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Values Before Vision

Before Josh had a career plan, he had a value system. Faith, service, gratitude, growth, and family. Those five words are not abstract ideals for him; they shaped every decision. During college, those values led him to co-found Collective Uplift alongside teammates and Dr. Joseph Cooper, a program built to empower, educate, and inspire student athletes at UConn. When he transferred to Old Dominion, the mission followed him.

He also served as SAAC president at Old Dominion, which gave him his first real exposure to the business side of sports. He was still a student athlete holding down part-time work in student-athlete development, while simultaneously working leadership development roles at his father's church. The overlap between ministry, service, and organizational strategy would turn out to be better preparation than any internship.

Birth by Fire, Not a Blueprint

Josh did not network his way into sports. He served his way in. His phrase for the approach is "birth by fire," which means putting yourself into new, difficult situations and learning from the people around you rather than waiting until you feel ready.

While finishing his master's degree in public administration, he was stacking experience across contexts, church leadership, student-athlete services, team governance. None of it looked like a sports business resume. All of it built the skills that mattered once he got inside the industry.

The Bet That Opened the Door

The Miami Dolphins were not on Josh's radar. He had not mapped out an NFL career. But when a Player Engagement assistant opportunity opened in 2019, he pursued it. The deciding factor was not the organization itself but the person leading it: Kaleb Thornhill, a family man with a service-first approach. For Josh, working for the right people has always mattered more than landing the right logo.

He arrived, and the job immediately tested him. In June 2020, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty of whether the NFL would even play a season, Josh was promoted to Player Engagement Coordinator. He coordinated across scouting, video, and athletic training to keep the organization moving. His goal, in his own words, was simply to "help move the ship forward" during a period when most people were focused on keeping their heads above water.

Trust as a Career Accelerant

What made Josh ready for a director role faster than he expected was not technical skill alone. It was the trust he built with Kaleb Thornhill. After the 2020 season, Thornhill pushed Josh to start interviewing for director-level positions. Josh was unsure he was ready. Thornhill told him he was.

That kind of sponsorship, a leader who sees your ceiling before you do, is not something you manufacture. It is something you earn through consistent execution and genuine relationship. When the GM of the Dolphins flagged an opportunity with the Cardinals in 2021, Josh was ready because the people around him had invested in his development.

What the Work Actually Looks Like

As Director of Player Engagement with the Cardinals, Josh is not running generic programming. He builds tailored development opportunities designed to meet players where they are, personally and professionally. The goal is straightforward: help athletes build the skills and mindsets that translate beyond football.

That work is an extension of everything he was doing before the NFL job existed, at SAAC, at Collective Uplift, at his father's church. The setting changed. The orientation never did.

What He Would Tell His Younger Self

Serve where you are. Not where you want to be. Not where it looks impressive. Right where you are. That has been Josh's edge since college, and it remains the clearest advice he would give to anyone trying to build a career in sports. The opportunities that changed his life did not come from aggressive networking. They came from doing the work in front of him well enough that the right people noticed and made a call on his behalf.

A Door No One Was Going to Open

When Melissa's playing career wound down after the 2016 Olympics, she did what most former athletes do: she looked for what came next. She went to ESPN Deportes. She reached out on LinkedIn. She showed up in person to offices expecting someone to recognize her resume. Nobody did. "It's crazy because when you think about your male counterpart who played on the national team and in big tournaments, they automatically put them at the desk. That wasn't quite the case."

Rather than keep waiting for a room to let her in, she bought a camera and started creating. Game previews, soccer drills, nutrition content, whatever gave her a reason to show up and build an audience around the sport she knew better than most.

Russia Changed Everything

The turning point was not a job offer. It was a trip. In 2018, Melissa and her husband used their savings to vlog the Men's World Cup in Russia, riding trains for 15 hours across the country, capturing what it felt like to be a fan at soccer's biggest stage. Few people with her playing background were doing anything like it, and the content hit.

By the time she returned, she had her first brand partnership, a deal with a cell phone company at MLS All-Star. "I was making more off this paycheck than I would in a week doing whatever else. And I loved doing it." That combination of income and passion confirmed the direction. She and her husband moved to New York City shortly after. The networking density there did the rest.

The Skill of Thick Skin

Ask Melissa what separates people who last in competitive careers from those who don't, and she comes back to two things: being a genuinely good person, and building the ability to absorb rejection without flinching.

"I've made mistakes on air. It's just: brush it off, next one." The thick skin she's talking about is not detachment. It's the product of years of hard coaching, injuries, a federation that undervalued its own players, and a media industry that was slow to see the value in someone like her. Sports taught her how to fail and keep moving, and that translated directly into broadcasting.

She points to Julie Foudy as someone she has been inspired by. Not just the playing career, but the longevity, the professionalism, the reputation that precedes you into every room. "People will continue wanting to work with you if you're easy to work with, kind, and respectful."

A Defining Moment

The injury that derailed Melissa's 2015 Women's World Cup campaign came five days before kickoff. The Colombian national team had spent six months training on turf in preparation for a tournament that was itself played on turf, and her Achilles gave out under the strain. A full year of recovery followed, along with the realization that the federation she was playing for did not have her back.

"I realized how bad it was. I started documenting things." That year forced a reckoning, not just about soccer, but about identity. She had a master's degree in marketing. She had been running side businesses since her injury left her without a paycheck. She was more than the position she played. The injury did not end her career. It clarified who she was beyond it.

Built to Build

The broadcaster narrative is the through line, but what defines Melissa as an operator is her entrepreneurial instinct. The bracelet business she started during recovery, sourcing handmade pieces from artisans in Colombia and placing them in 40 to 50 Florida stores. The soccer camps she ran for hundreds of kids around the state. The e-commerce operation she built while also managing accounting for her parents' automotive business.

Kickoff Coffee Co., launched in 2020 with her brother and his wife, follows the same logic: identify a real gap, build something around it, attach it to a mission. Soccer and coffee, she argues, are already paired daily by fans watching early Premier League matches. Nobody had built a specialty brand around that moment. They did. It is still growing.

Follow the Passion, Trust the Run

If there is one thing Melissa would tell a younger version of herself, it is to follow passion without waiting for certainty. She watched her father and mother run an automotive business he genuinely loved, waking at 4 a.m. and coming home past midnight without treating it like a burden. That image stayed with her.

"Believe in yourself and believe in the run. Everything works out the way it should. And even if it doesn't work out the way you want it in that given moment, in the end it works out in some way to serve you." Her why is simpler than the resume suggests: be better every day. Better at broadcasting, better at creating, better at working with people. The athlete never fully left. She just found a bigger field.

A Career in Business Development

Growing up in Boston, Rachel's passion for sports developed early. "I’ve always been competitive and big into playing sports," she says. At Cornell University, she captained the club hockey team and managed the football team's operations, filming games from a scissor lift, and learned the intricacies of behind-the-scenes football operations. After college, she set her sights on working in the NFL and accepted a role with the Miami Dolphins in operations. However, she quickly realized it wasn’t the right fit, partly due to limitations on women in certain on-field roles at the time. This realization prompted her to pursue a Master’s in Sport Management and an MBA at UMass Amherst. During grad school, an internship with the PGA TOUR in business development shifted her career focus.

Rachel joined the PGA TOUR full-time, excelling in business development and helping to craft multimillion-dollar partnerships. Her career next took her to Los Angeles, where she worked with AEG’s diverse portfolio, including Crypto.com Arena (formerly STAPLES Center), Coachella, with a focus on the LA Kings. Later, she returned to Boston to join FSM, achieving success as the Red Sox won a World Series during her tenure. When the COVID-19 pandemic led to budget cuts at FSM, Rachel was laid off. However, while pitching an event at Fenway Park, she caught the attention of Hudl’s head of partnerships. This serendipitous connection led to her current role, where she now leads strategic partnerships.

The Art of Partnerships

Throughout her career, Rachel has worked with a wide range of successful people and noticed a few consistent traits among them. “In partnerships, you need to blend two core areas: sales and customer service,” she explains. “You’re constantly selling, but you’re also ensuring the customer’s needs are met.” She emphasizes the importance of negotiation skills and the ability to bounce back from rejection. “You can’t just accept ‘no’ and walk away. You have to find other ways around that.”

It’s not just about pushing a product or asset – it’s also about understanding what the customer needs. She shares an example from her time at the PGA TOUR: “They did an excellent job of understanding a customer’s goals and tailoring solutions to meet those.” Rachel also recognizes the power of different sales tactics, noting that some are more direct while others, like her own approach, are relationship-driven. “It’s about finding your voice and knowing how to read people,” she says. “Being well-prepared and understanding both your needs and theirs will make you the most successful.”

Hiring Insights and Career Lessons

When hiring, Rachel looks for candidates who truly understand the role they’re applying for. “A lot of times, people come into interviews talking about things that aren’t even relevant to the job,” she observes. She stresses the importance of thoroughly reading job descriptions and coming prepared. Beyond that, she seeks two key qualities. First, she values relationship-building skills. “We’re a small team within a large organization, so we have to collaborate with various departments. Being able to build strong internal and external relationships is crucial.” The second quality she looks for is organization skills. “We work with close to 150 partners, so strong organizational skills are essential. It’s about managing your time effectively while keeping communication flowing with partners,” she explains.

Reflecting on her career, Rachel wishes she had done a better job of staying in touch with some of the people she met early on. She recalls receiving valuable introductions during college, particularly from coaches who connected her to key industry figures, but she didn’t always follow up. “If I had kept in touch with those people, I’d have a much stronger network within the industry.” Her advice for younger professionals is to consistently follow up and maintain relationships, even if it seems like a small effort at the time. “One in fifty people do it, but those who do stand out.”

The Key to Fulfillment at Work: The People

Rachel’s “why” begins and ends with people. “I’m a firm believer that people leave people, not jobs,” she says, emphasizing the importance of surrounding yourself with a team and culture you love.

For Rachel, work becomes fulfilling when shared with individuals who are equally committed and passionate. “I’m fortunate to have the most phenomenal team. They’re amazing, and it makes coming to work every day so much more rewarding.” She finds energy in hearing about their challenges, working collaboratively to overcome them, and celebrating their successes.

Betting on Yourself, Before You Have Proof

Nehemiah didn’t grow up with a roadmap into sports. He grew up in Tallapoosa, Georgia, and like many, his understanding of careers in sports was limited. “What I knew about working in sports was either playing the sport, coaching, being an athletic trainer, or being some type of sports counselor.” So he followed what he did know, studying psychology at Point University with an interest in helping people.

But the turning point came later than most. “I hadn’t really thought about working in sports… and then a buddy, named Payton Linder, asked me, ‘Would you ever think about working for a sports organization?’ And I’m like, no, I haven’t. That’s a great idea. Why haven’t I ever thought of that?” That moment unlocked everything.

No Blueprint, Just Proximity

Without a clear path, Nehemiah leaned into something simple but powerful: proximity. “Whatever it is that you want to be, there’s already somebody doing that.” So he acted on it, following up with someone he met during an Arizona Diamondbacks visit, named Anthony Synegal, asking to shadow, and getting his first real exposure to the business side of sports.

From there, he stacked experience across roles, working part-time in guest services at Mercedes-Benz Stadium while holding a full-time role in higher education, adding experience with the Atlanta Braves and participating in MLB’s virtual sales program. It wasn’t linear or glamorous, but it was intentional. “I knew I needed some type of experience to show that I know how to conduct myself in a professional environment.”

The Move That Changes Everything

The defining moment in his career wasn’t landing a job, it was risking stability. Nehemiah left a full-time role to take a seasonal position with the Atlanta Falcons. “That’s me coming from a full-time role going into a seasonal role, betting on myself.” At the time, it was a real bet, not a guaranteed outcome.

He treated it like an open door. “I didn’t stop networking, volunteering, and shadowing in different departments.” That mindset accelerated everything. Within months, opportunities followed, leading to a full-time role, then a promotion, and eventually a move into corporate partnerships. The throughline wasn’t luck, it was visibility and initiative. “I was able to use and leverage my access.”

Leadership Is Human, Not Hierarchical

Working across departments and teams, Nehemiah has seen what actually drives success inside organizations. It’s not titles or credentials, it’s people. “I see very good communicators; people who know how to communicate well with others.”

The leaders who stand out aren’t the ones with all the answers, they’re the ones willing to learn. “They’re not afraid to mess up and they learn from their team instead of having an authoritative mindset.” He also emphasizes inclusivity, not as a buzzword, but as a performance driver. “You can’t do everything alone; teams are better when everybody is empowered.”

Creating Access, Because He Didn’t Have It

Nehemiah’s “why” is rooted in something personal. “I truly care about people’s journey and how people are developing in life.” He’s also grounded in his faith. “I am a person of faith… and I truly believe that doing unto others as they would have done unto you is a very important theme in my life.”

Now, he’s focused on being that person for others, especially for those navigating the industry without clear access or guidance. “I’m very interested in connecting with minorities to help them understand how to navigate this space.” His focus is simple: point people in the right direction, sooner.

The Advice He’d Give Himself

If he could go back, he wouldn’t change the path, but he would move faster within it. “Stay the course and be patient… but also bet on yourself even more.” He’d also lean further into opportunity. “Say yes more… not being so hesitant or afraid about the unknown.” Because in his experience, growth didn’t come from certainty. It came from stepping into things before he felt fully ready.

Where Business Meets Golf

Marshal was raised in a family of athletes, with sports as a central theme in his life. He played collegiate golf at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), where he was Co-President of the University’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. After graduating from UNI, he moved to Arizona to pursue a graduate degree at ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, where he refined his expertise in sports law and business, narrowing his focus to the golf industry.

An informational interview with Clair Peterson, the then-Tournament Director of the JDC, opened the door to Marshal’s career. That conversation led to an internship with the tournament, which is close to both his heart and the community where he grew up. By showcasing a strong work ethic and a willingness to learn during the internship, Marshal proved his value and earned a full-time role with the golf tournament.

Fast forward to today, Marshal oversees all operations for the JDC, including its additional events such as concerts hosted on the property. From managing vendor relationships for the tournament to ensuring seamless transitions for live concerts with supporting artists like Lainey Wilson and Counting Crows, his responsibilities span a complex web of logistics and collaboration. Beyond the operational details, Marshal’s work directly impacts the local community, with proceeds supporting local and regional charities. “Everyone on our staff and for those that support our event, realize that many decisions throughout the year have an impact on our Birdies For Charity contributions,” he says. He mentioned how the Birdies For Charity program is a part of their core mission when operating the JDC. A program that helped raise 15.9 million in 2024.

Work Ethic and Building Connections

Marshal believes success in the sports industry comes from a blend of tangible skills and the right mindset. He notes the importance of foundational habits: showing up early, staying late if necessary, and understanding the business model before proposing changes. For interns and new professionals, he advises on being curious when learning systems and building credibility, as organizational awareness is critical.

Equally important is the ability to build relationships. Marshal explains that building rapport beyond work tasks helps individuals understand their colleagues' motivations and work styles, ultimately fostering better collaboration. “It’s finding out what makes their wheels spin outside of the office,” he says, encouraging authenticity and curiosity in every interaction. These small yet intentional efforts, he believes, set top performers apart.

Master the Art of Storytelling

Marshal emphasizes storytelling as a cornerstone of professional success, especially in the sports industry. Whether pitching ideas, building relationships, or negotiating a deal, the ability to tell a compelling story can make all the difference. Marshal encourages aspiring professionals to reflect on their storytelling skills, identify areas for improvement, and begin learning how to refine this critical ability.

“Storytelling is more than a buzzword – it’s how you connect and persuade,” he explains. “If you can’t tell a good story, you need to figure out why.” Marshal believes that effective communication is a powerful tool, not only for advancing one’s career but also for leaving a lasting impression.

Giving Back to His Community

Marshal’s motivation is deeply tied to his roots in the Quad Cities, where he grew up attending the JDC. He recalls fond memories of his father taking him to the tournament as a child, moments that inspired his passion for the event and evolved his love for the game of golf. For Marshal, working with the JDC is a way to give back to the community that shaped him.

The JDC has a significant economic and social impact on the region, generating 70.9 million in economic impact and supporting countless charitable initiatives. For Marshal, his work isn’t about personal accolades but about creating opportunities and driving positive change. “It’s not about me,” he reflects. “It’s about everyone who can benefit.” Knowing that his decisions contribute to the betterment of his home fuels his dedication and reinforces his commitment to making the JDC a meaningful event for the entire community.

Aisha Shuaibu is the President of SWA Sports, an impact-driven sports business platform focused on connecting Africa’s rapidly evolving sports ecosystem with global partners, investors, and the African diaspora. With a background spanning entrepreneurship, consulting, and business development, she has spent the past decade building companies in Nigeria before launching SWA Sports in 2022 to bridge the gap between global interest in African sports and on-the-ground execution. Today, her work sits at the intersection of sport, business, and social impact, with a focus on creating real opportunities for youth across the continent.

Building from the Ground Up

Aisha’s story starts far from boardrooms and conferences. “I’m Nigerian… but I was born in Lawrence, Kansas, into a military family,” she explains. Growing up in Abuja in a household with ten siblings, sports were not optional, they were part of daily life.

“I was fast, aggressive, and always nailed a 3-point,” she says of her basketball days. But her early career did not follow a traditional sports path. After earning two business degrees across the UK and Turkey, she entered industries where she had little prior experience. “My early professional experience was in energy trading and the restaurant industry, two fields I initially knew very little about.” Instead of waiting to feel ready, she leaned into the unknown. That decision would define the next decade of her career.

The Entrepreneurial Foundation

Back in Nigeria, Aisha spent ten years building businesses from scratch. She founded and operated two restaurant ventures while developing expertise in business management, brand development, and consulting. More importantly, she built something less tangible but far more valuable, perspective.

“Building a business in Nigeria… requires founders to build systems that do not yet exist.” That environment sharpened her ability to operate in ambiguity, navigate uncertainty, and create structure where none existed. It also gave her a front-row seat to a larger opportunity she could not ignore.

Seeing the Opportunity in African Sports

In 2021, after a period of reflection, Aisha made a pivotal decision. “I decided to pursue a new and exciting challenge more closely aligned with my interests.” At the same time, global sports organizations were beginning to look more seriously at Africa.

What many saw as an emerging market, she saw as an ecosystem full of untapped potential. This led to the launch of SWA Sports in January 2022. “Africa has entered a new era… founders, innovators, creators, and emerging talent are gaining unprecedented global attention.” But she quickly identified a key gap. “There is a significant gap between diaspora Africans eager to create impact and the local execution partners capable of delivering results on the ground.” SWA Sports was built to close that gap.

Sport as a Vehicle for Impact

For Aisha, sport is not just entertainment, it is infrastructure for opportunity. “Sport sits at the intersection of cultural influence, youth engagement, economic opportunity, and storytelling.” That belief is deeply personal. Basketball, she says, was her foundation growing up.

“It taught me discipline, teamwork, and the power of access.” And access is the word she keeps coming back to. “With over 70% of Africa’s population under the age of 30, many young people still lack even a fraction of that access.” Through SWA Sports, she is working to change that, building programs, partnerships, and platforms that create real pathways for young athletes.

Turning Vision into Real Programs

That vision is already translating into tangible impact. Through partnerships with organizations like the Smart Sport Foundation, SWA Sports has helped scale grassroots initiatives such as coaching clinics and elite camps.

“What began with fewer than 60 coaches has grown to nearly 300 participants.” They have also created platforms to elevate the broader ecosystem, including the Sports As A Business Conference, which brings together leaders across Africa’s sports industry. From Cairo to New York City to local community initiatives, the through line is consistent, connect people, share knowledge, and create access.

What It Takes to Build in Emerging Markets

Aisha is clear-eyed about what it takes to succeed in this space. “Meaningful projects rarely happen in isolation.” The best partners, she says, share three things: vision, commitment, and a willingness to invest in long-term outcomes. “They are passionate, forward-thinking, and deeply committed to expanding opportunities for young Africans through sport.” This is not short-term work. It is ecosystem building.

The Lesson She Learned the Hard Way

Looking back, there is one thing she would change. “I would probably advise against rushing into business immediately.” Instead, she emphasizes the importance of building a foundation first.

“Focus on mastering how systems operate… and invest in strengthening your financial literacy.” It is a grounded perspective from someone who learned by doing, often the hard way.

The Why Behind It All

At the core of everything Aisha is building is a simple but powerful motivation. “I am driven by a commitment to defy the norm and embrace paths less traveled.” In markets where infrastructure can be inconsistent and systems incomplete, that mindset is not optional, it is required.

But her goal goes beyond proving what is possible. “The true measure of bringing ideas to life lies in the value they create for others.” And for Aisha, that value is clear, expanding opportunity, creating access, and using sport as a catalyst to transform lives across Africa.

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Michael Raymond is the Founder of Raymond Representation, a boutique agency built around what he calls “the home of the athlete creator.” He represents a mix of professional athletes, college athletes, and creator-driven talent, helping them secure brand partnerships, build their platforms, and think more like entrepreneurs. What started during law school has quickly grown into an agency working with exclusive talent, non-exclusive partners, and brands across sports, lifestyle, and culture.

Built on Relationships

Michael knew early what he wanted. “I always wanted to be a sports agent,” he said. “It was either the NBA or being an agent, that was always the plan.” But the path into the business was anything but straightforward. At the University of Central Florida (UCF), he immersed himself in the sports management world and made a point to get close to the people who could open doors. “I knew I had to make sure they knew who I was and that I could work with them as much as possible,” he said of his mentors, Scott Bukstein and Dr. Keith Harrison.

That approach turned into action. Internships with Orlando City Soccer, the Orlando Magic, UCF basketball, and UCF athletics followed. More importantly, it built a foundation rooted in relationships and consistency, not shortcuts. Even then, he began to realize the traditional team-side route was not the long-term fit. For Michael, Miami Law was the goal, not just for the degree, but for the environment. “It wasn’t about being a lawyer,” he said. “It was about being in the best city possible for sport and entertainment opportunities.”

Getting there was a grind. He took the LSAT five times. “I got my butt kicked by it,” he said. “I was a terrible test taker.” But quitting was never an option. He leaned on persistence, relationships, and an underlying belief that if he kept showing up, something would break his way. That mindset, gritty, relentless, and willing to outwork the room, became the foundation of everything that followed.

Building an Agency

Michael originally planned to join a major agency, learn the business, and eventually build something of his own. Then COVID hit, and everything accelerated. Two athletes in his circle approached him with the same idea: get certified and represent them. What was once a long-term vision became a real-time opportunity. “I thought I’d take the traditional route,” he said. “Next thing I know, I’m doing it on my own.”

The early days were far from glamorous. He represented players overseas, in the G League, and on the edge of the NBA. The financial reality was brutal. “I didn’t make any money at all,” he said. “I was actually losing money for the first six or seven months.” But he kept going. Then came the shift. Clifford Taylor reached out for help monetizing his platform, and Michael started closing small brand deals. “At the time, making 500 to 1,000 dollars a deal, I thought we made it,” he said. But more importantly, he saw the math. “You can make 20% on a marketing deal versus 4% on a contract.” That realization changed everything. Combined with early work with creator talent like AJ Green, Michael started to see where the industry was heading. Then NIL hit, and everything compounded. “That was really the start of the rocket ship,” he said. “Timing played a role, but I had already been building for years.”

Betting on the Athlete Creator

Michael’s business is built around a simple but powerful idea: not every athlete wants to build a brand, but the ones who do are massively valuable. “We focus on athletes who want to be in front of the camera, work with brands, and become entrepreneurs,” he said. “That’s why I call it the home of the athlete creator.”

That clarity has shaped everything. Raymond Representation has intentionally stayed boutique, prioritizing depth over volume. “There’s a reason we have under 50 clients and I want to keep it that way,” he said. “We want to be locked in like a family.” He is just as selective about mindset as he is about marketability. “I don’t want lazy people,” he said. “I want people who are working on themselves every single day.” For Michael, the best clients are not starting from zero, they already have momentum. “The fire is already there,” he said. “We just bring the gasoline and pour it on.”

His Why

For all the deals, events, and growth, Michael says his proudest accomplishment is not a campaign, it is the team he has built. “My number one accomplishment is the team,” he said. “Seeing them grow, close deals, and become leaders, that’s everything.” And he is not slowing down. “I’m more excited now than I’ve ever been,” he said. “I think 2026 will be the best year ever for Raymond Rep, and honestly, one of the biggest years in sports overall.”

If he could go back and tell his younger self one thing, it would be simple: “Be ready to fail a lot,” he said. “Every failure is building you into who you need to become.” Michael did not follow a blueprint. He built one through long days, no money, constant rejection, and a willingness to keep showing up anyway. Now, he is scaling it with the same edge that got him here in the first place: a belief that opportunity is earned, and if you are willing to outwork everyone in the room, you can go take it.

Carlos Castro is the Manager of Inside Sales for the Denver Nuggets at Kroenke Sports & Entertainment. An Aurora, Colorado native, he played college soccer at Adams State alongside his identical twin brother Mario, broke into the industry on the Street Team for Kroenke Sports & Entertainment and the Colorado Rapids, trained at the MLS National Sales Center in Minnesota, and spent more than five seasons with the Rapids before stepping into leadership with the Nuggets.

From Aurora to Adams State

Infatuated with sports from a young age, Carlos loved more than just the teams. “Weird things like logos, sports stats, and history,” he says. He and his twin brother Mario were wired that way.

Like many athletes, his first dream was simply to play in college. That goal led both brothers to Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado, where they played soccer together, met lifelong friends and where Carlos met his wife, all while being close enough for their parents to attend games. “That was a really big thing for my parents and for us,” he says.

Adams State shaped him in ways he did not fully appreciate at the time. Being a student athlete meant discipline, time management, and sacrifice. It also meant understanding percentages, how few athletes actually get to compete at the next level. “It was a culmination of a lot of hard work that I put in and that my parents had put in,” he says. “If I put in the work, something good will happen.” That belief would carry him far beyond the field.

The Crash Course That Changed Everything

After graduation, Carlos admits he did not have everything figured out. “I didn’t do a very good job, honestly, of networking and setting myself up because I didn’t know how to do it.”

His first job was on the Street Team for Kroenke Sports & Entertainment and the Colorado Rapids. Long hours. Setup and teardown. Promotions. It was not glamorous. But it gave him exposure to different departments inside the organization.

Then came a turning point. A college roommate and friend told him about the MLS National Sales Center in Blaine, Minnesota, a crash course in ticket sales. Carlos interviewed on a Wednesday. At the end of the conversation he added one more pitch: “I actually have an identical twin brother. He’s got the same exact resume. Can he come along too?” They were told to be there by Sunday night. So they packed up the car they shared and drove 13 hours to Minnesota. The program was intense. It taught him how to ask better questions, how to be personal, how to sell with purpose. Both brothers finished near the top of their class in revenue. Shortly after, Carlos landed an Inside Sales role with the Nuggets.

Choosing the Harder Path

Inside Sales is not glamorous either. It is volume. It is rejection. It is picking up the phone when no one answers. “You’re not getting leads that want thousands of dollars worth of tickets,” he says. After nine months with the Nuggets, he moved into an Account Executive role with the Rapids, where he’d eventually spend five and a half seasons. But after one game of the 2020 MLS season, COVID hit.

No tickets. No commission. Uncertainty everywhere. “There was a part of me that was like, man, do I need to look at something else?” he says. He stayed. Looking back, that decision matters. “I knew my work wasn’t done.” Coming out of the pandemic, he watched a few peers get promoted while he stayed put. For a moment, doubt crept in. “What’s wrong with me?” That was the shift. “Let me not compare myself to everybody else. Let me just focus on what I can do.”

Shortly after, he was voted by his colleagues as the Rapids’ Gold Star Ticket Sales and Service award winner. It was not just based on revenue, but also culture and character. “That is by far the coolest thing when it’s a peer-voted award,” he says. Soon after, he stepped into leadership with the Nuggets as Manager of Inside Sales.

What Actually Separates the Best

Carlos breaks success into two parts. First are the non-negotiables: be on time, be coachable, work hard. But beyond that, he sees three traits that separate great reps and future leaders:

• Curiosity: “Being naturally curious and wanting to ask questions, get feedback, and then implement that feedback.” Improvement is a daily decision.

• Underdog mentality: Even selling for a championship contender, the job is still hard. “Having that underdog mentality of trying to prove it every single day.”

• Embedded motivation: “At the end of the day, it’s not life or death. It’s ticket sales. We’re just selling tickets, but you should absolutely want to be the best.”

So what pushes you on your 90th call in the offseason? “What is inside you? What are you chasing?” For Carlos, that answer runs deeper than quotas.

His Why

His father has owned a carpet cleaning company for decades. It was not necessarily his dream, but it provided opportunity for his sons. “Did he want to grow up cleaning carpets his whole life? I don’t think so. But he did that in order to provide for us so that we could do what we love.”

In 2025, Carlos lost his mother after a long battle with COPD. She was the ultimate soccer mom, driving to practices, paying for tournaments, sacrificing quietly. “She was the Nuggets’ biggest fan. She was the Rapids’ biggest fan,” he says. Losing her was “the toughest thing I’ve ever had to deal with in my life.” But her legacy fuels him. “Everything is dedicated to her and to my dad as well.” And that is what carries him, through rejection, through uncertainty, and into leading the next generation of the sports industry.

CiCi Bellis is the Founder and General Partner of Cartan Capital, a venture firm backing founders building the future of human performance across sports, health, and wellness. Before launching the firm, she spent four years on the investment team at a sports tech venture fund while completing her MBA. Bellis previously competed professionally on the WTA Tour and earned her undergraduate degree remotely through Indiana University while traveling on tour. Today, she also serves on the Board of the United States Tennis Association (USTA).

From the Tennis Court to Venture Capital

CiCi grew up in Silicon Valley, where venture capital and innovation were part of the environment around her. Even while training and competing at a high level in tennis, she found herself curious about how companies were built. “Innovation and venture capital were part of the backdrop of my childhood,” she says. “Even while I was training and competing in tennis, I was curious about how companies were built and how ideas turned into industries.”

After rising through the junior tennis ranks and committing to Stanford, CiCi chose to turn professional. Around that time, the WTA partnered with Indiana University, allowing athletes to complete undergraduate degrees remotely while competing on tour. “Balancing academics and elite sport required discipline and long term planning,” she says. “Those were skills that later translated directly into investing.”

Finding the Next Chapter

Toward the end of her undergraduate studies, CiCi began dealing with significant wrist and elbow injuries that kept her out of competition for extended stretches. That period forced her to step back and think about what she wanted long term. “I knew I wanted to remain close to sports and performance,” she says, “but in a different capacity.”

She soon joined the investment team at an early-stage sports tech venture firm near where she was training, spending four years there while completing her MBA. “I absolutely loved it,” she says. “Analyzing markets, meeting founders, and understanding how technology could reshape sports were right up my alley.” Eventually, she began to feel the pull to build something herself. “I wanted to expand the thesis and lean further into sports adjacent markets like health and wellness,” she says. That idea ultimately led her to launch Cartan Capital.

The Athlete’s Lens on Founders

CiCi believes her experience competing at the highest levels of tennis directly shapes how she evaluates founders and companies. “Competing at the highest level of tennis trained me to evaluate edge,” she says. “At the elite level, talent is assumed. What differentiates outcomes are marginal gains, preparation, work ethic, and mental resilience.” She evaluates founders through a similar lens. “I pay close attention to how they respond to setbacks, whether they have a long term orientation, and whether they are internally driven versus externally motivated,” she explains.

“In sports, pressure is constant. In startups, it’s the same. Capital constraints, product pivots, and competition test founders the same way competition tests athletes.” Her perspective as an athlete also shapes how she thinks about building companies. “Small inputs compound,” she says. “Culture, hiring standards, and product discipline are some decisions that shape long term outcomes.”

Redefining Success

In professional tennis, success was easy to measure. “In professional tennis, success was measurable with rankings, wins, and titles. It was externally validated. Today, success feels more long term and impact oriented,” she says. “It’s about helping build durable companies, supporting founders through difficult moments, and contributing to an ecosystem that improves health and performance outcomes.”

For CiCi, success now comes down to alignment. “Personally, I’ve redefined success as alignment,” she says. “Building something that reflects who you are, not just what you achieve.”

Building Cartan Capital

“Building a firm requires conviction before there is momentum,” she says. “Those early, invisible seasons of fundraising, refining the thesis, and building an ecosystem were incredibly formative.” Her investments today often focus on companies improving musculoskeletal health, proactive diagnostics, and athlete development. “These are areas that directly impacted my life as an athlete,” she says, “so supporting innovation there feels both personal and purposeful.”

Beyond investing, serving on the Board of the USTA has also been meaningful. “Tennis shaped my life,” she says. “Being able to contribute to the governance and long term growth of the sport at a national level feels full circle.”

What Elite Athletes and Founders Share

Through her work in venture, CiCi has noticed clear similarities between elite athletes and successful founders. Across both worlds, the same traits consistently show up:

• High agency and ownership

• Emotional stability under pressure

• Coachability paired with strong conviction

• Process orientation over ego

• Long term thinking

“The best competitors and founders obsess over inputs, not just outcomes.”

Advice to Her Younger Self

Looking back, CiCi would offer her younger self a simple reminder. “Your identity is bigger than any one chapter.” Competing at an elite level can make it feel like everything revolves around a single pursuit. “I would remind myself that skills transfer. Transitions are not failures, they are expansions.”

Today, CiCi’s motivation centers around performance and possibility. “My ‘why’ is rooted in performance and possibility. Whether that’s athletes extending their careers or individuals improving long term health outcomes. I spent my early life chasing excellence in sport,” she says. “Now, I’m committed to backing and building excellence in innovation.”

Ryan Callahan is the Director of Digital & Social Content for the New York Yankees, where he leads the strategy, voice, and execution of content across all major social platforms for one of the most iconic brands in sports. An Emmy Award–winning writer and producer, Ryan began his career at the NBA League Office in Digital Media Operations before joining the Yankees in 2019. Today, he oversees content that reaches millions of fans worldwide, hires and develops talent, and helps shape how the Yankees are experienced in the modern digital era.

From League Office to the Bronx

In the summer of 2019, Ryan was working at the NBA League Office and spending his free time attending Yankees games. A lifelong fan, the stadium was familiar territory, just from a different angle. That September, he walked into Yankee Stadium for an interview and realized something that changed his career trajectory. He could now be part of the organization he had loved his entire life.

The transition from fan to employee happened quickly. But the responsibility was immediate. Representing the Yankees is not just a job. It means understanding the prestige of the brand, the weight of its history, and the expectation that comes with it.

Creating a Voice That Matches the Pinstripes

The Yankees are not just another team account on social media. The voice has to reflect intensity, excellence, and legacy. Ryan and his team focus on building content that is intense, winning, clever, and memorable. Social media is a major driver of the Yankees’ reach and influence, and the expectations are high. Every highlight, every graphic, every piece of storytelling adds to a living archive.

He does not take that lightly. Ryan hopes that 20 years from now, fans can look back at the content his team creates and relive the moments. In his mind, they are not just posting for today. They are documenting history in real time.

The 162-Game Reality

From the outside, sports looks glamorous. Inside, it is relentless. Ryan is a husband and father. He understands how challenging the schedule can be as life evolves and families are built. “Clear communication and creating opportunities to connect with your family, friends, and loved ones is key during a 162-game season, not including playoffs,” he says.

There are no real off days in baseball. The calendar moves fast. For Ryan, success is not just measured in engagement metrics or views. It is also about being intentional at home. He believes it is possible to excel at both, but only if you are deliberate.

Breaking In and Standing Out

Ryan knows firsthand how difficult it is to land a job with the Yankees. The volume of applicants is high, and roles fill quickly. His advice starts with relationships. Building genuine connections in the industry matters. Connecting with people who have relevant experience and insight can make a difference.

But relationships alone are not enough. He emphasizes the importance of demonstrating your skills through a strong portfolio. When he and his team assess candidates, they focus on identifying and thoroughly evaluating critical job skills. Can you actually do the job at a high level? For those just starting out, he encourages taking on small tasks and mastering them. Excel in entry-level roles. Be social. Be honest. Be accountable. Be communicative.

Trust is currency in sports. That includes owning your mistakes. Building respect requires acknowledging when you get something wrong and working to fix it. Consistently treating people well and putting your best foot forward is non-negotiable. “You never know who you will meet, and how you treat people you meet might be the opportunity for your big break,” Ryan says. “The reputation you build by treating people well can lead to others endorsing you and bringing more opportunities to you.” For someone who once sat in the stands as a fan and now helps shape the Yankees’ voice for millions, that perspective carries weight.

Anthony Oppermann is the General Manager of the Richmond Flying Squirrels. A Texas native who started in sports broadcasting, he has worked across minor league baseball, local radio, collegiate summer leagues, a newspaper sports desk, a short stint with the Astros’ ticket sales and service group, and most recently returned to Richmond to help lead the launch of CarMax Park, which will officially debut this spring.

From La Grange to the Broadcast Booth

Anthony grew up in La Grange, Texas, “all 4,500 of us,” a three-traffic-light town. He jokes he grew up “in the suburbs” on 63 acres that has stayed in the family for generations. Baseball was the thread. “I’ve really fond memories of sitting in my grandparents’ screened in front porch, drinking Dr. Pepper, eating peanuts, playing dominoes, and listening to Houston Astros games on the radio.” Anthony chose TCU for college because he knew the sports industry was competitive, and he wanted a place where he could stand out and get real opportunities in a major market. The pivotal break came the summer after his junior year, when a professor handed him two phone numbers and simple instructions. Start with the first.

That chain led to Reid Ryan and ultimately to Mike Capps, who gave Anthony what he most wanted from a mentor: the truth. “You are way, way behind all of your peers right now. I hear a lot of passion. If that’s real and you’re willing to work, then you may have a shot.” Anthony responded by finding reps anywhere he could. He went home to La Grange, got told “no” on calling games, then asked the question that changed his trajectory. He built sponsorship packages, covered the costs, “we actually made money on the deal,” and his first color commentator was his dad, an experience he says he’ll “forever cherish.”

A Baseball Gypsy

From there, it was the grind. Anthony called collegiate summer games for free while working as a valet to pay rent. “I would valet cars from five to noon. Go home, take a nap, eat something, and then go out to the ballpark, call games, get home at 11, wake up and do it all over again the next day.” Then came the Winter Meetings and a job offer in Daytona Beach for no pay. The most human part of the story is how many times he had to deliver that line to people he loved. “That’s great. How much does it pay?” he was asked. “Well, that’s the problem. It doesn’t pay anything.”

Still, he learned the business from the inside, then landed his first full-time role with the Potomac Nationals. “Somebody had to invite me into the club, but once you’re in, you’re in.” From Potomac to Reading, then back to Richmond for the launch of the Flying Squirrels, his path was intentionally non-linear. He calls it what it is. “I described myself as a baseball gypsy.”

Building Richmond’s Team

When the Flying Squirrels moved from Norwich to Richmond, the leadership set three pillars: “be impactful 365 days a year,” “be different,” and “have fun.” The name was the first test, and the backlash was immediate. “Every phone call wasn’t about tickets. It was about people that were very angry.” He remembers the criticism clearly. “No one was gonna take them seriously.” The response inside the room was just as clear. “That’s it, that’s the point.”

Over time, the name became the identity. “The Flying Squirrels became a part of Richmond’s identity.” Anthony points out something important about affiliation. They’re far from their MLB parent club, which forced them to stand on their own, and that became an advantage. “It has allowed us to build the Flying Squirrels brand independent of that.”

CarMax Park, and Making The Experience Matter

Anthony is most energized by what’s coming next. “If people in Richmond enjoyed the baseball experience to this point, they have no idea what they’re in for at CarMax Park.” For him, this is not just a new building. It is a reset on what a night at the ballpark can feel like. The word he keeps coming back to is immersion. “When you come into CarMax Park, you are in the experience.” From the moment gates open, the entertainment begins. Music, performers, sightlines, and open spaces are intentionally designed so fans feel part of something the second they walk in. Gates will open 90 minutes before first pitch, and that time is being programmed with purpose. DJs, live performers, and interactive elements are all aimed at building energy throughout the park. “We are determined to build anticipation and crescendo to that moment of first pitch.”

The vision pulls inspiration from larger professional experiences, but adapts it for Richmond. Every square inch of the ballpark has been thought through with intention. Anthony describes it as programming from foul pole to foul pole, where each section has a purpose and a personality; And CarMax Park is built for far more than baseball. “CarMax Park is being built as a multi-use entertainment venue.” The flexibility is part of the strategy. The backstop area can transform into a standalone event space with garage doors that close off the concourse. Premium lounges can host corporate meetings, holiday parties, and private events. The field can welcome larger concerts, while interior spaces can host smaller shows, comedy nights, or community gatherings. For Anthony and the Flying Squirrels, that means becoming not just a team, but a hub. A place where a family makes a memory in June, a company hosts a holiday party in December, and a young fan experiences their first game this spring when the doors officially open. For Richmond, CarMax Park is not just the next chapter. It is a new stage.

The Why: Creating Core Memories

Anthony’s “why” is impact, and it’s grounded in something simple. Proximity to people. “Minor league baseball is just so special because you get to have that one-to-one connection with the fan.” He sees the job as memory-making. “Every single game, there’s an opportunity to create a special moment for somebody.” He calls them “core memories,” and he’s seen how deep that bond runs, even beyond the ballpark.

Caroline Hendershot is the Host and Team Reporter for the New York Jets, working week-to-week inside the team’s storylines, locker room, and gameday coverage. She’s also a contributor with Big Ten Network, calls rowing events, and co-hosts Wellplayed, a podcast with The Skimm that blends sports, culture, and the stories that pull fans in.

The Pivot That Built Her Foundation

Caroline grew up in a family where sports were simply the default. “Growing up I played every sport under the sun because my entire family was sports oriented,” she said. Her dad played tight end at the Naval Academy, her mom played field hockey at Fairfield, and her siblings all went to school for sports.

She started in volleyball before pivoting into rowing, a sport she initially wanted nothing to do with. Her oldest sister rowed at Princeton and went to the Olympics in 2012, and Caroline’s first reaction was, “that looks horrendously hard.” Then she tried it and thought, “oh I actually do like this.” That “yes” changed everything. She was recruited to row at Michigan and arrived in Ann Arbor without much context for what she was walking into. She fell in love with it, and by her senior year she became a Big Ten Champion and was named the Big Ten Athlete of the Year.

The Moment Sports Media Became Real

While at Michigan, she joined Big Ten Student Union and Wolverine TV, and suddenly sports media and storytelling felt like a real lane. The biggest spark came through a “shadowship” with CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson, offered to student-athletes. She shadowed Wolfson for Patriots at Bills and left with her “jaw on the floor.” She couldn’t believe this was a job. She hadn’t fully considered the production side of sports until then. “The whole production aspect and storytelling of it all, which I was just immediately a big fan of.”

Like a lot of careers in sports, Caroline’s path included doing a little of everything, sometimes literally. She joined the Hartford Yard Goats, a minor league baseball team, during its first year. “We did everything, including running the bases in a mascot suit and selling tickets.” That experience gave her team-side reps and a clear view into how sports actually runs day-to-day: “I had the opportunity to see how it all works from a team perspective.”

After graduation, she was “banging down everyone’s door and got no responses,” so she started looking at production assistant roles. She landed at ESPN after a Big Ten Network internship in Chicago. Then 2020 hit, and her world narrowed to a few live shows still running at ESPN. She ended up in a surreal daily routine with Mike Greenberg, who relocated from New York to Connecticut. “It was quite literally me and then him working together during COVID,” she said, and the two bonded. “We became close because it was only the two of us for two hours every single day.” It became an important mentorship moment that helped shape her next steps.

The NFL & the Week That Never Stops

When the Jets job was posted, Caroline knew immediately: “This is exactly what I’ve always wanted to do.” She wanted the NFL, and she wanted a team environment: “A more personal level with the players.” Greenberg wrote her a recommendation, she went through multiple interviews, and she started in late 2021.

Her in-season schedule is a masterclass in controlled chaos. “In a typical week in season, I am usually working seven days a week.” By Sunday, she’s at the stadium around 9:00 a.m. for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff, handling pregame, radio hits, sideline injury updates, postgame interviews, locker room, media scrums, social recaps, and more. By December, the recovery plan is simple: “I’m staying home, talking to no one, and cleaning my apartment for the first time in months,” she joked.

The Power of Storytelling

Over time, she’s learned the importance of connecting through narrative, not spreadsheets. The podcast has sharpened that muscle. Her co-host “was very involved in pop culture,” and the dynamic forces clarity. Caroline brings context, her co-host keeps it human. That perspective also shapes how she views the industry. Sometimes sports is still stuck in old-school assumptions. “Women drive the consumerism of the economy,” she said. “Did you see the Taylor Swift effect? It was insane and a clear example of that.”

Her career advice is equal parts simple and hard: stop overthinking and say yes. “There’s no right decision. The decision you make is the right decision,” she shared. She’s proof of it. “What would have happened if I never said yes to trying the sport of rowing,” she said. One yes led to Michigan, ESPN, and eventually the NFL. And when people try to shrink your ambition, she’s blunt about ignoring the noise. “People will try to dissuade you. There’s going to be so many people that say no. You really just have to trust yourself.”

Carrying the Torch & Opening Doors

Caroline’s “why” centers on the team and the trailblazers who paved the way before her. She loves the privilege of working in sports, but she also feels responsibility to the women who “had to essentially be trailblazers in this industry.” She said, “I don’t want to let them down,” and she wants to keep the door open wider. Her message is clear: “Just because you never played football growing up doesn’t mean there’s not a spot for you there. If you’re invested, know your stuff, and are willing to work hard, you belong.”

Quashan Lockett is the COO of the Pac-12, helping rebuild and reimagine a 100+ year-old college athletics conference in the middle of a once-in-a-generation reset. He previously built across sports, entertainment, and live events through Aramark, Legends, and On Location during its integration into Endeavor, while also helping stand up On Location’s Olympic business. Outside his day job, he founded Color of Sports, an organizational consulting firm focused on helping sports organizations build with purpose, runs an investment company with his wife and partner called Ten25 Ventures, and serves as a limited partner and venture advisor with The Collectiv, the sports industry’s community-powered venture capital fund that is redefining access and ownership for leaders shaping the future of sports.

Rebuilding From the Ground Up

When Quashan got the call about the Pac-12, he had not been “thinking college sports” as his next chapter. What pulled him in was people, specifically the chance “to directly support and work with student athletes,” and the reality that college athletics was entering a period of rapid transformation and a shift toward greater athlete empowerment and ownership. Then the timing got real, fast. “As I was in the middle of transitioning, the Pac-12 lost two schools. UCLA and USC announced that they were leaving,” he said. “I haven’t even gotten there yet. And I’m like, what is going on?” He chose to lean in anyway. “I know what I’m dealing with. I felt like I was the right person at the right time. Having built organizations and teams across various stages, I knew what the work was going to be ahead.”

Since then, the Pac-12’s scale and structure have changed dramatically. “We went through a full restructuring of the organization,” Quashan said. “We went from nearly 200 employees down to 30 and a full sort of wind down and restructuring of operations. We went from 12 member schools down to two, and now we have seven new schools that are joining this new league. We’re transforming our team, operations, and business model. For some that can feel really overwhelming. For me, it's energizing. I lean into purpose, the opportunity to lead, and the chance to put people and culture at the center of the work.” His framing is simple: it is not just a rebuild, it is a rare build. “We’re very much like a startup,” he said. “In the last 25 years, there hasn’t been a new college athletics conference that’s been built in this way.” The mandate now is modern: “Build the new Pac-12 into a future-forward sports property, built for the modern-day student athlete, and frankly build something that no one has ever built before.”

The Throughline: Purpose, People, and Performance

Quashan’s career reads like a tour across industries, geographies, and job descriptions, but he’s consistent about the why. “My background has always been about purpose,” he said, describing the work as “linked to the purpose between the business, people, and impact.” That idea became more formal when he went back to school for a master’s in organizational psychology, sharpening his skills and focusing on linking “performance, culture, and people to business outcomes.”

It also shaped a key early decision: stepping outside sports to grow faster. “Career development in sports business probably was not a shining point,” he said. “The industry has improved over time, but certainly at the start of my career in sports, in my experience true career mobility and career growth was lacking.” So he left for opportunities to better take ownership of his career and took on roles that sharpened his toolkit and made him more well rounded, including building organizational capabilities and leadership competencies at Giant Eagle, and later running HR for a complex territory at Avis Budget Group. That breadth is part of why he now sees himself as more than a title and approaches his career with more of an entrepreneurial mindset. “I don’t like to be put in a box,” he said. If you looked at my career trajectory you’ll probably wonder how I went from starting my career in HR to becoming COO of the Pac-12. It came through authenticity, perseverance, being intentional with every career move, getting comfortable with doing the hard things, not staying in one lane, executing really well, and caring more about the why behind the work.”

Defining Moments: Building Big Things, Fast

Ask Quashan about proud moments, and he goes straight to the work that forced real operating muscle. On Location and Endeavor: stepping into a fast-moving acquisition while building an Olympics business at the same time. “Everything that kind of goes into that culturally, people, systems, infrastructure,” he said. Then, “at the same time they win this massive Olympics business… probably at that time not at all ready from an infrastructure standpoint… and having to build that from scratch.”

Early career, he got a storybook moment with the Phillies: “I was at the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008 when they won the World Series less than two years out of college.” In his Aramark role, he was close to the engine: “Aramark ran the entire building. This included facilities, hospitality, merchandise, etc. and being part of that team with that championship culture was incredible.” At Legends, few projects match the scale of SoFi Stadium: “Being part of standing up a new stadium from the ground up and operating the platform across sales, sponsorship, hospitality, merchandise, was such a valuable experience.” He also highlighted international experiences, including “Tokyo for the Rugby World Cup,” and time in Spain for projects with Real Madrid, and “supporting various international acquisitions.”

The Pivot Philosophy

For Quashan, each move comes down to intention and integrity. “One thing I told myself at the very start of my career was that I was not going to shy away from opportunity. That extends from my childhood, where I’m from, and how I was raised. You have to bet on yourself and seize every opportunity because you don’t get infinite chances, and no one is going to hand it to you,” he said. Then two questions: “Do I feel like I’ve accomplished what I set out to accomplish,” and “is there more to my purpose to pour into this opportunity?” He’s also blunt about how to handle outside noise: “You have to kind of silence that noise and make sure you’re very clear on being true to yourself.”

If a student tells him they want to work in sports, he starts with one question: “Why do you want to work in sports?” And he is direct about what does not count. “It can’t be because you think it’s cool,” he said. “If that’s your reason, you’re going to fail very quickly.”

His Why

Quashan’s motivation starts at home. “Family is first,” he said. “It’s about setting the right example and being a standard for them,” showing “what hard work and authenticity looks like.”

And it returns to the point that brought him to the Pac-12 in the first place: “Let’s not lose sight of doing things the right way; Focus on the why and take care of the people. That's critical to the process,” and remember, “we are here to serve, support, and empower student athletes. This billion dollar industry doesn’t exist without them.”

Before Duffle Inc. existed, its foundations were formed inside the world’s largest talent agency. For more than a decade, co-founders Maya Nelson and Darren Gee worked at Creative Artists Agency across sports, entertainment, and partnerships. "Together, inside one of the most respected agencies in the world, they saw an opportunity to build something the industry needed.

They saw a common challenge emerge across the industry as brand partnerships expanded across sports and the influencer and creator economy accelerated. The business behind talent grew larger, more global, and significantly more complex but the systems supporting it failed to evolve. “The expectations changed,” say co-founders Maya Nelson and Darren Gee. “Speed, visibility, and professionalism became the baseline, but the infrastructure behind sports and talent representation didn’t keep pace.”

While modern technology and AI were rapidly transforming other industries, the infrastructure supporting athletes, creators, and their brand partnerships remained fragmented and manual. “Teams were spending more time managing fragmented information than driving strategy,” they explain. “Valuable data lived across inboxes, PDFs, and spreadsheets, with no way to capture or use it proactively.” The result was increasingly reactive work, creating risk not only for agencies, but for talent and brands operating at scale. “Duffle was created to close that gap,” they add, “and bring purpose-built infrastructure to an industry that had outgrown its tools.”

When the Problem Isn’t Talent, It’s Infrastructure

From the outside, it might look like an operational challenge. From the inside, Maya and Darren knew it ran deeper. The talent and expertise were always there. The infrastructure to support it just hadn't been built yet." Agencies were operating multi million dollar businesses on fragmented systems that were never designed for the realities of modern talent representation. Contracts lived in one place, deliverable obligations in another, payment tracking somewhere else; and critical context nowhere at all.

“The challenge went beyond individual systems,” they add. “It was how disconnected information shaped day-to-day work.” When data isn’t centralized or connected, visibility disappears. That lack of visibility leads to time-consuming administrative work, operational inefficiencies, and teams spending more energy managing information than creating value. Over time, the drag compounds.

Why Duffle, Why Now

Plenty of people notice inefficiencies. Very few decide to build the solution. For Maya and Darren, the timing mattered. “Three things converged,” they explain. First, the talent economy exploded. More creators, more athletes, more brand partnerships, and far more complexity per client.

Second, expectations shifted. Talent and brands now expect real-time visibility, professionalism, and accountability. But the real inflection point was technological. “AI reached a point where it could finally make dense, unstructured data like contracts and deal terms usable in real time,” they say. “Suddenly, you could turn documents into intelligence.” That shift made something clear. “This felt like the moment where building Duffle wasn’t just possible,” they add. “It was necessary.”

The Real Unlock

At its core, Duffle isn’t trying to replace people. It’s trying to give them leverage. “Agencies didn’t need more assistants or more spreadsheets. They needed clarity. When data is centralized and structured, teams can instantly see what’s been signed, what’s owed, what’s outstanding, and what’s at risk, without chasing information across systems. “Once that visibility exists,” they say, “better decisions follow naturally.” That belief sits at the center of Duffle’s product philosophy. “Data clarity creates leverage,” they explain.

The Principle of Trust

Handling contracts, financial terms, and client relationships means trust isn’t optional, it’s foundational. “Trust shaped every early decision,” the founders say. From day one, Duffle was designed as a fully independent, neutral platform with no allegiance to any agency, roster, or network. “That neutrality is essential when you’re handling the most sensitive information in the business,” they explain.

Each company operates within its own secure environment. Information is never shared, pooled, or leveraged outside its intended use. Ownership, control, and visibility remain entirely with the client. “Security, permissions, and auditability were never treated as add-ons,” they say. “They are foundational.” Just as important, the product mirrors how agencies actually operate. “Trust isn’t just technical,” they add. “It’s behavioral.”

From Chaos to Strategy

When contracts, deliverables, and payment timelines live in one place, the work changes. “The day-to-day shifts from reactive to strategic,” they explain. Instead of asking where a contract is, teams start asking how to structure the next deal better.

Managers can see which partnerships are approaching expiration, maintain a full view of detailed client profiles, and quickly identify where opportunities exist to renew, renegotiate, or expand relationships. “The work becomes less about chasing details,” they say, “and more about building long-term value.

The Long View

Five to ten years from now, success for Duffle means becoming the foundational operating layer behind modern talent representation. “We want teams to move faster, operate with confidence, and make decisions based on insight, not guesswork,” Maya and Darren say.

Ultimately, Duffle is designed to fade into the background. “It should free managers to focus on advocating and negotiating, give talent clear visibility into their business, and allow the industry to move with greater professionalism and alignment,” they explain. “The system quietly handles the complexity, so everyone can operate at a higher level.

Leslie Osborne Lewis is a co-founder and owner of Bay FC, and part of the ownership group of LOVB San Francisco, set to debut in 2027. A former U.S. Women’s National Team player, broadcaster, and entrepreneur, Leslie has become one of the most influential builders in women’s sports today. A Santa Clara alum and former associate athletic director at Santa Clara University, her career spans elite performance, venture-backed ownership, media, and grassroots team building, with a consistent throughline of creating sustainable platforms for women to compete, lead, and thrive.

Blue Collar Roots, Big Vision

Leslie grew up in Brookfield, Wisconsin, in a blue-collar household. Her dad owned bus companies, her mom was a teacher, and work ethic was non-negotiable. “I saw my parents work their butts off,” she says. “That blue-collar mentality, my work rate, my willingness to always want to be the best, that’s what set me apart early.”

When college recruiting heated up, Notre Dame felt like the safe choice. Instead, Leslie followed her instinct to get uncomfortable. “There was part of me that wanted to do something different,” she says. One campus visit to Santa Clara changed everything. “I spent an hour on campus and literally said, ‘I want to come here.’ I wanted to be part of something that hadn’t been done yet.” She won a national championship as a freshman, alongside future Bay FC co-founders and with Brandi Chastain as a volunteer coach. “That set my bar really high,” she says. “And unfortunately, we never won another one.”

Pressure, Setbacks, and Finding More Than Soccer

While still in college, Leslie was called into the U.S. Women’s National Team pool and invited to train for the 2004 Olympics, unfortunately not making the final roster. Shortly after, the women’s professional league, the WUSA, folded during her senior year. “It was crazy,” she says. “I thought I was going to get drafted and that was my path, and then it just disappeared.”

She went on to earn 62 caps with the National Team, played in the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and made the 2008 US Olympic roster, only to tear her ACL and ankle ligaments two days later. “That was the first time in my life I had to think about who I was outside of soccer.” Rehab took a year and a half. During that time, she explored broadcasting, nonprofit work, and business. At the time the next iteration of women’s professional soccer came, the WPS. “I reached out to the league and said, ‘Can I be on the sidelines doing TV?’ They said, ‘Leslie, you’re on crutches.’ I said, ‘I don’t care.’” That mindset changed everything. “For the first time, I felt like I had leverage and my mindset changed because I had the opportunity to be exposed to so much and gain experience during my 18 months off the field while rehabbing. I felt like I was more than a soccer player and was more multi-dimensional.”

Learning to Build While Playing

Leslie returned to play professionally with FC Gold Pride, the Boston Breakers (both WPS), and then with the Chicago Red Stars in the inaugural season of the NWSL. In Boston, she was mentored by a venture capitalist who introduced her to investing and entrepreneurship. She co-founded Sweat Cosmetics (later rebranded as Hustle Beauty) while still playing and helped raise $300,000 to keep the Boston Breakers alive after the WPS folded and the transition to the NWSL was happening (during that time the Boston Breakers played in the WPSL, a 2nd division league).

“I had no fundraising experience,” she says. “All I had was passion and a willingness to convince people to believe.” That experience became a blueprint for entrepreneurship and multi-sport ownership after she retired.

From Player to Owner

After retiring on her own terms, Leslie transitioned seamlessly into leadership. She worked in Santa Clara’s athletic department, broadcasted three FIFA Women’s World Cups with Fox Sports, co-creating and co-hosting the show Redefined, and is raising three daughters.

In 2020, she saw a moment. When Angel City FC announced its launch, Leslie called her former college and US Women’s National Team teammates Aly Wagner, Danielle Slaton and Brandi Chastain immediately. “I said, ‘If Angel City is doing it, why aren’t we?’”

What followed was three years of grassroots fundraising, community building, and pitching a vision that blended player experience with institutional ambition. Bay FC ultimately secured Sixth Street as its majority investor and won an NWSL expansion bid in 2022. “We were the first team to bring institutional capital into the league,” she says. “Without that, we wouldn’t be building a $40 to $50 million training facility.”

That same ownership mindset now extends beyond soccer. Leslie is also part of the ownership group of LOVB San Francisco, set to debut in 2027, continuing her focus on building sustainable, athlete-centric platforms across women’s professional sports.

The Builder’s Toolkit

Asked what translated from her playing career into ownership, Leslie doesn’t hesitate “My work ethic is foundational,” she says. “If someone’s working harder than me, that never sat well.” Equally important is building with others. “I’ve never done anything alone. That’s what team sports has provided me, a mentality of teamwork” she says. “I know my strengths and my weaknesses, and I love bringing people together to compliment those..”

Confidence matters too. “I’ve been in a lot of rooms I had no business being in,” she laughs. “But when someone tells me no, something ignites in me and my midwest grit kicks in”

What Drives Her Now

Looking back, Leslie wishes she had leaned more into what made her unique. “I focused so much on what coaches wanted from me instead of my secret sauce,” she says. “That applies to athletes and founders. Don’t lose what made you special by trying to please everyone else.”

Today, her “why” is simple. “My three girls,” she says. “They’re watching everything.” Her daughters believe anything is possible because of what they see daily. “That motivates me more than anything,” she says. “If I can open doors even a little wider for them than I had, that’s everything.”

From blue-collar beginnings to building one of the most ambitious clubs in women’s sports, Leslie Osborne’s career is proof that showing up, saying yes, asking questions, and building through uncertainty can change an entire landscape.

Rocky Harris is the Chief of Sport & Athlete Services at the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), overseeing the work that “interacts with the athlete and supports the athlete,” including NGB services, athlete services, high performance, Olympic and Paralympic operations, sports medicine, training centers, and more. Before the USOPC, he was CEO of USA Triathlon, served as COO at Arizona State athletics, and led major growth initiatives with the Houston Dynamo after earlier stops with the Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers.

From a Coach’s Kid to Sports Business

Rocky grew up with sports baked into daily life. “My dad was a high school coach,” he told us. His mom worked in media, “the art director for the Arizona Republic,” which gave him early exposure to how stories shape perception. At Arizona State, Rocky knew he wanted a career in sports, but the path was not obvious. “Back then they didn’t have sport management programs,” he said. So he started where he could: working for ASU athletics, and at a youth sports nonprofit that ran programs like “the Fiesta Bowl youth sports camps.”

His dad gave him a key nudge. Rocky was thinking about coaching, but his dad pushed him toward the business side: “In the sports business, I see that growing dramatically over the next decade… when the businesses grow, they have to hire more people.” Rocky took the advice, even though he admitted, “I didn’t really know what that meant quite frankly.”

Letters & Persistence

Rocky’s first big break in pro sports came from relentless outreach and one very human habit: showing up early. He chose the University of San Francisco, Master’s in Sport Management for grad school because he could work full-time and wanted to be “in a vibrant sports market.” Then he started contacting anyone connected to San Francisco. “Back then we wrote letters… there were not emails that you sent out,” Rocky said. He wrote to Tom Rathman, a 49ers coach he met through a football camp, and began sending the 49ers PR director, Kirk Reynolds, letters “maybe every couple weeks.”

The moment it clicked is straight out of a movie, except it was also brutal. Rocky was moving with “no money,” wrecked his condo carport, and the damage “cost me $900, which was all my money I had.” Then, on the drive to San Francisco, the phone rang. “It was Kirk Reynolds… ‘I’ve gotten your letters. I’ve heard from Tom… I have a game day internship for you.”

Rocky earned that chance, then kept earning the next one. He became a training camp intern, then a season intern, then got hired full-time while finishing grad school. “I made it in there… but I worked hard,” he said.

Career Changing Wins

One of Rocky’s defining early stories is about how trust gets built in the unglamorous moments. With the 49ers, he was often assigned to “low-level athletes,” but when Terrell Owens was suspended and refused to talk to the media, someone finally asked Rocky to try. Rocky walked up and kept it simple: “My job is to get you to speak to the media, and your job is to catch touchdowns… by not speaking to the media… I’m not able to do my job.” He added: “I want to set you up so you can at least say the right things, get in and out of there as quickly as possible.”

Owens’ response stuck with him: “You’re the first person who was honest with me about your intentions.” That moment built Rocky’s reputation as “someone who could work really well with athletes,” and it led to a major leap, joining the Texans PR team and becoming, “the youngest PR director in NFL… history,” as he was told at the time.

USF: applied learning, instant network, real jobs

Rocky credits the University of San Francisco Sport Management program as a true accelerator at a critical point in his career. What separated it from other programs was how applied the learning felt. “Most of the professors were in industry working the jobs,” he said, which meant classes were rooted in real scenarios, not just theory. He consistently found himself pulling lessons from USF and applying them directly in his early roles.

The cohort structure also played a major role. “We were a cohort… going through it together,” Rocky explained, creating a sense of shared experience and accountability. That model helped form an instant network of peers who understood the industry and remained valuable connections long after graduation. Most importantly, the program was built around outcomes. “It wasn’t just preparing us to graduate,” Rocky said. “It was preparing us to get jobs.”

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Master Your Job, Widen Your Impact

When Rocky talks about what separates strong operators, he goes beyond hustle.

He looks for people with “the ability to solve problems that seem unsolvable,” who can see beyond their department and “look across an entity and see how things connect.” Hard work matters, but so does ownership, intelligence, and creativity, especially when the work is ambiguous.

His own career operating system is clear:

• Your job is to get really good at the job you were hired to do.

• What are the problems that keep your boss up at night and how can you offload them?

• What problem is the organization trying to solve?

His advice is blunt: if you skip step one, “they lose credibility because if you’re not even good at your job, why are you trying to tell me how to do mine?”

Using Sport to Benefit Society

Rocky’s motivation has evolved from teams and wins toward something bigger: “utilizing sport to benefit society.” He pointed to the first NFL game in New York City after 9/11, when he was part of the 49ers advance team. The security briefing included “FBI, CIA, everybody,” and in the stadium he sat next to a fire chief who had lost nearly his entire squad. For Rocky, that game showed how sport can rally a city when it needs something shared.

He recalled another moment as Texans PR Director after Hurricane Katrina, when displaced families arrived in the area around the Astrodome. In a meeting about game ops, he challenged an idea to build fencing that would separate evacuees from fans: “You’re going to fence people off from our fans? That's going to look like we’re jailing them.” Instead, he pushed for bringing people together, and he remembers it becoming “an awesome event where Texans fans opened up their tailgates to evacuees.” That throughline has carried into his leadership today: “How do you use sport to be a positive force in society.”

Spencer Jones is a professional basketball player with the Denver Nuggets, currently navigating his NBA career on a two-way contract while earning meaningful rotation minutes. A Stanford graduate with a background in Management Science and Engineering, Spencer is also an active investor and advisor, primarily focused on human performance, health, and wellness companies. Alongside his on-court development, he is intentionally building long-term career optionality through early-stage investing, advisory work, and hands-on involvement with the products and businesses he believes in.

Education First Mindset

Spencer didn’t grow up assuming the NBA would be his destination. In fact, for much of his early life, basketball was secondary to something else entirely: education. “I’ll start with this, the NBA wasn’t really a major thought or something I was really relying on until about halfway through college,” he says. “My dad went to Harvard, so education was the big piece. It was always going to be the main focus.”

That mindset shaped everything that followed. Despite scholarship offers, Spencer still applied to academically elite schools outside of basketball, simply to establish a baseline. “I wasn’t going to sacrifice that for basketball,” he explains. “I’d only take offers if they were better than that.” Stanford became the obvious choice. “You’re not losing anything from any perspective,” he says. “It was better than the Ivies because it was free, a better basketball program, and you’re playing against the best teams while getting a great education.”

Betting on Education, Not the League

At Stanford, Spencer studied Management Science and Engineering, essentially industrial engineering. The NBA was still uncertain. “Agents were talking to me my first two years, but I didn’t really see it as viable until my third year,” he says. Even then, finishing his degree was non-negotiable. “I knew I was going to finish. I was already halfway through,” he says. “I even took a fifth year and had more fun with it.”

That extra year quietly became foundational. Through NIL opportunities, Spencer earned money he didn’t touch. “I didn’t really spend any of it. I just put it away,” he says. “That money let me contribute to my Roth, my 401k, and other investment accounts.” That discipline created optionality. “If all the investing fails, I’m still fine based on that money,” he says. “That allowed me to go into the next phase with confidence.”

Living With Uncertainty

Spencer went undrafted, signed a two-way contract, and entered the NBA knowing how uncertain the situation was. “I know I’m on a two-way, so I can be cut at any moment,” he says. “There’s a high probability you only have this NBA brand for a few years.” Rather than fear that reality, he prepared for it. “Why not maximize it?” he says. “Use the brand and the new capital to build something off the court.” Being around Silicon Valley shaped his thinking. “I was always around startups, VC, and that whole ecosystem,” he explains. “A lot of my friends were building their own things.”

He leaned into health, wellness, and human performance, influenced by both his athletic career and his family background. “My dad’s a doctor, so I always had experience with the health side of things,” he says. “That paired well with me being an athlete.” Most of his early investments reflect that overlap. “A lot of the products I invest in are things I wear or use daily,” he says. “They help me with recovery or my basketball routine, and I give substantial feedback.”

Earning Minutes the Hard Way

On the court, Spencer’s path was anything but linear. “Two-ways are tough,” he says. “You’re bouncing up and down, and most of the time it has nothing to do with how you’re performing.” Real opportunity didn’t come until months into his first season. “Legitimate minutes didn’t come until January or February,” he recalls. “I had no idea what the game plan was. They told me an hour and a half before the game that I was playing twenty minutes.”

That experience clarified everything going into year two. “We have the best offense in the league,” he says. “The only way a young guy is going to get time is defense, energy, doing the dirty work.” So he leaned fully into his role. “I didn’t score a single bucket the entire preseason,” he says, laughing. “I only took like three shots. I focused completely on defense and energy.” That mindset paid off. “I saw myself moving up the roster just off defense,” he says. “Now I’ve started ten, twelve games. It’s been great.”

That readiness has mattered. As the Nuggets navigate injuries and rotation instability on a roster built to contend, Spencer has found himself starting and contributing real minutes in meaningful games. For a team with championship expectations, reliability and defensive presence carry weight, especially when depth is tested. His ability to step in without disruption has been part of how Denver has stayed competitive through that adversity.

Knowing Your Role

Asked what he’d tell a younger Spencer, his answer isn’t about talent. “It’s role recognition,” he says. “I’ve changed my role at every stage of my career. It’s way easier to be the guy who fits any mold than the guy everything revolves around.” The second lesson is mental. “You’re going to be stressed. You’re going to be nervous,” he says. “You just do it anyway. You don’t put so much stake into how you feel.”

That perspective extends beyond basketball. “I feel an obligation to take advantage of where I’m at,” Spencer says. “It would feel like a disservice if the only thing I did was be a basketball player.” For him, the motivation is simple. “There are so many players who want to be where I am,” he says. “And there’s also this question of how good can I personally be. Why not take advantage of it?” Spencer isn’t just navigating a career in the NBA. He’s building a life designed for whatever comes next, with intention, humility, and uncommon clarity for someone still early in the journey.

Dr. David Waite, Founder and CEO of Anatomy Optimized, brings a rare blend of elite athletic experience, clinical expertise, and entrepreneurial vision to the world of sports performance and patient care. With a background rooted in high-level athletics, David has carved out a career defined by precision, trust, and results. His work with some of the world’s top professional athletes, including current world No. 10 tennis player Frances Tiafoe, underscores the level of excellence and credibility he brings to every environment he enters. Through Anatomy Optimized, David is helping redefine what modern, outcomes-focused care can look like for both athletes and everyday patients alike.

Navigating the Nonlinear Path to Excellence

David’s rise to the forefront of physical therapy has not been accidental. It has been shaped by a deep commitment to excellence and an understanding that growth is rarely linear. As he puts it, “Obstacles are an inevitable part of the journey, but it’s how we respond to them that defines our trajectory.” Along the way, David learned to navigate challenges by staying grounded in his purpose, leaning on trusted mentors, and remaining adaptable when circumstances shifted. By keeping his focus on the end result, he learned how to cut through distractions and stay aligned with his long-term goals. In his words, “In a crowded field, individuals who demonstrate resilience, adaptability, and a commitment to personal growth stand out.” That mindset, paired with a willingness to think creatively and continuously challenge himself, is what separates the exceptional from the average.

Staying Sharp When the Margins Are Razor-Thin

In an industry as competitive and fast-moving as sports, David believes success is built on a relentless pursuit of knowledge. Staying current is not optional, it is essential. He has consistently invested in his own development by keeping pace with advances in technology, medicine, and performance science. This dedication becomes even more critical when working with elite athletes like Frances Tiafoe, where the margins for error are razor-thin and every detail matters. David continues to sharpen his craft through seminars, advanced coursework, and certifications, all with the goal of exceeding expectations and delivering the highest standard of care. As Forbes notes, “67% of HR managers have an increased learning and development budget,” reinforcing the idea that continuous learning is no longer a bonus, it is a requirement for long-term success, both professionally and personally.

Making a Lasting Impact

While David has built an impressive résumé working alongside top tennis talent and growing a successful business, legacy has always been central to his mission. For him, success is not just about wins, titles, or revenue, but about leaving people and organizations better than he found them. His journey has taken him across the globe, including meaningful work in Uganda with the Medical Missions Foundation, where he has helped provide essential care to underserved communities. David understands that lasting change is rarely created in a single moment. It is built through consistent effort, meaningful relationships, and a genuine desire to serve. No matter where you are in your own career, his story is a reminder that impact, when pursued with intention, can extend far beyond your immediate field and resonate for years to come.