Episodes
-
League of Play is an innovative GenZ-focused sports league bridging the gap between creators and fans.
After a successful pilot event, League of Play is expanding into a season format with live-streamed competitions featuring top creators. Viewers vote on distractions that affect the gameplay.
Hank Leber is a serial entrepreneur from the ad agency world who founded Gigster before League of Play.
Chapters:
(01:05) Hank and League of Play backstory
(03:05) Rise of the creator economy
(06:15) Fundraising in this ecosystem
(12:40) Future of interactive viewing
(16:15) Understanding GenZ audience
(20:50) League of Play model
(25:45) Collabing with creators
(27:05) Finding YouTube talent
(29:30) Happy fans & creators
.
Hank Leber:
Website: https://leagueofplay.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hankleber/
.
Andrew Petcash:
๐ Website: https://profluence.com
๐ฃ Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
๐ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
Thanks for listening! Hit the โfollowโ button to stay updated on new podcasts.
-
The Nucleus Network is a network development agency that unlocks the power of connections through a vetted group of successful individuals and businesses.
The company is led by Jake Fleshner and Michael Axman. Jake was previously the CRO of Dave Meltzer Enterprises, and Michael was the head of partnerships at Teleport.
The Nucleus Networkโs core areas are fundraising/startup advisory, lead generation, and network development.
Chapters:
(00:50) The Nucleus Network intro
(03:50) Power of connections & warm intros
(07:00) Building relationships
(10:50) Getting in front of investors
(13:00) Strategies for raising capital
(18:30) Effective communication methods
(21:20) Vetting partners
(29:00+) Q/A for Profluence+ Community Members
.
The Nucleus Network:
Website: https://www.thenucleusnetwork.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-nucleus-network/
.
Andrew Petcash:
๐ Website: https://profluence.com
๐ฃ Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
๐ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
Thanks for listening! Hit the โfollowโ button to stay updated on new podcasts.
-
Missing episodes?
-
Investing heavily across sports and entertainment, Lauren Selig shares some deep insights with us today.
Shake and Bake is a venture fund and advisory firm.
Lauren Selig Lauren Selig is the founder of Shake and Bake Productions, Curiosity Ink, V.A.L.I.S., and Tangled Little Dragon. She is an advisor to Bold Capital, WETA, and the Ackerley Sports Group.
Lauren has produced dozens of Academy and Emmy award-winning productions, including Hacksaw Ridge, Rocketman, and Wheel of Time.
Chapters:
(00:00) Intro & background
(03:45) Deals investing in
(05:25) Power of storytelling & media
(10:03) Monetizing new sports ideas
(17:20) Advice for founders
(20:45) Looking globally
(26:20) What makes an undeniable team
.
Lauren Selig:
Website: https://www.shakeandbakeproductions.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-s-4ba188/
.
Andrew Petcash:
๐ Website: https://profluence.com
๐ฃ Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
๐ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
Thanks for listening! Hit the โfollowโ button to stay updated on new podcasts.
-
With over 300+ locations sold, Pickleball Kingdom is one of the fastest-growing franchises in sports.
Pickleball Kingdom is a holding company of pickleball facilities around the United States, serving players of all levels.
Ace Rodrigues is a serial entrepreneur jumping into the business of pickleball after first discovering the game a few years ago.
Chapters:
(02:00) Discovering pickleball
(05:45) Franchising model
(09:55) Navigating real estate
(12:35) Creating a player experience
(15:00) Building Pickleball Kingdom
(19:40) Future of pickleball
(24:40) Art of the game
(27:15) Roadmap at PK
.
Ace Rodrigues:
Website: https://pickleballkingdom.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ace-rodrigues-4907b7125/
.
Andrew Petcash:
๐ Website: https://profluence.com
๐ฃ Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
๐ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
Thanks for listening! Hit the โfollowโ button to stay updated on new podcasts.
-
Quickly scaling over the last few years, GoRout has been transforming on-field communication, led by founder Mike Rolih.
GoRout is the only system that combines on-field wearable technology and real-time playmaking software to help teams perfect their on-field communication.
Mike played collegiate baseball and was the President of Mirro before founding Gorout in his garage.
Chapters:
(00:30) Mike Rolih background
(05:50) Seeing GoRoutโs potential
(08:00) Scaling the company
(11:00) Overcoming resistance to change
(16:25) Expanding into new sports
(19:05) Selling to different levels of sports
(21:40) GoRout roadmap
(24:10) Learnings from delegating tasks
.
Mike Rolih:
Website: https://gorout.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrolih/
.
Andrew Petcash:
๐ Website: https://profluence.com
๐ฃ Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
๐ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
Thanks for listening! Hit the โfollowโ button to stay updated on new podcasts.
-
Rebranding to LEAD, Justin Driscoll is the principal overseeing the pre-seed investment fund out of Lake Nona.
LEAD is a family of funds investing across all stages of venture.
Prior to joining LEAD, he spent two years in an operational capacity at DS Sports and Magnus Group, a holding company that acquired youth sports event companies and built a ball-tracking technology platform. He is a former student-athlete who played baseball at Rollins College.
Chapters:
(00:20) Justin Driscoll intro
(03:16) Overview of LEAD
(05:06) Focus on Pre-Seed
(09:35) Identifying areas for disruption
(12:50) Financial models as storytelling tools
(17:30) Democratizing access and support
(22:20) LEADโs new pre-seed investments
(26:40) Racquet sports and market sizes
(31:05) Lessons learned for founders
.
Justin Driscoll:
Website: https://www.lead.vc/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-driscoll/
.
Andrew Petcash:
๐ Website: https://profluence.com
๐ฃ Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
๐ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
Thanks for listening! Hit the โfollowโ button to stay updated on new podcasts.
-
1st party data is reimagining the athletics landscape, and Adam Azor from Sportradar is at the forefront of it.
Sportradar is one of the worldโs largest sports technology companies reimagining immersive experiences for sports fans and bettors.
Adam Azor is an integrated marketer with experience from global to local recently being promoted to EVP at Sportradar.
Chapters:
(00:20) Adam Azor and Sportradar intro
(02:15) Sportradarโs massive growth
(06:05) EVP Global Marketing role
(08:15) 1st-party data landscape
(14:00) Educating the market about โowning sports dataโ
(23:30) Hyper-personalized data and cookies
(27:00) Legal implications of 1st party data
(29:15) From top to bottom of the pyramid
(32:30) Sportradarโs partnership perspective
.
Adam Azor:
Website: https://sportradar.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamazor/
.
Andrew Petcash:
๐ Website: https://profluence.com
๐ฃ Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
๐ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
Thanks for listening! Hit the โfollowโ button to stay updated on new podcasts.
-
One of the largest early-stage investors in the world, Trey Bowles is currently the Managing Director of Techstars where he runs two accelerator programs: Techstars Anywhere and Techstars Physical Health Fort Worth.
Techstars is a pre-seed investor providing early-stage entrepreneurs access to capital, mentorship, and other support.
Some of Trey Bowlesโ other projects include InnoCity Partners, Dallas Entrepreneur Center, Dallas Innovation Alliance, Mayorโs Star Council, and other nonprofit organizations.
Chapters:
(01:05) Trey Bowles Techstars
(04:00) Evaluating early-stage startups
(08:15) Accelerator vs venture money
(13:55) Human capital and teams
(17:10) Emerging areas for new companies
(21:30) Advice on raising capital with little revenue
(25:45) Techstars application key points
(30:35) Questions Techstars asks in interviews
(33:05) Youth sports as a gem
(36:10) Creating financial projections
.
Trey Bowles:
Website: https://www.techstars.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/treybowles/
.
Andrew Petcash:
๐ Website: https://profluence.com
๐ฃ Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
๐ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
Thanks for listening! Hit the โfollowโ button to stay updated on new podcasts.
-
Recently receiving investment from the NBA, NHL, and Profluence Capital, John Stewart is transforming sports at Fastbreak AI.
Fastbreak AI brings the power of world-class, sports scheduling optimization featuring a robust and intuitive user experience for league setup, defining scheduling goals, metric reporting, schedule modification, and distribution.
John Stewart sold his last company, MapAnything, to Salesforce in 2019.
Chapters:
(00:40) Building & exiting MapAnything
(04:00) Opportunity John saw in sports
(07:00) Fastbreak AI scheduling
(10:20) Downstream into youth sports
(12:00) Next products
(15:30) Advice on fundraising
(17:40) Bootstrapping vs venture capital
(20:40) Managing raised capital
(22:50) Having mainly engineers
(25:15) Macro trends in sports to watch
.
Fastbreak AI:
Website: https://fastbreak.ai/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-stewart-3528a38/
.
Andrew Petcash:
๐ Website: https://profluence.com
๐ฃ Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
๐ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
Thanks for listening! Hit the โfollowโ button to stay updated on new podcasts.
*Disclaimer: Profluenceโs work is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should always do your own research and consult advisors on these subjects. Our work may feature entities in which Profluence Capital LP or the author has invested.
-
With ownership in sports from grassroots to the pros and in nearly every niche, Jordan Gazdik breaks down the landscape for us.
BENCHPLAYERS is a portfolio of sport-related assets, driven by partnerships with industry leaders at all levels of the ecosystem.
Jordan Gazdik founded BENCHPLAYERS to help push forward sports by creating a better future through ownership.
Chapters:
(00:45) Jordanโs background
(02:00) Current sports projects
(04:20) Youth sports & NIL interest
(09:00) Evaluating opportunities
(12:30) International trends
(15:00) What wealthy families are looking at?
(19:30) Betting vs other fan engagement
(22:30) Sports media rights insights
(25:50) Emerging teams & leagues
(32:20) The mom economy
.
Jordan Gazdik:
Website: https://www.benchplayers.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-gazdik-51abb2188/
.
Andrew Petcash:
๐ Website: https://profluence.com
๐ฃ Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
๐ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
Thanks for listening! Hit the โfollowโ button to stay updated on new podcasts.
-
Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, and Ben Nichols saw this as a unique opportunity to build a PR firm for it.
Padel 22 is a global padel-dedicated communications consultancy that helps organizations, rights holders, brands, events, players and other stakeholders tell their stories and be part of the sportโs expanding global footprint.
Ben Nichols has nearly 20 years of experience running communications for the worldโs leading sports series, leagues, events, teams, leaders, athletes, brands, and media. Including the infamous Russian Doping Scandal.
Chapters:
(01:00) Benโs communications background
(03:15) Padel 22
(05:35) Market insights on Padel
(07:10) Stories that are sticking out
(10:35) Getting media attention
(14:15) Country club sport
(17:30) Next run in Padel
(20:10) Padel leagues
(23:55) US market
(26:30) Advice on PR
.
Ben Nichols:
Website: https://www.padel-22.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-nichols-7401929/?originalSubdomain=uk
.
Andrew Petcash:
๐ Website: https://profluence.com
๐ฃ Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
๐ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
Thanks for listening! Hit the โfollowโ button to stay updated on new podcasts.
-
Once the 35th-ranked female tennis player in the world, CiCi Bellis is now the founding partner of Cartan Capital.
Cartan Capital is a venture capital firm focused on the sports and health technology markets โ particularly Seed and Series A stage companies.
At only 25 years old, CiCi Bellis is one of the youngest investors in sports.
Chapters:
(00:30) CiCiโs background
(03:15) Tennis re-structuring
(06:00) What classifies a pro tennis player
(07:20) Opportunities in racquet sports
(09:00) Evaluating market sizes
(11:00) Balancing investing & building
(12:15) What excited her about VC
(13:50) Investment themes
(18:50) Areas to keep an eye on
.
CiCi Bellis:
Website: https://www.cartancapital.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cici-bellis-750926182/
.
Andrew Petcash:
๐ Website: https://profluence.com
๐ฃ Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
๐ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
Thanks for listening! Hit the โfollowโ button to stay updated on new podcasts.
-
Quidich is revolutionizing the broadcasting experience having recently raised a Series A fundraising round with the company led by film entrepreneur Rahat Kulshreshtha.
Quidich Innovation Labs was originally an aerial filmmaking company that has since evolved into a global technology leader in sports broadcasting.
In addition to his entrepreneurial endeavors, Rahat Kulshreshtha is a founding member of the Drone Federation of India, where he currently serves as Chairperson, advocating for responsible drone usage in the country.
Chapters:
(01:10) Inspiration of Quidich
(04:00) Evolving from drones
(09:20) India sports market
(13:15) Next big sports in India
(15:50) Cricketโs global expansion
(19:00) Quidich future roadmap
(24:50) Advice for founders
.
Rahat Kulshreshtha:
Website: https://www.quidich.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahatkul/?originalSubdomain=in
.
Andrew Petcash:
๐ Website: https://profluence.com
๐ฃ Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
๐ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
Thanks for listening! Hit the โfollowโ button to stay updated on new podcasts.
-
Justin Bass is a Managing Director in the Sports and Entertainment Group at MAI Capital, where he joined in 2022 and has worked with professional athletes and high-net-worth individuals/families for over 25 years.
MAI Capital Management, LLC is a full-service wealth manager for high-net-worth individuals and high-net-worth families; plus, a provider of targeted investment solutions for financial advisors and institutional investors.
Justin provides wealth management, investment advisory, family office, and legal services to high-net-worth individuals and families, with an emphasis on athletes, entertainers, entrepreneurs, and sudden wealth.
Chapters:
(00:45) Justinโs sports finance background
(03:50) What is an RIA?
(05:50) Financial advising for athletes
(08:30) Common mistakes & challenges
(15:30) The team around athletes
(18:30) Landing new clients vs retaining existing
(22:30) Evolution of endorsement deals
(25:30) Advice for getting into sports
.
Justin Bass:
Website: https://mai.capital/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-bass-4a3a823/
.
Andrew Petcash:
๐ Website: https://profluence.com
๐ฃ Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
๐ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
Thanks for listening! Hit the โfollowโ button to stay updated on new podcasts.
-
In 9 markets and with millions in revenue per year, Gio Marcantoni is the founder of Volo Sports.
Started as a 16-person Bocce league in Baltimore in 2010, Volo Sports now has over 300,000 members nationally.
Similar to how youth sports clubs have been rolled up, Gio Marcantoni has taken a similar approach to adult social sports.
Chapters:
(00:30) Volo inception
(06:45) GTM strategy
(08:00) Business model
(10:00) Scaling internally
(12:50) Bootstrapping to start
(15:10) Adult social sports market
(18:25) Demographics
(20:30) Branding & marketing
(24:00) Diving all into an idea
(26:40) Acquisition strategy
(30:00+) Group Q/A for community members
.
Gio Marcantoni:
Website: https://www.volosports.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giovanni-marcantoni-69a12828/
.
Andrew Petcash:
๐ Website: https://profluence.com
๐ฃ Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
๐ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
Thanks for listening! Hit the โfollowโ button to stay updated on new podcasts.
-
Raising over $76M, Stephen Smith has taken Kitman Labs from an Irish sports data company to a global solution.
Kitman Labs was founded, pioneered, and powered by practitioners and data scientists consumed by the question of how to optimize human achievement.
Stephen Smith and Kitman Labโs platform provides a holistic, unified view of the individual and the organization โ making progress faster and more efficient.
Chapters:
(01:00) Kitman Labs
(02:45) Evolution of sports analytics
(04:50) Wearables
(06:20) Artificial Intelligence
(08:10) Next great data solutions
(09:45) Differentiating from competitors
(11:45) Framework to ask better questions
(16:00) Fundraising strategies
(18:50) Scaling B2B model
(22:20) Military & sports similarities
.
Stephen Smith:
Website: https://www.kitmanlabs.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephensmithsports/
.
Andrew Petcash:
๐ Website: https://profluence.com
๐ฃ Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
๐ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
Thanks for listening! Hit the โfollowโ button to stay updated on new podcasts.
-
A former college athlete, Matt Wheeler and his teammate started a sports recruiting platform in 2008 and have grown it substantially over the years.
SportsRecruits offers student-athletes a platform to handle their college search and recruiting process from end to end.
Using robust analytics around who is looking at your profile, video and academic information, SportsRecruits helps student-athletes and their families navigate a stressful and expensive process.
Chapters:
(00:45) SportsRecruits background
(02:25) Recruiting transformation
(06:00) Solving marketplace dynamic
(09:10) Navigating different sports
(11:00) Staying capital efficient
(15:30) Private equity in youth sports
(17:45) Competitive landscape
(20:30) Future of SportsRecruits
.
Matt Wheeler:
Website: https://sportsrecruits.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattkwheeler/
.
Andrew Petcash:
๐ Website: https://profluence.com
๐ฃ Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
๐ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
Thanks for listening! Hit the โfollowโ button to stay updated on new podcasts.
-
Before becoming an NBA agent and a trailblazer in shaping the college NIL space, Daniel Poneman spent over a decade as a scout and consultant for more than 300 Division I colleges, NBA teams, and international franchises.
Profiled in The New York Times and Sports Illustrated, Daniel rose from teenage scout to Chicago basketball mainstay.
Since then, Daniel Poneman has helped hundreds of young men from Chicago's most underserved neighborhoods receive college scholarships through the "Undiscovered" basketball showcase he founded in 2009.
Chapters:
(00:30) Daniel Poneman background
(01:25) Sports agent journey
(07:20) NIL ecosystem
(11:20) College sports landscape
(13:50) NIL collectives
(18:30) Market valuations
(23:00) Peak college salaries
(24:30) Private equity impact
(27:15) Future plans
.
Daniel Poneman:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-poneman-a1237920/
.
Andrew Petcash:
๐ Website: https://profluence.com
๐ฃ Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
๐ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
Thanks for listening! Hit the โfollowโ button to stay updated on new podcasts.
-
Peter Simon runs the sports investment division for Simon Group Holdings, which was founded by his father Sam Simon.
Sam Simon is a legendary immigrant entrepreneur having launched Atlas Oil Co. in 1985 with a single delivery truck, and has built it into a multi-billion gallon-a-year fuel wholesaler with over 500 employees.
Formed in 2022, Simon Sports is a sports investment firm and management group that serves as an umbrella for Sam and his son Peter Simonโs sports ventures.
Peter Simon attended Wayne State University and is an avid sports fan cheering for most Detroit teams (and the Dallas Cowboys).
Chapters:
(00:35) Simon Group Holdings
(05:00) Current portfolio
(11:00) How they think about community
(12:30) Evaluating opportunities
(15:00) Private family capital
(16:40) What they look for
(19:00) Trends in sports
.
Peter Simon:
Website: https://simonsports.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simon-sports/
.
Andrew Petcash:
๐ Website: https://profluence.com
๐ฃ Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
๐ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
Thanks for listening! Hit the โfollowโ button to stay updated on new podcasts.
-
Chris Van Dusen is a Senior Partner at Solyco Capital, a vertically Integrated PE/VC, Action Services, Public & Private Wealth Investment Firm that delivers capital solutions for late-stage startup and growth companies.
Solyco Capital has made some of its first sports investments since its inception, showcasing the industry's appeal.
Chris Van Dusen was a former D1 baseball player and successful entrepreneur having sold multiple businesses before entering the investment world.
Chapters:
(01:20) Exiting 3 companies
(08:20) Solyco Capital
(11:50) Making first sports investments
(14:30) Going through their sports portfolio
(18:00) Artificial intelligence
(23:20) Advice on raising capital
(30:15) Mistakes he learned from
(32:15) Areas in sports to watch
(36:35+) Q/A session available for Profluence+ Community members
.
Chris Van Dusen:
Solyco Capital: https://www.solycocapital.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismvandusen/
.
Andrew Petcash:
๐ Website: https://profluence.com
๐ฃ Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
๐ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
Thanks for listening! Hit the โfollowโ button to stay updated on new podcasts.
- Show more
