldberg, co-founder of TickPick, and John Brennan, founder of AC Momento, break down how ticketing and fan engagement are evolving, and why the future of live events is about more than just the transaction.Memento was acquired by Tic
- #311
Jack Pfeiffer and Cole Rubin, FanFeed - How FanFeed Is Turning Data Into Personalized Live Experiences
Jack Pfeiffer and Cole Rubin are the co-founders of FanFeed and are redefining how teams, leagues, and artists understand and engage their audiences.Jack and Cole break down the fundamental shift from ticket buyers to verified attendees, an
- #310
Ricardo Briceno, GameFam - Building the Future of Sports Fandom on Roblox
Ricardo Briceno is the CEO of GameFam, a leading metaverse gaming company helping global brands and sports properties connect with younger audiences through immersive digital experiences. With a career rooted in brand building at Procter &
- #309
#309: Joseph Graziano III, Li-Shen Lee, and Eric Heard, Fieldhouse Media Network
Joseph Graziano III, Li-Shen Lee, and Eric Heard are leaders at the intersection of sports, technology, and data, working together to redefine how teams, brands, and fans connect in a modern, global ecosystem. Joseph serves as Chief Commercial Officer at Pacers Sports & Entertainment, bringing experience from the NBA and WNBA in building global partnerships….
- #309
#309: Joseph Graziano III, Li-Shen Lee, and Eric Heard, Fieldhouse Media Network
Joseph Graziano III, Li-Shen Lee, and Eric Heard are leaders at the intersection of sports, technology, and data, working together to redefine how teams, brands, and fans connect in a modern, global ecosystem. Joseph serves as Chief Commercial Officer at Pacers Sports & Entertainment, bringing experience from the NBA and WNBA in building global partnerships….
- #308
Jared Kleinstein, Gondola - The Creator Economy Behind Sports:
Jared Kleinstein is an entrepreneur, founder, and creative operator best known for building Fresh Tape Media and Gondola, two companies at the intersection of sports storytelling, digital media, and creator infrastructure. As the Founder of
Jared Kleinstein, Gondola & Fresh Tape
Jared Kleinstein is an entrepreneur, founder, and creative operator best known for building Fresh Tape Media and Gondola, two companies at the intersection of sports storytelling, digital media, and creator infrastructure. As the Founder of Fresh Tape Media, he leads a full-service creative production company working with major leagues, teams, and global brands to solve…
- #307
#307: Thomas Archer Bata, Triple B International
Thomas Archer Bata is an entrepreneur, investor, and fourth-generation member of the Bata family. As a Director at Triple B International, he focuses on venture, growth, and real estate investments, partnering with founders and operators to build enduring businesses. His work spans capital allocation and strategic guidance, with a long-term lens rooted in generational value…
- #306
#306: Christian Muche, POSSIBLE
Christian Muche is the CEO and Co-Founder of POSSIBLE, a premier global event platform bringing together leaders across marketing, media, technology, and sports. With a background that spans building one of Europe’s largest marketing events and working with digital giants like AOL and Yahoo, Christian has spent decades at the forefront of industry transformation. Today,…
- #305
#305: Tom Porricelli, Citrin Cooperman
Tom Porricelli is a Partner and Head of Technology and Sports at Citrin Cooperman, where he has spent over 15 years helping founders, operators, and middle-market companies navigate growth, financial strategy, and long-term value creation. With a background as a collegiate athlete, Tom brings a unique blend of competitive mindset and technical expertise, bridging the…
- #304
#304: Kevin McReynolds, Overnight
Kevin McReynolds is the Founder & CEO of Overnight, a global streaming platform redefining how Olympic and underrepresented sports are distributed, consumed, and monetized. After seeing firsthand how elite athletes struggled with visibility and support outside of the Olympic spotlight, Kevin set out to build a solution that gives these sports—and their athletes—the attention they…
- #303
#303: Chad Wilton, Peak Conference
Chad Wilton is the visionary behind Peak Conference, one of the most anticipated new gatherings in the sports business world. As the inaugural event approaches, Chad shares the origin story behind Peak and why there was a massive gap in the U.S. for a true flagship event focused on sports tech and innovation. Chad breaks…
- #302
#302: Steve Bellamy, Typti
Steve Bellamy is founder of Typti, creator of The Tennis Channel, and a lifelong pioneer in racket sports. From coaching world-class athletes to leading Kodak and now launching an entirely new sport, Steve shares the journey behind Typti and why he believes it could reshape how the world plays and experiences racket sports. Steve breaks…
- #301
#301: Henrik Teisbæk, Veo Technologies
Henrik Teisbæk, co-founder of Veo, joins the Profluence Sports Podcast to share how his company is transforming the way sports are captured, analyzed, and experienced around the world. What started as a simple idea—making it possible for everyday athletes to relive their moments—has grown into a global platform used by over 50,000 clubs across 100+…
- #300
#300: Justin Hoeveler, President of U.S. Sports Camps
Justin Hoeveler, President of U.S. Sports Camps, has spent his life immersed in athletics, growing up in a family that helped pioneer the youth camp industry nearly 50 years ago. From playing multiple sports as a kid to competing in college and working across the sports ecosystem, Justin brings a deeply personal and professional perspective…
- #299
#299: Richard Odell, Masters Academy International
Richard Odell is a seasoned leader in education, arts, and sports development, with a career spanning institutions like IMG Academy, Spire Academy, Interlochen Center for the Arts, and the Chicago Academy for the Arts. With a unique background that bridges both the arts and athletics, Odell has spent decades shaping environments that prioritize holistic student…
- #298
#298: Alec Boccanfuso & Charles LaRosa, Gabelli
Alec Boccanfuso and Charles LaRosa are part of the investment team at Gabelli Funds, where they focus on identifying opportunities across the evolving sports, media, and entertainment landscape. Alec specializes in communications services and technology, with a focus on interactive entertainment and outdoor leisure, while Charles leads the firm’s ETF initiatives, overseeing strategy, product development,…
- #297
#297: Bobby Sharma, Bluestone Equity Partners
Bobby Sharma is the Founder and Managing Partner of Bluestone Equity Partners, an institutional private equity firm focused on investing across the global sports, media, and entertainment ecosystem. Over the past two decades, he has built a reputation as one of the most experienced operators and investors in the industry, working across finance, strategy, league…
- #296
#296: Joe Hollywood, Whatnot
Joe Hollywood is the founder and host of one of the top sports collectibles shows on Whatnot, where he has built a massive community around live sports card breaking and memorabilia. What started as selling cards next to a hot water heater in his basement has grown into a full-scale operation with nearly 40 employees…
- #295
#295: Miles Chamley-Watson & Leo Rifkind, World Fencing League
Fencing is one of the oldest Olympic sports — but until now, it has never had a true professional league. In this episode of the Profluence Sports Podcast, Andrew Petcash sits down with Miles Chamley-Watson, Olympic medalist and three-time Olympian, and Leo Rifkind, investor and co-founder of the World Fencing League, to discuss their mission…
- #294
#294: Andrew Spalter, East Goes Global
Andrew Spalter, Founder and CEO of East Goes Global, joins the show to break down what it actually takes to build and operate globally in sports, entertainment, and consumer brands. What began in 2018 as a focused effort to solve one of the most complex markets in the world has evolved into a fully integrated…
- #293
#293: Barrick Prince, Creator Sports Network
Barrick Prince is the founder of Creator Sports Network, a platform reshaping how live sports reach modern audiences. With a background spanning global television distribution, gaming, and leadership in sports content at Twitch, Barrick is focused on helping leagues, broadcasters, and creators rethink sports distribution for the digital era. Creator Sports Network enables creators to…
- #292
#292: Ricardo Marques, Michelob Ultra
Ricardo Marques, SVP of Marketing at Michelob Ultra, joins the show to unpack how one of the world’s most visible consumer brands approaches tent-pole sports moments. With 2026 packed full of global events, including the Winter Olympics and major international competitions, Marques shares how the brand built a year-long strategy centered on showing up alongside…
- #291
#291: Joe Caporoso, Team Whistle
Joe Caporoso has spent more than a decade helping shape one of the most recognizable digital sports media brands of the social era. Now serving as President of Team Whistle, he leads the company’s overall strategy, partnerships, and growth as it continues to expand its reach with global audiences. His journey from Division III football…
- #290
#290: Rufus Hack, CEO Sony Sports
Rufus Hack has spent his career inside some of sport’s most influential institutions, from leadership roles connected to the Ryder Cup and the European Tour to now shaping the future of sport within Sony. As CEO of Sony Sports, Hack is focused on a new challenge: using data, technology, and entertainment platforms to redefine how…
- #289
#289: Rem de Rohan, Aggregate Sports
Rem de Rohan serves as a key growth driver for Aggregate Sports, bringing more than 15 years of senior-level experience in sports marketing and revenue strategy. As Chief Revenue Officer, he leads multiplatform partnership sales, new business development, and integrated partner marketing efforts, helping sports properties maximize value across sponsorship, media, and commercial platforms. Widely…
- #288
#288: Mitch Heath, Teamworks
Mitch Heath is a founding member of Teamworks and one of the key operators behind its growth into the leading operating system for elite sports organizations. Joining the company in 2010 while finishing his undergraduate degree at Duke, Mitch spent the 2010s helping scale Teamworks at the intersection of technology and sports, serving as both…
- #287
#287: Jose Diaz, SMAC Entertainment
Jose Diaz is the Executive Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Communications at SMAC Entertainment, where he leads talent management, brand partnerships, content development, and media strategy. With more than a decade of experience across entertainment, sports, and consumer culture, Diaz plays a central role in shaping how modern athletes and personalities build enduring brands…
- #286
#286: Jill Brabec, Nordic Combined USA
Jill Brabec is the President of Nordic Combined USA and one of the leading voices shaping the future of one of the Olympics’ oldest — and most misunderstood — winter sports. Based in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Jill brings a unique perspective as both a sports leader and a parent deeply embedded in the Nordic combined…
- #285
#285: Dov Penzik, No Strings
Dov Penzik is a category-defining operator in competitive socializing and sports entertainment, best known for helping build and scale iconic concepts including Bounce, Flight Club Darts, and Puttshack. In this conversation, Dov shares how years of experience blending technology, hospitality, and play led him to his latest venture: No Strings, a next-generation padel platform designed…
- #284
#284: Steve Kuhn, SportsPredict
Steve Kuhn is a sports entrepreneur and investor best known for helping build Major League Pickleball and for his conviction that sports remain one of the last great forces for human connection. After years in finance and investing, Steve turned his focus to sports as a cultural, economic, and social platform — drawn by its…
- #283
#283: Chris Weil, Horizon Sports & Experiences
Chris Weil is the Co-Founder and CEO of Horizon Sports & Experiences and one of the most influential executives in modern sports marketing. Prior to launching Horizon, Chris spent more than two decades as Chairman and CEO of Momentum Worldwide, leading the global agency through massive growth and helping redefine how brands connect with fans…
- #282
#282: Ryan Petkoff, Petkoff Strategies
Ryan Petkoff has spent more than two decades operating at the highest levels of professional sports, helping build an NFL dynasty, shaping one of the most influential brands in global sport, and advising ownership groups navigating the modern sports landscape. His career spans deep operational leadership, strategic growth planning, and long-term brand building inside one…
- #281
#281: Ben Von Willer and Alberto Chaia, McKinsey’s Breakdown
Ben Von Willer and Alberto Chaia, partners at McKinsey & Company and co-authors of McKinsey’s latest report on Latino sports fans, outline how one of the fastest-growing and most influential fan segments is reshaping the U.S. sports landscape. Their research highlights how Latino audiences are driving disproportionate growth across leagues, properties, and participation, while still…
- #280
#280: Phil Wallin, Diesel Optimization
Phil Wallin, the founder of Diesel Optimization, has built one of the most respected performance ecosystems in modern sports. What started as a small training operation has evolved into a data-driven human performance engine trusted by MLB athletes, top collegiate programs, and high-performing executives. Phil’s path from the Midwest to launching Diesel in Tampa reflects…
- #279
#279: Brooks Wiley, MLP/DUPR
Brooks Wiley is an Austin native and longtime operator in the rapid rise of pickleball as both a sport and commercial industry. After discovering the game in 2018, he immersed himself in its emerging business landscape—exploring equipment, facilities, and the early community driving the sport forward. His work alongside Steve Kuhn led to the creation…
- #278
#278: Raphael Eder, No Limits Tour
Raphael Eder is the Founder & CEO of the No Limits Tour (NLT), a new global sports and media venture redefining how action sports are built, owned, and experienced. Rooted in his lifelong connection to extreme environments, Eder created NLT to bring together the world’s top cliff divers and empower them as co-owners and co-creators…
- #277
#277: Eddie Lewis & Erik Anderson, TOCA Soccer
TOCA Football is building the future of global soccer experiences – blending technology, training, community, and entertainment in a way the U.S. market has never seen before. In this episode, TOCA Founder Eddie Lewis and Executive Chairman Erik Anderson share how they are creating an ecosystem that develops better players, elevates fan culture, and makes…
- #276
#276: Jeff Snyder and Irvin Garduno, KlutchShots AI
KlutchShots AI is reshaping the future of youth sports by merging advanced computer vision, machine learning, and creative storytelling into an instant-highlight engine for the modern sports ecosystem. Founded by Jeff Snyder and Irvin Garduno, KlutchShots AI set out to solve one of the biggest pain points in youth sports: capturing meaningful moments without forcing…
- #275
#275: Dan Porter, Overtime
Overtime is one of the most disruptive forces in modern sports…building new leagues, cultural IP, and storytelling for a generation raised on highlights, creators, and connection. Led by Dan Porter, Co-Founder and CEO, Overtime has evolved from a digital media pioneer into a global sports ecosystem, operating OTE and OT Select (basketball), OT7 (football), and…
- #274
#274: Brian Hoyer & Leo Rifkind, Legacy 25
Legacy25 is a newly launched private investment initiative transforming the U.S. college sports ecosystem. Backed by family-office capital and led by an elite group of professional athletes, Legacy25’s mission is to help shape the ongoing evolution of collegiate athletics — building a new legacy in the very system that launched their careers. Managed in partnership…
- #273
#273: Todd Smith, SFIA
Todd Smith is the President and CEO of the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) — the leading global trade association for sports and fitness manufacturers, retailers, and marketers. SFIA stands as the #1 source for industry research, advocacy, and thought leadership, driving growth and participation across the global sports ecosystem. Through its data insights…
- #272
#272: Matt Lederer, Comcast
Matt Lederer is the Vice President of Brand Partnerships & Engagement at Comcast, where he leads the strategy and execution behind a $90 million portfolio of partnerships that bring the Xfinity brand to life across sports, entertainment, gaming, and music. With over 20 years of experience in brand and experiential marketing, Matt has positioned Comcast…
- #272
#272: Matt Lederer, Comcast
Matt Lederer is the Vice President of Brand Partnerships & Engagement at Comcast, where he leads the strategy and execution behind a $90 million portfolio of partnerships that bring the Xfinity brand to life across sports, entertainment, gaming, and music. With over 20 years of experience in brand and experiential marketing, Matt has positioned Comcast…
- #271
#271: Dan McClory, Boustead & Company
Daniel J. McClory is an international investor, investment banker, and venture philanthropist with decades of experience leading equity capital markets and M&A transactions across the globe. As Founder, CEO, and Chairman of Boustead & Company, Dan has built a global financial powerhouse with a presence spanning Singapore, the UK, Switzerland, Mauritius, Monaco, and Latin America….
- #270
#270: Greg Hoffman, Beyond Your Limits
Greg Hoffman is the founder of the brand advisory group Modern Arena, the former Chief Marketing Officer of Nike, and the bestselling author of Emotion by Design: Creative Leadership Lessons from a Life at Nike. Now, Greg introduces Beyond Your Limits — a first-of-its-kind, seven-week masterclass created in partnership with the Business of Creativity. Designed…
- #263
#263: Jake Deane, True Lacrosse
Jake Deane is the Co-Founder of True Lacrosse, one of the fastest-growing youth lacrosse organizations in the country. With nearly 20 years of experience in the game, Jake has dedicated his career to developing players, building programs, and creating pathways for athletes to succeed both on and off the field. Since its founding in 2008,…
- #269
#269: Mathew Focht, EMERGING Fund
Mathew D. Focht is the Founding Managing Partner of EMERGING, a growth equity and concept development firm helping best-in-class restaurant and entertainment operators scale nationally. With over 25 years of experience, Mathew has worked with hundreds of restaurant and entertainment founders and CEOs, guiding early-stage concepts and technology investments from inception to national recognition. Mat…
- #268
#268: Christine Brown & Partners
Christine Brown is the founder of Christine Brown & Partners, a law firm dedicated to protecting the rights of athletes, coaches, and institutions in the rapidly shifting landscape of college sports. With over thirty years of legal expertise, Christine Brown & Partners focuses on core areas such as Title IX & gender equity, NIL disputes,…
- #267
#267: Peter Frintzilas, CEO of TeamSnap
Peter Frintzilas is the Chief Executive Officer of TeamSnap. TeamSnap is the leading technology platform transforming how youth sports are organized, managed, and experienced. Serving millions of athletes, parents, coaches, and administrators worldwide, TeamSnap has become the go-to solution for simplifying scheduling, communication, registration, and payments in sports. By combining technology with community, the platform…
- #266
#266: Omer Atesmen, The Snow League
Omer Atesmen is a serial entrepreneur and the CEO of Snow League, a professional league reimagining snowboarding and free skiing for a global audience. After successful ventures in robotics and ad tech, Omer partnered with Shaun White to launch the league, combining deep business expertise with a passion for action sports. With equal prize money…
- #265
#265: Connor Lim, International Dance League (IDL)
Connor Lim is the Founder of the International Dance League (IDL), a first-of-its-kind professional league redefining the global dance industry. Growing up in Queens, New York as a professional dancer, Connor experienced firsthand both the artistry and challenges of the dance community—a foundation that now fuels his mission to create new opportunities for dancers worldwide….
- #264
#264: Steve Strawbridge, Pop Warner
Steve Strawbridge, President & CEO of Pop Warner, joins the show to discuss the legacy and future of one of America’s most iconic youth sports organizations. With a century of history behind it, Pop Warner has become the gold standard in youth football, cheerleading, and now flag football, helping millions of young athletes build character,…
- #263
#263: Jake Deane, True Lacrosse
Jake Deane is the Co-Founder of True Lacrosse, one of the fastest-growing youth lacrosse organizations in the country. With nearly 20 years of experience in the game, Jake has dedicated his career to developing players, building programs, and creating pathways for athletes to succeed both on and off the field. Since its founding in 2008,…
- #262
#262: Jake Hoselton, Grass Clippings
Jake Hoselton is the co-founder and CEO of Grass Clippings, the company behind Arizona’s only fully lighted golf course, Grass Clippings Rolling Hills. More than just a golf course, Grass Clippings is reimagining what it means to bring community, entertainment, and competition together. With its unique day-to-night transformation—playing as a par 61 during the day…
- #261
#261: Sandeep Hingorani, BallerTV
Sandeep Hingorani is the EVP and a founding team member of BallerTV, the leading live and on-demand streaming service for youth sports. Since its founding in 2016, BallerTV has grown into the go-to platform for families, athletes, and scouts, offering live streams, replays, and highlights of games that were once impossible to watch outside the…
- #260
#260: Scott Birnbaum, Booster
Scott Birnbaum is the co-founder and CEO of Booster, a platform reinventing fundraising for athletes and teams. With over 15 years of experience in PPC advertising and leadership roles at firms like System1, Demand Media, and Fullscreen, Scott brings a wealth of expertise in scaling operations, building high-performing teams, and driving digital growth. At Booster,…
- #256
#256: Karim Kassam, Teamworks
Karim Kassam is the Vice President of Product at Teamworks, the leading software platform transforming high-performance operations in sports, military, and public safety sectors. He joined Teamworks through its 2024 acquisition of Zelus Analytics, a premier sports intelligence platform. At Teamworks, Karim leverages his expertise in data science and analytics to integrate Zelus’ cutting-edge solutions…
- #259
#259: Konstantin Sonkin, i-BrainTech
Konstantin Sonkin is the CEO and co-founder of i-BrainTech, a company transforming how athletes train through the power of neurotechnology. With a background in neuroscience and years of research into brain-computer interfaces, Konstantin launched i-BrainTech to bring cognitive training into elite sports. The platform allows athletes to play video games using only their minds—strengthening focus,…
- #257
#257: Ryan Silver, Attitude of Gratitude (acq. by Rocket Youth)
Ryan Silver, President of Attitude of Gratitude, is a trailblazer in youth sports and event operations. With a vision rooted in appreciation and impact, he has built one of the fastest-growing event platforms in the country, spanning basketball, volleyball, soccer, golf, and more. Silver’s philosophy of gratitude—shaped by personal experiences—drives his mission to transform youth…
- #258
#258: Amanda Calabrese, SEQUEL
Amanda is the co-founder of Sequel, a company reimagining women’s health products with athletes in mind. Alongside her co-founder, Greta Meyer, she launched Sequel while at Stanford, driven by a frustration that period products hadn’t meaningfully changed in over 80 years. As former high-level athletes, both Amanda and Greta struggled to find a tampon they…
- #257
#257: Ryan Silver, Attitude of Gratitude (acq. by Rocket Youth)
Ryan Silver, President of Attitude of Gratitude, is a trailblazer in youth sports and event operations. With a vision rooted in appreciation and impact, he has built one of the fastest-growing event platforms in the country, spanning basketball, volleyball, soccer, golf, and more. Silver’s philosophy of gratitude—shaped by personal experiences—drives his mission to transform youth…
- #256
#256: Karim Kassam, Teamworks
Karim Kassam is the Vice President of Product at Teamworks, the leading software platform transforming high-performance operations in sports, military, and public safety sectors. He joined Teamworks through its 2024 acquisition of Zelus Analytics, a premier sports intelligence platform. At Teamworks, Karim leverages his expertise in data science and analytics to integrate Zelus’ cutting-edge solutions…
- #255
#255: Izell Reese, CEO of RCX Sports
Izell Reese is the CEO of RCX Sports, a youth-sports experiences business working with professional leagues, national governing bodies, and brands to reimagine accessibility and participation in sports. Under his leadership, RCX has become the official operating partner of NFL FLAG, NBA Jr. League, MLB Pitch, Hit & Run, and other grassroots programs that introduce…
- #254
#254: Brent Richard & Drew Weatherford – IMG Academy & Weatherford Capital
Brent Richard is the CEO of IMG Academy, the world leader in sports education, and Drew Weatherford is a Founding Partner at Weatherford Capital, a private investment firm focused on growth equity in rapidly growing technology and technology-enabled businesses with a business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-government (B2G) focus, as well as those operating in highly regulated…
- #248
#248: Scott Goldman, Founder of AIQ+
Dr. Scott Goldman is a high performance and clinical psychologist with 25+ years of experience working with elite athletes and organizations in the NBA, NFL, MLB, and NCAA. His expertise extends across performance psychology, talent development, and organizational dynamics. He’s also been a key advisor to the NCAA, co-authoring several mental health best practices and…
- #253
#253: Samuel Westberg, Co-Founder & CEO of LaSource
Samuel Westberg is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of LaSource, a sports consulting agency helping sports tech companies, startups, and media organizations grow and adapt in a rapidly evolving industry. With a decade of experience in sports—beginning with a professional football team and moving into business development roles across sports tech and digital startups—Samuel…
- #257
#257: Ryan Silver, Attitude of Gratitude (acq. by Rocket Youth)
Ryan Silver, President of Attitude of Gratitude, is a trailblazer in youth sports and event operations. With a vision rooted in appreciation and impact, he has built one of the fastest-growing event platforms in the country, spanning basketball, volleyball, soccer, golf, and more. Silver’s philosophy of gratitude—shaped by personal experiences—drives his mission to transform youth…
- #252
#252: Mohit Pareek, Partner at Drake Star
Mohit Pareek, Partner at Drake Star, a FINRA-registered broker-dealer and global investment bank that focuses on tech and digital media. With over 500 transactions completed since 2003, Drake Star operates across key financial hubs including New York, London, Munich, and Dubai, serving high-growth sectors such as Software/SaaS, FinTech, Mobility, Consumer Tech, and Digital Media. Mohit…
- #251
#251: John Parker, Kickback Soccer Media
Kickback Soccer Media is a groundbreaking new media company founded by leading voices in American soccer. With the 2026 World Cup approaching, Kickback is on a mission to turn the moment into a movement—capturing casual viewers, creating culture, and redefining what it means to be a soccer fan in the U.S. Through three distinct platforms—Soccerwise…
- #250
#250: Erik Minnick, Versus Ventures
Erik Minnick is a General Partner at Versus Ventures, a pre-seed and seed-stage fund investing in the future of sports tech, gaming, and fintech. A former D1 wrestler turned developer and investor, Erik brings a rare mix of technical depth, competitive grit, and operator empathy to the table. Before co-founding Versus, he served as CIO…
- #249
#249: Paul Rigault, Døds Diving League – Inside the Fastest-Growing Extreme Sport
Paul Rigault is the CEO and co-founder of the Døds Diving League and Døds Federation, the global governing bodies behind one of the world’s fastest-growing extreme sports: Døds diving. Originating in Norway, Døds—short for “Death Diving”—combines high diving with the flair of skateboarding and parkour. With massive splashes, aerial tricks, and fearless athletes, it’s become…
- #248
#248: Scott Goldman, Founder of AIQ+
Dr. Scott Goldman is a high performance and clinical psychologist with 25+ years of experience working with elite athletes and organizations in the NBA, NFL, MLB, and NCAA. His expertise extends across performance psychology, talent development, and organizational dynamics. He’s also been a key advisor to the NCAA, co-authoring several mental health best practices and…
- #247
#247: Jonas Mårtensson, Cleeks Golf Club & LIV Golf League
Jonas Mårtensson is the General Manager of Cleeks Golf Club, a team in the LIV Golf League. With a background as the former CEO of Mojang Studios (the creators of Minecraft) and co-founder of Happy Socks, Jonas brings deep experience in global brand building, consumer engagement, and innovation. Now, he’s applying that expertise to the…
- #246
#246: Anthony Dittmann, founder OmegaBall
With over 25 years of producing televised events for ESPN, the NFL, and NBC, Anthony Dittmann is now channeling that expertise into the creation of an entirely new sport: OmegaBall. Combining innovation, speed, and spectacle, OmegaBall throws out traditional soccer rules in favor of a high-energy, three-team format built for the next generation of fans….
- #245
#245: Adam Cook, Campus Ink Sports
Adam Cook, Vice President at Campus Ink Sports, brings a rare mix of athlete, educator, and entrepreneur. A former collegiate volleyball champion turned Northwestern faculty member, Cook has spent his career helping student-athletes transition into leadership and brand ownership. Backed by Mark Cuban, Campus Ink is pioneering NIL merchandising through The NIL Store—giving every college…
- #244
#244: Glenn Schneider, CEO of SUSA FC
Under Glenn Schneider’s direction, SUSA has grown into one of the most respected youth clubs in the country, focused not only on athletic excellence but also academic accountability, character building, and community engagement. SUSA FC isn’t just about developing elite players—it’s about shaping well-rounded individuals. With a strong emphasis on values like teamwork, discipline, and…
- #243
#243: Johnny Grave, CEO of Major League Cricket
Johnny Grave, CEO of Major League Cricket, brings decades of global sports leadership to one of the fastest-growing professional leagues in the U.S. With a background leading Cricket West Indies and shaping international tournaments—including the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup—Grave is now focused on building the premier cricket ecosystem in America. Major League Cricket (MLC)…
- #242
#242: Taylor Meyer, Hyperspace Ventures
Taylor Meyer is a serial entrepreneur and the Managing Partner at Hyperspace Ventures. After successfully founding and exiting his first tech company while still a student-athlete, With advanced degrees from UNC and Harvard, his background blends deep technical knowledge with sharp business strategy. Hyperspace Ventures specializes in building web and mobile applications, digital infrastructure, and…
- #241
#241: Marc Riccio, CEO of USA Lacrosse
Lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S., and USA Lacrosse plays a central role in that growth. With over $300 million invested into development since its founding, the organization supports everything from youth leagues to Team USA. Marc Riccio, CEO of USA Lacrosse, brings decades of sports business experience from leadership roles…
- #240
#240: LaVelle Juan, CEO & Co-Founder, Brag House
Brag House is reshaping the college gaming landscape by blending community, culture, and casual esports into one inclusive platform. Focused on the Gen Z experience, the platform empowers casual gamers to connect, compete, and grow, while giving brands an authentic way to engage a generation that values voice, identity, and experience over hype. LaVelle Juan,…
- #239
#239: Ed Moed, CEO of Hot Paper Lantern
Ed Moed is helping redefine how sports brands grow—with clarity, creativity, and cultural relevance. As CEO of Hot Paper Lantern and its sports-focused division, Digital Sport, he’s leading a new wave of brand strategy that goes beyond hype to deliver trust, meaning, and results. Ed shares what today’s most successful sports organizations and startups get…
- #238
#238: Sam Porter, Co-Owner Club Necaxa & Club Equidad
Sam Porter is building one of the most uniquely diversified sports ownership portfolios in the world. As co-owner of Club Necaxa (Liga MX), Club Equidad (Colombian First Division), and the Brooklyn Aces (Major League Pickleball), he’s betting on the global and generational growth of sport as both a cultural force and financial asset. With previous…
- #237
#237: Andres Cantor, Founder of Fútbol de Primera
For more than three decades, Andres has been at the center of soccer’s rise in the United States. As the founder and daily host of Fútbol de Primera—the country’s longest-running syndicated soccer radio network—he’s helped shape how millions of fans experience the game. With exclusive U.S. radio rights to all FIFA tournaments, his network will…
- #236
#236: Aaron Miller, Investor Will Ventures
Will Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm built on the belief that sports are more than entertainment—they’re a launchpad for transformative consumer brands, emerging technologies, and cultural movements. With a hands-on approach and a powerful network of athletes, operators, and technologists, Will Ventures invests where passion meets performance. Aaron Miller is an Investor at…
- #235
#235: Brian Hough, Co-Founder & CEO at PressBox
Born from the minds of former Bleacher Report engineers, PressBox is redefining how sports organizations connect with fans—automating the creation of highly personalized, sponsorable content across platforms. They recently just completed a pre-seed round led by Relay Ventures, with participation from Profluence Capital and others. Brian Hough, Co-Founder & CEO, is a seasoned tech executive…
- #234
#234: Davyeon Ross, Co-Founder & President, ShotTracker
ShotTracker is redefining how basketball is measured, experienced, and understood. Through a powerful combination of sensors and software, the platform delivers real-time stats on every shot, pass, and possession—helping coaches, players, scouts, and broadcasters make smarter decisions, faster. From youth gyms to elite programs, ShotTracker is building the future of in-game analytics and competitive intelligence….
- #233
#233: Brian Feeney, Tyton Partners
Brian Feeney, Director at Tyton, brings deep expertise from previous roles at ESPN and Macquarie Capital, along with firsthand experience as an All-American lacrosse player at the University of Pennsylvania. His background bridges media, finance, and athletics—making him uniquely equipped to advise founders and operators at the intersection of sports, education, and innovation. Tyton Partners…
- #232
#232: Greg Glass, Co-founder and CEO of FanStake
FanStake is reshaping the future of college sports by empowering fans and supporting athletes through a transparent, risk-free NIL model. Led by Greg Glass—whose background spans startup leadership, SaaS innovation, and community-building—FanStake offers a platform that allows fans to fund athletes directly, without compromising education or compliance. Born from a passion for fairness in sports,…
- #231
#231: Austin Elrod, Co‑Founder & President TheLinkU
TheLinkU emerged in 2022 to guide colleges and athletes through the fast‑moving Name, Image & Likeness era. Built by Austin Elrod—whose background spans sports administration, operations, and sales—and co‑founder Troy Kyle, the SaaS platform handles compliance, marketing, and delayed‑payment services that help more than 1,100 athletes manage earnings responsibly. Partnerships with programs from Houston to UCLA highlight rapid traction,…
- #230
#230: Adam Lewites, Phoenix Capital Ventures
Phoenix Capital Ventures (PCV) is an early-stage venture capital firm investing in the future of sports, gaming, human performance, and immersive media. The firm partners with bold founders at the earliest stages, backing those obsessed with solving real problems in and around the sports ecosystem. Adam Lewites is the Managing Director at Phoenix Capital Ventures….
- #229
#229: Angella Goran, Founder of Tap and Go & The Power Hour
Angella Goran is a lifelong athlete, former professional cyclist, and visionary behind The Power Hour — a global movement to get millions of people moving at the exact same time in a unified, measurable act of wellness. What started as a personal legacy project in honor of her father has grown into an international initiative…
- #228
#228: John Albright, Partner at Relay Ventures
Relay Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm backing exceptional founders at the intersection of SportsTech, gaming, and media. With deep roots across North America, Relay brings a hands-on approach that goes beyond capital—supporting entrepreneurs with strategic networks, operational expertise, and industry insight. As a co-founder of Relay Ventures, John Albright focuses exclusively on the…
- #227
#227: Steve Delsohn, Delsohn Strategies
Steve Delsohn is the founder of Delsohn Strategies, a boutique communications firm helping top executives and founders secure impactful national media exposure. With a background as a Peabody Award–winning investigative reporter at ESPN’s Outside the Lines, Delsohn brings decades of experience in journalism, authorship, and documentary storytelling to the world of strategic PR. Having written…
- #226
#226: Dave Checketts, Managing Partner / Checketts Sports Capital Fund
The Cynosure | Checketts Sports Capital Fund is a newly launched $1.2B private equity fund focused on investing in sports franchises and related assets around the world. Led by longtime sports executive Dave Checketts and backed by the Eccles family of Utah, the fund aims to shape the next generation of global sports ownership, operations,…
- #225
#225: Roger Ehrenberg, Eberg Capital
Eberg Capital is a venture capital firm focused on early-stage investments across the sports entertainment ecosystem, including sports franchises, betting, media, and technology-driven experiences. Roger Ehrenberg brings decades of expertise from the tech and venture worlds to the evolving sports landscape, backing founders building the next generation of transformative companies. By investing early in high-potential…
- #224
#224: Geetansh Sahni, Yashaa Global Capital
Geetansh Sahni is a venture capitalist at Yashaa Global Capital, a firm focused on investing in the future of sports, gaming, and performance. With a presence across Asia and support from elite athletes and experienced investors, Yashaa backs early-stage companies that are redefining the sports and media landscape. This conversation explores Yashaa VC’s investment thesis,…
- #223
#223: Brooks Schaden, Tom’s Watch Bar
Brooks Schaden is the co-CEO of Tom’s Watch Bar, the fast-growing sports bar concept redefining how fans experience live games. With 14 profitable venues across major sports cities and plans to expand by 50% this year, Tom’s Watch Bar is becoming the go-to destination for immersive sports viewing—with 360-degree screens, elevated stadium food, and all-sports-all-the-time…
- #222
#222: Chad Wilton, CEO of PEAK
Chad Wilton is the Co-Founder & CEO of PEAK, a new global gathering built to unite the world of SportsTech. As the industry rapidly evolves across athlete performance, fan engagement, and stadium innovation, PEAK is positioning itself as the central hub where top founders, investors, and executives come together to shape what’s next. With a…
- #221
#221: Robert Thompson, Valhalla SC Arena
Rob Thompson, the creator of Punch Bowl Social, is launching his next venture—Valhalla SC Arena. Designed to merge the energy of live sports with immersive technology and social experience, Valhalla marks a bold step into the future of sports entertainment. Rob brings decades of experience in hospitality and experiential spaces, now applying that playbook to…
- #220
#220: Chris Hetherington, CEO of Fathead
Chris Hetherington is an 11-year NFL veteran turned serial CEO, now leading the charge as CEO of Fathead. With a Yale degree in psychology and executive education from Harvard and Wharton, Chris brings elite performance from the field into the boardroom—where he’s known for building strong teams, scaling brands, and turning vision into action. At…
- #219
#219: Nic Sulsky, The Curling Group
Nic Sulsky is the Co-Founder and CEO of The Curling Group, a bold new venture on a mission to modernize and globalize the sport of curling. With a background in entrepreneurship and media, Nic is bringing fresh energy and innovation to a sport rich in tradition but ripe for reinvention. In 2024, The Curling Group…
- #218
#218: Cory Heitz, PREP Athletics
Cory Heitz is the founder of PREP Athletics, a company dedicated to helping basketball players find the right-fitting prep schools. With over 15 years of experience coaching, scouting, and working with international and domestic athletes, Cory has placed players in over 55 prep schools across 35+ countries. His mission is to guide athletes through the…
- #217
#217: Dr. Jim Borchers, USCAH
Dr. Jim Borchers is the President and CEO of the U.S. Council for Athletes’ Health (USCAH) and the Chief Medical Officer for the Big Ten Conference. With nearly two decades as a team physician for Ohio State football and seven years as head team physician for the entire athletic department, Dr. Borchers is a leading…
- #216
#216: John D’Orsay, Co-Founder of EventConnect
John D’Orsay is the CEO of EventConnect, a leading technology platform transforming the way sports tournaments are managed. With over 20 years of experience in technology, data, and automation, John is dedicated to streamlining tournament operations through innovative digital solutions. EventConnect is redefining sports event management by integrating cutting-edge technology with unparalleled service. Their platform…
- #215
#215: Akshat Prakash, Camb.ai – Breaking Language Barriers with AI
Akshat Prakash is the CTO of Camb.ai, an AI-driven company revolutionizing language accessibility. With a background in AI from Carnegie Mellon and experience at Apple AI, Ack is at the forefront of innovation, helping enterprises and creators reach global audiences. Camb.ai’s proprietary models, MARS & BOLI, have been leveraged by sports leagues, filmmakers, and content…
- #214
#214: Ryan Weldon, Founder of 13th Bridge Games Studio
Ryan Weldon, the founder of 13th Bridge Games Studio, is a lifelong gamer and sports fanatic with an extensive background in marketing, sales, and management. He previously served in high-level roles at Bausch Health and Johnson & Johnson, overseeing multi-billion dollar transactions. Ryan also worked as a consultant for major brands like Nike, bringing his…
- #213
#213: Max Ade, Co-Founder of Pickleheads
Max Ade, Co-Founder of Pickleheads, is leading the charge in solving one of the biggest challenges facing the fastest-growing sport in America — pickleball. With 36.5 million players and counting, the sport’s rapid rise has created a surge in court shortages, long wait times, and overwhelmed organizers. To tackle these issues, Max and his team…
- #212
#212: Keith Stein, Founder of Women’s Pro Baseball League
Keith Stein, CEO of the Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball team, is making waves in sports by spearheading the return of professional women’s baseball — the first league of its kind in North America since the 1950s. The Women’s Pro Baseball League (WPBL) is set to debut in 2025, with six teams playing in intimate ballparks…
- #211
#211: Kelly Morgan, Elite 7 Sports Medicine
Elite 7 Sports Medicine is redefining athlete care by providing innovative, on-site medical services at sports events nationwide. With a team of experts boasting over 100 years of combined experience, Elite 7 ensures athletes receive seamless, sport-specific treatment—whether competing, recovering, or returning home. Kelly Morgan, CEO and Medical Director, is an emergency physician and former…
- #207
#207: Dan Banon & Tarryn Moss: Hudl & Balltime – The acquisition
Balltime is the first-ever Volleyball AI platform, trusted by 3,800+ teams worldwide for their video and analytics needs. By fully automating stats and data collection, Balltime provides teams with instant access to crucial performance metrics like serve speed, attack height, jump trajectories, and 3D play visualization—empowering athletes and coaches with game-changing insights. Now, Hudl, a…
- #210
#210: Michael Madding, COO Lucra Sports
Lucra Sports is redefining gamification in sports, entertainment, and media. As a venture-backed startup, Lucra provides innovative engagement solutions for consumer platforms, live events, and media companies, transforming the way fans interact with their favorite sports. Michael, the company’s Chief Operating Officer, brings a wealth of experience from Goldman Sachs, where he worked in investment…
- #208
#208: Brent Richard – CEO, IMG Academy
IMG Academy is the world’s leading sports education brand, serving over 150,000 student-athletes and 40,000 coaches annually through its boarding school, camps, online coaching, and recruiting services. Under the leadership of CEO Brent Richard, IMG Academy has evolved from a campus-based institution into a global powerhouse shaping the next generation of elite athletes. Brent Richard’s…
- #209
#209: The Future of Racquet Sports: Investment, Innovation & Growth
This month’s panel explored the rapidly evolving landscape of racquet sports, highlighting key investment trends, technological advancements, and the growing influence of community-driven initiatives. Cici Bellis, Managing Partner at Cartan Capital Marcus Janssen-Ryan, Managing Partner at EEP Capital Robyn Duda, CEO of RacquetX As racquet sports like padel, pickleball, and tennis continue to surge in popularity,…
- #207
#207: Dan Banon & Tarryn Moss: Hudl & Balltime – The acquisition
Balltime is the first-ever Volleyball AI platform, trusted by 3,800+ teams worldwide for their video and analytics needs. By fully automating stats and data collection, Balltime provides teams with instant access to crucial performance metrics like serve speed, attack height, jump trajectories, and 3D play visualization—empowering athletes and coaches with game-changing insights. Now, Hudl, a…
- #207
#207: Dan Banon & Tarryn Moss: Hudl & Balltime – The acquisition
Balltime is the first-ever Volleyball AI platform, trusted by 3,800+ teams worldwide for their video and analytics needs. By fully automating stats and data collection, Balltime provides teams with instant access to crucial performance metrics like serve speed, attack height, jump trajectories, and 3D play visualization—empowering athletes and coaches with game-changing insights. Now, Hudl, a…
- #206
#206: Brandon McCaghren – Founder of the Professional Grappling Federation
Brandon McCaghren is a pioneer in the Jiu-Jitsu world, being the first to introduce the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu system in the Southeastern United States. A well-respected instructor and content creator, Brandon has built a significant online following, with over 150,000 subscribers on both YouTube and Instagram. His influence extends beyond coaching—he’s a color commentator for…
- #205
#205: Ruben Amaro Jr. – Co-Founder, Sluggball
Few people have seen the game of baseball from as many angles as Ruben Amaro Jr.—big league player, general manager, coach, and now, co-founder of Sluggball, a brand-new take on the sport he’s dedicated his life to. Baseball runs deep in Amaro’s family. His father, Ruben Amaro Sr., was a major leaguer, coach, and scout….
- #204
#204: Alex Van Alen & John Pruellaget, FlingGolf
FlingGolf is transforming golf—making it more active, more fun, and more accessible. Instead of using traditional golf clubs, players use the New Swarm FlingStick to hurl the ball, shaping every shot from tee to hole. The best part? You can play on any golf course, and over 2,000 courses in 37 countries have already embraced…
- #203
#203: Jason Syversen – Founder & CEO of SportsVisio
SportsVisio automatically captures highlights and stats from sporting events using artificial intelligence. They recently completed financing from Sapphire Ventures, which included participation from Profluence Capital. Jason Syversen is an entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist who is now building an AI company in sports. In this podcast, we talk about AI, evolution of sports tech, expanding into…
- #202
#202: Joe Dunnigan – Founder & CEO, Alt Sports Data
ALT Sports Data was founded in 2021 to revolutionize alternative sports betting through exclusive data rights, AI-driven trading models, and cutting-edge analytics. As CEO and Founder, Joe Dunnigan leads the company’s mission to provide sportsbooks with new betting markets while unlocking engagement, revenue, and fan growth for emerging sports leagues. ALT Sports Data is tackling…
- #201
#201: Pete Nakos – College Sports Business, On3
Pete Nakos is a leading College Sports Business Reporter at On3 Sports, where he covers the evolving landscape of NIL, the transfer portal, and private equity’s impact on college athletics. On3 is a premier sports media and technology company dedicated to delivering trusted news, analysis, and data across youth, high school, and college sports. Since…
- #200
#200: David Shapiro – President, North America at Pixellot
The Future of Sports Coverage is Here! Today’s guest is David Shapiro, and we’re diving into how Pixellot has become the biggest sports production platform in the world! ????️ 40,000+ venues ???? 1.3 million games streamed per year ???? 5,000 games produced simultaneously—all powered by AI! David Shapiro has spent nearly two decades shaping the…
- #199
#199: Charles Allen – CEO of INTENNSE
INTENNSE is redefining professional team tennis with a fresh approach to competition, player engagement, and expansion. With $4M already secured and plans for a Friends & Family round and a formal raise in 2025, CEO Charles Allen is building a sustainable, fan-first league backed by strategic partnerships and smart capital allocation. Charles’ journey is anything…
- #198
#198: Maxx Lepselter – President of Maxx MGMT
Maxx MGMT, founded in 2018, is a boutique agency disrupting the athlete representation industry by offering tailored, off-the-field management services. From endorsements and marketing to lifestyle and business opportunities, Maxx MGMT connects its clients with global brands while helping them explore equity deals, real estate, and diversified partnerships. The agency’s mission is to provide 24/7…
- #197
#197: Multi-Club Ownership Panel – Insights from Industry Leaders
This month’s panel explored the evolving trend of multi-club ownership in sports—a transformative model shaping the future of sports investments. The discussion delved into opportunities, challenges, and strategic insights in this dynamic space. Key topics included the rise of alternative leagues, the influence of celebrities in ownership, real estate and stadium development, and sustainability in…
- #196
#196: Sean Flaherty – CEO of Playeasy
Founded in 2018 to streamline the connection between sports events and host venues, Playeasy has grown into the leading sports tourism platform in the United States. Today, it connects over 300 cities, 14,000 sports facilities, 5,000 sports events, 20,000 restaurants and attractions, and 13,000 hotels. Playeasy supports destinations, event operators, and visitors at every stage…
- #195
#195: Brendan Doyle – President of US Sports Camps
Brendan Doyle, President of US Sports Camps (USSC), has been at the forefront of youth sports in the USA for over 30 years. A seasoned leader with deep roots in the soccer industry, Brendan oversees the largest sports camp network in America and the licensed provider of Nike Sports Camps. Since 1975, USSC has been…
- #194
#194: Vasu Kulkarni – Founding Partner of Courtside Ventures
Vasu Kulkarni, the self-proclaimed biggest basketball fan in the world, turned his passion for the game into a groundbreaking career. After playing on the JV Basketball squad at the University of Pennsylvania, where he also earned a BS in Engineering, Vasu founded Krossover, a sports analytics company that sold video and data tools to sports…
- #193
#193: Chase Richardson – CEO of Full Pull Entertainment
Full Pull Entertainment was founded in 2021 to transform the niche sport of truck and tractor pulling. Co-founded by Chase Richardson, a passionate entrepreneur, the company is reshaping the pulling experience with innovative fan engagement platforms, a cutting-edge content portal, and Real Money Gaming initiatives. Through partnerships with leading organizations in the pulling space, Full…
- #192
#192: Mike Buckley – 2X World Champion Sailor, CEO of U.S. SailGP Team
SailGP was founded in 2019 by Oracle’s Larry Ellison and legendary sailor Sir Russell Coutts to bring the excitement of high-performance sailing to mainstream audiences. Known as “The F1 of the Water,” SailGP features 10 national teams racing F50 foiling catamarans at speeds of up to 60 mph in stadium-style events near shorelines worldwide. Mike…
- #191
#191: Michael LaSalle – Partner at Shamrock Capital
Shamrock Capital recently closed $1.6B for its sixth flagship fund and inaugural small cap fund to continue investing across sports media and entertainment. Shamrock Capital, with over 45 years of deep sector expertise, is a premier private equity firm specializing in media, entertainment, sports, content, communication, and education. With a 23-year track record, Shamrock Capital…
- #190
#190: Matt Joyce – Former MLB All-Star & Entrepreneur
Matt Joyce, a 17-year professional baseball player, made his mark in Major League Baseball with 14 seasons, most notably with the Tampa Bay Rays. A 2011 MLB All-Star, Matt earned a reputation as a consistent and versatile outfielder during his career from 2008 to 2021. Now retired from professional baseball, Matt has seamlessly transitioned into…
- #189
#189: Graham Leveston – Co-Founder of College Properties Group
Graham Leveston, Co-Founder of College Properties Group (CPG), is redefining athlete experiences through world-class event management and brand development. With over 25 years of leadership experience, Graham has earned recognition for his expertise in strategy, brand marketing, and operations. During his 20+ years at Nike, Graham held senior roles in sales, licensing, marketing, and product…
- #188
#188: Matt Kurowski – President of i9 Sports
i9 Sports, under the leadership of Matt Kurowski, is America’s leading multi-sport league provider, known for its innovative approach to youth sports. With programs for kids ages 3 to 14, i9 Sports emphasizes fun, convenience, and sportsmanship, helping children succeed in life through sports. The organization recently celebrated 5 million player registrations and was recognized…
- #187
#187: Jared Solomon – CEO of Five Iron Golf
Five Iron Golf began in 2017 as a bold venture to transform how people experience golf in urban settings. Combining cutting-edge technology with a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere, Five Iron Golf quickly became a hub for both serious players and casual enthusiasts, offering simulators, lessons, food, drinks, and entertainment in a social environment. The company’s unique…
- #186
#186: Evan Roosevelt & Matthew Erley – Co-Founders of Old Tom Capital
Old Tom Capital is an early-stage investment group dedicated to fostering innovation and growth within the golf industry. By combining decades of entrepreneurial experience with hands-on mentorship, Old Tom Capital supports startups in redefining the future of golf through strategic investments. The golf industry is evolving rapidly, attracting new audiences and creating opportunities in content,…
- #185
#185: Jason Clement, Co-Founder of Sports Facilities Companies
Sports Facilities Companies (SFC) is the largest network of tournament and community-based sports facilities in the U.S., hosting over 25 million annual visits and delivering $250 million in direct annual economic impact. With a focus on feasibility studies, financial modeling, and destination development, SFC plays a pivotal role in enhancing community development through sports. Under…
- #184
#184: Joey Grant – Founder & CEO of GMTM
GMTM (pronounced Gametime) is a social network connecting athletes, organizations, and brands to maximize opportunities. By offering tools to increase reach and engagement, GMTM ensures equitable access for athletes to share their stories and pursue their goals. The platform works with partners like DIII colleges, National Governing Bodies, NFL teams, and brands such as Sports…
- #179
#179: Will Bartholomew – CEO of D1 Sports Training
Known for its elite, sports-based training, D1 has grown into one of the fastest-growing fitness companies with over 100 locations nationwide. Men’s Health recognized it as a Top 30 Gym. D1 Sports Training’s success is rooted in Will’s journey as a multi-sport All-State athlete and captain of Tennessee’s 1998 National Championship team. His leadership and…
- #183
#183: Adeel Yang – Co-founder & CEO of Dryvebox
Adeel Yang, MD, Co-founder and CEO of Dryvebox, is reshaping the game of golf by making it more accessible to everyone, regardless of age or skill level. Dryvebox is a unique mobile golf experience that brings the game directly to communities, allowing people to improve their swing, have fun, and engage with golf in new…
- #182
#182: Daren Hornig – Principal of SPORTIME Pickleball
SPORTIME Pickleball LLC is transforming the pickleball landscape, combining state-of-the-art facilities with decades of expertise in racket sports. A joint venture between SPORTIME Clubs, the leading operator of racket sports facilities in the Northeast, and Hornig Capital Partners (HCP), the company plans to open more than a dozen dedicated pickleball centers by 2027, starting with…
- #181
#181: Seth Gruen & Jonathan Gluskin – Co-Founders of Branded
Founded in 2018, Branded is a modern communications agency disrupting traditional marketing by bringing a newsroom-style pace to brand strategy. With a focus on elevating brand presence across digital channels, Branded empowers its clients to increase visibility, drive influence, and achieve measurable results. Their approach has led clients to secure business exits, boost revenue, and…
- #180
#180: Tom Farrey – Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Founder
The Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program, founded by Tom Farrey, aims to improve communities through accessible youth sports. Through its Project Play initiative, launched in 2013, the program connects leaders across sectors to address the rising costs, exclusion, and injuries in youth sports, mobilizing over $60 million in grants for community initiatives. Project Play’s…
- #179
#179: Will Bartholomew – CEO of D1 Sports Training
Known for its elite, sports-based training, D1 has grown into one of the fastest-growing fitness companies with over 100 locations nationwide. Men’s Health recognized it as a Top 30 Gym. D1 Sports Training’s success is rooted in Will’s journey as a multi-sport All-State athlete and captain of Tennessee’s 1998 National Championship team. His leadership and…
- #178
#178: Jeff Spring, CEO & Tour Director of the Disc Golf Pro Tour
Disc golf is a fast-growing sport that combines the precision of golf with the skill of disc throwing. Played in parks, forests, and open spaces, players aim to reach a target basket in the fewest throws, offering an accessible and nature-connected experience for fans and players alike. The Disc Golf Pro Tour (DGPT) leads the…
- #177
#177: Nathan Bowen, Founder of TPH Academy
TPH Academy provides a focused environment for student-athletes to Study, Train, and Play to their fullest potential. Combining accredited academics with hands-on, sport-specific training, TPH Academy’s holistic approach develops student-athletes both on and off the field, preparing them for long-term success. Since its founding, TPH Academy has consistently made an impact in the youth sports…
- #176
#176: Alex Bazzell, President of Unrivaled
Unrivaled, led by President Alex and co-founded with WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, launches in Miami in January 2025. The league will showcase 30 top women athletes in an exciting 3v3 format, aiming to captivate basketball fans worldwide. Alex also co-founded Through The Lens with Carmelo Anthony, a platform empowering athletes to build…
- #175
- Youth Sports Panel - Opportunities, Challenges, Future Insights
This month's panel was around Youth Sports - we delved into the opportunities, challenges, and future insights shaping the youth sports industry, which is projected to reach $69.4 billion by 2030, growing at an annual rate of 9.20%. The pan
Youth Sports Panel
This month’s panel was around Youth Sports – we delved into the opportunities, challenges, and future insights shaping the youth sports industry, which is projected to reach $69.4 billion by 2030, growing at an annual rate of 9.20%. The panel discussed key issues such as rampant market fragmentation, high customer acquisition costs (CAC), limited monetization…
- #174
#174: – Tyrre Burks, Founder and CEO Player’s Health
Players Health, founded by Tyrre Burks, is transforming youth sports by creating safer, more accessible environments for athletes. Focused on injury prevention, risk management, and safety solutions, the company helps sports organizations provide a better experience for young athletes, ensuring their well-being both on and off the field. Through initiatives like the Microgrant Campaign, Players…
- #173
#173: Runish Gudhka – CEO of BatFast
BatFast, led by Runish Gudhka, is transforming how athletes and fans experience sports through cutting-edge simulation technology. BatFast combines advanced hardware—such as ball-throwing machines, actuators, and sensors—with machine learning algorithms, immersive graphics, and gamification modules to create world-class sports simulation products. From cricket to multiple sports, BatFast’s technology is reshaping how sports training and entertainment…
- #172
#172: Amir Zonozi – CEO & Co-Founder, Zoomph
Amir Zonozi, CEO of Zoomph, is revolutionizing how sports, entertainment, and esports measure sponsorship value and audience engagement. With advanced analytics and real-time viewership insights, Zoomph empowers teams, leagues, and brands to make informed decisions across broadcast and social channels, setting the standard for quality analytics. Zoomph’s advanced features include industry-leading logo detection and rapid…
- #171
#171: Sukemasa Kabayama – Co-Founder, Uplift Labs
Uplift Labs, co-founded by Sukemasa Kabayama, is breaking new ground in athlete performance and health using AI-powered movement analysis. Uplift’s latest launch, the ‘Uplift’ app, uses a single iPhone camera to track and analyze user movements, making advanced technology previously reserved for professional athletes available to the everyday gym-goer. The app provides personalized training programs…
- #170
#170: Nick Venson – Founder & CEO, Swag Golf
Nick Venson, founder and CEO of Swag Golf, is transforming the golf industry with his bold approach. Swag Golf is known for its limited-edition accessories and apparel, combining top-quality craftsmanship with unique designs that resonate with a passionate community of golf enthusiasts. Swag Golf began with four friends in a small 2,500-square-foot unit in Northbrook,…
- #169
#169: Adam Golomb – CEO, Primanti Brothers
Primanti Brothers, famous for its iconic French-fry-topped sandwiches, is taking a deeper dive into sports while blending tradition with modern innovation to deliver a unique dining experience loved by generations. Since 1933, the brand has expanded across multiple locations, driven by strong customer loyalty, creative marketing, and ongoing digital transformation. At the helm is Adam…
- #168
#168: Bharath Rao – Founder, BASport
BASport, founded by Bharath Rao, is revolutionizing the sports industry with a fresh and innovative approach to strategic investments. BASport focuses on more than just capital infusion, prioritizing meaningful connections with stakeholders and delivering tangible results. Their goal is to set new standards for growth and innovation across the sports landscape. Bharath Rao, a former…
- #167
#167: Patrick Talty – President, Indiana Sports Corp
Indiana Sports Corp is a driving force behind the biggest sports events in Indiana, including the BigTen Football Championship, Olympic Swimming Trials, and the 2026 NCAA Final Four. The Indiana Sports Corp have led to over $4 billion in direct spending in the Indiana region since its inception. Patrick Talty is an experienced C-level sports…
- #166
#166: Hank Leber – Co-Founder, League of Play
League of Play is an innovative GenZ-focused sports league bridging the gap between creators and fans. After a successful pilot event, League of Play is expanding into a season format with live-streamed competitions featuring top creators. Viewers vote on distractions that affect the gameplay. Hank Leber is a serial entrepreneur from the ad agency world…
- #165
#165: Jake Fleshner & Michael Axman – Co-Founders, The Nucleus Network
The Nucleus Network is a network development agency that unlocks the power of connections through a vetted group of successful individuals and businesses. Nucleus is led by Jake Fleshner and Michael Axman. Jake was previously the CRO of Dave Meltzer Enterprises, and Michael was the head of partnerships at Teleport. The Nucleus Network’s core areas…
- #164
#164: Lauren Selig – Founder, Shake and Bake
Investing heavily across sports and entertainment, Lauren Selig shares some deep insights with us today. Shake and Bake is a venture fund and advisory firm. Lauren Selig founded Shake and Bake Productions, Curiosity Ink, V.A.L.I.S., and Tangled Little Dragon. She is an advisor to Bold Capital, WETA, and the Ackerley Sports Group. Lauren has produced…
- #163
#163: Ace Rodrigues – CEO, Founder Pickleball Kingdom
With over 300+ locations sold, Pickleball Kingdom is one of the fastest-growing franchises in sports. Pickleball Kingdom is a holding company of pickleball facilities around the United States, serving players of all levels. Ace Rodrigues is a serial entrepreneur jumping into the business of pickleball after first discovering the game a few years ago. Chapters:…
- #162
#162: Mike Rolih – CEO, GoRout
Quickly scaling over the last few years, GoRout has been transforming on-field communication, led by founder Mike Rolih. GoRout is the only system that combines on-field wearable technology and real-time playmaking software to help teams perfect their on-field communication. Mike played collegiate baseball and was the President of Mirro before founding Gorout in his garage….
- #161
#161: Justin Driscoll – Principal, LEAD
Rebranding to LEAD, Justin Driscoll is the principal overseeing the pre-seed investment fund out of Lake Nona. LEAD is a family of funds investing across all stages of venture. Prior to joining LEAD, he spent two years in an operational capacity at DS Sports and Magnus Group, a holding company that acquired youth sports event…
- #160
#160: Adam Azor – EVP Global Marketing, Sportradar
1st party data is reimagining the athletics landscape, and Adam Azor from Sportradar is at the forefront of it. Sportradar is one of the world’s largest sports technology companies reimagining immersive experiences for sports fans and bettors. Adam Azor is an integrated marketer with experience from global to local recently being promoted to EVP at…
- #159
#159: Trey Bowles – Managing Director, Techstars
One of the largest early-stage investors in the world, Trey Bowles is currently the Managing Director of Techstars where he runs two accelerator programs: Techstars Anywhere and Techstars Physical Health Fort Worth. Techstars is a pre-seed investor providing early-stage entrepreneurs access to capital, mentorship, and other support. Some of Trey Bowles’ other projects include InnoCity…
- #158
#158: John Stewart – CEO, Co-Founder Fastbreak AI
Recently receiving investment from the NBA, NHL, and Profluence Capital, John Stewart is transforming sports at Fastbreak AI. Fastbreak AI brings the power of world-class, sports scheduling optimization featuring a robust and intuitive user experience for league setup, defining scheduling goals, metric reporting, schedule modification, and distribution. John Stewart sold his last company, MapAnything, to…
- #157
#157: Jordan Gazdik – Founder BENCHPLAYERS
With ownership in sports from grassroots to the pros and in nearly every niche, Jordan Gazdik breaks down the landscape for us. BENCHPLAYERS is a portfolio of sport-related assets, driven by partnerships with industry leaders at all levels of the ecosystem. Jordan Gazdik founded BENCHPLAYERS to help push forward sports by creating a better future…
- #156
#156: Ben Nichols – Founder, Padel 22
Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, and Ben Nichols saw this as a unique opportunity to build a PR firm for it. Padel 22 is a global padel-dedicated communications consultancy that helps organizations, rights holders, brands, events, players and other stakeholders tell their stories and be part of the sport’s expanding…
- #155
#155: CiCi Bellis – Founding Partner, Cartan Capital
Once the 35th-ranked female tennis player in the world, CiCi Bellis is now the founding partner of Cartan Capital. Cartan Capital is a venture capital firm focused on the sports and health technology markets – particularly Seed and Series A stage companies. At only 25 years old, CiCi Bellis is one of the youngest investors…
- #154
#154: Rahat Kulshreshtha – Co-Founder, Quidich
Quidich is revolutionizing the broadcasting experience having recently raised a Series A fundraising round with the company led by film entrepreneur Rahat Kulshreshtha. Quidich Innovation Labs was originally an aerial filmmaking company that has since evolved into a global technology leader in sports broadcasting. In addition to his entrepreneurial endeavors, Rahat Kulshreshtha is a founding…
- #153
#153: Justin Bass – Managing Director, MAI Capital
Justin Bass is a Managing Director in the Sports and Entertainment Group at MAI Capital, where he joined in 2022, and has worked with professional athletes and high-net-worth individuals/families for over 25 years. MAI Capital is a full-service wealth manager for high-net-worth individuals and high-net-worth families; plus, a provider of targeted investment solutions for financial…
- #152
#152: Gio Marcantoni – Founder Volo Sports
In 9 markets and with millions in revenue per year, Gio Marcantoni is the founder of Volo Sports. Started as a 16-person Bocce league in Baltimore in 2010, Volo Sports now has over 300,000 members nationally. Similar to how youth sports clubs have been rolled up, Gio Marcantoni has taken a similar approach to adult…
- #151
#151: Stephen Smith – CEO, Co-Founder Kitman Labs
Raising over $76M, Stephen Smith has taken Kitman Labs from an Irish sports data company to a global solution. Kitman Labs was founded, pioneered, and powered by practitioners and data scientists consumed by the question of how to optimize human achievement. Stephen Smith and Kitman Lab’s platform provides a holistic, unified view of the individual…
- #150
#150: Matt Wheeler – Co-Founder, SportsRecruits
A former college athlete, Matt Wheeler and his teammate started a sports recruiting platform in 2008 and have grown it substantially over the years. SportsRecruits offers student-athletes a platform to handle their college search and recruiting process from end to end. Using robust analytics around who is looking at your profile, video and academic information,…
- #149
#149: Daniel Poneman – NIL & NBA Agent
Before becoming an NBA agent and a trailblazer in shaping the college NIL space, Daniel Poneman spent over a decade as a scout and consultant for more than 300 Division I colleges, NBA teams, and international franchises. Profiled in The New York Times and Sports Illustrated, Daniel rose from teenage scout to Chicago basketball mainstay….
- #148
#148: Peter Simon – President, Simon Sports
Peter Simon runs the sports investment division for Simon Group Holdings, which was founded by his father Sam Simon. Sam Simon is a legendary immigrant entrepreneur having launched Atlas Oil Co. in 1985 with a single delivery truck, and has built it into a multi-billion gallon-a-year fuel wholesaler with over 500 employees. Formed in 2022,…
- #147
#147: Chris Van Dusen – Partner, Solyco Capital
Chris Van Dusen is a Senior Partner at Solyco Capital, a vertically Integrated PE/VC, Action Services, Public & Private Wealth Investment Firm that delivers capital solutions for late-stage startup and growth companies. Solyco Capital has made some of its first sports investments since its inception, showcasing the industry’s appeal. Chris Van Dusen was a former…
- #146
#146: Amit Golan – CEO, Co-Founder Minutely
Minutely works with the largest media properties in sports as a video optimization platform for digital publishers. Amit Golan’s background boasts a wide spectrum of talents having served as a special forces unit Commander to being a teacher, mentor, entrepreneur, and mentor at Google. Minutely was founded in 2014 to drive video engagement and revolutionize…
- #145
#145: Shannon Terry – Founder On3
After successfully exiting Rivals (Yahoo) and 24/7 (CBS), Shannon Terry began building his third sports media platform in On3. On3 is a top resource for college sports, recruiting, and NIL. Shannon Terry and On3 are consistently in the news cycle thanks to their proprietary “NIL Valuation” system. Chapters: (03:40) Rivals (06:00) 24/7 Sports (10:45) On3…
- #144
#144: Lance Dietz – Partner, KB Partners
Lance Dietz is an investment partner who focuses on sports, collectibles, well-being, and gaming. KB Partners raised a $100M+ fund to deploy capital into the early stages of sports. Lance Dietz played college basketball at Army West Point, has an MBA from the University of Chicago, and joined KB Partners in 2018 as a principal…
- #143
#143: Mike Nicoll – Director, The Spoils
Mike Nicoll is a former hooper turned award-winning filmmaker focused heavily on basketball’s business side in his documentaries. The Spoils penetrates a shadowy financial system: America’s youth basketball industrial complex. With unprecedented access to the money game that dominates the sport, the film unravels the raw capitalism of the American basketball machine. Mike Nicoll has…
- #142
#142: José Bautista – MLB All-Star Turned Investor & Team Owner
After 15 seasons in Major League Baseball, José Bautista has made the jump into entrepreneurship and investing. He took a majority position in Marucci Sports and helped them to an exit and has also invested in outwear company Canada Goose. José Bautista recently bought the majority position in a USL team, Las Vegas Lights FC….
- #141
#141: Kelli Alldredge – President, Chicken N Pickle
With soon-to-be 16 sportainment facilities, Chicken N Pickle is expanding across the country with their “TopGolf for Pickleball” concept. Chicken N Pickle is an entertainment complex that includes a restaurant, sports bar, pickleball courts, and a variety of yard games. Kelli Alldredge joined part-time at the first location and went full-time as the president in…
- #140
#140: Nicholas Kelland – CSO, Forever Network
Recently closing out their $4M Series A round, Forever Network (formerly Basketball Forever) is adding more sports and new products and expanding to the United States. Forever Network is a social-first sports media company that started as a basketball social media page in Australia. In 2023, Nicholas Kelland joined Forever Network coming from the agency…
- #139
#139: Brett Johnson – CEO, Benevolent Capital
With ownership in 3 pro teams, including Premier League club Ipswich Town FC, Brett Johnson has made a name for himself as one of the best investors in sports (particularly soccer). Ten years ago, Benevolent Capital was formed by Brett Johnson and his twin brother Grant Johnson to invest in sports assets. Some of Brett…
- #138
#138: Ryan Silver – President, West Coast Elite
Acquired by 3STEP Sports, West Coast Elite is the largest basketball event operator on the West Coast with more than 100 events in 11 states. West Coast Elite is the premier grassroots basketball program and is a member of the Under Armour Association, WCE teams play a national schedule. Ryan Silver is the founder and…
- #137
#137: Victorien Tixier – Co-Founder ScorePlay
ScorePlay now counts over 130 sports clients and has experienced great growth since the $5M seed round last year. ScorePlay provides a suite of products that help sports organizations automate their media workflows, grow their brand, and unlock new revenue streams. Victorien Tixier previously co-founded a digital suite for 5-side-football centers, Hydra, which was acquired….
- #136
#136: Donn Davis – Founder PFL (Professional Fighters League)
PFL is the #1 fastest-growing sports league ($1B+ valuation) quickly rising to challenge the UFC and is coming off a $100M investment from Saudi’s SRJ Investments. Donn Davis first entered sports as the Chief Legal Counsel of the Chicago Cubs in the 1990s. He would go on to hold several prominent roles across media, sports,…
- #135
#135: Huck Sorock – Co-Founder Refr Sports
As a 23-year-old business owner and coming off a $500k fundraise, Huck Sorock is looking to transform the referee space. The idea of Refr Sports stemmed a few years ago as Huck realized how much technology was growing in every category within sports but saw lots of improvement for the referee vertical. Huck Sorock is…
- #134
#134: Troy Jones – CEO, Co-Founder StatusPRO
StatusPRO recently received $20m in funding including an investment from Google’s venture arm to transform training and gaming in sports. StatusPRO is a sports technology company that combines data, XR, and real-life experiences to provide a revolutionary suite of training and gaming products. Troy Jones is a former D1 quarterback who spent time at the…
- #133
#133: Michael Dub – CEO, Founder Sweet Chameleon
With high-end clients like the NBA and MLB, Sweet Chameleon is taking on phygital collectibles led by Michael Dub. Sweet Chameleon lives at the intersection of the physical and digital worlds, leveraging additive manufacturing and blockchain technology to enable fans to create and customize physical and digital collectibles from individual creators and popular entertainment, sports,…
- #132
#132: David Wurth – Founder, PLYR
The “Redzone for Sports”, PLYR is aiming to revolutionize discovery, engagement, and interaction with sports through its players. After spending a handful of years as a wealth advisor, David Wurth made the jump to entrepreneurship by interviewing successful executives, athletes, and business leaders. CSQ is now an award-winning quarterly business and luxury lifestyle platform. PLYR…
- #131
#131: Jeff Byers – Co-Founder Momentous, Former NFL Lineman
The Defense Department, 90% of NFL teams, and many high-level performers including Andrew Huberman use Momentous products. Momentous offers high-quality nutritional and dietary supplements, researched and developed by leading scientific minds with rigorous quality control and independent third-party testing. Jeff Byers played college football at USC and then spent several years in the NFL before…
- #130
#130: Craig Winning – Managing Director BatBox USA
With many years of experience in sportainment, Craig Winning is now taking on BatBox as they expand from Mexico to the United States. BatBox is an innovative experiential concept that caters to the underserved baseball fan market, offering a playful way for fans to engage with baseball and each other and offer corporate and private…
- #129
#129: Ollie Raison – Co-Founder F1 Arcade
An experienced veteran in sportainment, Ollie’s newest project is at the intersection of racing, socializing, and eating with F1 Arcade. F1 Arcade is a new simulation racing experience in the US, offering all the excitement, drama, and glamor of Formula 1. Ollie Raison has provided creative input to sportainment businesses for many years including Bounce…
- #128
#128: Jared Kleinstein – CEO/Founder Gondola & Fresh Tape Media
Before launching his own agency, Jared was Head of Sports at Twitter/Vine helping establish deep ties within the social media world. Changing the way credit works for social content with Gondola and making creative content for sports leagues, teams, brands, and media companies with Fresh Tape Media. Jared shares valuable insights into content creation, trends…
- #127
#127: Evan Parker – CEO, Mantel
After the acquisition of The Athletic, Evan Parker joined Alexis Ohanian and Brett Montgomery to build Mantel. Mantel is a community for collectors (starting in sports). Before joining Mantel as the CEO, Evan Parker was the General Manager at The Athletic and Head of Content at NASCAR. Chapters: (01:50) Career in Sports (03:00) Importance of…
- #126
#126: Vaidhy Murti – CEO/Founder WIT Sports
Recently raising their Series A round, we discuss the changing dynamic of digital sports activations and how they’ve been able to help organizations get closer to their fans. Vaidhy Murti has over a decade of experience developing production applications for high-growth, venture-backed startups, and Fortune 1000 companies WIT Sports is a digital activation platform that…
- #125
#125: Ari Kaplan – Head of Evangelism Databricks
“The Real Moneyball Guy”, the popular movie was partly based on Ari Kaplan’s analytical and scouting experiences innovating Major League Baseball. Ari Kaplan created and led the Chicago Cubs analytics department, head of evangelism at DataBricks, Caltech Alumni of the Decade, and Intel’s AI Board of Advisors. DataBricks is one of the largest private companies…
- #124
#124: James Giglio – CEO, Founder MVP Interactive
We dive deep into fan engagement, creating immersive experiences, MVP Interactive, and James Giglio’s new book Beyond the Jumbotron. MVP Interactive is a creative technology company that designs and produces immersive consumer experiences for the world’s largest brands. Chapters: (02:45) MVP Interactive background (07:15) Defining a “fan” (11:05) Future of fan engagement (15:05) Immersive tech…
- #123
#123: Rob Ponger – CEO, Perfect Game
Perfect Game is the world’s largest youth baseball/softball platform and scouting service, producing over 8,600+ events, 300,000+ games, and showcases annually across the United States. Rob Ponger became CEO in 2022, previously serving as a Senior Vice President at IMG. To date, more than 1,650 players who have played in a Perfect Game event have…
- #122
#122: Brendan Winters – Co-Founder, Pro Skills Basketball
Pro Skills Basketball is now in 20 cities across the United States with their innovative basketball training, coaching, and team membership model. Brendan Winters grew up the son of an NBA coach. He played college basketball at Davidson and then went on to play professionally overseas for 5 years before founding Pro Skills Basketball. PSB…
- #121
#121: Santiago Halty – CEO, Founder Senda Athletics
Futsal is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, and Senda Athletics is at the forefront of it. Senda Athletics is a head-to-toe soccer product line, including footwear, Fair Trade Certified balls, and custom team uniforms, focused on the rapidly growing 5-a-side and indoor soccer market. The initial 5-a-side market is an estimated $5B…
- #120
#120: Tito Machado & Scott Mendelssohn, DUPR executives
Coming off an $8M funding round, DUPR is going both downstream and horizontal in pickleball. DUPR is a rating algorithm and app to find other pickleball players at your skill level. The score ranges from 2 to 8. Tito Machado is the CEO and Scott Mendelssohn is the Head of Analytics. Chapters: (01:10) Entrance into…
- #119
#119: Mohit Pareek – Principal, Drake Star Partners
We dive deep into Drake Star’s latest sports technology report which saw a total deal value of $37B in 2023. Mohit Pareek is a media and tech investment banker who oversees Drake Star’s sports technology, media, and gaming reports. We also cover investors to watch, significant strategic buyers, global investment trends, and the growing role…
- #118
#118: Antony Arena – CEO, Aura
With over 60+ employees globally, the Aura platform is transforming traditional linear content experiences into an engaging, interactive, and immersive hyper-contextual environment by aggregating content, data, financial engagement, and communities. Before Aura, Antony Arena served as the Chief Executive at Unbound, a group of digital and communications businesses specializing in AI, VR, and AR. Aura…
- #117
#117: Daniel Shichman – CEO, Co-Founder WSC Sports
WSC Sports is nearly a billion-dollar Israeli company, that enables sports media rights owners to automatically generate personalized sports videos in real-time Prior to co-founding WSC Sports, Daniel Shichman attended Tel Aviv University and served in the Israeli military. We discuss the company’s journey to success, trends in the sports media industry, the impact of…
- #116
#116: Sameer Ahuja – President GameChanger, SVP Dick’s Sporting Goods
GameChanger is a tech company (acquired by Dick’s Sporting Goods in 2016) whose mobile app and website provide scorekeeping, stats, video streaming, and recap stories to teams and connected fans at the local level. Sameer Ahuja is a long-time entrepreneur with 20 years of experience as a Founder, CEO, or COO of high-growth technology businesses…
- #115
#115: Jenna Kurath – Head of Comcast NBCU SportsTech
Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech finds, funds, and fast-tracks innovative startups from around the world to invest in and develop the next generation of technology to change the way we experience sports. Jenna Kurath spent time in the PR and communications space before joining Comcast and helping to launch the sports accelerator. Comcast SportsTech features partnerships with…
- #114
#114: Dominic Pardini – CEO, Founder CrewLab
CrewLAB recently completed a pre-seed round for their sports team management system for high school and collegiate endurance sports. Dominic Pardini is a former UCLA rower, innovation consultant at Accenture, and now sports technology entrepreneur. We dive deep into the rowing industry and talk about CrewLab’s journey and how they’re trying to expand into other…
- #113
#113: Wayne Kimmel – Managing Partner SeventySix Capital
SeventySix Capital is a VC firm that invests in innovative sports, media, and entertainment companies. Wayne Kimmel is the managing partner of SeventySix Capital who has also authored the book Six Degrees of Wayne Kimmel. This episode dives deep into the evolution of sports as an asset class, advice for entrepreneurs, and interesting areas to…
- #112
#112: Ricky Davis & Chris Allison – Co-Founders, United Basketball League
The United Basketball League (UBL) is a fan-owned league attempting to create a system similar to baseball (but in basketball) co-founded by former NBA player Ricky Davis and Chris Allison. Chris Allison, experienced in the minor sports league space, provides insight into the planned structure of the league and its community-centric approach. With a focus…
- #111
#111: Jonathan Stern – CEO, Improbable Media
NBA Champion and global superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo recently announced the launch of Improbable Media led by CEO Jonathan Stern and also ESPN personality Jay Williams. Improbable Media will ‘incubate and accelerate’ content creation for talent and brands on top of producing their own movies, shows, and documentaries. Jonathan Stern has spent most of his career…
- #110
#110: Tiago Costa – CEO, Co-Founder Full Venue
Full Venue closed a €2M seed round to expand its AI marketing platform beyond Europe and into categories beyond sports. Full Venue uses Artificial Intelligence to determine the exact likelihood of a customer purchasing a digital platform, helping the marketing teams to target their communication and increasing revenues around the B2C touchpoints. Tiago Costa previously…
- #109
#109: Dr. Aron Souza – President, The Enhanced Games
The Enhanced Games, backed by billionaire Peter Thiel, is on a mission to reimagine performance and provide an alternative to the Olympics. Dr. Aron Souza previously led litigation against Gawker Media involving the wrestler Hulk Hogan, which resulted in one of the largest invasion of privacy judgments in history. He also founded Sargon and OPEN….
- #108
#108: Dave Mirynech – CEO FanClub Sports Capital
FanClub Sports Capital is a syndication platform and registered investment advisor (RIA) that connects deals to private investors. Before founding FanClub, Dave Mirynech spent several years across hockey analytics, venture capital, and blockchain technologies. We talk about sports as an asset class, team valuations, crowdfunding, multi-club structures, and trends to keep an eye on. Chapters:…
- #107
#107: Wade Floyd – Founder CoachTube
CoachTube is one of the largest marketplaces in the sports industry helping to connect athletes/parents with the top coaching instructional videos. Wade Floyd was previously one of the top bible salesmen in the world and a youth baseball coach who saw a need for a premier instructional marketplace. CoachTube houses thousands of videos, powers coaching…
- #106
#106: Mike Shogren – CEO Prevent Biometrics
CEO Mike Shogren is the father of a young athlete who suffered a devastating concussion leading to years of symptoms that could’ve been easily diagnosed and treated with a better protocol in place. While researching concussion treatment, Mike Shogren was introduced to Prevent Biometrics. He left his job, joined Prevent as the CEO, and set…
- #105
#105: Daniel Kirschner – CEO Greenfly
Greenfly has been building in sports & media for ten years with 500+ major organizations as clients led by Daniel Kirschner. Greenfly’s short-form media software platform captures, collects, organizes & distributes videos & photos to drive fan engagement. Daniel Kirschner spent most of his career in the legal space before jumping into entrepreneurship at Greenfly…
- #104
#104: Tyler Gates – GM Brightline Interactive, Chief Futurist Glimpse Group
Reality is being redefined as immersive technology and sports are colliding at record rates. Tyler Gates leads the charge at Brightline Interactive and is the Chief Futurist for the parent company, Glimpse Group ($VRAR). In today’s episode, we dive deep into “fan engagement” and how Brightline Interactive is building the future to provide all stakeholders…
- #103
#103: Robyn Duda – MD, Co-Founder RacquetX
RacquetX looks to build the homebase for the multi-billion-dollar racquet sports industry as we dive deep into the business of events. Robyn Duda is the co-founder and managing director of RacquetX. She has had a successful career across events and technology. The first-ever RacquetX event will take place March 24-26 in Miami, Florida. Chapters: (02:00)…
- #102
#102: Nick Riggall – Co-Founder RugbyDAO
From grassroots to global impact, RugbyDAO is on a mission to reshape rugby for the next 200 years. It’s a decentralized way to build community and operate across the ecosystem. Nick Riggall is the OG and one of the original co-founders at RugbyDAO. As we explore the intersection of sports and Web3, you’ll also pick…
- #101
#101: CJ Handron – CEO Diamond Kinetics
In this episode, CJ Handron of Diamond Kinetics gives us a deep dive into the evolution of sports tech (since they were one of the first companies in the space over a decade ago). Handron is an alumnus of the University of Pittsburgh entrepreneurship program and discusses the company’s journey over the last decade, and…
- #100
#100: Kirby Porter – 2023 Sports Business Year in Review
Reflecting on the trends and developments in sports business for the year 2023, the host speaks with Kirby Porter, the founder of New Game Labs. Porter discusses the intersection of sports and technology, the evolution of athlete investing, the importance of sports creators, and advancements in the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules. She also…
- #99
#99: Ben Sherwood – CEO, Founder MOJO Sports (Acquired by TeamSnap)
In this exclusive interview, we break down TeamSnap’s acquisition of MOJO Sports with their respective CEOs. We cover the state of youth sports across the world, fragmentation across the space, and the commercialization of amateur athletics. Ben Sherwood was previously the President of ABC News & Walt Disney Company before building the youth sports app,…
- #98
#98: Mike Sutcliff – CEO, Co-Founder Mobeus
After 30 years at Accenture, Mike Sutcliff has jumped into the sports entrepreneurship world co-founding 3 different companies. We touch on advice from leaving the corporate world to be a startup entrepreneur and the nuance within sports, fitness, and media. Mobeus is developing innovative media technologies including their new product called Airscreen. The tech allows…
- #97
#97: Kyle Pfaffenbach – Special Advisor LumosTech & Brooks Running
Kyle Pfaffenbach is a high-end performance nutritionist, helping mostly athletes but also founders optimize their performance. Plaffenbach has a B.S. and M.S. in exercise science from Colorado State University, along with a Ph.D. in nutrition from CSU. LumosTech is an innovative sleep mask utilizing circadian rhythm studies to help improve sleep. They recently signed a…
- #96
#96: Griffin Taylor & Jared Effron, Co-Founders The Program NYC
The Program is a business focused on restoring New York City basketball at the youth and grassroots level. This includes a focus on media, merchandise, camps, activations, and an eventual state-of-the-art facility that will open in the fall of 2024 to host its academy and membership training programs. Griffin Taylor and Jared Effron grew up…
- #95
#95: Andy Mitchell – CEO, Lega Serie A USA
With soccer growth ahead, Lega Serie A (Italy) launched a US division with Andy Mitchell leading the charge. The Serie A Championship is the premier soccer division in Italy and is one of the world’s elite soccer leagues. Prior to Serie A, Andy Mitchell worked at CNN, Facebook, and Meta as the Head of Global…
- #94
#94: Allen Broome – CEO MediaKind
MediaKind is an end-to-end video delivery solution that serves some of the largest media properties in the world. After serving as the CTO for a few years, Allen Broome took over the CEO role at MediaKind in 2021. Previously he spent time as the VP of Cloud Engineering at Comcast. Chapters: (01:45) MediaKind & Allen’s…
- #93
#93: Sandeep Rajan – Founder & CEO Grandstand
Grandstand raised $2.75M to build out its creator economy/fan engagement platform. Sandeep Rajan previously spent time as a product leader at both Dropbox and Patreon. Grandstand arose from Sandeep’s deep passion for sports and helping creators monetize with their biggest fans. Chapters: (02:05) Consumer Tech background (07:45) Grandstand overview (10:15) Web3 paved the ground (12:00)…
- #92
#92: Ludwig Sandgren – CEO & Founder GODSENT (Pro Esports Team)
GODSENT is a world-famous, Swedish esports organization with its legacy in the game Counter-Strike. To create the team, Ludwig Sandgren left his job and sold his apartment to be able to pay player salaries and get GODSENT off the ground. Super interesting conversation covering esports, the future of the sport, and founding + operating a…
- #91
#91: Chris Bevilacqua – CEO, Co-Founder Simplebet
All-American wrestler to founding what would become CBS Sports Network and now running a micro betting company in Simplebet, Chris Bevilacqua. Simplebet is a B2B product development company using machine learning and automation to make every moment of every sporting event a betting opportunity. Exploring the eerily similar worlds of sports media 20 years ago…
- #90
#90: Michael Haddix Jr. – CEO & Co-Founder, Scout
Chris Paul, Zion Williamson, Jimmer Fredette, and a few other athlete investors are involved in Scout. Clients include Iowa, Texas A&M, G-League, Florida, Siena, Depaul, and others. Scout is the first digital family office solution for athletes that combines financial education, wealth management, and tax preparation with a premium financial concierge service. Michael Haddix Jr….
- #89
#89: Luka Pataky – SVP Automated Content, Sportradar
Leading a team of 70+ artificial intelligence and computer vision experts, Luka Pataky has deep insights into where the space is headed. Sportradar Group AG (NASDAQ: SRAD), founded in 2001, is a leading global sports technology company creating immersive experiences for sports fans and bettors. Today’s conversation centers around the evolution of computer vision, sports,…
- #88
#88: Manuel Lopo de Carvalho – CEO & co-founder DMG Ventures
DMG Ventures recently made two sports investments: F1 Arcade and a new Padel tournament called The Hexagon Cup. DMG Ventures is the investment arm of media company, Daily Mail, they have deployed over $200 million into consumer companies. Manuel Lopo de Carvalho co-founded DMG Ventures alongside Lord Rothermere in 2017, previously spending time consulting at…
- #87
#87: Ryan Redondo – CEO San Diego Stingrays & Taktika Padel
The sport of padel has exploded across Europe! Today we break down the business behind it and its expansion west. Ryan Redondo is a former All-American tennis player who has spent his career in racquet sports. He is currently the CEO of Taktika Padel and also the San Diego Stingrays in the Pro Padel League….
- #86
#86: David Palmer – Founder FANVEST IO, SailGP Team Owner
The Fan-Owned SailGP Team by FANVEST IO provides a unique opportunity to become a team owner for as little as $5,000. David Palmer is helping coordinate the new Bermuda-based SailGP team that is owned by 1,950 accredited investors through FANVEST IO. The team aims to be the 11th team in the league, projected to begin…
- #85
#85: Ben Keighran – CEO, Caffeine TV
Prior to founding Caffeine, Ben Keighran sold Chomp Inc to Apple where he led the design of Apple TV for several years. Caffeine TV has had several pivots over the years and the last one saw the platform go from 2 million to over 40 million active users. On Caffeine TV you can watch free…
- #84
#84: Tom Webb – CMO, Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP)
Tom Webb is the Chief Marketing Officer of the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP). APP is an organization elevating the sport of pickleball by providing elite platforms for the best players in the world, right through to those picking up a paddle for the first time. Over his 30-year career, Tom Webb has worked with…
- #83
#83: Rich Routman – CEO, The Sporting News
The Sporting News (TSN) was founded in 1886 as a weekly newspaper. They recently raised $15M to expand into commerce beyond just digital ads. LTV > CPM. Before TSN, Rich Routman was the President and CRO of Minute Media helping them raise millions of dollars and become a 10-figure company. The Sporting News acquired a…
- #82
#82: Jeron Smith – Co-Founder, HEIR
HEIR raised $10.6M from Thrive Capital for their consumer-facing community platform for athletes to connect with fans — as well as other lines of business, including an entertainment studio, AI tech, and consumer products. Prior to co-founding HEIR alongside Jeffrey Jordan and Daniel George, Jeron Smith was the CMO for Steph Curry’s brand and co-founder…
- #81
#81: Meredith McPherron – CEO, Managing Partner Drive by DraftKings
Drive by DraftKings is a multi-stage venture capital firm investing in SportsTech and Entertainment. Drive also has an all-star network consisting of notable athletes and executives to add value to their core themes of gaming, fandom, and human performance. Meredith McPherron is a former college athlete who has spent her professional career at the intersection…
Tennis: A Broken Model (Exploring the Problems & Potential Solutions w/ John Butler)
The fragmentation of tennis has come to a crossroads as Saudi Arabia is disrupting other individual sports and players are itching for stable pay. 30-year tennis veteran John Butler joins the podcast to break down tennis and present his new
- #80
#80: John Butler – Building A New Model in Tennis
The fragmentation of tennis has come to a crossroads as Saudi Arabia is disrupting other individual sports and players are itching for stable pay. 30-year tennis veteran John Butler joins the podcast to break down tennis and present his new tiered-system model. From player pay to superstar reliance, promotion and relegation, and so much more…
- #79
#79: Jon Anastas – CEO, ClashTV
Previously the CMO at LiveONE and ONE Championship, Jon Anastas jumped into the CEO seat at sports live-streaming startup ClashTV in 2023. Jon is also the Chairman of the Board at AlphaGen Intelligence. ClashTV is an interactive live-streaming content-first social platform that raised a seed round in 2020. Chapters: (01:35) Culture, content, & commerce (03:20)…
- #78
#78: Gary Goldberg – Founder, SquadLocker
Third-generation textile entrepreneur Gary Goldberg is the founder of SquadLocker, which raised a $20M Series C in 2020. SquadLocker is a custom apparel and gear software and fulfillment company transforming how sports organizations, schools, and businesses develop and distribute custom goods. Gary Goldberg moved to the president role after bringing on George Overholster as the…
- #77
#77: Chase Garrett – CEO, Founder Icon Source
Prior to jumping into the founder seat, Chase Garrett was a professional motocross rider, marketing manager at Red Bull, and personal agent to athletes such as Reggie Bush and Kris Bryant. Icon Source is at the forefront of influencer marketing connecting brands with athletes in a secure & trusted marketplace to reach new opportunities. Founded…
- #76
#76: Ramsey Baker – SVP Aggregate Sports, Fmr. US Figure Skating Executive Director
Former Executive Director of U.S. Figure Skating Ramsey Baker dives deep into Olympic Sports, National Governing Bodies, the IOC, and the upcoming 2028 LA Summer Olympics. Ramsey Baker is currently an SVP at Aggregate Sports. Aggregate Sports works on behalf of a variety of sports properties, leagues, teams, and federations helping them to maximize their…
- #75
#75: Frank Michael Smith – Sports Content Creator & Entrepreneur
Frank Michael Smith tells his story of how he has built an audience of more than 3 million followers/subscribers and billions of views around sports and pop culture content. Frank Michael Smith runs his multiple business endeavors through JUICE Productions, which includes a creative agency, sponsorships, betting games, and more. A fascinating conversation on the…
- #74
#74: Mike Salvaris – Co-Founder, Pro League Network
Pro League Network’s brands include SlapFIGHT Championship, World Putting League, CarJitsu, and the Pro Carrom Tour. They have an owned audience of over 500K subscribers/followers across their brands and generate millions of impressions each week. Pro League Network (PLN) makes betable sports entertainment. They own a portfolio of brands and produce short-form, wagering-ready, and accessible…
- #73
#73: Ruari Bell – Founding Partner, The Player’s Fund
The Player’s Fund is the UK’s first-ever “athlete-fueled” venture firm that aims to invest £40M with a vehicle composed of athlete collectives including Chris Smalling, Carlos Boozer, Héctor Bellerín, and Serge Gnabry. Ruari Bell is an ex-professional athlete himself who has built agencies and businesses including 4cast and the Bell Partnership. The Player’s Fund is…
- #72
#72: James Kimball – Founder, Novo Sports Group
James Kimball was at the forefront of the WWE’s groundbreaking college athlete NIL program and is now building his own agency. Novo Sports Group is a management agency operating at the intersection of emerging athletes, talent, properties, & brands. Chapters: (02:40) Corporate to Entrepreneur (05:30) WWE’s NIL program (13:50) 5-6 figure deals (15:30) Novo Sports…
- #71
#71: Jordan Rogers – Founder, Perseus Creative
Jordan Rogers revamped his life after a stint in jail up the ranks at Nike and now with his own company Perseus Creative. Perseus Creative teaches athletes, executives, & learners about personal branding, creativity, & life of service through marketing and speaking engagements. Today Jordan Rogers breaks down his incredible journey along with amazing tidbits…
- #70
#70: Jim Cavale – Chairman, Athletes.Org
A multiple-time exited founder Jim Cavale is very involved in the NIL and college sports industry and sees the next opportunity with what he’s building at Athletes.Org. Athletes.org (AO) is a 501c non-profit organization designed exclusively for college athletes to receive on-demand support in navigating their respective college athletics experience and a voice to speak…
- #69
#69: Tom Waterhouse – Founder, Waterhouse VC
In 2013, Tom Waterhouse (.com) was sold to William Hill Australia for a 20x plus exit. WaterhouseVC invests in listed and unlisted businesses related to wagering and gaming. Whilst the Fund has a concentrated portfolio, the fund is diversified across both geography and market capitalization. Tom Waterhouse comes from the fourth generation of the Waterhouse…
- #68
#68: Kevin Jones – CEO, Founder Blue Wire
After getting fired from his sports radio job, Kevin Jones put his last $17,000 of savings to build Blue Wire. Kevin Jones has over 12 years of experience in the sports industry as a beat reporter for the 49ers at KNBR, team reporter for the Cleveland Browns, and contributor to WUSA-TV in Washington D.C. Blue…
- #67
#67: Kyle Martino – Soccer Entrepreneur, Former MLS Player
Kyle Martino spent 6 years in the MLS and is currently building a handful of soccer companies after many years as a TV analyst and a run for President of U.S. Soccer. Martino’s portfolio includes Street FC, Football Cafe, Over Under Initiative, and Goalpher. Chapters: (01:40) Transitioning from athlete to next stage (05:15) From sports…
- #66
#66: Soma Somasegar – Owner Seattle Orcas & Seattle Sounders
As the sports industry continues to grow, venture capitalist & tech executive Soma Somesegar has entered the space through ownership. Soma is a majority owner of the Seattle Orcas in Major League Cricket and a minority owner of the Major League Soccer team Seattle Sounders. He is the current managing director of Madrona Venture Group….
- #65
#65: Andrew Steinwold – Managing Partner Sfermion
Andrew Steinwold first bought Bitcoin in 2013 and now runs a $100M venture fund focused around the metaverse. Sfermion is a multi-strategy investment firm focused on the immersive internet. Their mission is to accelerate the emergence of the metaverse by investing in the companies & founders creating the digital future. Sports and the metaverse have…
- #64
#64: Luke Verbeek – CEO, Founder Homefans
Homefans is experiencing massive MoM growth for their marketplace where fans can connect, plan, and book sports trips and experiences hosted by locals. Luke Verbeek spent 1 year in the corporate world before jumping into entrepreneurship and founding HomeFans in 2014. Homefans is currently focused on soccer in Europe and South America, but plans to…
- #63
#63: Didier Occident – Secure The Bag Financial Literacy
Didier Occident speaks to some of the most significant football programs in the world about financial literacy, wealth building, and maximizing earnings off the field. Didier created Secure The Bag to present this to collegiate teams like Alabama, Washington, and Florida State He also founded Occident Wealth Management (under Northwestern Mutual) where he signed on…
- #62
#62: Ferran Prieto – CEO Gasol16 Ventures, Co-Founder Everest TM
Ferran is the CEO and Managing Director of Gasol16 Ventures, Pau Gasol’s business and strategic investing vehicle. Prieto also co-founded Everest Talent Management to help a variety of athletes to maximize their “off-the-field” impact and economic opportunities. Working with athletes is a long-term, strategic approach to their non-playing activities that not only make a mark…
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (July 23-Aug 5)
(01:20): Business of Athletes - KD invests in cycling, Zion Williamson is in trouble, and more (06:00): NIL/College Sports - Pac12 is dying, Arch Manning deal, and interesting $5M collective agreement (10:50): Sports Business - $70M VC fund
- #61
#61: Tim Malik – CEO, Co-Founder Combat IQ
Combat IQ is the world’s first AI-powered data analytics company dedicated to combat sports using machine learning and computer vision. Prior to founding Combat IQ, Tim Malik worked as a professional football scout in the Canadian Football League. They raised a pre-seed round in late 2022 and completed Techstars in London. Combat IQ plans to…
- #60
#60: Joey Levy – CEO, Co-Founder Betr
Betr recently completed a $35M Series A2 ($300M valuation) led by tech entrepreneur Joey Levy and influencer Jake Paul. Betr is labeled as the world’s first microbetting app with a heavy focus on sports out of the gate. Joey Levy has been building in the fantasy and sports betting space since 2014 while at Columbia…
- #59
#59: Brandon Harris – CEO, Founder Playmaker HQ (Acq. by Better Collective)
In July 2023, Better Collective acquired Playmaker HQ for up to $54M with $15M upfront. Playmaker is a sports media platform, content machine, and emerging talent agency. Brandon Harris is a long-time entrepreneur who has spent over a decade building in sports. Chapters: (01:20) Entrepreneurial path (03:45) Overview of Playmaker (05:20) Scaling to 70 employees…
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (July 16-22)
(00:10) Business of Athletes (03:25) College Sports/NIL (07:15) Sports Business
- #58
#58: Brian Woods – CEO, Founder Prep Super League (PSL)
Brian Woods is building another sports property, after previously selling The Spring League to Fox and creating the USFL. Prep Super League is an elite, 11-on-11, spring football league for aspiring college football prospects seeking supplemental instruction, enhanced competition, and a less restrictive environment to pursue NIL deals. Prep Super League is attempting to revolutionize…
- #57
#57: Antonio Cacorino – CEO, Co-Founder APEX Capital
Led by Antonio Cacorino, APEX Capital, is bringing the athlete investment movement into Europe. APEX focuses on investments in the sports, media, and entertainment industries. Prior to bringing together athletes for a syndicate and fund, Antonio spent time in the finance industry at Welz, Leonteq, and BNP Paribas. Chapters: (01:30) Saudi money in sports (05:30)…
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (July 1-15)
(01:30) - Business of Athletes: Dwyane Wade, London Basketball Team, and athletes following passion investments (10:40) - NIL: Senators making a statement, $15M Texas, and Livvy Dunne (14:00) - Sports Business: Jay-Z, soccer, and acquisitio
- #56
#56: Dan Rutstein – President, Orange County SC (USL)
Soccer is growing at a rapid pace in the United States, and the USL is in a prime position prior to the 2026 World Cup on North American soil. Orange County SC won the 2021 USL Championship Cup, which is the second tier of US soccer behind the MLS. Before becoming president of OCSC, Dan…
- #55
#55: Bruce Buffer & Matt Whitteker – Co-Founders MILLIONS.co
Bruce Buffer is the legendary UFC announcer and Matt Whitteker is an exited unicorn founder at SaaS company Assent. They came together to co-found the sports company MILLIONS, which raised a $10M Series A in 2021. MILLIONS unites the sports world through a single social commerce platform allowing athletes, gyms, fans, and brands to connect…
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (June 19-30)
(02:00) Business of Athletes - Chris Paul, Aaron Rodgers, and Victor Wemby make moves (06:10) NIL/College Sports - NCAA releases weird report and a partnership (07:50) Sports Business - Ryan Reynolds buys F1 team, MLB goes to youth sports,
- #54
#54: Courtney Jeffries – CEO, VRTL
Before jumping into the founder seat, Courtney Jeffries worked for the Oakland Raiders, MSG, and was the Chief Operating Officer of Satisfi Labs. VRTL, pronounced Virtual, was previously known as Virtual Tables and participated in Techstars Minnesota Twins program. They are the first virtual fan engagement platform that delivers a live autograph experience combining both…
- #53
#53: Fabien Paget – CEO, Co-Founder 17 Sport
17 Sport is the world’s first sports impact company, working at the intersection of sport, business, and purpose. As a Certified B-Corp, 17 Sport’s mission is to educate, inspire and enable all stakeholders including athletes, brands, and properties to activate their purpose through sport and deliver positive financial, social, and environmental outcomes. Before founding 17…
- #52
#52: Agustin Rozadas – COO, Co-Founder OLIVER
OLIVER has raised over $1M and recently entered into a partnership agreement with FC Barcelona that also included an investment from the soccer conglomerate. Agustin Rozadas started his professional career as a financial analyst at Accenture before building up Fligoo and then jumping into the sports tech founder seat. OLIVER is a wearable tracking device…
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (June 12-18)
(01:05) Business of Athletes (05:50) College Sports/NIL (08:40) Sports Business Thanks for listening today! I hope these weekly roundups keep you up to date & informed on the most important events taking place in the sports industry.
- #51
#51: Keith Blakely – CEO, Chairman OnCore Golf
OnCore Golf is innovating unique sports products including their Genius golf ball that has a GPS tracking device inside its hollow-core construction. The tracking device pairs with a phone app to help find the golf ball, plus provide data such as ball velocity, spin rate, spin direction, carry, and more. Keith Blakely is the CEO…
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (June 1-11)
(00:30) Business of Athletes - tons of athlete investments to catch up on (05:30) NIL/College Sports - interesting news coming out of the NCAA (10:15) Sports Business - all the stories that didn't get covered because of the LIV/PGA merger t
- #50
#50: Ian Goldberg – CEO, Founder iSport360
Launched in 2017, iSport360 has raised ~$2M in capital to help youth sports coaches, players, and parents set goals, foster healthy team communication, and engage in a positive way. They also have a media arm with over 500,000 newsletter subscribers. Ian is a father, coach, and entrepreneur who founded 3 companies before the age of…
- #49
#49: Thad Young – NBA Player, Founder Reform Ventures
Thad Young was drafted 12th in the 2007 NBA Draft out of Georgia Tech and has made $140 million playing for the 76ers, Timberwolves, Nets, Pacers, Bulls, Spurs, and Raptors. Thaddeus Young is a 17-year NBA veteran with a massive 300+ portfolio at Reform Ventures, his holding entity of mostly private companies. One of the…
- #48
#48: Hugo Inglis – Olympic Athlete, Partner HIA
Hugo Inglis has participated in 3 Olympic games for New Zealand and is also building an exciting model around athletes + philanthropy. High Impact Athletes (HIA) connects world-class athletes with world-class charities, where every dollar given can do the best possible. This was a fascinating conversation about athletes doing good in the community, playing in…
- #47
#47: Anand Rajaraman – Owner SF Unicorns, GP Rocketship.vc
Anand is a two-time exited founder, Junglee (acq. by Amazon) and Kosmix (acq. by Walmart) that is now a founding partner of rocketship.vc and owner of the United States cricket team San Francisco Unicorns. The San Francisco Unicorns will be one of the first 6 cricket teams in Major League Cricket along with the Seattle…
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (May 22-28)
(01:30) - Business of Athletes • Tom Brady, Steph Curry, and Dirk Nowitzki with big moves (03:40) - College Sports/NIL • Opendorse stays active and collectives making moves and a sports betting report (06:30) - Sports Business • India conti
- #46
#46: Michael Raymond – Founder Raymond Representation
Michael Raymond is an up-and-coming talent agent currently representing professional basketball players, influencers, student-athletes for NIL, and E-sports teams. Raymond Representation is a community-focused and innovative sports agency, specializing in NIL and Talent Management. Michael Raymond founded it during his time in college at the University of Miami Law School. If you’re interested in the…
- #45
#45: Cole Hock & Cody Hock – Founders Up North Management
Cole and Cody Hock are Forbes 30 under 30 co-founders with a background in the music and law industries which fueled their journey to creating Up North Management. Up North is a diversified entertainment & media company specializing in talent management, brand building, creative content, and original business ventures. They represent top content creators in…
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (May 15-21)
Every Sunday I go into detail of the most important stories you need to hear more about... (01:00) - Business of Athletes (03:50) - College Sports/NIL (07:00) - Sports Business
- #44
#44: Evan Kirkham – CEO, Co-Founder Outlier
Outlier raised over $3M to pivot their original idea and build the first-of-its-kind sports betting platform where sports fans can browse, analyze, and execute bets with confidence. Evan Kirkham was previously a litigation attorney before jumping into the sports tech founder seat (which gives him a unique perspective on the market). Recorded near the 5th…
- #43
#43: Loron Orris – Founding Partner Asia Sports Tech
Asia Sports Tech is one of the leading business consulting and financial advisory firms in all of Asia. Loron Orris has 30+ years of experience in sports including being the managing director of NBA Asia during its early days. He also lectures at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Business School. AST’s Mission is to…
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (May 1-14)
(01:20) - Business of Athletes (JJ Watt, Aaron Rodgers, and more) (06:15) - College Sports/NIL (betting scandals, new legislation, $300k to transfer, etc) (10:25) - Sports Business (new AI partnerships, Betr acquisition, and politics mixing
- #42
#42: Don White – CEO, Co-Founder Satisfi Labs
Satisfi Labs raised a Series A in 2021 to continue building their AI chatbot, which is conversational and understands tens of thousands of intents. Satisfi Labs data is categorized and specific for their over 200 clients (many being sports teams). Don spent many years in sales including at Bloomberg before jumping into the sports tech…
- #41
#41: Tinus Le Roux – CEO, Co-Founder CrowdIQ
CrowdIQ has signed deals with over 25% of the NFL for its state-of-the-art computer vision to provide actionable insights on the composition and behavior of crowds. FanCam was the initial product that led to the venture-backed CrowdIQ that is on the market today. A fascinating conversation with Tinus Le Roux on his entrepreneurial journey, building…
- #40
#40: David Ortiz – CEO, Co-Founder SimWin Sports
In the entrepreneur seat since 19 years old, David Ortiz is now building at the intersection of web3, AI, esports, and content with SimWin Sports. The SimWin Sports League has several notable team owners including Jerry Rice, Magic Johnson, Marshall Faulk, and Lamelo Ball. David Ortiz has also led blockbuster teams at large corporations like…
- #39
#39: Mark Neifeld – CEO, Commissioner Sport Fishing Championship
In 2021 Mark Neifeld founded the Sport Fishing Championship – the most extensive saltwater fishing championship series in North America – where he serves as CEO & Commissioner of the international sports property. Prior to Sport Fishing Championship, Neifeld spent a decade in entrepreneurship and worked for the Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys. Fishing is…
- #38
#38: Adam Fiske – CEO, Co-Founder Cipher Sports
Last year, Cipher Sports raised a $5M Series A led at CEO by longtime sports media professional Adam Fiske. Cipher Sports arms users with the ultimate combination of tools, content, and communities to make sports more bettable. They have four major brands under management including Dimers, Fantasy Insider, Stats Insider, and Convertr. This is an…
- #37
#37: Malaika Underwood – Interim CEO OneTeam Partners
OneTeam Partners aligns with world-class player’s associations and helps athletes maximize their name, image, and likeness rights by focusing on four key areas: group licensing, athlete marketing, content, and venture investing. RedBird Partners sold 40% of their stake in OneTeam Partners at a $1.9B valuation in 2022. Malaika Underwood was previously a VP at the…
- #36
#36: Jason Shatsky – CEO, Co-Founder TicketRev
TicketRev just raised $1.1M as the first-ever reverse ticketing marketplace – modeled after shoe marketplaces like StockX and GOAT. Jason Shatsky co-founded the company while in college at Babson University. TicketRev went through the Techstars accelerator this last year and received an investment from the Minnesota Twins at the end. Chapters: (01:15) Building his first…
- #35
#35: Michael Schreck – CEO, Co-Founder CSMG
CSMG helps their collegiate partners understand & maximize marketplace value for media rights and sponsorships and provides managed solutions for NIL and group licensing for agencies, brands, institutions, and student-athletes. They also run esportsU and host May Madness which is the collegiate video game equivalent of NCAA March Madness. Michael Schreck co-founded CSMG in 2014…
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (April 10-16)
(01:00) Business of Athletes - more investors in TMRW sports, Steph Curry on the big screen, and several players buying soccer teams (04:15) NIL/College Sports - collectives merging, athletes "retiring, and plenty of other topics to discuss
- #34
#34: Jonathan Ludwig – CEO, Co-Founder Fantium
Jonathan is a repeat entrepreneur having founded and sold his first company INCENT Corporate Services. He then spent the last few years as a web3 angel investor, including a gem in the NFT fantasy platform Sorare. Jonathan Ludwig jumped back into the founder seat in 2022 leading a $2M seed round for Fantium and recently…
- #33
#33: Jake Hirabayashi – CEO, Co-Founder The Futures App
Started by all former college & pro baseball players, The Futures App raised $2.65M to launch into the sports tech ecosystem. The Futures App provides baseball players and coaches with an array of tools along with hosting the world’s largest MLB drill database that features some of the game’s biggest stars like Pete Alonso, Jazz…
- #32
#32: Steve Scebelo – President NFL Players Inc
The NFL Players Inc is the 25th largest licensor in the world. Steve Scebelo took over in 2020 and has taken the company to record revenue numbers. As the for-profit licensing and marketing business of the NFLPA, NFL Players Inc. represents the exclusive group player licensing rights of over 2,000 active NFL players through more…
- #31
#31: Ahmad Nassar – Exec. Director PTPA
Before his current endeavor, Ahmad was the president of the NFL Players Inc. and the founding CEO of OneTeam Partners which was valued at $1.9 billion upon RedBird Capital selling its 40% stake in 2022. Founded last year, the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) has made rapid strides in representing both men’s and women’s tennis…
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (March 27-April 2)
(00:35) Business of Athletes Mike Trout and Tiger Woods team up for a golf course, a women's basketball coach makes an investment, and Steph Curry is going to be rich rich. (04:35) NIL/College Sports Mattress Mack's $75,000 deal for FAU bas
- #30
#30: Casey Schwab – CEO Altius Sports Partners
Prior to founding Altius Sports Partners, Casey was the VP of business & legal affairs at the NFLPA, where he helped lead the NIL program for all NFL players. Altius Sports Partners is a unique advisory company in college sports led by business leaders providing solutions for NIL and all other major changes impacting college…
- #29
#29: Eddie Lewis – Founder TOCA Football
Founded in 2016, TOCA Football has raised over $100M in venture capital and built an impressive conglomerate in the soccer/football space. Prior to founding TOCA Football, Eddie Lewis was a professional soccer player for 14 years and played 82 games for the United States men’s national team. We touch on several interesting topics today including…
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (March 20-26)
(01:10) Business of Athletes NFL QBs invest in women's sports and TMRW sports get more money from big-time athletes. (3:45) NIL/College Sports Strange NIL deal at Texas A&M + Charles Barkley sounds off on politicians about NIL. (7:00) Busin
- #28
#28: Jason Bergman – CEO, Co-Founder Marketpryce
Prior to raising over $3M to build out Marketpryce, CEO Jason Bergman was a sports agent and also worked in the athlete marketing sector. Marketpryce is a branding solution that mixes products with services to assist athletes, brands, and universities in the NIL era. NIL is taking off and Jason Bergman + Marketpryce is trying…
- #27
#27: Ben Reynolds – CEO, Co-Founder Spalk
In 2021, Ben Reynolds and Spalk raised a $3M Series A round which included several notable athlete investors and was headed by Greg Norman’s venture arm. Spalk has developed a unique commentary software that allows you to listen to alternative sportscasters with options in over 32 different languages. A native of New Zealand, it was…
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (March 13-19)
(02:00) Name, Image, and Likeness - Cavinder Twins talk about NIL, walk-ons sign a huge deal, and more around the first college venture firm (06:55) Business of Athletes - Aaron Rodger's nets a 100% return, women's soccer players, and more
- #26
#26: Blake Lawrence – CEO, Co-Founder Opendorse
Opendorse is one of the largest companies in the NIL space and it all began with former Nebraska linebacker Blake Lawrence attempting to help just 1 athlete. Today, Opendorse has over 100,000 athletes, 3,000 marketers, and 2,000 sports organizations. They have a lot of solutions under management, but at their core, they are a NIL…
- #25
#25: Paris Wallace – CEO, Co-Founder NCL (National Cycling League)
With sports leagues changing and athletes embracing ownership, Paris Wallace saw the perfect opportunity to create the National Cycling League (NCL). Prior to creating the NCL, Paris Wallace founded and sold two companies: Ovia Health (Labcorp) Good Start Genetics (Invitae) The National Cycling League (NCL) is the first majority-minority and female professional sports league. The…
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (March 6-12)
Audio Timeline: (0:45) - Business of Athletes * Lionel Messi's new investment, Lebron James inks a lifetime equity deal, Lamar Jackson's contract saga, and more. (7:00) - Name, Image, and Likeness * Notre Dame football player, former Brown
- #24
#24: Dugald Macdonald – CEO, Co-Founder Sportable
A former rugby player himself, Dugald Macdonald wanted to connect the worlds of sport and data. He co-founded Sportable in 2015 alongside NASA engineer Dr. Peter Husemeyer. Sportable specializes in designing and implementing cutting-edge data collection technology – enabling fans to see inside the play. They started by adding chips inside rugby balls and have…
- #23
#23: Peter Frintzilas – CEO TeamSnap
TeamSnap is one of the largest sports technology companies in North America and Peter Frintzilas is leading the charge after Waud Capital purchased TeamSnap in 2021. Founded in 2009, TeamSnap has over 24 million coaches, administrators, players, and parents that rely on their solutions for communication, scheduling, payment collection, registration, real-time game sharing, and more….
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (Feb 20-Mar 5)
(02:00) Business of Athletes: - Giannis Antetokounmpo now owns two pros teams, Naomi Osaka invests in Ramen noodles and more athlete investment stories including NBA players putting money in canned-milk (11:00) NIL/College Sports: - the fir
- #22
#22: Patrik Olsson – CEO, Co-Founder Spiideo
AI video cameras/software is exploding across the globe and Patrik Olsson is at the forefront of it at Spiideo. Patrik was previously a Vice President at Sony (where he helped pioneer Bluetooth technology). You’ll enjoy this episode as we discuss AI, the evolution of sports cameras, and the growing sports tech industry. Chapters: (00:55) Pioneering…
- #21
#21: Vinit Bharara – CEO, Co-Founder Mojo
Vinit Bharara is a successful entrepreneur having founded and sold multiple companies: The Pit (acquired by Topps) Diapers.com (acquired by Amazon) Some Spider Studios (acquired by Vox Media) Vin is business partners with the owners of the Minnesota Timberwolves (Marc Lore and MLB legend Alex Rodriguez). You’ll enjoy this episode as we discuss Mojo and…
- #20
#20: Adam Faris – Sports Creator, Co-Founder Dapper Life
Sitting on an audience of over 2.5M followers, Adam Faris is thinking bigger than just content. He is a co-founder of Dapper Life, which is the holding company of his various business endeavors all stemming from short-form content. Sports creators are much more than video personalities behind the scenes. Chapters: (03:25) Some of Adam’s cool…
- #19
#19: Sean Clifford – Green Bay Packers QB, Limitless NIL (acquired)
When NIL went live in July 2021, Sean Clifford didn’t just sign endorsement deals – he created an agency, Limitless NIL, to help other players maximize their name, image, and likeness. Sean Clifford finished his career at Penn State as one of the most decorated quarterbacks in school history and now plays with the Green…
- #18
#18: Tracy Deforge – CEO, Founder The Player’s Impact
Tracy Deforge is building The Player’s Impact, along with being on the board of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and USA Handball. A decorated sports leader, she has seen sports transform into a massive enterprise. The Player’s Impact (TPI) is a group comprised of both active and retired professional athletes who come together as…
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (February 6-19)
(01:05) - Feel good stories Figure skating star Yuna Kim has donated $100,000 to aid earthquake recovery efforts in Turkey and Syria. Michael Jordan has donated $10M to Make-a-Wish. (02:50) - Business of Athletes Carmelo Anthony is co-launc
- #17
#17: Ben DiNucci – NFL QB, Founder of True Brvnd
Ben DiNucci is a professional football player, playing for the Dallas Cowboys for 2 years and now for the Seattle Sea Dragons in the XFL. Ben DiNucci is also a co-founder of True Brvnd, where they created the original upside-down Dallas hat. Chapters: (02:40) Becoming an NFL quarterback (06:25) HBO Hardknocks (08:15) Dallas Cowboys and…
- #16
#16: Edward Fitzgibbon – Partner, Co-Founder Sports Rights Tech
With extensive global sporting knowledge and relationships, Edward helped found Sports Rights Tech. One of their partners, Yash, recently spent months in India observing the ecosystem. In this episode, we talk about India’s macro and microeconomics in sports. Sports Rights Tech is a specialist advisory business focused on optimizing Rights, Intellectual Property, and Technology in…
- #15
#15: David Anderson – CEO, Co-Founder BreakAway Data
After playing in the NFL for 6 years and working in sports for nearly a decade, David Anderson decided to start his own venture, BreakAway Data. BreakAway Data is a venture-backed data analytics platform with major deals across athletics including the NFLPA, UCLA, and other high-level sports properties. They were also named to SBJ’s 10…
- #14
#14: Matt Beyer – CEO East Asia Super League (EASL)
After several years of building a sports agency in China, Matt Beyer decided to start the East Asia Super League (EASL). It is the top basketball league in Asia, similar to the Champions League in European soccer. The EASL combines the best Asian clubs and leagues with the goal of becoming one of the world’s…
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (Jan 30 - Feb 5)
(00:50) - Feel good stories College athlete donates $22,000 and Make-A-Wish is hosting an awesome Super Bowl event (02:15) - Business of Athletes The NFL salary cap is increasing from $208.2M to $224.8M for 2023. Shinesty, a men's underwear
- #13
#13: Adam Breneman – Sports Media Entrepreneur & Investor
Adam Breneman is a quick riser in the sports media world. He is an entrepreneur, college football analyst, investor, and content creator. Breneman was a 5-star football recruit that played at Penn State and UMass. He coached TEs at Arizona State for two years before jumping into the sports business world. Adam Breneman is also…
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (Jan 23-29)
Business of Athletes: Firefly Recovery has raised $1M from a group of athlete investors including Olympic Volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings, and NFL players Shaq Thompson + Darren Waller. Lebron James’ investment in pickleball drew ove
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#12: Ishveen Jolly – CEO, Founder OpenSponsorship
Ishveen Jolly is building OpenSponsorship, a two-sided global marketplace for sports sponsorship. Their platform makes it easy for brands to partner with athletes, teams, and events. Ishveen Jolly has received numerous awards including Forbes 30 Under 30 and Inc. Top 100 Female Founder. OpenSponsorship has several notable athlete investors including Serena Williams and Baron Davis….
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#11: Brian Fagan – Founder Oncoor Sports
Brian Fagan is the founder of Oncoor Sports, a marketing agency for athletes, collectives, and brands. In 2021, it was acquired by a Utah-based group to help integrate NIL. Oncoor currently has over 100 athletes, 50 brands, and 42 universities in its portfolio. Brian Fagan also serves as the Head of Sales at the Playbook…
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (Jan 16-22)
(00:30) Feel good stories Sport Clips Haircuts held an event where they also donated $1.5M toward veterans' scholarships. NBA forward Kyle Kuzma is donating $1 million to the YMCA in his hometown of Flint, Michigan. The Green Bay Packers ar
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#10: Cole Peterson – UAB Football
Cole Peterson is one of the youngest coaches/directors in all of Division 1 FBS football. At 24 years old, he recently got hired by Trent Dilfer at the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB). In this conversation, we talk about the business of college football, the rise of athlete entrepreneurs, the difficulties coaches are facing with…
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#9: Paul Anton – CEO, Co-Founder Huupe
Paul Anton is building Huupe, the world’s first smart basketball hoop. It is the merging of technology, gaming, and sports training. Prior to Huupe, Anton built two companies (1 of which was acquired). Huupe recently raised $5M including investments from several NBA players such as Trevor Booker and Thaddeus Young. Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (02:17) Paul…
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (January 1-15th)
(0:40) - Feel good stories Florida State offensive lineman Dillan Gibbons has raised over $500,000 through NIL for his charity "Big Man, Big Heart." Damar Hamlin’s charity hits $8.8M in donations. (2:10) - Business of Athletes Michael Phelp
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#8: Steven Farag – Founder, CEO Campus Ink
Steven Farag is building Campus Ink, a merch platform at the center of NIL and college athletics. In 2022, Campus Ink raised several million dollars (including an investment from Mark Cuban) and scaled to over 30 employees and 13 Universities. Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:30) From creating merch to building Campus Ink (02:35) How Steven got…
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#7: Porter Grieve – CEO, Co-Founder Mercury
Porter Grieve is building Mercury, a university fan experience platform that uses athlete-driven media to push the product forward. Prior to Mercury, Grieve spent several years at the soccer club, AS Roma. Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (03:20) Creating fan experiences and Mercury’s agenda (07:10) Merging the worlds of Web2 and Web3 (09:30) Where is blockchain technology…
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#6: Ryan Girardot – CEO, Co-Founder Cerebro Sports
Ryan Girardot is an exited founder now building in the youth basketball space. Cerebro Sports is a Mark Cuban company using data analytics to provide deep insights for the main entities in sports. In this podcast, we talk about the importance of data, why now is the time to build in sports, the evolution of…
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#5: Jacob Turner – MLB Player, Partner JL Strategic Wealth
Jacob Turner was the 9th pick in the 2009 MLB draft and played professional baseball for over a decade. He is now building JL Strategic Wealth, a financial management firm for high-net-worth entrepreneurs and athletes. They work with several notable clients including MLB all-stars who made over 9 figures in earnings. In this podcast, Jacob…
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#4: Roy Daneman – Cofounder Strikeco
Roy Daneman is a repeat entrepreneur who is now building an AI-infused sports training equipment company, Strikeco. In this podcast, we talk about AI, why now is the time to build in sports, esports vs physical sports, Israel’s success in sports technology, and his family’s relationship with one of the greatest soccer players of all…
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#3: Nick Esayian – CEO of LIGHT Helmets
Nick Eyasian is a repeat entrepreneur and former race car driver who is now building a protective headwear company. LIGHT Helmets is a helmet company founded on the belief that “light” helmets are more protective than “heavy” helmets. Fascinating convo touching on D2C & the future of sports, politics in athletics and w/ the NFL,…
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (December 11-17)
Chapters: (00:25) Feel Good Stories (1:35) Business of Athletes (7:00) NIL/College Sports (10:25) Future of Sports Andrew Petcash links: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com ✉️ Newsletter: https://www.petcashpost.com 🎙 Podcast: https://ancho
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#2: Jason Syversen – Founder Sportsvisio, GP 10X VC
Jason Syversen is an entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist who is now building an AI company in sports. Sportsvisio automatically captures highlights and stats from sporting events using artificial intelligence. In this podcast, we talk about AI, why he decided to build a company in sports, the differences between founding/investing in companies, and the future of…
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (December 4-10)
(0:30) - Feel good stories Dick’s Sporting Goods $150M in donations, Manny Pacquiao donated 100% of fight proceeds to charity, and the Boston Celtics gifting $155,000. (1:50) - Business of Athletes Nike is cutting ties with Kyrie Irving, he
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#1: CJ Watson – NBA Player Turned Angel Investor
CJ Watson is a former NBA player turned angel investor, entrepreneur, author, and philanthropist. In this podcast, he talked about the transition from playing pro basketball to investing in over 20 companies. Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:00) Transition from NBA to investing (04:15) NIL changing the landscape (08:00) Average day for CJ Watson (09:00) Becoming an…
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (Nov 27 - Dec 3)
Audio Timeline: 1:55 - Feel good stories Alabama and Auburn team up for a good cause and a $100,000 donation for scholarships. 4:08 - Business of Athletes Alex Morgan invested in Soccer Post, a large soccer retailer and online site. Mario G
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (November 20-26)
Audio Timeline:0:40 - Feel good stories* History has been made with the first Division 1 female athlete in baseball and a $10,000 half-court shot. 2:00 - Business of Athletes* Jayson Tatum, Connor McDavid, and Mitch Marner are investing in
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (November 13-19)
Audio Timeline:0:35 - Feel good stories* 6 marathons in 6 days, the nation's only team comprised entirely of deaf and hard of hearing players has made the NCAA tournament, and more. 3:05 - Business of Athletes* Odell Beckham Jr. is suing Ni
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (November 6-12)
Audio Timeline:1:25 - Business of Athletes* Hall of Fame QB John Elway has invested significantly in Tom’s Watch Bar, an entertainment-focused sports super bar. * Mick Foley, a former pro wrestler, is the top-earning athlete on the video pl
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (Oct 30-Nov 5)
Audio Timeline:0:25 - Feel good stories* Philadelphia Phillies $50,000 donation and UNC student-athletes raising money for the Children’s Hospital. 2:00 - Business of Athletes* Potential Hall of Fame baseball player Jimmy Rollins is launchi
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (October 23-29)
Audio Timeline:1:40 - Business of Athletes* Mitchell & Ness, a lifestyle athletic apparel company, announced its roster of investors — LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Joel Embiid, Chris Paul, Odell Beckham Jr., and Devin Booker. *
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (October 16-22)
Audio Timeline:0:35 - Feel good stories* Giving back with a 50-mile run across the Grand Canyon.4:08 - Business of Athletes* Golf+, a VR golf platform raised a $6 million seed round with athlete investors including Tom Brady, Steph Curry, M
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (October 9-15)
Audio Timeline:0:00 - Feel good stories* Amazing story from the Ironman World Championships, Cooper Kupp giving back in a major way, and Patriots owner Robert Kraft donating millions. 2:25 - Business of Athletes* World Champion Fantasy, an
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (October 2-8)
Audio Timeline:1:20 - Feel good stories* Joe Burrow is giving back in a big way and the cool story of a seventeen-year-old raising money for cancer.3:20 - Business of Athletes* Spanish athletes Pau Gasol, Rudy Fernandez, and Iker Casillas a
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (September 23-30)
Audio Timeline:1:25 - Feel good stories* College athletes give back to the community thanks to their NIL money. 3:05 - Business of Athletes* Lebron James, Kevin Love, and Draymond Green are the newest investors in pickleball through Major L
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (September 11-17)
Audio Timeline:1:30 - Feel good stories* Steph Curry donates 25 million meals and MJ’s financial literacy course3:30 - Business of Athletes* Former NBA star Pau Gasol has invested in Colvin, a flower marketplace based in Spain. * Arena Club
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (September 4-10)
Audio Timeline:0:30 - Feel good stories* $16M raised by pro quarterbacks, $3M for mental health services, and Planet Fitness’ initiative for teenagers. 2:45 - Business of Athletes* Shaquille O’Neal is contemplating an investment in the NBL
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (August 28-Sept 3)
Audio Timeline:0:35 - Feel good stories* Lacrosse player makes NFL roster and raising money for baseball disability 2:10 - Business of Athletes/Sports* Tim Tebow is investing in a Jacksonville expansion franchise that will compete in The Un
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (August 21-27)
Audio Timeline:1:30 - Feel good stories* An update on John Daly’s heartwarming donation and Kobe Bryant’s wife3:15 - Business of Athletes* Enhanced water company, Lemon Perfect, has brought on tennis star Sloane Stephens as an investor and
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (August 14-20)
Audio Timeline:0:35 - Feel good stories* A new Guinness World record and $125,000 scholarship donation.1:55 - Business of Athletes* Venus Williams’ superfood nutrition company, Happy Viking, revealed an array of new athlete investors includ
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (August 7-13)
Audio Timeline:1:25 - Feel good stories* Oscar Tshiebwe doing big things with his $2.5M of NIL money2:20 - Business of Athletes* Jake Paul raised $50M for his new micro betting platform Betr, athlete investors include Ezekiel Elliot, DeSean
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (August 1-6)
Audio Timeline:1:15 - Feel good stories* $25,000 investment on behalf of LPGA2:10 - Business of Athletes & Sports* Caleb Williams (USC QB) becomes the first college athlete to ever publicly invest in a company, Futuremood, a sunglass compan
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (July 24-31)
Audio Timeline:0:35 - Feel good stories* Former Laker makes a big donation and HBCU’s on the rise4:08 - Business of Athletes* Kevin Durant, Odell Beckham, Jared Goff, and Trae Young invested in fantasy sports app Underdog Fantasy’s $35M rou
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (July 17-23)
Audio Timeline:0:00 - Feel good stories* Female track athlete retires on top and Bo Jackson’s donation1:20 - Business of Athletes* James Harden is launching his own wine brand starting at $16.99* Steve Nash and his media company CTRL Media
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (July 10-16)
Audio Timeline:0:35 - Feel good stories* $100k for cancer, Tony Parker, and Brussels’ $43M investment2:25 - Business of Athletes/Sports* Sportlight, an athlete tracking startup, has raised $4.7M in funding to expand its operations from Euro
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (July 1-9)
Audio Timeline:3:00 - Feel good stories4:08 - Business of Athletes* WNBA players Diani Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, and Sylvia Fowles are investing kid’s food brand Yumi. * Jonathan Taylor is now involved with muscle data company Strive. He jo
The "Kings" of NIL (100+ Combined Deals)
I had a great conversation with two young men absolutely crushing the NIL game (100+ deals between the two of them). Rayquan Smith: Norfolk State Jack Betts: Amherst CollegeAudio timestamps:* 1:05 - Background intros of Rayquan + Jack* 7:35
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (June 19-25)
Audio Timeline:1:05 - Business of Athletes: Title IX, Naomi Osaka’s agency, Black Owned Whiskey, Christiano Ronaldo’s crypto move, and bigger PGA Tour winnings4:55 - NIL: Johnson v. NCAA update, Chet Holgrem speaks up, Ohio State vs. Texas
The LIV/PGA Tour Breakdown You've Been Waiting For
Happy Monday,Decided to change it up for today’s post…I got probably a dozen emails/DM’s over the weekend asking for a breakdown of the situation taking place in golf between LIV and the PGA Tour. As I’m sure you can imagine, these in-depth
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (June 5-11)
Audio Timeline:0:31 - Feel good stories: Tom Brady and orange hair, Jim Harbaugh helping out Michigan employees1:42 - Business of Athletes: Michael Strahan & Brady, NFL players and their Web 3 projects, $5M for smart fabric tech, Mike Vick,
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (May 22-28)
Audio Timeline:0:42 - Feel good stories: 100 most influential athletes, athlete proposes to girlfriend thanks to NIL1:28 - NIL: Breakdown of Lane Kiffin’s Statements and political NIL deal, USC $3M, and a 12 year old golfer gets a deal6:48
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (May 15-21)
Audio Timeline:0:30 - Feel good stories: Pro Athletes go back and finish college1:01 - NIL: Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher’s beef, NIL for Ohio high schoolers, first Nike athlete ambassadors, and more hypocrisy from college coaches6:45 - Athle
Weekly Roundup: NIL, Business of Athletes and Sports (May 8-14)
Audio Timeline:0:24 - Feel good stories: Donating entire NBA salary, US Open qualifier 2:08 - NIL: $100K to not transfer, Ohio State RB, first Nike woman athlete, Is the transfer model sustainable?6:24 - Business of Athletes: $250k in prize
Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, NIL (May 1-7th)
Audio Timeline:0:35 - Feel Good Sports Story: Body Armor and Mamba Foundation1:15 - NIL: NCAA rulings on collectives and sports betting, Deion Sanders, coolest deals of the week, and BC’s Zay Flowers offered $600k to transfer7:39 - Athlete
$1M for College Athletes, US Army + Athletic Scholarships, and a New Pro Sports Owner
Audio Timeline:1:14 - Feel Good Sports Stories4:32 - NIL Report9:41 - Athlete Business/Investment Stories14:34 - Sports Business/Tech ReportInteresting StatThe NCAA makes over $1B in revenue a year and president Mark Emmert enjoyed a cushy
$40M College Sports Donation, Big-Time Athlete Investments, and NIL Getting Wild
Not yet subscribed to The Petcash Post? Join 24,000+ others getting educated on the business of athletes, sports, and NIL — it’s free.Audio Timeline:0:44 - Feel good stories: Boston Marathon, grants for athletes with disabilities, Naomi Osa
Weekly Roundup: Athlete X Sports Business Stories (April 10-16)
The Petcash Post is a daily report that breaks down the business of athletes, sports, and NIL.Join 24,435 others and get exclusive access to the newsletter 🔑 — it’s free!Audio Timeline:1:05 - Feel good stories: 102 Marathons in 102 days, J
Bitcoin Bonuses, College Athletes Selling NFT's, and Billionaire Sports Owners
Happy Sunday — I appreciate you tuning in!A few housekeeping items: 🚨🚨* On Friday, many of you received the email multiple times which was due to an error on Substack’s server…sorry about that it should be fixed2. I created a brief, fully
7 Athlete Billionaires, HS NIL x NFT's, Former NFL Players Starting A Company
Audio Timeline:0:50 - Feel Good Sports Stories: Mac Jones, Paige Bueckers, etc1:56 - Business of Athletes: 7 Billionaires, Usain Bolt, etc3:51 - NFL players start a company, Patrick Mahomes, Bills $850m stadium6:12 - NIL (Callaway Golf, HBC
NCAA Paying Employees $0, Tom Brady, and Athletes Filing Taxes
Audio Timeline:0:00 - Housekeeping + Roundup Updates0:38 - Two “Feel Good” Sports Stories1:51 - NIL Updates: Urban Meyer & Adidas2:45 - Daymond John on the NCAA, Archie Miller, and the NCPA5:24 - Athletes making Business Moves: Ronaldo, Dyb
$8M NIL Deal, NFL QB's Cashing In, and St. Peter's vs. Kentucky Expenses
Audio Timeline:0:15 - St. Peter’s Vs Kentucky Basketball Expenses0:58 - 8 Figure NIL Deal for a High School Athlete?1:50 - NFL QB’s Making BIG Business Moves3:43 - The Transgender Athlete Debate5:20 - Business of Golf Getting Dicey6:10 - A
Money Behind March Madness, $8B Sports Analytics, LSU x NFTs, and More
I want to personally welcome the 520+ new subscribers to The Petcash Post from this past week. Every Sunday I do a weekly roundup that includes a short audio segment recapping the business of athletes sports stories that I didn’t have a cha
Millions Spent on NIL, NCAA Athletes As Employees, and Crypto x NFT Sports Partnerships
Audio Timeline:0:38 - Big Companies Spending Millions on College Athletes2:11 - Highest Paid Female Athletes + Most Googled Athletes3:45 - How Much Money MLB Players Are Losing During The Lockout4:46 - Former Athletes Talk About Poor Financ
The NCAA's New Rules, Facebook Entering NIL, and NBA Players Cheated Out of $5M
Audio Timeline:0:41 - NIL deal helps a mother see her son play for the first time1:24 - Lebron’s oldest son signs his first endorsement deal2:27 - Former NBA players get cheated out of their $5M investment4:40 - New York sports betting upda
Weekly Sports Roundup: Feb 13-19th
Audio Timeline:0:42 - Name, image, and likeness craziness * 7 figure deals* players transferring to make more $$$* the NCAA intervening* youth camps put on by college athletes4:53 - Baseball’s 700% increase vs. the SPY 5005:24 - How Saudi A
Weekly Roundup: 7-Figure NIL Deal, The Crypto Bowl, and Other Hot Sports Topics
Tons of news this past week from NIL, the olympics, transgender legislation, and athletes as employees. Audio Timeline:0:07 - A college athlete set to make 6-7 figures from NIL next year1:11 - Transgender NCAA ruling shows female athletes d
Weekly Roundup: Lots of NCAA Developments, Olympics Struggling, and More
BIG news this past week that will impact athletes from high school to the olympics. Audio Timeline:0:15 - Why Olympic Sports Might Be in Trouble2:14 - Interesting News Around NIL Collectives, Boosters, and Universities3:28 - A Luxury Tax in
The First Ever Weekly Roundup
I hope you’re having a great weekend (and are ready to watch some football). With that said I have some good news!Thanks to many requests and by popular demand, I have decided to add a weekly roundup to the agenda. It’s going to continually
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