Satisfi Labs raised a Series A last year to continue building their AI chatbot, which is conversational and understands tens of thousands of intents. The 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 world. Chapters : (01:15) Jumping full-time into AI chatbots (03:55) Sports accelerators (05:15) Learning sports business (without a background in it) (09:00) AI & la...
May 11, 2023•30 min•Ep. 42
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 a globally adopted sports tech product, and where AI is taking us. Chapters : (01:00) Optimizing yourself as an entrepreneur (05:00) Journey to build...
May 09, 2023•32 min•Ep. 41
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 Microsoft, EA Sports, Sony, and Warner Brothers. Chapters : (01:10) Opportunity to build SimWin Sports (02:35) Overview of SimWin (03:40) AI + Web3 educatio...
May 04, 2023•27 min•Ep. 40
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 SFC, Neifeld spent a decade in entrepreneurship and worked for the Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys. Fishing is one of the largest recreational sports activities in the world. Chapters : (01:05) SFC’s “The Catch” on CBS Sports (05:20) Idea for Sport Fishing Championship (1...
May 02, 2023•31 min•Ep. 39
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 in-depth conversation at the intersection of sports betting, media, and entrepreneurship. Chapters : (01:00) Why is now the time to build in sports? (03...
Apr 27, 2023•32 min•Ep. 38
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 at a $1.9B valuation in 2022. Malaika Underwood was previously a VP at the Brandr Group and IMG. She is also a member of the USA women’s baseball team. Chapters : (02:00) Malaika’s athletic background (04:45) OneTeam’s ...
Apr 25, 2023•34 min•Ep. 37
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 business as a teenager (03:30) Overview of TicketRev (06:00) Problems in the ticketing industry (11:30) Web3 technology x tick...
Apr 20, 2023•25 min•Ep. 36
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 and is also an adjunct professor at Manhattanville College. Chapters: (01:40) Thoughts on NIL Valuation numbers (03...
Apr 18, 2023•35 min•Ep. 35
(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 (06:30) Sports Business - $65M in fundraising for a team management platform and other interesting developments
Apr 16, 2023•12 min
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 jumped back into the founder seat in 2022 leading a $2M seed round for Fantium and recently announcing 3 big athletes utilizing their platform. Fantium is a unique blockchain-based platform that allows fans to invest in the future careers of athletes. Chapters: (01:25) From fo...
Apr 13, 2023•34 min•Ep. 34
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 Chisholm Jr, and Ryan Braun. Prior to founding TFA, Jake Hirabayashi played college baseball at UCLA and spent some time in the Minnesota Twins minor league system. ...
Apr 12, 2023•26 min•Ep. 33
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 than 80 licensees. Prior to his current endeavor, Scebelo started REP Worldwide, which provided group licensing and brand management services to athlete-driven propertie...
Apr 06, 2023•33 min•Ep. 32
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 players. This was a fascinating conversation around players’ rights, men’s vs women’s sports, NIL seeping its way upstream, and much more. Chapters: (01:00) R...
Apr 04, 2023•40 min•Ep. 31
(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 basketball players and what league will shut down if the NCAA dissolves into athletes as employees. (06:50) Business of Sports A $100M women's fund and more innovative sports leagues pop up....
Apr 02, 2023•9 min
Prior to founding Altius Sports Partners, Casey Schwab 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 athletics. We cover a handful of fascinating topics including paying college athletes, where NIL is headed, and Altius’ role in placing general managers at Univer...
Mar 30, 2023•38 min•Ep. 30
Founded in 2016, TOCA Football has raised over $50M 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 the 2026 World Cup’s impact on American soccer and TOCA’s plans to become the TopGolf for soccer with its newest initiative. Chapters: (01:15) European v...
Mar 28, 2023•35 min•Ep. 29
(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) Business of Sports More youth sports x entertainment companies raising big Series A rounds.
Mar 26, 2023•9 min
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 to be a front-runner in the race. With over 8,000 partnerships they’re on their way. Chapters: (01:30) What are you seeing in year two of NIL? (07:40) Transition in the bus...
Mar 23, 2023•36 min•Ep. 28
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 50 different languages. A native of New Zealand, it was fun to talk with Ben about turning a side project into a full-time business, scaling globally, and a bunch of other insightful topics around entrepreneurship, the fu...
Mar 21, 2023•33 min•Ep. 27
(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 on athletes off the field (10:30) Sports Business - $50M Atlanta Hawks venture firm, AI video camera firm signs huge deal with China, and an innovative partnership the Orlando Magic just netted...
Mar 19, 2023•15 min
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 deals platform for athletes, agents, and brands. Blake Lawrence founded and sold Hurrdat Social Media agency before launching Opendorse alongside his co-founder, Adi Ku...
Mar 16, 2023•41 min•Ep. 26
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 NCL is aiming to build the professional sports league of the future – one that embraces technology, diverse ownership...
Mar 14, 2023•31 min•Ep. 25
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 basketball players suing Ivy League, and Livvy Dunne + Dabo Sweeney controversy (13:50) - Sports Business * $150M towards women's tennis, new accelerators investing in sports tech, $3.7M for a sock analytics startup, and other interesting investments. Thanks f...
Mar 12, 2023•17 min
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 expanded to additional verticals over the years. 8 years since its inception, Sportable is a global startup with over 70 employees. Chapte...
Mar 09, 2023•24 min•Ep. 24
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 2020. 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. With NIL commercializing sports from top to bottom, TeamSnap is looking to capture the lag effect as it moves down...
Mar 07, 2023•32 min•Ep. 23
(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 first-ever lifetime deal in NIL history (but is it legit?) (14:10) Sports Business - sports tech investing is picking back up including the first-ever VC-backed pickleball company and Alex Rodriguez taking on TicketMaster with his new company Thanks for listening...
Mar 05, 2023•22 min
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 Bluetooth technology (& difficulties with hardware products) (04:50) Where the idea for Spiideo stemmed from (07:50) Starting in niche markets (1...
Mar 03, 2023•27 min•Ep. 22
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 other sports + entrepreneurship topics. Chapters: (01:05) Vinit’s entrepreneurial background (02:00) How do you find co-founders? (04:15) Why now...
Feb 28, 2023•32 min•Ep. 21
Sitting on an audience of over 2.5M followers after graduating from Oregon, 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 projects (05:05) How he got started creating sports content (08:00) Business behind influencers/creators (14:40) Content creati...
Feb 24, 2023•29 min•Ep. 20
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. In early 2023, Limitless NIL was acquired in a multi-million dollar deal by TEAM Group Holdings. Chapters: (01:55) Artificial intelligence and ChatGPT (04:30) Penn State, Rose Bowl, & his brother Liam C...
Feb 23, 2023•37 min•Ep. 19
