Shows
The Profluence Pod 🌐209: The Future of Racquet Sports: Investment, Innovation & GrowthThis 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. As racquet sports like padel, pickleball, and tennis continue to surge in popularity, industry leaders are shaping the future with innovative strategies and bold investments.Key topics included the rise of padel and its investment potential, technological innovations in racquet sports, the role of community and social engagement, market trends, and the revitalization of sports infrastructure.The panel featured insights from:🎙️ CiCi Bellis – Former Professional Tennis Player🎙️ Robyn Duda – Co-foun...2025-03-0349 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#190: Matt Joyce – Former MLB All-Star & Entrepreneur | From Pro Baseball to Business SuccessMatt 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 the business world. He is the owner and operator of five F45 Training gyms across the Tampa Bay area, focused on high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts. Additionally, Matt is a partner in Guardian Baseball, an e-commerce brand providing accessible baseball equipment, and co-owner of the Empire...2024-12-1622 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#134: Troy Jones - CEO, Co-Founder StatusPRO | Sports Tech and XR Gaming + $20M Google Ventures RaiseStatusPRO 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 NFLPA and Goldman Sachs before coming up with the StatusPRO idea and building alongside former NFL player Andrew Hawkins.
Chapters:
(01:20) Troy’s athlete and business background
(07:10) Scaling StatusPro learnings
(12:10) Getting Lamar Jackson...2024-05-1327 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#131: Jeff Byers - Co-Founder, Momentous | Former NFL Player Building The Future of Human PerformanceThe 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 diving into the business world head-first as an entrepreneur.
Chapters:
(01:30) Thoughts on NIL & college sports
(06:20) Transition from football to founder
(10:25) Marketing approach at Momentous
(14:30) Building advisory/ambassador boards
(16:30) Journey of M...2024-04-2933 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#95: Andy Mitchell - CEO, Lega Serie A USA | Taking Media Background to Sports Through U.S. Soccer GrowthWith 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 Media Accounts.
Chapters:
(02:00) Media background
(04:45) CEO of Seria A USA
(08:15) 2026 World Cup
(10:25) Grassroots efforts
(12:00) US vs Italy soccer
(15:00) Relegation and promotion
(18:40) Media over the ye...2023-12-0426 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#94: Allen Broome - CEO MediaKind | RSNs, Streaming, D2C, and Where Sports Are HeadedMediaKind 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 background
(05:15) Leveraging AI + mathematics
(07:50) Streaming, RSNs, and D2C
(14:15) Cool video technologies
(20:10) Scaling into the future
(24:35) Sports trends
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Allen Broome:
Website: https://www.mediakind.com/2023-11-2926 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#93: Sandeep Rajan - Founder & CEO Grandstand | Building a Sports Creator Econony AppGrandstand 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) Women’s sports
(16:10) NIL deepened fan engagement
(18:30) Challenges building in sports
(22:50) Business model
(26:30) Trends to watch in sports
.
Sandeep Rajan:
We...2023-11-2731 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#92: Ludwig Sandgren - CEO & Founder GODSENT | Building and Owning a Professional Esports TeamGODSENT 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 team in the space.
Chapters:
(01:55) Journey to esports owner
(04:50) First steps to create a team
(06:50) Day to day operations
(08:40) Esports demographics/data
(13:15) Recruiting talented players
(17:00) Business model of...2023-11-2026 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#91: Chris Bevilacqua - CEO, Co-Founder Simplebet | Microbetting and Sports MediaAll-American wrestler to founding what would become CBS Sports Network and now running a micro betting company in Simplebet.
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 and sports betting today.
Chapters:
(02:20) Inspiration for Simplebet
(07:25) CBS Sports Network
(13:30) Favorite part of building a company
(16:15) Advice for young professionals
(19:30) Betr and Simplebet
(21:10) Merging of sports betting and...2023-11-1925 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐Building a Digital Family Office For Athletes w/ Michael Haddix Jr, CEO & Co-Founder of ScoutChris Paul, Zion Williamson, Jimmer Fredette, and a few other pro players are invested 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. previously spent time at Lazard, Goldman Sachs, and Wasserman. Scout has raised $4m to date.
Chapters:
(01:50) Inspiration behind Scout
(06:20) Digital financial app
(10:20) Business model
(13:50) Financial pitfalls of athletes
2023-11-1626 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐Computer Vision (And Its Impact on Sports) w/ Sportradar’s SVP of Automated Content Luka PatakyLeading 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, artificial intelligence, and deep learning.
Chapters:
(01:40) Journey in AI
(03:50) What is Sportradar?
(05:20) Evolution of computer vision
(09:40) AI vs CV vs ML vs DL
(12:30) What Luka gets goosebumps from
(1...2023-11-1427 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#88: Manuel Lopo de Carvalho - CEO, DMG Ventures | Using Daily Mail’s Media Reach to Invest in CompaniesDMG 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 McKinsey and banking at Goldman Sachs.
Chapters:
(01:25) From banking to VC
(03:00) DMG Ventures
(07:45) Value proposition
(12:05) Corporate venture capital
(14:00) Sports investments
(21:30) IPL, fantasy, & experiential
.
Manuel Lop...2023-11-0726 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐Padel: Fastest-Growing Sport (w/ CEO of San Diego Stingrays & Taktika Padel Ryan Redondo)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.
Padel is a cross between tennis and squash originating in Mexico.
Chapters:
(03:25) What is padel?
(04:30) Taktika & San Diego Stingrays
(06:40) Global landscape (stats)
(08:55) Padel Leagues
(10:40) Learnings from pickleball
(1...2023-11-0226 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#86: David Palmer - SailGP Team Owner & Founder FANVEST IO | Future of Ownership in SportsThe 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. The team aims to be the 11th team in the league, projected to begin participating in races in 2024 during Season 5 of the Sail Grand Prix Series.
Through his various roles in a public hospitality company, David Palmer was instrumental in achieving a $2.85 billion go-private transaction with affiliates of Apollo Global Management.
Chapters:
(01:30) Hospitality background
...2023-10-3131 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#85: Ben Keighran - CEO, Caffeine TV | Building Next-Generation of Live TV in SportsPrior 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 live broadcasts, highlights, and replays of sports.
Chapters:
(01:35) Original idea for Caffeine
(07:00) Driving millions of active users
(09:00) Sports media’s transitions
(13:50) GenZ and short form
(16:00) AI’s impact across content
(1...2023-10-2525 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐Pickleball: Exploring the Growth (with CMO of the APP Tom Webb)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 a number of world-famous brands including Red Bull, Emirates Airline, Polo Ralph Lauren, Formula 1, The Olympic Games, America's Cup, and Major League Soccer.
Chapters:
(01:20) Journey into pickleball
(05:45) Olympic games
(08:30) Numbers behind the ga...2023-10-2431 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#83: Rich Routman - CEO, The Sporting News | Raising $15M to Modernize a Sports Media Brand Founded in 1886The 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 sports betting company earlier this year and plans to continue building on top of their media.
Chapters:
(01:55) Learnings from Minute Media
(05:50) Why he joined The Sporting News
(10:05) Digital media landscape
(14:40) Sports betting and...2023-10-1925 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#82: Jeron Smith - Co-Founder HEIR | Closing the Engagement Gap Between Athletes & Fans w/ TechnologyHEIR 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 of Unanimous Media. He also worked at Nike and the White House.
HEIR recently released their newest AI product PersonaPro.
Chapters:
(01:30) College athlete to sports executive
(06:30) Endorsement to enterprise
(9:00) Creating community
(11...2023-10-1725 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#81: Meredith McPherron - CEO, Managing Partner Drive by DraftKings | Merging Sports, Entrepreneurship, and Venture CapitalDrive 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 herself who has spent her professional career at the intersection of sports, entrepreneurship, and investing.
Chapters:
(01:45) Mixing sports and entrepreneurship
(07:30) Building the All-Star Network
(11:00) Verticals within sports tech
(14:00) Fan engagement
(18:20) Growth of women’s sports
(23:30) State...2023-10-1233 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐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 tiered-system model.
From player pay to superstar reliance, promotion and relegation, and so much more this podcast covers the state of tennis today (and where it could go).
Chapters:
(01:50) State of tennis today
(03:40) Player pay
(05:20) Fragmentation
(08:00) Superstar reliance
(10:10) Saudi Arabia
(12:55) PTPA
...2023-10-1036 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#79: Jon Anastas - CEO ClashTV | Merging Culture, Content, & Commerce in SportsPreviously 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) Why ClashTV?
(09:30) GenZ sports to target
(12:45) Impact of sports on culture
(17:00) Tokenization + NIL in the future
(20:20) Business model
(24:00) AI is game-changing
.
Jon Anastas:
Webs...2023-10-0529 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#78: Gary Goldberg - Founder SquadLocker | Scaling Sports Apparel Business & Next Frontiers of E-CommerceThird-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 CEO in 2023. George is a former co-founder of VistaPrint and a founding member of Capital One credit cards.
Chapters:
(02:05) Millrat to SquadLocker
(08:00) Scaling businesses
(11:00) Meeting his first investor
(16:20) Next frontiers of e-c...2023-10-0327 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#77: Icon Source Founder Chase Garrett: Building an NIL Solution For Athletes & Brands Pre-NIL at Icon SourcePrior 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.
Chase is currently the CEO of Icon Source, an influencer marketing company connecting brands with athletes in a secure & trusted marketplace to reach new opportunities.
Founded in 2018, Icon Source has continued to grow and is taking advantage of the new college NIL rules that went live in 2021.
Chapters:
(01:35) Background at Red Bull
(05:10) From agent to NIL company
...2023-09-2827 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐Ramsey Baker: State of Olympic Sports and National Governing Bodies (NGBs)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 revenue while creating the greatest experience for their fans and supporters. From Property Sales to Property Consulting, from Media Rights to Naming Rights, our underlying approach remains the same
Chapters:
(01:45) Background at US Figure Skating
...2023-09-2633 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#75: Frank Michael Smith - Sports Content Creator & Entrepreneur | Billions of Views and Multiple Business EndeavorsFrank 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 runs his multiple business endeavors through JUICE Productions, which includes a creative agency, sponsorships, games, and more.
A fascinating conversation on the state of social media, how to grow an audience, and the rise of creators to entrepreneurs.
Chapters:
(03:00) Backstory to sports content
(08:00) Starting TikTok in 2020
(10:00) Scaling from 1-person to a team
(16:45) State of social medi...2023-09-2130 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#74: Mike Salvaris - Co-Founder Pro League Network | Building a Portfolio of Alternative Sports PropertiesPro 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.
Pro League Network makes betable sports entertainment. They own a portfolio of brands and produce short-form, wagering-ready, and accessible live sports content for their partners to monetize (wagering operators, sponsors, media partners, etc).
Mike Salvaris spent most of his professional career in the legal, gaming, and sports betting world.
Chapters:
(01:25) Trends that led to PLN
(08:05) Defining what qualifies as a “spo...2023-09-1928 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#73: Ruari Bell - Founding Partner The Player’s Fund | Building An “Athlete-Fueled” Venture FundThe Player’s Fund is the UK's first-ever “athlete-fueled” venture fund that aim to invest £40M with 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 an outlet for athletes investing in the future of the digital consumer.
Chapters:
(01:25) Ex-athlete and entrepreneur backstory
(06:55) Merging athlete collectives
(10:00) Utilizing athlete value within a fund
(13:50) The Player’s Fun...2023-09-1424 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#72: James Kimball - Founder Novo Sports Group | From WWE to NIL AgencyJames 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 Group
(20:20) Sports Agency Landscape
(26:40) Clientele (baseball + golf)
(32:30) Finding talent as an agent
(34:50) Trends in sports to watch
.
James Kimball:
Website: https://novos...2023-09-1238 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#71: Jordan Rogers - Founder Perseus Creative | From Inmate to Sports ExecutiveJordan 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.
Chapters:
(01:40) From Inmate to Executive
(07:10) Journey to Nike
(12:30) Opportunity with Perseus Creative
(16:20) Opinion on NIL
(22:50) How brands can execute with NIL
(25:30) Trends to watch in sports
(31:30) Jordan Roger’s Enterprises
.
Jordan Rogers:
Website: https://www...2023-09-0736 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#70: Jim Cavale - Chairman Athletes.Org | Building An Association For College AthletesA 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 into the future of college athletics.
Prior to AO, Cavale sold his co-founder stake in Iron Tribe Fitness and built NIL solution INFLCR which was acquired by Teamworks.
Chapters:
(01:30) Entrepreneurship journey
(03:20) INFL...2023-09-0534 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#69: Tom Waterhouse - Founder Waterhouse VC | Building a Sports Wagering EmpireIn 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 racing dynasty and is the grandson of one of the first official bookmakers in Australia
Chapters:
(01:20) Tom’s background
(04:50) Personal branding advantages
(08:50) From Australia to U.S. market
(15:05) Waterhouse VC
...2023-08-3128 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#68: Kevin Jones - CEO, Founder Blue Wire | Scaling a Sports Podcast NetworkAfter 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 Wire is a sports podcasting platform with over 500 shows under its umbrella. They have raised $12M in venture capital and are doing about $8M in revenue/year.
Chapters:
(01:40) Community Crowdfunding
(07:00) Founding story of Blue Wire...2023-08-2925 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#67: Kyle Martino - Sports Entrepreneur, Former MLS Player | Building Pyramid of Soccer CompaniesKyle 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 to entrepreneurship
(08:35) Creating community
(11:00) Over Under & Goalpher
(13:00) Value of athlete investors
(15:30) Street FC & Football Cafe
(19:00) Problems in youth sports
(24:40) MLS growth
.
Kyle...2023-08-2428 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#66: Soma Somasegar - Owner Seattle Orcas & Seattle Sounders | Growth of International Sports in the USAs sports continue to grow as an asset class, 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.
This was a great conversation on Soma’s journey from a youth cricket player in India to the owner of a cricket team in the US.
Chapters:
(01:40) Journey to Sports Ownership
(07:20) Seattle Orcas
2023-08-2226 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#65: Andrew Steinwold - Managing Partner Sfermion | When Sports Meets the MetaverseAndrew 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 massive overlap, which led to a great conversation around crypto, web3, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, and the blockchain.
Chapters:
(01:45) What is the metaverse?
(03:10) Andrew’s journey (Bitcoin 2013)
(06:30) Tokens in sports
(10:10) Key t...2023-08-1733 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#64: Luke Verbeek - CEO, Founder Homefans | AirBnB For Sports ExperiencesHomefans 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 expand to more sports and regions in the near future.
Chapters:
(01:25) Idea behind Homefans
(04:45) Finding his co-founder
(06:20) HomeFans overview
(13:30) AirBnB for sports model
(15:10) Marketplace learnings
(18:20) Expansion Roadmap
...2023-08-1529 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#63: Didier Occident - Founder Secure The Bag Financial Literacy | Building Blocks of Wealth & Flaws In Financial EducationDidier 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 more clients in 6 months than in the history of the division.
Chapters:
(01:20) Didier’s rollercoaster journey
(09:10) Financial literacy building blocks
(12:40) Impact of NIL
(16:30) Diversification
(19:40) Flaws in the education syste...2023-08-1025 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#62: Ferran Prieto - CEO Gasol16 Ventures, Co-Founder Everest Talent Management | Building Athlete Business EmpiresFerran 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 on their sport but also "stand out from the crowd" and prioritize their broader impact on their fan base and the world.
Chapters:
(01:15) Ferran’s journey into sports
(03:25) Building out Gasol16 Ventures
(08:30) Wor...2023-08-0830 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#61: Tim Malik - CEO, Co-Founder Combat IQ | World’s First Computer Vision Data Analytics Company (dedicated to combat sports)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 expand outside of just combat sports in 2024.
Chapters:
(01:15) From scouting to machine learning
(03:10) Building out team (5 PhDs)
(06:00) Researching market
(08:00) Overview of Combat IQ
(11:40) “Easier” sports for computer vision
(12:50...2023-08-0321 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#60: Joey Levy - CEO, Co-Founder Betr | World’s First Microbetting App & Sports Media Brand | Just Raised $35M Series A2 ($300M valuation)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 University.
Chapters:
(01:20) Journey to Betr
(05:50) 19-year-old founder
(09:00) High-level overview
(13:00) Future of creator-led businesses
(16:15) Mixing media w/ microbetting
(23:15) 5-year vision for Betr
(26:15) Sports trends to watch2023-08-0129 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#59: Brandon Harris - CEO, Founder Playmaker HQ | From Idea to $54M Acquisition by Better CollectiveIn 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
(08:00) Business lessons learned
(12:00) Better Collective acquisition
(17:00) Future plans post-buy
(19:00) Sports media trends to watch
(21:50) Advice for startups creating content
.
Brandon Harris:
Websit...2023-07-2725 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#58: Brian Woods - CEO, Founder Prep Super League (PSL) | Creating sports properties | NIL for high school sports | Downstream flow to youth sports | National high school football leagueBrian 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 the gap between high school and college football.
Chapters:
(01:25) Prep Super League opportunity
(05:15) Business model
(09:45) Unique gap in college sports
(14:20) Attracting the best players
(17:20) Downstream to youth sports
...2023-07-2029 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#57: Antonio Cacorino - CEO, Co-Founder APEX Capital | Athlete Investing | Sports, Media, & Entertainment | Europe vs. US Landscape | Value-Add of Athlete InvestorsLed 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) APEX Capital origin story
(09:45) Athlete investing at scale
(11:40) European vs U.S. athletes
(13:50) Value add of player investors
(17:00) Building out the APEX team
(20:30) What are you loo...2023-07-1826 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#56: Dan Rutstein - President Orange County SC (USL) | Soccer’s Extensive Growth | Running a Soccer Club | 2026 World Cup | Relegation Discussion | Dan’s Fascinating Career PathSoccer 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 Rutstein was a sports reporter, British Diplomat, AR entrepreneur, soccer referee, and whisky podcast host.
Chapters:
(01:50) Overview of the USL
(03:30) Impact of Lionel Messi on US Soccer
(05:50) Relegation discussion
(12:10) Dan’s fascinating care...2023-07-1331 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#55: Bruce Buffer & Matt Whitteker - Co-Founders MILLIONS.co | Brand-Building 101 | ChatGPT Inclusions | Growth of UFC & Sport-Entertainment | AI Concerns + OpportunitiesBruce 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 and be brought together.
Chapters:
(01:20) Rise of sport-entertainment fights
(03:00) Growth of the UFC
(05:35) Brand-building 101
(07:30) Overview of MILLIONS
(12:35) Buffer’s favorite experiences
(14:50) ChatGPT athlete extension
(16:30) AI oppor...2023-07-1125 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#54: Courtney Jeffries - CEO, VRTL | Virtual Menus for Teams | Understanding Sports Fan Engagement | Business of Live Entertainment | Overview of Sports x AI, Web3, AR/VRBefore jumping into the founder seat, Courtney Jeffries worked for the Oakland Raiders, MSG, and was the Chief Operating Officer of Satisfi Labs.
VRTL, 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 streaming and video chat functionality.
VRTL also have segmentation capabilities to scale the event to different tiers of fans, and full production support equipped with queue management and event execution.
Chapters:
(01:15) Rebranding to V...2023-06-2733 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#53: Fabien Paget - CEO, Co-Founder 17 Sport | World’s 1st Sports Impact Company | Intersection of Sports, Business, and Purpose | Creating Social Return on Investments17 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 Sport, Fabien ran his own sports talent agency working with elite athletes on impact initiatives including the legendary Serena Williams.
This was a unique convo focused on not just the business of sports, but the good that sports can bring to t...2023-06-2226 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#52: Agustin Rozadas - COO, Co-Founder OLIVER | Wearables to Moveables | FC Barcelona Partnership | Merging of Sports Tech, Data Analytics, & Artificial Intelligence |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 technology founder seat.
OLIVER is a wearable tracking device that uploads deep insights onto their platform through a smart GPS providing key information to optimize performance, evolve talents, and prevent injuries.
This was an interesting conversation revolving around the evolution of wearables to moveables, the benefit of own...2023-06-2031 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#51: Keith Blakely - CEO, Chairman OnCore Golf | Product innovation in sports | Mixing AI, analytics, and hardware | Building a golf entertainment center | Technologies coming to sportsOnCore Golf is innovating unique 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 and Chairman of the InVentures Group, a hybrid consulting firm, virtual incubator, and investment firm that is located in Buffalo, NY but services companies around the world.
Before taking a more active role at OnCore Golf, Keith spent 20+ years building Advanced...2023-06-1327 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#50: Ian Goldberg - CEO, Founder iSport360 | Youth Sports Landscape | NIL Moving Downstream | Private Equity & Commercialization of Youth Athletics | Monetization of Club & AAU TeamsLaunched 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 18 and helped his family's food distribution company for over 15 years before deciding to build Isport360.
Chapters:
(01:20) NBA Jr. Leadership Summit
(03:00) Ian’s journey
(04:45) Problems in youth sports
(07:00) Money + NIL moving downstream
(12:00) Overview of iSpor...2023-06-0829 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#49: Thad Young - NBA Player, Founder Reform VenturesThaddeus 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.
Thad is a 17-year NBA veteran with a massive 300+ portfolio at Reform Ventures, his holding entity of mostly private companies and real estate.
One of the most underrated businessmen in the entire NBA, this was a great conversation on how Thaddeus Young is crushing it off the court.
Chapters:
(01:55) 17-year NBA career
(03:50) Preparing his kids for success on & of...2023-06-0633 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#48: Hugo Inglis - Olympic Athlete, Partner HIA | Connecting athletes with Charities | Competing in the Olympics | Good vs. average vs. bad charities | Rise of athlete communitiesHugo 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 the Olympics, and the power of athletes.
Chapters:
(01:25) Hugo’s Olympic journey
(05:20) Idea to build High Impact Athletes
(08:25) What makes a good charity?
(14:30) Rise of athlete communities
(16:35) Charities on the block...2023-06-0126 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#47: Anand Rajaraman - Owner SF Unicorns, GP Rocketship.vc | Global cricket landscape | Owning a pro sports team | 2x exited founder and VC | Where sports tech is headed |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 a United States cricket team, the San Francisco Unicorns.
The San Francisco Unicorns will be one of the first 6 cricket teams in Major League Cricket.
This was a fascinating conversation with Anand Rajaraman on cricket, owning a pro sports team, sports tech, and entrepreneurship.
Chapters:
(01:35) Owning a pro sports team
(03:00) Differences in cricket across the world
(05:45) US cricket landscape
(08:50) Anand...2023-05-3025 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#46: Michael Raymond - Founder Raymond Representation | NIL Agency Space | Building a Talent Management Business | Athlete Entrepreneurs | Boutique vs Big Agencies (pros & cons) | Favorite NIL DealsMichael 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
If you’re interested in the agency world, NIL, or influencer marketing then this podcast fills all that and more.
Chapters:
(01:40) Journey to building a sports agency
(07:40) Scaling a sports agency
(10:50) Builders vs. leaders vs. sellers
(11:45) NIL & where it’s headed
(15:00) How the agency space is changi...2023-05-2624 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#45: Cole & Cody Hock - Founders of Up North Management | Creator-Led Businesses | Sports content creators | Building a talent agency & the future of it | How startups & brands can leverage creatorsCole 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 the digital space division and incubate and launch creator-led brands in partnership with creators, such as Enjoy Basketball with Kenny Beecham.
Chapters:
(04:10) How they signed their first clients
(06:20) Different social media platforms + daily life o...2023-05-2328 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#44: Evan Kirkham - CEO, Co-Founder Outlier | Sports betting super app | Law background benefits as a founder | 5-year PAPSA anniversary | Sports betting & tech trends | Pivoting a companyOutlier 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 anniversary of PAPSA, which legalized mobile sports betting in the US, this was a very insightful conversation as Outlier is attempting to build a sports betting super app.
Chapters:
(01:05) From attorney to sports tech founder
...2023-05-1828 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#43: Loron Orris - Founding Partner Asia Sports Tech | Innovation waves in Asian sports | Building NBA Asia & IMAX Japan | Sports as an asset class | Overview of Asian sports ecosystemAsia 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 teaches at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Business School.
Asia Sports Tech and Loron Orris believe in the future growth of Asian sports – which led to a great conversation.
Chapters:
(01:15) Journey to Asia
(06:00) Building NBA Asia and IMAX Japan
(09:50) Waves of innovation in sports
(13:50) Overv...2023-05-1637 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#42: Don White - CEO, Co-Founder Satisfi Labs | AI sports chatbot | Integrating large language models | Psychology of fans and ticketing | Concerns with ChatGPT | Commerce combos in sportsSatisfi 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 & large language models
(11:45) Common questions sports fans ask
(16:10) ChatGPT concerns & pro...2023-05-1129 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#41: Tinus Le Roux - CEO, Co-Founder CrowdIQ | Psychology of Fandom | AI & Large Language Models in Sports | From Cool Tech Product to Monetizable Asset | Privacy & Data Ethics | Understanding CrowdsCrowdIQ 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 building CrowdIQ
(08:30) From South Africa to the US
(11:30) Psychology of fandom
...2023-05-0932 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#40: David Ortiz - CEO, Co-Founder SimWin Sports | Rise of digital sports | Bridging the AI & web3 education gap | Building in the sports metaverse | Expanding internationally and in new sportsIn 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 education gap
(09:40) Building a business out of the metaverse
(12:30) Team owners in...2023-05-0426 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#39: Mark Neifeld - CEO, Commissioner Sport Fishing Championship | PGA Tour for fishing | Creating a Sports League from scratch & monetizing it | Sports media rights landscape | The streaming warsIn 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
(12:00) Blueprint for creating a sports league
(15:20) Company building + operations + hiring
(18:15...2023-05-0230 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#38: Adam Fiske - CEO, Co-Founder Cipher Sports | Betting Landscape | Australian vs US market differences | Running a global company | Media-led ventures | Future of sports gamblingLast 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?
(03:20) Merging two companies and 4 co-founders
(04:45) US vs. Australian market
(11:00) Adva...2023-04-2731 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#37: Malaika Underwood - Interim CEO OneTeam Partners | Group licensing in college sports | Growing women’s sports | Unionizing college athletes | Innovation in sports & player’s associationsOneTeam 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 initiatives in NIL
(10:10) Challenges of group licensing in college sports
(13:20) Overview...2023-04-2533 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#36: Jason Shatsky - CEO, Co-Founder TicketRev | First-ever reverse ticketing marketplace | Problems in the ticketing industry | The art of pitching | $1.1M seed round post acceleratorTicketRev 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 tickets
(13:00) Competing against the conglomerates
(17:15) Value of university + accelerators...2023-04-2125 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#35: Michael Schreck - CEO, Co-Founder CSMG | Conference realignment | College sports rights landscape | Esports growing at universities | Group licensing, NIL, collectives, and sponsorship insightsCSMG 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
(03:40) Shift to team and collective brand deals
(05:20) Overview of CSMG
(08:30) Esports in the college landscape
(16:30) Con...2023-04-1835 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#34: Jonathan Ludwig - CEO, Co-Founder Fantium | Investing in athletes’ careers | Opportunities in web3 x sports | Angel invesing in Sorare | Future of tokenizationJonathan 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 founder to angel investor back to founder
(03:45) Spotting opportunities as a...2023-04-1334 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#33: Jake Hirabayashi - CEO, Co-Founder The Futures App | From pro athlete to entrepreneur | Building a sports tech app | Starting in one niche | B2B vs B2C | Digital trends to watch in athleticsStarted 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.
Chapters:
(02:25) From pro athlete to entrepreneurship
(05:05) Why is no...2023-04-1225 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#32: Steve Scebelo - President NFL Players Inc | Verticals NFLPA is focusing on | Group licensing | NIL & pro sports | Massive growth in NFL licensing revenueThe 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 properties, and eventually formed into OneTeam Partners.
Chapters:
(01:15) The NFL Players Inc
(06:20) Artificial intelligence and We...2023-04-0632 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#31: Ahmad Nassar - Exec. Director PTPA | Rise of team and women’s sports | Building OneTeam Partners to $1.9B | NIL’s impact on pro sports | Addressing mental health | Athletes understanding leverageBefore 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) Rise of team sports vs individual sports
(02:30) Endorsements in tennis (a...2023-04-0439 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#30: Casey Schwab - CEO Altius Sports Partners | Placing general managers at Universities | NILs impact on pro sports | Evolution of NIL collectives | Full vision for college sports + needed toolsPrior 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 Universities.
Chapters:
(01:10) NIL's impact on professional sports
(06:25) Origin story of Alt...2023-03-3038 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#29: Eddie Lewis - Founder TOCA Football | Impact of the 2026 World Cup | Soccer’s insane growth globally | Building a TopGolf for Soccer vertical | Journey from pro athlete to entrepreneurFounded 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 vs. American Soccer
(06:20) Impact of the 2026 World Cup on US Soccer
(12...2023-03-2834 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#28: Jason Bergman - CEO, Co-Founder Marketpryce | First-of-the-first NIL brand deals | Transitioning business model | Team vs individual partnerships | How great companies are built | NILs ImpactPrior 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 business model
(11:25) Why Jason jumped into...2023-03-2335 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#27: Ben Reynolds - CEO, Co-Founder Spalk | Creating a global sports commentary company | Benefit of athlete investors | Expanding a brand worldwide | Trends to watch in sports media | AI and sportsIn 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 future of sports, and Spalk.
Chapters:
(01:00) Global expansion of sports (and Netfl...2023-03-2133 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#26: Blake Lawrence - CEO, Co-Founder Opendorse | All things NIL | Collectives & NCAA policies | Increase in brands endorsing athletes | How data transforms industries | Future of college sportsOpendorse 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 Kunalic.
Opendorse has nearly 100 employees today and raised $40M in venture capital to help lead the charge across name...2023-03-1640 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#25: Paris Wallace - CEO, Co-Founder NCL (National Cycling League) | Sports leagues of the future | Athletes as owners | Aligning values in companies | Why now is the time to build in sportsWith 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, gender equity, sustainability, and community investment.
Chapters:
(01:20) Founding and exiting two companies
(05:40) Why is no...2023-03-1430 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#24: Dugald Macdonald - CEO, Co-Founder Sportable | Creating moneyball for rugby | Mixing data, technology, and sports | Scaling a sports startup globally | Athlete performance analyticsA 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.
Chapters:
(02:40) Creation story of Sportable
(07:15) Athletes and performance analytics
(12:30) Process from chip in the ball to...2023-03-0923 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#23: Peter Frintzilas - CEO TeamSnap | Commercialization of youth sports | Private equity vs. venture capital | NILs downstream impacts | B2B vs B2C in sports | Where sports tech is headedTeamSnap 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 downstream.
Chapters:
(01:00) Private equity vs venture capital
(03:50) Role of an operating CEO
(07:15) Overcoming the challenges of...2023-03-0731 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#22: Patrik Olsson - CEO, Co-Founder Spiideo | Sports Camera Race | Scaling a Niche B2B Product | Sports Tech Trends to Watch | Hardware vs Software | Where AI is headedAI 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
(10:40) Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs & Patrik’s non-scalable trick
(11:50) Scaling Spiideo glob...2023-03-0327 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#21: Vinit Bharara - CEO, Co-Founder Mojo | Building the first ever sports stock market | Raising $100M as a startup | How to find co-founders | Why now is the time to build in sportsVinit 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 is the time to build in sports?
(06:30) Differences in raising $100M vs. typi...2023-02-2832 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#20: Adam Faris - Sports Creator, Co-Founder Dapper Life | Turning TikTok videos into a business | Life of a sports creator | Building to over 2.5 million followersSitting 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 creation for athletes (and Jon Seaton example)
(17:20) Tricks of successful content cr...2023-02-2429 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#19: Sean Clifford - Founder Limitless NIL, Penn State QB | Creating, scaling, and exiting his agency while playing college football | Life of an athlete entrepreneur | Where NIL is headedWhen 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 Clifford
(07:55) Where college sports is headed + an inside look at NIL
(1...2023-02-2336 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#18: Tracy Deforge - CEO, Founder The Player’s Impact | Athletes as investors | 30-year career in sports | Females as athletes vs influencers | Creating communities | NILs impact on youth sportsTracy 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 a collective to build relationships, get educated, and invest in private companies.
6 years since their inception, they’ve deployed over $17M in capital and had a huge return on their investment in DraftKings.
Chapters:
(01:30...2023-02-2132 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#17: Ben DiNucci - Pro QB, Founder of True Brvnd | Journey to the NFL | Inside look at pro athlete finances | Story behind True Brvnd & his other entrepreneurial ventures |Ben DiNucci is a professional football player, playing 2.5 years for the Dallas Cowboys and now for the Seattle Sea Dragons in the XFL.
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 Seattle Sea Dragons
(11:05) Typical day for a pro-QB (offseason vs in-season)
(13:45) Business and expenses of an NFL player
(17:40) Signing day bonus purchases + taxes
(21:05) Founding story of True Brvnd
(24:40) Expanding into n...2023-02-1632 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#16: Edward Fitzgibbon - Partner, Co-Founder Sports Rights Tech | India’s Sporting EcosystemWith extensive global sporting knowledge and relationships, Edward helped found Sports Rights Tech.
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 Sports and Entertainment.
Chapters:
(01:30) Eddie’s background in India
(05:45) Sports Rights Tech
(08:00) The bull case for India
(11:15) India’s unique sports grassroots system
(13:45) Cricket’s popularity (and expansion)
(18:55) Other sports in India + athlete’s influence
(24:05) Sports technology...2023-02-1540 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#15: David Anderson - CEO, Co-Founder BreakAway Data | Athlete biometric data | 6 year NFL journey | How data is impacting sports | Building a sports data company | NFTs x data algorithmsAfter 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 named to SBJ’s 10 most innovative companies to watch.
Chapters:
(01:15) What is biometric data and how is it used?
(03:05) Playing in the NFL for 6 years and the rise of data analytics
(06:45) How athletes monetize their data + where it’s go...2023-02-0740 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#14: Matt Beyer - CEO, Co-Founder East Asia Super League (EASL) | Building a sports league from scratch | Future of basketball | Importance of media + fan engagement | Asian sports ecosystemAfter 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 top three professional basketball leagues by 2025.
Prior to building the EASL, Beyer spent time working for the NBA, as an agent, and in Chinese public relations. He speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese.
Chapters:
(01:30) Backstory of the EA...2023-02-0539 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#13: Adam Breneman - Sports Media Entrepreneur | VP of NIL @ Mercury | From 5-star to coach to businessman | Challenges of building a media company | Athletes as entrepreneurs | Sports trends to watchAdam Breneman is a quick riser in the sports media world. He is an entrepreneur, college football analyst, investor, speaker, 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 a vice president at Mercury, an athlete-driven media company utilizing NIL across college athletics.
Chapters:
(00:45) Adam’s entrepreneurial drive
(02:40) How NIL would have impacted his football career
(05:10) What it’s like bein...2023-01-3130 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#12: Ishveen Jolly - CEO, Founder OpenSponsorship | Women’s sports ecosystem | Overview of India | Tips for scaling a company | Role of athlete investors + agencies | Sponsorships trends to watchIshveen 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.
Chapters:
(00:40) Experience as a female in the sports industry
(02:55) Advice for females looking to start a sports company
(04:00) Male athletes investing in female sports
(07:15) Inside look at collegiate women’s sports + NIL
...2023-01-2624 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#11: Brian Fagan - Founder Oncoor Sports | Creator economy overview | Deep dive on NIL collectives | Advice for entrepreneurs | Mental health with athletes | Major sports trends to watchBrian 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 app, a creator platform for athletes, coaches, and fitness influencers.
Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:45) State of the creator economy
(06:05) Oncoor Sports and the Playbook App
(08:30) Advice for founders, entrepreneurs, and salesmen
(10:40) Explanation of NIL...2023-01-2432 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#10: Cole Peterson - DFO UAB Football | Business of college football | NIL’s impact on coaching | What director of football operations do | His quick rise in the coaching world | NFL vs FBS footballCole Peterson is one of the youngest coaches/directors in all of Division 1 FBS football. At only 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 NIL, and what life is like as a college football coach.
Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(03:00) Rise of UAB football over the last 10 years
(05:30) Importance of facilities in college sports
(07:00) NIL’s impact on college co...2023-01-1930 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#9: Paul Anton - CEO, Co-Founder Huupe | AI x Basketball | First “smart” hoop | 8-Year entrepreneurial journey | China’s growing suburbs | Creating buzz with $0 in marketing spend | Futuristic SportsPaul Anton is building Huupe, the world’s first smart basketball hoop - merging 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 Anton’s entrepreneur journey
(03:50) Why a smart basketball hoop?
(06:10) $3B basketball backboard market
(08:25) Creating a buzz with $0 in marketing
(11:05) China’s growing suburbs and basketball market
(13:58) Getting investors (including NBA players)
...2023-01-1723 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#8: Steven Farag - CEO, Founder Campus Ink | Entrepreneurship + NIL | Sports apparel business | How much money athletes are making | Getting Mark Cuban to Invest | Future of sportsSteven 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 Mark Cuban to invest
(04:40) Experience being on the show “My First Million”
(06:30) Hardest thing about the apparel business
(09:20) NIL and his experience with making athletes money
(14:50) How Universities are handling NIL
(1...2023-01-1230 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#7: Porter Grieve - CEO, Co-Founder Mercury | Athlete-driven media | Reimagining the fan experience in sports | Blockchain technology and Web3’s impact | NIL and sports tech trendsPorter Grieve is building Mercury, a collegiate fan experience platform built on the bedrock of blockchain technology that uses athlete-driven media as its main marketing tool.
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 headed?
(13:10) Communicating innovative tech to athletic departments
(15:00) Building a media company first, paid products second
(17:25) The power of owned media and AS Rom...2023-01-1032 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#6: Ryan Girardot - CEO, Co-Founder Cerebro Sports | Importance of data in sports | Why Mark Cuban invested | Objective vs. Subjective scouting | Using SME’s + co-founders to build a businessRyan 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.
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Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(03:00) Basketball data analytics & Cerebro Sports
(06:25) How he got Mark Cuban to invest
(08:35) Growth since Mark Cuban joined
(11:00) How to reach customers in youth sports
(14:50) Pro players that went unnoticed because of no data
(20:05) Applying their C-RAM score to all sports
(23:15) Using subject matter experts...2023-01-0333 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#5: Jacob Turner - MLB Player, Founder JL Strategic Wealth | The business of athletes | $5.5M contract at 18 years old | Every company is a media company | Money tips & adviceJacob 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, we talk about the business side of being an athlete, some cool stories from his playing days, why everyone should be posting content, and why the tax code is literally built for ownership to create wealth.
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Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
...2022-12-2929 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#4: Roy Daneman, Co-Founder Strikeco | Why Israel dominates sports tech | Lionel Messi vs. Maradona in Business | AI's impact on sports | If Esports will one day replace physical sportsRoy 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 time...Diego Maradona.
Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:05) Why is Israel a top sports tech region in the world?
(04:40) Where sports technology is headed over the next 5 years
(05:30) Artificial Intelligence’s influence on sports
...2022-12-2727 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#3: Nick Esayian - CEO of LIGHT Helmets | D2C & future of sports | NILs impact on equipment companies | Politics in helmets | Why protective headwear should be lighter | GTM for complex productsNick Esayian is a repeat entrepreneur, founder, and former race car driver who is now building a protective headwear company, LIGHT Helmets, which believes “light” helmets are more protective than “heavy” helmets.
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Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:40) Helmet space in sports + LIGHT Helmets
(06:35) Testing labs for football helmets (and NFL)
(10:55) Why should helmets be lighter (not heavier)?
(14:55) How big is the market for protective headwear?
(19:30) NIL - how are they using it to promote their product?
(24:55) Thoughts on giving equity to athletes (partner vs endorser...2022-12-2144 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐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://anchor.fm/andrewpetcash
🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/
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Thanks for listening!2022-12-1812 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#2: Jason Syversen - Founder of Sportsvisio, GP 10X VC | How AI will impact athletics | Generalists vs. Specialists | Why Now is the time to build in sports | Using AI to assist in scaling a businessJason Syversen is an entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist who is now building an artificial intelligence (AI) company in sports.
Sportsvisio automatically captures highlights and stats from sporting events.
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 Sportsvisio.
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Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:55) Why is now the time to build in sports?
(04:10) Background on Sportsvisio
(06:20) Overview of AI x Sports market
(09:55) How their AI software works2022-12-1239 min
The Profluence Pod 🌐#1 - CJ Watson, NBA Player Turned Angel InvestorCJ 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.
You can check out his business profile here: https://profluence.com/athletes/cj-watson
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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 Author + Entrepreneur
(11:25) Angel Investing in over 20 companies
(16:40) What his portfolio looks like
(20:30) Future of...2022-12-0923 min