Revenue Above Replacement: Recent Episodes
Revenue Above Replacement
Northwestern's Master of Arts in Sports Administration (MSA) program is pleased to host the Revenue Above Replacement (RAR) podcast. MSA faculty members Adam Grossman and Brice Clinton will interview sports industry leaders weekly on a wide range of topics including business, economics, marketing, branding, media, sponsorship, events, and public policy. The podcast will also be directly integrated into the MSA curriculum with students taking MSA 401-0: Sports Research Methods and Quantitative Analysis creating a production plan that includes an episode’s guest, questions, audience and timing as part of a group assignment for the course.
Keith Friedenberg serves as Chief Analytics & Insights Officer of Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. which owns and operates Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), William Morris Endeavor (WME), IMG, 160over90, On Location, and OpenBet/IMG Arena.Keith is founder of Endeavor Analytics, LLC, a global knowledge and insights company that provides strategic consulting, media intelligence, valuation services, and consumer insights. Endeavor Analytics boasts a global team of 80 who leverage AI & machine learning and third-party data providers to inform decision-making across media & sports properties, talent & athletes, and Fortune 500 brands.Prior to joining Endeavor in 2008, Friedenberg spent eleven years with Warner Bros. Media Research & Insights, where he supervised consumer, media and brand research operations for divisions including domestic television distribution, gaming, consumer products and emerging technology.Keith is an alumnus of the Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California.
On this episode of the Revenue Above Replacement Podcast, Adam and Brice take a break from the great guests and dive deep into Adam’s newest venture, ROAR (Revenue Over and Above Replacement). Built from insights gained through his past experiences at Block Six Analytics and Excel Sports Management, Adam shares his innovative approach to breaking down industry silos across technology, advisory services, and sales within sports business. The discussion explores the critical role of fan engagement, leveraging AI and data analytics to create meaningful connections and drive revenue, and reveals strategies to maximize partnership value.Brice and Adam also discuss the realities and challenges of entrepreneurship, sharing personal stories about the excitement and anxieties of building businesses from the ground up. The episode further touches on emerging industry trends, such as sports-anchored mixed-use developments, media rights monetization amidst fragmented viewership, and the impactful integration of artificial intelligence and agents in the fan experience.Listeners will gain actionable insights into the rapidly evolving landscape of sports business, partnership valuation, and innovative strategies to navigate technological disruption effectively.
Katie Morgan is the Vice President of Business Analytics and Ticket Strategy for the Texas Rangers. Katie has held various positions beginning as an Inside Sales Representative, transitioning in the CRM & Database Manager, and now as the Vice President of Business Analytics and Ticket Strategy. Prior to her time with the Rangers, she played college basketball and spent a year coaching. Katie loves working for a baseball team and enjoys using analytics to help bring the experience of a Rangers game to fans throughout the area.
Luka Dukich is the Vice President of Content for the Chicago Bulls, where he leads the teams responsible for content strategy, creation, and distribution - including video, design, social media, international content and digital partnerships. With more than 45 million fans across social platforms, the Bulls are one of the most followed sports teams in the U.S., and Luka’s team plays a central role in storytelling and building the team’s brand with this global audience. Recent wins include: Sports Business Journal’s “Best in Sports Social Media” Nominee (2025)- Hashtag Sports “Most Creative Partnership” Award Winner (2023)- Brand Innovators Midwest 40 under 40 (2018)- Sports Business Journal’s “Best in Sports Social Media” Award Winner (2017).During his tenure with the Bulls, Luka also spent two seasons (2021-22) in a consulting role with the Chicago White Sox, helping to build out their digital content team and overall content strategy. Prior to his time at the Bulls, Luka also spent five years working in public relations and sports marketing at United Entertainment Group, a DJE Company. Luka graduated from Valparaiso University, earning a bachelor’s degree in public relations & business administration. Born in Belgrade, Serbia, Luka now resides in the Chicago suburbs with his wife and son. He loves reading, movies, and sports, with a particular passion for basketball, boxing, and soccer.
Back for a second time, Katie Krall is an adjunct lecturer at Northwestern in the Master’s of Sports Administration Program teaching “Sports Business: Finance, Accounting, and Economics,” “Sports Organizations: Leadership Theory and Application,” and “Sports Performance and Front Office Operations” and at Medill where she teaches “Sports Marketing.”Katie was previously the Senior Product Manager of Global Baseball Strategy at Hawk-Eye Innovations, a division of Sony Sports Business where she spearheaded development of new products that leveraged biomechanics, player tracking, bat, and ball flight data.Krall spent 2022 as a Development Coach with the Boston Red Sox where she oversaw pitch design, advance scouting and integrating data into player plans. She also was part of the Global Strategy team at Google focusing on Google Workspace after two seasons with the Cincinnati Reds as a Baseball Operations Analyst, a position that combined the worlds of roster construction, analytics, and scouting.After receiving her undergraduate degree at Northwestern, Katie worked for a year and a half at Major League Baseball in the Commissioner’s Office in New York City as a League Economics & Operations Coordinator. At MLB, Krall advised Clubs on 40-man roster management, MLB rules and compliance, major league administration, and salary arbitration. In addition to her academic work at Northwestern Katie received her MBA from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.
Kern Egan is the founder and CEO of Multiplier, an agency that shapes culture to build brands.Multiplier manages the cultural marketing initiatives for a roster of world-class brands, including Bridgestone, Caterpillar, Chase Sapphire, Invisalign, JP Morgan Payments, On Running, PitchBook, Winnebago, and Wyndham Hotels, among others.Multiplier Ventures is a limited partner in Sapphire Sport Ventures and Elysian Park Golf Ventures and has made direct investments in Leeds United, Overtime, and TMRW Sports, among others.Kern is an advisor for Cal-Berkeley's SkyDeck technology accelerator and is the founder and chairman of Dallas Influencers in Sports and Entertainment (DISE), the area's leading industry nonprofit, granting over $1,000,000 to 46 local youth charities. He is also the former Chairman of the Heart of Dallas Bowl at the historic Cotton Bowl Stadium and served on the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee.Kern, a graduate of Indiana University, was named a Forty Under 40 honoree by both the SportsBusiness Journal and Dallas Business Journal.
Nick Bernabe is the Assistant General Manager with the Gwinnett Stripers, the AAA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. Nick’s path through baseball has been nothing short of fascinating—from his beginnings with the Arizona Fall League, described as one of baseball’s best-kept secrets, through impactful experiences internationally in the Dominican Republic, and roles with prestigious organizations including Major League Baseball, the Minnesota Twins’ AA affiliate in Wichita, and overseeing operations with both the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins organizations. Nick has a bachelor's degree in international business from Eckerd College and a master's of sports administration from Northwestern University.
Mark Cuban sold a 72.3% ownership stake of the Dallas Mavericks to the Adelson family in December of 2023. While a substantial amount of money, the $3.5 billion that Cuban reportedly secured from the Adelsons potentially undervalued the team. When asked why Cuban sold the team when he did and for a “discounted” price, Cuban stated, “And so you see other teams in all sports…talking about doing real estate development. That’s just not me. I wasn’t going to put up $2 billion to get an education on building. If we’re able to build a Venetian-type casino in Dallas with an American Airlines Center in the middle of it, the valuation is $20 billion. But I own 27% of that.” What Cuban is outlining is the growing importance of sports-anchored districts (SADs). Sports venues that “anchor” surrounding commercial, residential, retail, infrastructure, and community developments have the potential to fundamentally change the sports industry generally and sports teams specifically. In a special episode Brice interviews Adam about his contribution to a paper he authored in conjunction with Klutch Sports Group and Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) about The Rise of Sports Venue Builds and Sports-Anchored Districts.
Mike Walsh is the Senior Director of NIL Partnerships and Strategy at ONIT Athlete, a leading company reshaping the NIL landscape through innovative partnerships and collectible trading cards. Mike brings a wealth of experience, having spent over a decade in collegiate athletics, notably at Boise State, where he was instrumental in building one of the nation's most successful NIL programs.Mike's journey into sports began with a passion for journalism, evolving into leadership roles across sports information, media relations, and strategic communications at institutions like Washington State, University of Idaho, and Boise State. Mike has a bachelor’s degree in communication and journalism from Washington State University and a master’s degree in education, curriculum, and instruction from Boise State University.
Lindsay Barnett founded Playground Productions after she spent close to a decade teaching second grade in a Chicago Public School in addition to manufacturing educational products. She gained national attention, as a semi-finalist on Live with Kelly and Ryan’s Top Teacher Search. Now, she has curated a slate of IP in the children's space and collaborates directly with authors and writers to ensure that Playground’s content will make families proud and kids love learning.Lindsay received her Bachelor of Science in Communications: Radio, Television, and Film as well as an Interactive Arts and Entertainment Module from Northwestern University. She then earned her Master of Science in Education in Elementary Teaching at Northwestern.
Jenny Haskel is a former Division One soccer player at Northwestern University whose lifelong commitment to athletics informs her professional approach and growth mindset. Currently Jenny is the Knowledge and Insights Lead at Deloitte Sports Business group. In her role she works with investors, governing bodies, national associations, clubs and other sports organizations around the globe driving valuable and actionable insights. Prior to her role at Deloitte Jenny was at Morgan Stanley where she led marketing and communication for a Wealth Management team leading their financial planning efforts. She also drove marketing for Morgan Stanley's Global Sports and Entertainment division, leveraging her deep industry relationships.Previously, Jenny gained valuable experience at the Chicago Bulls (NBA) and Chicago Fire (MLS), managing comprehensive marketing strategies, digital content, and fan engagement initiatives. Jenny did her undergraduate work at Northwestern where she has degrees in Economics and Journalism.
John Brody is a Board Member, Consultant, and Advisor to various Private Equity firms, brands, agencies, and start-ups. Prior to his current role John was the Chief Revenue Officer for Learfield who is a leading media, data, and technology services company with an unparalleled footprint in college sports and live events.In his illustrious career John has held roles with the WWE, The National Football League, Wassermann Media Group, Major League Baseball, and the Boston Celtics.In this conversation Adam and John discuss his career journey, hit on the key lessons learned at each stop, and John gives his insight on what it takes to grow a career in sports. Adam and John also hit on sales and marketing strategies in sports and delve into how technology, data, and analytics are shaping sports today.
Jordan Pink is the Strategic Development Manager at Tradable Bits - a role he recently evolved into. Tradable Bits is a fan data company that provides partners with tools to acquire, analyze and activate data.Prior to his time at Tradable Bits Jordan was an account executive at Canuck Sports and Entertainment. Jordan did his undergraduate work at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada, has a certificate from the University of Houston in the math behind moneyball, and earned a masters of sports administration from Northwestern.
Jeff McDaniel is responsible for Basketball Operations at Superior Sports and also a member of the board of directors. Superior Sports is a boutique athlete representation agency. Superior provides a holistic approach to building athletes brands while supporting on-court development. They focus on college athletes and provide NIL Marketing & Collective Negotiation, Professional Contract Negotiation, Endorsement & Sponsorship Marketing, Post-Career Management, Pre-Draft Training, and On-Court Performance Development. Jeff did his undergraduate work at Chapman University in Southern California and has a masters of sports administration from Northwestern.
Mike Morris is a seasoned technology leader whose impressive career has taken him from rigorous software engineering at EDS to consulting at PwC and transformative roles in sports technology.Mike notably served as the Chief Technology Officer at Major League Baseball, where he played a critical role in driving the analytics revolution, centralizing MLB systems, and launching MLB Advanced Media and MLB Network—two game-changing initiatives that revolutionized how sports content is consumed today. He also served as CIO at Legends Hospitality, navigating rapid growth and innovation in a fast-paced environment.
John Brody is a Board Member, Consultant, and Advisor to various Private Equity firms, brands, agencies, and start-ups. Prior to his current role John was the Chief Revenue Officer for Learfield who is a leading media, data, and technology services company with an unparalleled footprint in college sports and live events. In his illustrious career John has held roles with the WWE, The National Football League, Wassermann Media Group, Major League Baseball, and the Boston Celtics. In this conversation Adam and John discuss his career journey, hit on the key lessons learned at each stop, and John gives his insight on what it takes to grow a career in sports. Adam and John also hit on sales and marketing strategies in sports and delve into how technology, data, and analytics are shaping sports today.
Jared Banner is the Assistant General Manager of the Chicago Cubs - a role he assumed in 2023 after being promoted from his role as President of Player development. Jared originally joined the Cubs in 2021 as the Vice President of Special Projects after serving as the Executive Director of Player Development with the New York Mets for two seasons.Prior to his time with the Mets, Jared spent 11 years with the Boston Red Sox, working his way up the ladder within their front office and winning 3 World Series Rings. Jared attended Amherst College in Massachusetts where he earned a degree in Psychology and was a key member of the baseball team. We are also excited to have Jared as the newest faculty member of the Northwestern MSA program.
Adam and Brice are back for another season of the Revenue Above Replacement podcast. This week the guys discuss what they have been up to during their hiatus, hit on some of the biggest sports business topics of the past few months, and look ahead to this season and the great guests that are in store. New episodes every Wednesday and those great guests start again next week.
Sam Noffs is the Vice President of Sales and Strategy at Champro. Sam has nearly 20 years of experience in sales. He began his career as an assistant buyer at The May Department Stores shortly before it was acquired and folded into Macy’s, where he grew into a buying and merchandise planning role. After his time at Macy’s, his career took off as he joined Nike, where he spent nearly 14 years flying through multiple roles, eventually landing as the sales director for North America, a position responsible for overseeing the sales of Nike products through the Neighborhood program in North America. Sam did his undergraduate work in business at Washington University in St. Louis where he was member of the football team and he holds an MBA from Portland State University.
This week Adam and Brice take a break for the excellent guests this season and discuss the current state of sports and sports business. In the discussion Adam and Brice focus on the pending NBA Media Rights deal and the launch of the new Chicago Sports Network along with the implications of both for fans, teams, leagues, and the content providers. The guys will be back next week with more great guests.
During this holiday week we wanted to run one of our best episodes of the season with Eric Winston. Eric is a former NFL offensive tackle and current president of Winners Alliance. Eric played in college at the University of Miami and was selected by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. During his NFL career has also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals, and Cincinnati Bengals. Eric was the president of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) from 2014 to 2020.As President of Winners Alliance, Eric oversees all business strategy and operations for the company. Most recently, Eric served as Chief Licensing Officer and Head of Partner Development & College for OneTeam Partners. The Wharton School alum led OneTeam’s consumer products licensing, partner development, and college division.Eric did his undergraduate work in international finance and marketing at the University of Miami and received an MBA from the Wharton School of Business.The guys will be back next week with new episodes and more great interviews.
JJ Stankevitz is the Indianapolis Colts' team writer and his work can be found on Colts.com and on the Colts App. He also regularly appears on the Colts Official Podcast on the Colts Audio Network, and can be heard on "Colts Pregame Huddle" on 93.5 and 107.5 The Fan.JJ joined the Colts in 2021 after spending 10 years at NBC Sports Chicago, where he covered Notre Dame football from 2011-2016 and the Chicago Bears from 2017-2020. He also contributed to NBC Sports Chicago's Cubs and White Sox coverage, including during the 2016 World Series.JJ hosted the Under Center Podcast, NBC Sports Chicago's Bears podcast, from 2017-2020 and contributed to the network's on-air Bears pregame and postgame programming as well. He was a frequent panelist on NBC Sports Chicago's "SportsTalk Live" and was a regular guest on "The Laurence Holmes Show" on 670 The Score.A native of Oak Park, Ill., JJ attended Oak Park and River Forest High School and graduated from the University of Missouri with a B.A. in journalism in 2011.
Aji-Mallen Sanneh is the owner of Soccer Stars North Dallas along with being the co-founder of Altimate Sports Group - a boutique sports agency focusing aimed to amplify distinct talents and set athletes on a trajectory towards global acclaim. Aji has extensive work experience in global healthcare organizations. She began her career in 2009 as a Program Associate at Management Sciences for Health, where she worked on the Grant Management Solutions project. In 2012, she joined the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) as an Associate Manager in Global Outreach, later taking on the role of Senior Manager for the Center for Global Health. From 2017 to 2022, Aji worked at The Global Fund, first as a Technical Specialist in HIV Partnerships & Quality, and then as a Specialist in HIV Policy, Partnerships & Strategic Initiatives. Aji has a Master's Degree in Health Policy, Planning and Financing from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and another Master's Degree in Health Policy, Planning and Financing from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Aji obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and Government from York University.
Annette Corbin is a former All American soccer player at Purdue and professional soccer player turned yogi and teacher. Annette is an excellence junkie who leans on the principles of kindness, discipline, and joy to teach a well-rounded class that has space for movement, breath, and reflection. Her courses and teaching approach are a little Brené Brown, Deion Sanders, bend, but don’t break, sing your favorite songs from high school, child's pose, maybe headstand, leave better than you came, take what your body gives you and ditch the ego at the door. Annette is a 500hr trained yoga teacher (moksha), as well as an adjunct professor at Northwestern University teaching two courses: Designing your life and Yoga Foundations: Living a life of service, discipline, and joy. Annette is also the founder and CEO of the Athlete Practice, a sport performance group that explores the intersection of yoga and personal development for high school and college athletes, helping them handle the physical and mental stress of playing sports at a high level. Annette did her undergraduate work at Purdue University where she was a member of the women’s soccer team and has a masters degree from the Medill School of Journalism.
William Mao is Senior Vice President of Octagon’s Global Media Rights Consulting division. A leading sports media rights expert, Mao leverages Octagon’s proprietary data, research, and technology, to advise and provide strategic consultation to rightsholders, distribution platforms, technology companies, and the investment community. With more than a decade of global experience across the linear TV and streaming landscape, Mao has a proven track record of helping organizations achieve record-breaking goals and innovative business solutions in highly competitive markets. Mao’s clients include the NFL, MLB, NASCAR, European Leagues, Tennis Australia, the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten Conference, and University of Oklahoma, amongst many other high-profile leagues, conferences, teams, and events.Prior to joining Octagon, Mao served as Vice President of Digital at MP & Silva, where he brokered foundational non-linear media distribution deals for global sports properties, and advised on new commercial opportunities for the agency and its clients. Previously, Mao was Head of College Sports for YouTube, where he established first-of-its-kind digital video partnerships with the NCAA and the Pac-12 Conference. While at YouTube, Mao also managed content partnerships with the NFL, NBA, MLB, and Turner Sports (now Warner Brothers Discovery). A recognized authority on the intersection of sports and media, Mao was named a “30 Under 30” in Sports by Forbes, and is a recipient of the Cynopsis Media Rising Star award.
Lucy Montgomery is currently the Sr. Manager of Case Writing at the Kellogg School of Management where she created materials leveraged in multiple course around conflict and conflict resolution. In addition to her work at Kellogg Lucy is a Strategy Consultant for Bloom Sports Partners. The remit of Bloom Sports Partners is to help the owners of sports teams and leagues to redefine strategic intent, transform operations and establish leadership teams to build sporting legacies. Lucy did her undergraduate work at Washington University in St. Louis where she was a member of the basketball team and the university representative for the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. She also received a masters of public administration from Harvard and an MBA from the Stanford graduate school of business.
Jonathan Zarrilli is a Senior Manager, Strategy & Business Development at YES Network. The YES Network is the most-watched regional sports network in the country, owns the exclusive local TV rights of the 27-time World Champion New York Yankees, the Brooklyn Nets, Major League Soccer's New York City FC and the WNBA's New York Liberty. In his role at the Yes Network Jonathan is responsible for the Yes Network app and its continued evolution. Prior to his time at the Yes Network Jonathan worked in Management Consulting for LEK Consulting in Chicago. Jonathan holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and History from Northwestern.
This week Adam and Brice take a break from the amazing guests to celebrate a milestone - the 100th episode of the Revenue Above Replacement podcast. The guys discuss the inception of the podcast and how it has evolved in the nearly three years since it began. They also dive into the typical workflow to publish the podcast each week, and end the episode with listener questions. Adam and Brice will be back next week with more interviews and both wanted to say an enormous thank you to all listeners and people that have made 100 episodes happen.
Michael Shealy is a Senior Manager of Data Science at Monumental Sports and Entertainment. Monumental is one of the largest integrated sports and entertainment companies in the country and owns and operates five professional sports teams: NBA's Washington Wizards, NBA G League’s Capital City Go-Go, NBA 2K League’s Wizards District Gaming, the Washington Capitals and the WNBA's Washington Mystics. Michal is an experienced and certified Analytics and End-to-End Predictive Modeling Specialist using Python, R, SQL, Tableau, and SAS Viya products. He has deep expertise in machine learning, data analytics, and information technology. Michael holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical and Bimolecular Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and in 2021 won the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference Hack a Thon.
Katie Krall is a Senior Product Manager of Baseball Strategy at Hawk-Eye Innovations, a division of Sony Sports Business. She spearheads development of new products that leverage biomechanics, player tracking, bat, and ball flight data.Katie spent 2022 as a Development Coach with the Boston Red Sox where she oversaw pitch design, advance scouting and integrating data into player plans. This was her first season in uniform and coaching 1st base. Prior to her role with the Red Sox Katie was part of the Global Strategy team at Google focusing on Google Workspace after two seasons with the Cincinnati Reds as a Baseball Operations Analyst, a position that combined the worlds of roster construction, analytics, and scouting. After graduating from Northwestern University, Katie worked for a year and a half at Major League Baseball in the Commissioner's Office in New York City as a League Economics & Operations Coordinator. At MLB, Krall advised Clubs on 40-man roster management, MLB rules and compliance, major league administration, and salary arbitration. Katie holds an MBA from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business and is a faculty member in Northwestern's Master's of Sports Administration Program teaching Sports Business: Finance, Accounting, and Economics.
This week Adam and Brice take a break from the incredible guests this season to replay one of the most popular episodes from last season with Bryan Blair. With the landscape of college athletics continuing to shift Adam's interview with Bryan resonates as much today as at the time of the recording. Bryan Blair is the the 14th athletic director in the history of the University of Toledo, is the first African-American to hold the post. When he arrived at Toledo in 2022, he was just 37 years old, the youngest FBS athletic director in the nation at the time. He joined the Rockets after serving as the deputy athletic director and chief operating officer at Washington State University from 2018-22.Bryan holds a law degree from the University of South Carolina and earned his undergraduate degree in history at Wofford College.Bryan played four seasons as a nose tackle for the Wofford football team from 2003-06. He was a team captain as a senior in 2006 and was named the team’s Defensive Lineman of the Year.Adam and Brice will be back next week with a new episode and more great guests throughout the season.
As the third season of the Revenue Above Replacement podcast continues Adam and Brice take a break for their excellent guests and discuss the current sports landscape and what to expect on this season of the podcast. In that conversation Adam and Brice discuss the recent NBA All Star game, touch on the Super Bowl, hit on NBA media rights, and wonder aloud about the recently announced sports streaming service that will bring together several providers. It would not be a conversation these days without some mention of the Taylor Swift effect and its impact not only on the NFL but sports fandom more broadly. The show will be back next week with another great guest, and we hope you enjoy this conversation between Adam and Brice.
Eric Winston is a former NFL offensive tackle and current president of Winners Alliance. Eric played in college at the University of Miami and was selected by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. During his NFL career has also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals, and Cincinnati Bengals. Eric was the president of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) from 2014 to 2020. As President of Winners Alliance, Eric oversees all business strategy and operations for the company. Most recently, Eric served as Chief Licensing Officer and Head of Partner Development & College for OneTeam Partners. The Wharton School alum led OneTeam’s consumer products licensing, partner development, and college division. Eric did his undergraduate work in international finance and marketing at the University of Miami and received an MBA from the Wharton School of Business.
Brian Kopp is the founder of Stretch 4 Advisory and provides strategic business services to a variety of sports technology, data and analytics companies. Brian is also partner at Ryan Sports Ventures. Prior to Ryan Sports Ventures, Brian served as Senior Vice President of Sports Solutions for STATS LLC. At STATS, Brian was responsible for the revolutionary SportVU player tracking technology as well as building innovative analytics solutions for NBA, NFL and NCAA teams. As a result of his work with innovative sports technology, Brian was named to the 2016 SBJ Forty Under 40 class as well as a 2013 Idea Innovator by Sports Business Journal. Prior to his career in sports business, Brian worked in investment banking and private equity before transitioning into a variety of corporate strategy and M&A roles. Brian received his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and his BA in Economics from Wabash College.
Tony Ponturo is the CEO of Ponturo Management Group where he consults in marketing for business and new sports ventures. He is a regular guest on Lou Dobbs Tonight, Fox Business, Bloomberg News, CNBC, and other media outlets. Tony is also a Managing Partner in the Kirmser Ponturo Group, a company that produces and promotes projects at the crossroads of sports and entertainment. Tony spent 26 years at Anheuser-Busch serving as Vice-President of Global Media Sports and Entertainment Marketing for 17 of those years. He also served on the Anheuser-Busch Strategy Committee representing the top 15 executives of the company.Tony was recently named Director of Industry Relations for the NYU Tisch Sports Institute for Sports Management, Media and Business. He is also an NYU Adjunct Professor.Ponturo serves on the Villanova University Advisory Board for the College of Arts and Sciences.
Bryan Blair is the the 14th athletic director in the history of the University of Toledo, is the first African-American to hold the post. When he arrived at Toledo in 2022, he was just 37 years old, the youngest FBS athletic director in the nation at the time. He joined the Rockets after serving as the deputy athletic director and chief operating officer at Washington State University from 2018-22.
Prior to his term at WSU, Bryan was the senior associate athletic director at Rice University from 2014-18, which was his second stint at that school.
He also served at Rice for the first time as a compliance coordinator from 2011-12. While serving as senior associate AD at Rice, he served as a member of the athletics department’s senior leadership team, while overseeing sports medicine, strength and conditioning, sports nutrition, compliance, and seven of the department’s 16 NCAA Division I sports programs.
Bryan holds a law degree from the University of South Carolina and earned his undergraduate degree in history at Wofford College.
Bryan played four seasons as a nose tackle for the Wofford football team from 2003-06. He was a team captain as a senior in 2006 and was named the team’s Defensive Lineman of the Year.
Tyler Webb is the co-founder of Uncle Charlie Marketing company where he leads the creative side of the operation. Uncle Charlie focuses on go to market strategy for clients and the implementation of that go to market strategy.
Tyler got his first experience with organic social media while in high school where he built a Twitter theme page that reached over 150,000 followers by the time he graduated from high school.
Prior to starting Uncle Charlie Tyler had roles with Prep network, SocialWorks Digital, and The Backpocket podcast along with extensive freelance work.
Tyler is a natural born creator and outside of his work with Uncle Charlie has amassed his own enormous social media following by creating content around the intersection of sports, business, culture, and society.
Greg Thompson s the Global Technology Business Leader for Amazon Web Services with a focus on the sports business space.
In that leadership role with AWS Greg has strategically develop new business with, and solutions for, customers in the sports industries utilizing the AWS cloud. He leads business strategy and performance to quickly innovate at scale.
Prior to his current role Greg was the AWS IoT Worldwide Business Development leader for the Power & Utilities industry vertical.
In that role he was responsible for developing the global AWS IoT strategy for the Power & Utilities industry segment and executing on the vision with global sales teams and partners.
Greg has over 20 years of experience developing and leading SaaS, IoT, and enterprise solutions for utilities, datacenters, smart buildings, automotive, and now the sports industry.
Michael Neuman is the co-head Playfly Sports Consulting - a sports media, marketing and technology business centered around the team, league, brand, and network.
Before this newest venture Michael was the Managing Partner of Scout Sports and Entertainment, a Division of Horizon Media.
Prior to joining Horizon, he was co-founder and president of Amplify Sports and Entertainment, a marketing consulting agency created to help brands harness the power of strategic sponsorship and maximize the impact of athlete and celebrity driven campaigns.
Prior to launching Amplify, Michael was Senior Vice President, Group Account Director with STRATEGIC, where he provided strategic consulting services for sports and entertainment partnerships.
Michael previously held senior positions with Paragon Marketing Group, Arnold Communications, and Global Television Sports.
Michael has contributed to publications including Adweek, Brandweek, Sports Business Journal, and The Sports Business Daily, and his work has been recognized by major awards programs, including the PROMO 100, PROMO Top Shops, the Bill Veeck Sports Sponsorship Awards, and the Big Apple PR Awards.
Michael is adjunct professor at Columbia University where he leads courses in sports sponsorship and sales. He was previously an adjunct professor of sports marketing and corporate sponsorship in the undergraduate sports management program at the Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management at New York University.
Kate Popovec is the head coach of the women’s basketball team at Bradley University, a role she starting in 2022.
Kate began her collegiate coaching career as Director of Women's Basketball Operations at La Salle University for the 2013-14 season. She returned to Northwestern the following season for a 2-year stint as Director of Player Development for the Wildcats.
Northwestern received an at-large selection to the 2015 NCAA Tournament, its first appearance in the Big Dance since 1997. Kate earned her first on-court coaching position at Colgate for the 2016-17 season, before joining the Northwestern bench in 2017.
As a Northwestern student-athlete, Kate earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in each of her two seasons with the Wildcats after starting her career at Pittsburg.
She was chosen as Northwestern's female recipient of the 2013 Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award and she was named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar following the 2012-13 season.
Kate is a native of Canfield, Ohio, and she earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees from Northwestern.
Matt Repchak is the Chief Marketing Officer of Florida Citrus Sports. Matt joined Florida Citrus Sports in 2005 and is now in his 18th season.
Matt previously served as Senior Director of Marketing & Communications, a role he began in 2013. In his role Matt leads the Integrated Marketing & communications department, including the nonprofit’s public relations, advertising, creative production, digital and social media.
Matt is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, and he began his career with Florida Citrus Sports as a seasonal Communications Assistant and advanced through the organization with various roles in the Communications and Marketing departments before stepping into a leadership position at their intersection.
Jacob Pavilack is the Associate Director of Athletic Communications at Northwestern University. The West Virginia native is the communications contact for Men’s Basketball and Women's Lacrosse at Northwestern, working with both programs during historic seasons in 2023.
He was previously the Assistant Athletic Communications Director at the University of Arkansas, where he worked with Razorback Football and Softball.
Jacob has also stepped into the booth for SEC Network+ and the Kent State Sports Network, broadcasting the Golden Flashes as one of the youngest full-time network announcers in the country.
Jacob is a two-time graduate of Kent State University with a bachelor of science in aviation management (2017) and a master of arts in sport and recreation management (2019).
This week we take a break from the great guests with a conversation between Adam and Brice. The two discuss current events in the sports landscape along with some of the great work that Adam and team have been doing at Excel Sports Management.
Alexander Kane is the founder and CEO of Sporttrade. Sporttrade is a Philadelphia-based sports betting and trading company that has disrupted the sports betting industry with the first legal sports betting exchange.
This exchange approach is like a financial exchange, enabling customers to trade on sports outcomes by buying and selling contracts, just like trading stocks.
Alex has been featured in top industry publications including EGR and Business of Betting, and has written about the US legal landscape in Bloomberg.
In 2019, Alex secured seed and Series A funding for Sporttrade and led the Company through the 2019 Comcast NBCU Accelerator Powered by Techstars.
Prior to his work with Sporttrade, Alex founded a golf consultancy group that was innovative in its use of advanced analytics and interactive visualizations to allow golfers to assess their performance.
Alex graduated from Drexel University in 2016 where he received a degree in business administration and was a member of the Drexel golf team.
Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models have been top of mind in recent months so this week we revisit and episode from this season that drives into both of those topics. Adam Goldberg is the head of Azure OpenAI Enablement and Go To Market team and was previously an Account Director for the Go To Market team at OpenAI.Prior to his work with OpenAI Adam was the Director of Data and AI solutions at Microsoft and spent the early part of his career in multiple roles with Cisco.
Over the past 30 years, Chris Bevilacqua has established himself as a leader in the sports and media business, including being at the forefront of two transformative eras in sports media history. He is the co-founder of Bevilacqua Helfant Ventures (BHV) which represents a continuation and expansion of the business he previously conducted as founder and CEO of Bevilacqua Media Company (BMC).At Bevilacqua Media Company, the company had mission to be a principal investor and strategic advisor for media and entertainment assets. Based in New York, BMC works with professional sports leagues and teams, collegiate conferences, as well as, marketing and media companies.Prior to his work with BMC, Chris served as chairman and CEO of Creative Artist Agency Sports Media Ventures, an affiliate of CAA and Evolution Media Capital. He also served as media rights advisor for several prominent sports and entertainment entities.In 2003, Chris co-founded College Sports Television, the first-ever 24-hour cable TV network dedicated to college and amateur sports. His vision and efforts for CSTV led to the acquisition of digital media company—Official College Sports Network—which eventually became the industry-leading CSTV.com portal.From 1994 through 1999, Chris was the Global Director of Negotiations for Nike sports media, licensing and marketing rights. At Nike, Chris worked closely with top teams, coaches, athletic directors and broadcast executives in the NBA, NFL, NHL, and NCAA. And, in 1995, he was responsible for striking a landmark deal between Nike and the Dallas Cowboys.Chris graduated from Penn State with honors from the Smeal College of Business. While at Penn State Chris was a two-time All-American wrestler, placing eighth at 150 pounds in 1984 and fourth in the same weight class in 1985. In 2012 Chris was elected to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Marcus Attles is the Associate AD for Facilities and Capital Projects at the University of Miami - a role he started in May 2022. At Miami, he oversees the Facilities & Operations work unit and is responsible for all capital projects and the day-to-day management of athletic facilities.Marcus came to Miami after four years as Associate AD for Facilities & Operations at Northwestern University. During his time with the Wildcats, he provided leadership, management, and direction for all athletic facilities. In addition, he helped complete over $400 million in capital projects and facility enhancements. In 2018, Attles was nominated for the Collegiate Event and Facility Management Association’s ‘Facility Manager of the Year’ award. In 2021, he became the sport administrator for NU’s men’s soccer program.Prior to his time in Evanston, Marcus spent four years at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), where he supervised the Facilities & Event Management staff. Marcus also spent time at Radford University, where he oversaw all facilities and game management for each of Radford’s 19 NCAA Division I programs. Other previous stops for Marcus include the University of Central Florida (UCF), the University of Maryland, and Towson University.
Ella Brockway is a multi-platform editor on the sports desk for the Washington Post. She is a former sports editing intern at The Post, and has previously written for Sports Illustrated, U.S. Lacrosse Magazine and the Asbury Park Press. In her time covering sports she has interviewed World Cup winners, Big Ten coaches and athletic directors, and NFL players while reporting live from numerous sporting events, from NWSL games up and down the East Coast, to the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament in Chicago, to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. Ella graduated from Northwestern University in 2021 with a degree in journalism and international studies. During her time at Northwestern, she served as the sports editor of The Daily Northwestern and the president of Northwestern’s student chapter of the Association for Women in Sports Media.
This week the Revenue Above Replacement podcast takes a break for the typical guests and features a conversation between Adam and Brice. They discuss this season of the podcast and the slate of upcoming guests. Adam also discusses his new weekly newsletter, Revenue Above Replacement, for John WallStreet.
Zach Wingrove is the Director of Public Relations and Digital Media for Northwestern Athletics. In his role Zach has served as the media relations contact for a multiple Northwestern athletic programs – including football, men's and women's basketball, softball, field hockey, wrestling, and volleyball.Prior to his current role, Zach spent four years working with Northwestern Athletics in both the communications and broadcast operations departments. Zach also worked as a media relations associate for the Chicago Cubs throughout the 2018 season, a training camp communications intern for the Houston Texans in 2019 and two years on the digital content team for West Michigan’s NBC affiliate, WOOD TV8.Zach is a native of Grand Rapids Michigan and graduated from Northwestern with a Bachelor’s of Science in journalism in 2019 and a master’s degree in sport administration 2021.
Brooke Riley is the Assistant Women’s Golf Coach at Stanford and was a standout golfer at Northwestern.Prior to joining the staff at Stanford Brooke was the assistant golf professional at Stonebriar Country Club in Frisco Texas. In her playing days Brooke was a member of the Wildcats program that finished in the Top 10 at NCAA Championships in four straight seasons. She twice earned All-Big Ten honors and was an honorable mention All-American in 2019. Brooke found herself inside the Top 50 of the World Amateur Golf Rankings with three amateur wins during her collegiate career and made the cut to play at Augusta National during the prestigious Augusta National Women's Amateur in 2021.Brooke did both her undergraduate and graduate work at Northwestern where she has a bachelor’s in communication studies and a Masters in Sports Administration.
Matt Brown is the founder of Extra Points - a newsletter that focuses on the college part of college sports. Extra Points covers all the off-the-field landscape that shapes college sports, from the largest FBS schools to the smallest NAIA programs.Matt started Extra Points in April of 2020 and prior to going out on his own he oversaw SB Nation’s college team sites and was a regular contributor to SB Nations college football coverage. In addition to Extra Points Matt is also an author and his book What If?: A closer look at college football's great questions covers pivotal moments through college football history like the Airplane Conference and the University of Chicago's descent from D-I greatness.Matt has his undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University, grew up in Ohio and currently lives in Chicago.
Brookelynn Entz is a professional soccer player for HK Kopavogur in Iceland. She spent her college career at Kansas State, where Entz owns 28 school records including goals, assists and games played. She graduated from K-State in 2020 with an undergraduate degree in psychology. The Newton, Kansas native was drafted by the NWSL's Kansas City Current in 2021 before joining Valur in Iceland, where Entz scored her first professional goal and made her debut in the UEFA Women's Champions League. She signed with HK Kopavogur in February.
Bryce Weiler is a co-founder of the Beautiful Lives Project and its National Advocacy Officer. He was born four months premature and developed an eye condition called Retinopathy that caused him to be blind. Bryce’s passion for sports on the radio led him to commentate on radio sports broadcasts for the University of Evansville, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Management and Communication. He also earned his Master’s Degree in Sports Administration from Western Illinois University. After college, Bryce began developing programs for fans with disabilities. The first teams to join him in his work were the Baltimore Orioles and the New Britain Bees baseball teams.
Payton Chang is the the Social Media Manager for the Miami Dolphins along with their properties including Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Open, and Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix. In addition to her work with the Dolphins Payton serves as a consultant for Progage Connect, working with professional and collegiate athletes earn endorsement deals and grow their personal brands.Prior to her work with the Dolphins Payton worked for Athletes Unlimited as the Social Media Coordinator throughout their inaugural softball, volleyball, and lacrosse seasons and Tokyo 2021 coverage. Payton’s first job in sports came with Wasserman Media Group where she led a project working with the NFL and Microsoft Surface partnership for their Super Bowl LIV campaign. Payton did her undergraduate work at Stanford University where she earned a B.A. in Science, Technology, and Society with a concentration in Communication and Media. At Stanford, Payton was a member of the varsity indoor and beach volleyball teams where she was a part of two NCAA National Championships. She finished her volleyball career at Northwestern as a graduate transfer where she also earned her masters in Sports Administration.
Kalyn Kahler is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the NFL. Prior to joining The Athletic Kalyn worked as a staff writer for Defector and at Sports Illustrated, where she worked her way up from editorial assistant and personal assistant to Peter King. Kalyn’s work has appeared in multiple publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated, and Bleacher Report. Kalyn received a notable selection in the 2020 edition of Best American Sportswriting for a piece on how a cow becomes a football and won the Pro Football Writers of America’s enterprise news/feature writing award in 2021 for a series about Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila. Kalyn holds a degree in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
Collin Sexton joined the University of Kansas Athletics department in August of 2021 and currently serves as the Associate Athletics Director for Strategic Initiative and Chief of Staff as well as the sport administrator for the Kansas Football program.Collin joins the University of Kansas from Northwestern where he was the assistant athletics director for leadership giving. While in that role, Collin contributed to a record-breaking fundraising campaign of over $460M to athletics.Prior to Northwestern, Collin was the director of football operations and chief of staff at Bowling Green State University. There he managed the day-to-day operations of the football program, coordinated all travel plans and oversaw staff, department budget, academics, compliance, alumni relations and other areas.Prior to his time at Bowling Green, Collin worked with Learfield’s corporate office in Plano, Texas, as a support assistant.Collin played four years of football for Kansas State University where he was a two-time Academic All-Big 12 recipient and was on the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll four times. He graduated from Kansas State in 2016 with a degree in journalism and mass communications, and a minor in business administration. Collin also earned his master’s in sport administration from Northwestern in 2021.
Adam Goldberg is the head of Azure OpenAI Enablement and Go To Market team and was previously an Account Director for the Go To Market team at OpenAI. Prior to his work with OpenAI Adam was the Director of Data and AI solutions at Microsoft and spent the early part of his career in multiple roles with Cisco.
Tyler Jones joined Northwestern Athletics in September 2021 and was promoted to Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director for Revenue Generation and Strategic Initiatives in August 2022.In his role Tyler provides direct oversight and leadership of Northwestern Athletics’ revenue-producing units of the department, including ticket sales and operations, Northwestern Sports Properties, marketing, merchandise, trademark & licensing in addition to providing strategic leadership for community relations, communications, broadcast operations, and digital content. Jones also works intimately with NU apparel partner, Under Armour, and concessionaire Levy, on strategic initiatives that drive revenue and enhance the brand of NU athletics.Tyler joins the Wildcats from Cleveland State University where he has served as deputy director of athletics for external operations in July 2019. He oversaw all of the department's external units and functions including ticket sales, marketing, fan engagement, development, corporate partnerships, branding, media relations and communications, and served as the administrator for multiple sport programs.Prior to his tenure at Cleveland State, Jones spent six years in the Big Ten Conference on the athletics marketing/fan development staff at Ohio State. He joined the Buckeyes athletic department in 2013 as the assistant director for fan experience and promotions and was quickly elevated to director of fan experience and promotions in 2014. Jones was promoted to assistant athletics director for fan engagement in 2016 where he oversaw, and provided leadership, for the fan experience, marketing and creative design units.Tyler was a standout on the Eastern Michigan football team from 2004-09. During his senior season, Jones was elected captain, named the team's most valuable player and tied the NCAA Division I record when he hauled in 23 receptions in a victory over Central Michigan. Following the conclusion of the football season, Jones captained the Eastern Michigan basketball team where he averaged 4.2 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. He earned his undergraduate degree in marketing and business, and a Master of Science degree in sport management from Eastern Michigan.
Josh Walker is the Co-Founder and President of Sports Innovation Lab where he oversees the company’s innovative and proprietary market intelligence platform. Through market analysis and unbiased research, he empowers brands to develop and implement game changing, breakthrough experiences in a new age of sports and entertainment fandom. His work at Sports Innovation Lab represents the convergence of his career as a researcher, advisor, entrepreneur, and sports journalist.A former Vice President of Research at Forrester, Josh was responsible for launching the company’s Forrester Wave evaluation framework, designed to accelerate innovation by connecting technology buyers with the best vendors.After Forrester, Josh spent time as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at General Catalyst advising fast-growing companies including Brightcove, Kayak, and Demandware. He soon became a serial entrepreneur himself, using his passion for technology and data to launch and grow several venture-backed companies such as CityVoter, Comlinkdata, and Stattleship.Josh is a graduate of Middlebury College and lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.In the conversation Josh mentions the book Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are, which can be found across book retailers.
Emily Ehman works for Big Ten Network as the primary game and studio volleyball analysts, a sideline reporter and as the Network’s Digital Host where she has covered three NCAA Women’s Indoor Volleyball Championships, two CFB Playoff Semifinal games, the Women’s College World Series and much more.In addition to her work with the Big Ten Network Emily also freelances for other outlets and organizations. In the spring of 2021, she spent eight weeks in Dallas working as a Digital Host for Athletes Unlimited Professional Volleyball League covering the only pro women’s volleyball league in the U.S. In the winter of 2022, Emily worked as a sideline reporter for The Valley on ESPN for Southern Illinois University men’s basketball games. She is also a frequent contributor to VolleyballMag.com.Emily is a former volleyball player at Northwestern University, where she earned her degree from the Medill School of Journalism.
Emilio Collins is a Partner and Chief Business Officer at Excel Sports Management where he oversees all sales and marketing for Excel, including the agency’s talent endorsement, property representation, and corporate consulting businesses.Emilio joined Excel after 15-plus years at the National Basketball Association, where he most recently served as Executive Vice President, Global Marketing Partnerships, overseeing the league’s marketing partnerships business globally, including partner management, business development, marketing solutions, and media. From 2008 to 2010, Emilio served as Senior Vice President of International Development, managing the development of the league's international business, including sponsorship, international games, and new league initiatives. Prior to joining the NBA, Emilio worked as Director of Event Development at SFX Sports Group, where he built and managed the company's golf, consulting, hospitality and tennis events business.Emilio graduated from Michigan State University, where he was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler. He also holds a master's degree in sports administration from Ohio University.
Adam Kempenaar s an accomplished broadcaster, instructor, and award-winning digital professional with more than two decades of experience driving audience engagement in sports, film, and media. Adam recently returned to the University of Iowa, where he earned an M.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication and a B.A. in Communication Studies, as an Adjunct Lecturer after 20 years with the Chicago Blackhawks, most recently as Vice President of Marketing and Content.Adam was part of three Stanley Cup championship teams during his tenure with the Blackhawks and oversaw the growth of the Digital Content department from a one-person operation to a staff of over 20, encompassing creative, social media, video, website, mobile, photography, email marketing, and business analytics.He was instrumental in launching and evolving the club’s digital platforms, including NHL-leading social media channels, Blackhawks.com, and the trailblazing video production brand Blackhawks TV. He is the recipient of four Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards for Sports Programming Outstanding Achievement: Single Spot/Campaign (2021); Documentary (2020); and One-Time Special (2018, 2016).Adam is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association, and holds a B.A. in English from Grinnell College and an M.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Iowa.
Brad Bauer works for Altius Sports Partners, the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) launch program for elite athletics departments and is the on-campus General Manager of Northwestern's NIL program.Before coming to Altius Sports Partners Brad served four years as manager of business development at Northwestern Sports Properties, the multimedia rights holder for the university's athletics department. In that role, he connected brands with Wildcat Athletics and established integrated marketing programs to maximize opportunities for students, alumni and supporters. Prior to his role with Northwestern Sports Properties, Brad was manager of corporate partnerships for the Windy City Bulls, the NBA G League team of the Chicago Bulls, where he engineered partnership programs for local businesses while collaborating with the Bulls to create assets for NBA partners. He also served in sales positions with the Chicago Fire of MLS and the Milwaukee Bucks.Brad did his undergraduate work at Indiana University and has a Masters of Sports Administration from Northwestern.
We are back for a third season of the Revenue Above Replacement podcast. This season will include some of the same characteristics of prior season along with bringing some new voices to the podcast as we cover a wide range of topics with our guest around sports and sports business. In this week's episode Adam and Brice discuss some of the key themes that will be covered this season and provide a preview of what is to come.
To round out the second season of the Revenue Above Replacement podcast Adam and Brice take a look back at the major themes of the season, why those topics were so important, and how they will evolve in the coming months before giving a preview into what is to come for next season.
Michelle Meyer played volleyball at UC Santa Barbara and graduated in 2009 with a degree in Psychology and a double minor in Sport Management and Athletic Coaching.
After a brief professional career in Denmark, Michelle coached the beach volleyball team at University of Hawaii. She then coached at Pepperdine for one year before running the Olympic pipeline program for USA Beach Volleyball from 2015-2018.
Michelle founded a beach volleyball consulting company prior to founding NIL Network in 2020. In addition to NIL Network, Michelle is the NIL Coordinator at San Diego State University.
With just passing the one year anniversary of NIL legislation on July 1st, we thought this a great time to run one of our favorite episodes again with former Northwestern quarterback Zack Oliver.
Zack is the Chief Financial Officer at MatchPoint Connection. He previously worked at Citigroup as an Associate Vice President in the firm's Merger Arbitrage trading team. Earlier in his career, he worked as a Market Associate at JP Morgan Securities.
Zack attended Northwestern University where he played quarterback on the university's football team. He earned a Masters in Management Studies from Kellogg School of Management.
During the summer quarter the MSA Student Leadership Council hosts a webinar series where they interview sports industry leaders across sports, roles, and backgrounds. The first installment of this series features Michael Amato And Ashley Escajeda from the Chicago Sky.
Over the course of this season of the podcast one topic has appeared more than others - NFTs. Earlier this season we have the opportunity to speak with Kurt Hallead and since that time both the NFT space and his business, that is working to shape that space has continued to evolve.
Kurt is co-founder of Legacy League Inc., an integrated non-fungible token creation and marketplace platform where he provides senior leadership and oversees the business and corporate development functions. Mr. Hallead is a former Wall Street executive with 30-years of experience providing advice to a broad range of corporations and institutional investors.
Until February 2021, Kurt was Co-Head of Global Energy Research at RBC Capital Markets. Under his leadership, the RBC energy research team was transformed from a Canadian centric franchise into a globally renown enterprise. His novel business plans helped drive RBC’s energy franchise revenue to $250 million at its peak while also boosting its energy research market share from 25th to 10th.
As an equity analyst, Kurt was recognized as one of the leading energy industry experts in the world by the likes of Institutional Investor and The Wall Street Journal and was a frequent guest on CNBC and Bloomberg. Prior to RBC, he was affiliated with some of the largest global asset management firms and investment banks including JP Morgan, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, and Salomon Brothers.
Kurt graduated with a B.A. in Finance from Michigan State University and is currently pursuing a Masters in Sports Administration at Northwestern University. He currently serves as an Executive Advisor to the Athletic Director at Southwestern University and sits on the Department of Finance Advisory Board at Michigan State University.
Dave DeVries is a marketing manager and public relations professional with more than 25 years of experience. He is currently a Sr. Communications Manager for HERE Technologies, the world’s leading global provider of maps, traffic and location data-enabling navigation, location-based services and mobile advertising.
Dave was national sports marketing public relations manager at Sprint, supporting the company’s NFL, NHL and venue sponsorships. He has been an adjunct faculty member at Northwestern University since 2010, teaching a variety of public relations courses.
His paper, “Defining the characteristics of a lingering crisis: lessons from the National Zoo,” which examined the emergence of a new crisis communication category defined as the “lingering crisis,” was published by Public Relations Review. He holds a master’s degree in public relations and advertising from DePaul University.
Tyler McQuality is the Illinois Institute of Technology head cross country coach/head track & field coach. He arrived at the Scarlet Hawks in 2018-19 as an assistant cross country/track & field coach. Previously, Tyler was at North Central College where he was a four-time All-CCIW selection for the three-time NCAA Division III Men's Cross Country National Champion Cardinals (2014, 2016, 2017).
Tyler was also a member of the North Central squad that took home the 2017 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field National Championship on their home track.
Tyler obtained his bachelor's degree in business management/sports management from North Central College in 2018 and recently completed his master's degree in sports administration at Northwestern University.
Cheri Kempf has long been at the forefront of women’s sports, specifically fastpitch softball - as a player, instructor, an industry marketing representative, a television sports commentator and as the Commissioner of National Pro Fastpitch.
A four-time National Champion and three-time Hall of Fame Inductee, Cheri has also represented the United States on the international stage as a National Team member for Team USA and 1992 World Cup Champion.
Off of the field, Cheri has supported softball athletes since 1999, when she built and began operating the largest training facility in the world for the sport, known as Club K.
In addition to creating instructional DVDs and software to assist softball players in perfecting their craft, Kempf is the author of the book “Softball Pitching Edge,” published by Human Kinetics. She is also the inventor and patent holder of the Spin Right Spinner, a device that teaches correct spin on pitch deliveries for both softball and baseball.
Cheri has been a color commentator covering NCAA softball for ESPN, and previously commentated for FOX Sports, Comcast Sports, YES Network and the MLB Network.
Cheri was the President and Commissioner of the National Pro Fastpitch from 2007 until 2020 where she led the women's professional fastpitch softball League consisting of 4 teams located in Akron OH, Washington, PA, Chicago IL, and Kissimmee, FL.
In her current role Cheri is the Vice President and Executive Producer for Broadcast Distribution at Athletes Unlimited - an organization that aims to empower athletes as leaders, promote inclusive ownership focused on long-term financial and personal well-being of athletes, and bring fans closer to the game by innovating on and off the field.
On this week's episode Adam and Brice take a break from the interviews and discuss with each other current headlines and trends in sports including some recent large sports events (Miami Grand Prix, The Kentucky Derby) and the in-person attendance of those events.
Kieran Kelliher serves as the VP, Finance (CFO role) for the Chicago Bulls, with a particular focus on business operations. He leads the finance and retail operations of the team, the business operations of the Windy City Bulls G League franchise, and is the Treasurer of Chicago Bulls Charities. He serves as a member of the NBA’s Risk Management Advisory Council, and previously on the NBA All-Star 2020 operating committee.
Kieran also serves on the faculty of Northwestern University as an Adjunct Lecturer, teaching ""Sports Business: Finance, Accounting & Economics"" for the Master’s in Sports Administration program, and is co-chair of the program’s admissions committee.
A licensed CPA in the state of Illinois and a member of the AICPA and Illinois CPA Society, Kieran graduated with Bachelors in both Accounting and Corporate Finance and a Masters in Accounting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Kieran is also serving on the national board of directors, the executive committee, and the local Chicago council for Feed My Starving Children (FMSC). FMSC's approach is simple: children and adults hand-pack meals specifically formulated for malnourished children; the meals are sent to approximately 70 countries each year where they are used to operate orphanages, schools, clinics and other building blocks of healthy communities.
LeKeisha Marsh is a partner at Akerman, LLP. and serves as the chair of Akerman’s Government Affairs and Public Policy Practice Group, leading a bipartisan team of professionals providing strategic counsel on policy and regulatory issues in the United States.
With a comprehensive legal background serving the higher education sector, including as an NCAA staff member, LaKeisha also serves as the chair of Akerman's Higher Education and Collegiate Athletics Practice. She represents colleges, universities, and related institutions on federal and state regulatory compliance, accreditation, state licensure, institutional governance, and collegiate sports and NCAA compliance-related matters.
LaKeisha has structured and executed a broad range of transactional, restructuring, finance, and corporate governance matters for educational institutions. She holds numerous leadership positions at the firm, including a member of the firm's Board of Directors and Co-Chair of its Women Initiative Network.
LaKeisha received her Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from Clark Atlanta University and her law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. In addition, LaKeisha teaches the Legal and Ethical Issues in Sports course in the Northwestern MSA program.
Kristin Kane Herbison joined the MSA faculty in the spring of 2021. Kristin has spent all of her career in college athletics and higher education. Most recently, Kane served as the Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Academic Services and Student Development at Northwestern from the spring of 2013 to the fall of 2021. In that role, she oversaw operations of the department's academic services and student development programs, managing a team of seven full-time staff members and an intern.
The Academic Services and Student Development office works to ensure that student-athletes on all 19 of Northwestern's varsity teams receive a full range of support in academic advising, time management, and life skills, goal setting, financial aid, and various other academic and developmental services needed in their pursuit of excellence on and off the field.
Kristin served as the main liaison from the athletics department to the academic community on campus and served on the university’s Undergraduate Council. She was also a member of the Department of Athletics and Recreation’s senior staff and worked as a sports administrator for the cross country and women’s tennis programs.
Prior to joining Northwestern, Kristin worked at the University of Illinois for 15 years, most recently as Director of Academic Services where she managed 12 full-time counselors and two graduate assistants. She started her career as a graduate assistant in 1999 at Illinois' Irwin Academic Center before being hired as a full-time academic counselor in 2001.
Throughout her time at Illinois, she had various duties including oversight of study hall and tutor programming for all teams as well as academic counseling for a variety of sports including cross country and track, softball, gymnastics, football, and men's basketball. Before her promotion to director of academic services, Kane spent eight years as the lead academic counselor for the Illinois football program.
Kristin graduated magna cum laude with double majors in sociology and physical education from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1998, where she was a member of the women’s basketball team. She obtained her master's degree in kinesiology in 2001 from Illinois, where she also worked as a teaching assistant for the Department of Kinesiology.
Zack Oliver is the Chief Financial Officer at MatchPoint Connection. He previously worked at Citigroup as an Associate Vice President in the firm's Merger Arbitrage trading team. Earlier in his career, he worked as a Market Associate at JP Morgan Securities.
Zack attended Northwestern University where he played quarterback on the university's football team. He earned a Masters in Management Studies from Kellogg School of Management.
This weeks episodes features a panel discussion put on by the MSA program as part of the Northwestern University School of Professional Studies Thought Leadership Series. This series is a program of online events featuring a wide range of compelling topics and thoughtfully led conversations throughout the academic year. Our topic – The Evolution of College Sports.
In recent years, there has been a fundamental shift within the college sports landscape. We have seen changes to the core of college athletics that will have lasting effects for decades, from Name/Image/Likeness to content rights and distribution to conference realignment and new transfer rules.
All this change has come amid a global pandemic, which has forced universities to adjust approaches and business models and fans shift the way they interact and consume. These rapid changes bring enormous promise to athletes and fans alike but also bring questions about how that evolution will continue. To discuss that evolution, we have three experts that bring a wide array of experience across the collegiate sports landscape.
Alex Kerr is the CEO of Trajektory. In that role he brings a blend of quantitative, strategy, and marketing expertise. Trajektory is an award winning B2B SaaS solution revolutionizing the way organizations interact and leverage their sponsorship data and insights throughout the sports, media & entertainment industry.
Prior to Trajektory, Alex oversaw growth marketing and business intelligence at Shop Your Way, an internationally acclaimed loyalty and e-commerce platform.
Prior to Shop Your Way, Alex helped build both a marketing analytics and business intelligence department at Monumental Sports & Entertainment, the largest integrated sports and entertainment company in the country.
Alex earned a bachelors in Economics from Kenyon College and an M.B.A. from Duke University’s, Fuqua School of Business. It was there he discovered the importance of effectively building teams and operational efficiencies.
Taylor Bloom is the CEO and Co-Founder of SportTechie. SportTechie use immersive storytelling and industry-leading events, to connect us as consumer to the innovators and power brokers who are shaping the future of sports technology.
From its inception Taylor has led the SportTechie’s charge to become the definitive global sports technology resource. His position and experience gives him powerful and unique access to the pulse of sports technology innovation.
SportTechie was acquired by Leaders Group, parent company of Sports Business Journal, in November 2021. The combined entity is the leading source of insights and information for sports industry leaders and innovators.
Geoff Bough got his Masters of Science from the Medill School of Journalism in 2006 and for the last 15 years has been involved in the sports industry.
Geoff was a ground floor employee at FanDuel where he ran business development for the company. He then shifted over to leading large scale acquisition marketing budgets in executive roles at Flutter Entertainment, William Hill, and Caesars Entertainment.
More recently, he's returned to his business development roots starting an agency - gm Consulting - that focuses on securing sports and music partnerships for companies in the cryptocurrency industry.
His agency has been involved in negotiating and signing some of the biggest deals in the crypto space, including Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen, Steph Curry, Trevor Lawrence, Shohei Ohtani, and league deals with Major League Baseball and League of Legends North America. His agency has been responsible for negotiating over $500M in partnerships in the crypto space in the last year.
Adam Cook is the Director of Athlete Development & Partnerships at Campus Ink where he helps professional and collegiate athletes build and leverage their personal brand.
His career has spanned a wide range of roles in sport, recreation, and fitness. He has served as a strength and conditioning coach, Men's and Women's Volleyball coach, and developed multiple athletic international service-learning programs.
Adam has led sport and community impact programs in more than 20 countries as part of his passion for growing global sporting opportunities. This range of experience has given him a unique insight into the growing impact of sport on a global scale with first-hand experience at the highest levels of competition down to local community initiatives.
In addition to his work at Campus Ink Adam is also an adjunct faculty member at Northwestern where he teaches multiple course in the MSA program, and at at California Baptist University in Exercise Science and Sport Psychology.
Kurt Hallead is Co-founder of Legacy League Inc., an integrated non-fungible token creation and marketplace platform where he provides senior leadership and oversees the business and corporate development functions. Mr. Hallead is a former Wall Street executive with 30-years of experience providing advice to a broad range of corporations and institutional investors.
Until February 2021, Kurt was Co-Head of Global Energy Research at RBC Capital Markets. Under his leadership, the RBC energy research team was transformed from a Canadian centric franchise into a globally renown enterprise. His novel business plans helped drive RBC’s energy franchise revenue to $250 million at its peak while also boosting its energy research market share from 25th to 10th.
As an equity analyst, Kurt was recognized as one of the leading energy industry experts in the world by the likes of Institutional Investor and The Wall Street Journal and was a frequent guest on CNBC and Bloomberg. Prior to RBC, he was affiliated with some of the largest global asset management firms and investment banks including JP Morgan, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, and Salomon Brothers.
Kurt graduated with a B.A. in Finance from Michigan State University and is currently pursuing a Masters in Sports Administration at Northwestern University. He currently serves as an Executive Advisor to the Athletic Director at Southwestern University and sits on the Department of Finance Advisory Board at Michigan State University.
From the Winter Olympics to the Super Bowl and the NBA All-Star game the last several weeks have been a busy time in sports. Adam and Brice discuss those events along with the viewing patterns of those events and the shifting landscape of sports consumption.
Nadia Erickson Edwards serves as a a Director of Regional Development at the University of Notre Dame. In her role she works with friends, family and alumni in San Diego, Santa Barbara and the Central Coast who aspire to make a transformational impact on the mission of Notre Dame.
Prior to his role at Notre Dame Nadia spent several years as a volleyball coach at the college level including at Ohio University, Ohio State University, and DePaul where she spent eight seasons as the head volleyball coach. Under her tutelage, multiple players were recognized as Big East All-Conference performers, and the team earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award six times.
Nadia is a native of Frankfort Illinois and attended Penn State University for undgrad where she a member of the Nittany Lions volleyball team. During her career the team compiled an impeccable record of 135-10, and a conference record of 75-5. She was a member of four Big Ten Championship teams and reached three NCAA national finals including one national championship, the first in the programs history. From Penn State she received her bachelor’s degree from the Smeal College of Business School in Marketing and received a Masters in Sports Administration from Northwestern University.
Brice is joined by Matt Nerrie a Senior Athletic Trainer who specializes in concussion care for Northwestern Medicine Student Health Service. Matt holds an undergraduate degree in sports science from the University of the Pacific and a masters degree from Michigan State University in kinesiology.
Prior to coming to Northwestern Medicine Student Health Service Matt was an athletic trainer at the University of Washington where he focused on baseball and football and held roles with Elite Sports and Spine and the National Football League.
Adam is joined by Brian Stedman the Executive Vice President of Strategy and Development at Major League Baseball. Brian oversees the newly formed Strategy and Development department of Major League Baseball, which will work closely with teams, internal MLB departments, and partners to establish strategic plans that impact crucial areas of business including international, media, marketing, and ticketing.
Prior to his role with Major League Baseball, Brian worked for Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment, where he was most recently the Executive Vice President of Global Strategy. While at WWE, Brian oversaw corporate strategy and data analytics. Brian also has experience expanding strategy and operations at the international level, which culminated in the WWE Network expanding to nearly 200 countries.
Adam and Brice are back for another season of the Revenue Above Replacement podcast. In this episode Adam and Brice discuss what they have been working on since the last episodes and give a preview of the people and topics that will be featured in the upcoming season.
The first season of the Northwestern Masters of the Arts in Sports Administration Revenue Above Replacement podcast has seen Adam and Brice interview sports industry leaders across a wide range of disciplines. More of the great content is coming and Adam and Brice will be back in September with new and exciting episodes of the Revenue Above Replacement Podcast.
A native of Chicago, Carmen Vitali is a Staff Writer and Sr. Coordinator of Digital Content for the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Carmen attended Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication for her undergraduate studies where she interned for Sun Devil Athletics in their sports information department.
Carmen holds a master’s degree from Northwestern University in Sports Administration where she graduated in 2016, right before taking her first job with the Buccaneers as the team’s copywriter.
Slade Larscheid is the Deputy Athletic Director at South Dakota State University and has over a decade of experience in athletic administration, fundraising and marketing. In his role Slade supports the day to day operations of the athletics department with oversight of all revenue generation, marketing and communications.
Prior to his current role, Slade served as director of athletics at Augustana University from 2014 to 2018. Under his leadership, the university had unprecedented success in the classroom, competition and revenue generation. It was capped off when Augustana won the NCAA Division II men’s basketball national championship in 2016.
A native of Spearfish South Dakota, Slade attended Northwestern University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in communications and master’s in sports administration. He was also a three-year letter-winner for the Wildcat football team, and earned academic All-Big Ten honors in 2006.
Adrian Madero is a co-founder and partner of 2M Boxing Promotions. In that role he is responsible for all aspects of boxing promotion including sourcing new talent, organizing prize fights, negotiating media coverage and right, venue logistics along with marketing of the event and fighters.
Adrian is a native of Chihuahua Mexico and did his undergraduate studies at Universidad de Monterrey is San Pedro Garza García, Mexico and holds a masters in Sports Administration from Northwestern university.
Adam Sperling is an Executive Director with the PGA Tour and is responsible for the 2022 Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow.
Adam has over 15 years of experience in the professional golf space with previous work as the Executive Director for the Shriners Hospital for Children Open, the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and Wal-Mat First Tee Open.
Adam is a graduate of Ithaca College in upstate New York and holds a degree in Sports Management and Media Studies and has been an instrumental advisor to the Northwestern MSA program.
Adam and Brice participated in the Northwestern University School of Professional Studies (SPS) lunchtime panel discussion on the potential for blockchain in sports media and sponsorship.
The lecture was the first event in SPS's new Lunchtime Table Talk series, a monthly lecture and Q&A series over lunch that highlights the interdisciplinary research and conversation occurring at the School of Professional Studies. The lectures are free and open to Northwestern University staff, students, and faculty, as well as the general public.
Ryan Djabbarah is the Vice President of Corporate Sponsorships and Marketing at Citi. As part of the Global Brand Team, Ryan works with partners and colleagues across the enterprise ensuring efficient and effective management of Citi’s sponsorship investments, focused on purposeful partnerships that engage clients, consumers and colleagues at their passion points. In addition to leading major sports sponsorships like Citi Field, the PGA TOUR, Paralympics and Manchester City, Ryan also oversees Citi’s non-sports sponsorship verticals like Global Citizen Festival (music), Harlem EatUp! (culinary) and Perez Art Museum Miami.
Before joining Citi seven years ago, Ryan was the Vice President of Strategic Consulting for Genesco Sports Enterprises. In this role, Ryan lead teams focused on saving clients’ money in sports sponsorship acquisition while effectively leveraging those sponsorships to drive brand and business objectives. Ryan led the account teams that worked on some of the largest brands in sports including Pepsi, MillerCoors and Sirius Satellite Radio. Ryan has worked extensively with North American sports properties like the NFL, NBA, NCAA, NHL, PGA TOUR and NASCAR but continues to work on more global properties as Citi’s portfolio diversifies in sponsorship.
Marc “Blue” Bluestein is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Aquarius Sports and Entertainment, an award-winning sponsorship consulting, activation, and experiential marketing agency based in the Washington, D.C. market. A self-described sports aficionado, Blue has spent the last 20+ years developing and negotiating integrated sponsorships spanning the Super Bowl, Olympics, NCAA Men’s Final Four, PGA Tour, NASCAR, and multiple NFL, MLB, NHL, and NBA local franchises, their venues, and major events.
Aquarius, most recently, was named to the 2019 Chief Marketer 200 List as a Top Marketing Agency and recognized as a 2019 Best Employer in Sports by Front Office Sports; previously the agency was recognized in 2018 as a Chief Marketer 200 agency, 2017 and 2015 as an Event Marketer Top 100 Agency, 2016 Promo Magazine Top Shop, 2014 Sports Business Award Finalist for Best Sports and Experiential Marketing Agency and was named to Inc. Magazine’s 2014 and 2013 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in the U.S.
Before launching Aquarius in 2007, Blue served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Sportsworx where he oversaw corporate marketing and sales for Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals, the Nationals’ Radio Network, and the National Hockey League’s Washington Capitals. He previously served as Senior Director of Sponsorship Sales for Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, the regional sports network (RSN) serving the Washington area. Prior to that, Mr. Bluestein managed integrated sponsorship sales for the nation’s recognized leader in sports journalism, Sports Illustrated. Blue began his career in the sports marketing arena by handling sports media planning and buying for the prominent agency Mediavest Worldwide where he negotiated sports marketing sponsorships for top consumer brands including Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, and Philips Norelco, among several others.
Creating Aquarius combined his passion for sports and brand management. He leads business development and supervises the day-to-day operations for the agency, having worked directly with the agency’s clients including AAA, Advent Health, Baptist Health, Target Corporation, Hershey’s, Kraft Foods, M&T Bank, MedStar Health, Emory Healthcare, Virtua Health, and others. A strong believer in community service, Blue is a past member of the U.S.A. National Board of Trustees for the United Way, the world’s largest nonprofit organization, where he acts as the Board Liaison for the nonprofit organization in its long-standing relationship with the NFL. Blue is also active in the sports marketing industry currently serving as a Board Member of Most Valuable Kids, the University of Central Florida’s DeVos Sport Business Management and University of South Florida’s Sports and Entertainment Management Master Programs, a past Board of Director member of the National Sports Forum, the largest annual gathering of team sports marketing, sales, promotions and current member of the National Sports Marketing Network.
Blue attended the University of South Florida, majoring in Business Administration and Marketing. He loves to travel, coach youth baseball, and spend time with his wife Randi and two sets of twins (15-year-old Allie and Bryce and 13-year-old Colby and Delaney) at their home in Sandy Spring, MD.
John Shea is Chief Executive Officer of the Octagon Sports & Entertainment Network, a role he assumed on April 5, 2021. Prior to being named CEO, Shea served as Global President, Marketing and Events, Octagon.
As CEO, Shea is charged with leading the day-to-day responsibilities and strategic management for OSEN’s collection of industry-leading sports and entertainment marketing, talent management, communications, influencer, and creative firms including Octagon, R&CPMK, ITB, Futures Sports + Entertainment, FRUKT, and Milkmoney.
An industry veteran with more than two decades of experience in sports marketing, sponsorship, and advertising, Shea manages a team of 1,200+ employees across the globe working to help the agency network clients find the next right move in the sports and entertainment landscape.
Since joining Octagon in 1994, Shea has been responsible for oversight of Octagon’s U.S. and international marketing practices and global marketing offices, including all partnerships, events, experiential marketing, strategy, content, technology, and creative offerings. In addition, he has led the agency’s marketing relationships with sports leagues, teams, and properties worldwide, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, PGA, LPGA, Premier League, UEFA, MLS, NWSL, FIFA, USOPC, and IOC.
Shea’s management of Octagon’s marketing team has resulted in client partnerships that span decades, including AB InBev, Allstate, Bank of America, BMW, Cisco, Coca-Cola, Delta, PlayStation, Taco Bell, Mastercard and many others. In addition, under Shea’s guidance, Octagon’s award-winning client programs have been recognized by Cannes, Clio Sports, Sports Business Journal, and many others.
A graduate of St. John’s University, Shea was named one of Sports Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” - as one of the best and the brightest of the rising generation in sports business - in 2008 and 2009. Shea also serves on the Clio Sports Awards jury.
Keith Bank is the Founder and Managing Partner of KB Partners and has a diverse background in start ups, real estate and other entrepreneurial ventures. He founded and serves on the Board of Directors of Club Champion Golf and was the past Chairman of SteadyMed Ltd. (NASDAQ:STDY). He also serves on the boards of Full Swing Golf, Phenix Real-Time Solutions, ANGLR, Hammerhead and Workforce Athletics and oversees the firm’s investments in MVPIndex, FanCompass and Shape Matrix.
Keith has been a very "hands-on" venture capital and angel investor in a wide variety of industries, including the medical, semiconductor, internet, telecom, software, cable TV, sports and golf, consumer and retail, and social media arenas. Prior to forming the KB Partners venture funds, Mr. Bank cofounded and served on the Board and as President of MST Analytics, Inc., a semiconductor product and services business, which was successfully sold to ATMI, Inc., a public company, in 1999.
Keith was a founding board member of the Illinois Venture Capital Association, and served as its Chairman in 2005-2006. He was the recipient of the IVCA’s prestigious Fellows Medal in 2006. Keith founded and, for 16 years, served as the Chairman of the Chicago Select Golf Invitational, one of the largest American Cancer Society golf fundraising events in the country, having raised approximately $8 million under his guidance. He has been honored by Crain’s Chicago Business as a “40 Under 40”, a Who’s Who of Chicago Executives, and as one of the 100 most prominent members of Chicago’s technology community. Keith is active in CEO’s against Cancer and NU Wave, an athletic fundraising vehicle for Northwestern University.
Prior to forming KB Partners in 1996, Keith was a Principal at HSA, a Chicago- based national real estate development, investment, management and brokerage firm. There, he was instrumental in the development, acquisition, financing, sale, and leasing of over three million square feet of property with a value in excess of $650 million. Other career highlights include cofounding a deep discount retailer, acquiring and completing a successful turnaround of a women’s apparel manufacturing and sales company, and procuring the equity and debt financing for, and serving as the Producer and Executive Producer of feature films entitled “Heaven is a Playground” (1991) and the BAFTA award winning "Tommy's Honour" (2017).
Keith graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. degree in Economics from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and holds an MBA in Finance with honors from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. He is 99% of the way towards achieving his goal of playing the Top 100 golf courses in the United States.
Lindsay Barenz is the President of Business Operations for the Washington Spirit. She joined the Spirit after serving as the Vice President of Business Development for the National Women’s Soccer League. At the NSWSL Lindsay led the sale of the league’s broadcast rights to CBS and Twitch. Lindsay also helped secure several league-wide partnership deals with companies including Google, Verizon, Secret Deodorant and Barkbox.
Prior to joining the NWSL’s front office, Lindsay served as the Vice President of Strategic Business Development and General Counsel for the Utah Royals FC, Real Salt Lake, and Real Monarchs. Additionally, Lindsay was Real Salt Lake’s Alternate Governor on Major League Soccer’s Board of Governors.
Coming to the Spirit is a return to the nations capital for Lindsay who previously lived in the Washington, D.C. area where she spent time as a union activist and later as a member of the Obama Administration in the White House Office of Management and Budget. Lindsay is a native of Centerville, Utah and a graduate of the University of Utah and Yale Law School.
Dan Frystak is a strategic sports and entertainment industry leader with extensive experience in creating and executing highly successful partnerships within the sports industry. Dan has held multiple positions with his company, CDW, where he is now the Sr. Manager of Partner Development. Within that role Dan works with CDW's network of technology vendors to design and create new partnerships within the sports, entertainment and charity space that demonstrate CDW's capabilities and their partners' technologies.
Dan is also a familiar face and voice to those in the Sports Administration program as he is a frequent contributor to the Sponsorship course taught by Jim Andrews. We are always grateful for the time and insight Dan provides to the program and hope you enjoy Adam’s interview with Dan Frystak.
Nate Walker is the President of Diamond Solutions. Nate played 5 years of Division I baseball at College of the Holy Cross and Northwestern University where he received a Bachelor’s of Economics and a Master’s of Sports Administration. Following the completion of his Master’s Degree at Northwestern, the Tampa Bay Rays hired Nate as an Advanced Scout for the 2016 season. His primary duties were to assist the Major League coaching staff with game preparation as well as assist the front office with statistical research projects, the Amateur Draft, the Trade Deadline, and Minor League Free Agency. Following the 2016 season, Nate was hired by the Toronto Blue Jays in a similar capacity.
After the 2017 MLB season ended, Nate decided to take the management skills he learned in the front offices to start Diamond Solutions, a player development consulting firm that educates coaches and players how they can utilize data analysis to gain a competitive advantage on the field.
Matt Deimund is the SVP of Corporate Strategy & Development and Managing Director of Fanbase at Learfield IMG College. He leads the Corporate Strategy & Development team, the Data & Analytics team, Insights team, and Fanbase data and analytics platform.
Prior to his work with Learfield IMG College Matt was an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company where he helped clients solve commercial challenges including identifying a growth agenda, refining go-to-market strategy, building at-scale sales capabilities, optimizing sales / distribution, and implementing a revenue management strategy.
Matt is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with degrees in Finance and Accounting and received his MBA from Harvard Business School.
Dr. Andrew Kersten is double board-certified physcian in orthopedic surgery and orthopedic sports medicine, and provides individualized care to athletes of all ages. He specializes in disorders of the shoulder, knee, and elbow, but cares for the full spectrum of orthopedic issues.
Dr. Kersten completed his undergraduate education at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, earned his medical degree at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. He went on to complete his residency in orthopedic surgery at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, one of the top-ranked hospitals in the country.
Dr. Kersten then finished a one-year fellowship in arthroscopy and sports medicine at San Diego Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Center. During his fellowship training, Dr. Kersten worked with the San Diego Padres and San Diego State University football and soccer teams.
Sarah Spain, a native of Lake Forest, is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning sports journalist. In addition to her national ESPN Radio show, “Spain and Fitz,” and her podcast “That’s What She Said with Sarah Spain,” Spain is an espnW columnist, a regular panelist on ESPN television’s “Around the Horn” and “Highly Questionable,” and a frequent contributor to other ESPN properties including “Outside The Lines” and “SportsCenter.” Spain is also a co-owner of the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League.
Prior to her career in journalism, Spain received All-Conference, All-Area, and All-State accolades in high school for basketball, field hockey, and track and went on to be a heptathlete and co-captain of the Track and Field team at Cornell University. She graduated with distinction in all subjects and was a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the Golden Key National Honor Society (top 15% of her class). She was a member of the 400 Club, honoring Varsity athletes with a semester GPA of at least 4.0 and she earned the Blanford Award for the Varsity Track & Field senior who scored the most career points.
Named to the Crain’s Chicago Business “40 Under 40” list in 2017, she’s the co-founder of “Hear The Cheers,” which provides hearing aids and equipment to kids so they can continue participating in sports and activities, and is on the board of Embarc, a program that provides community-driven, experienced-based learning opportunities to low-income Chicago high school students.
Tanesha Wade is the Director of Events and Entertainment for the Chicago Bears - a position she has held since 2013. In her role, she is responsible for overall game presentation, including all entertainment elements, as well as major fan events such as the Bears Draft Day Party, Family Fest and training camp.
Tanesha grew up in Des Moines, Iowa and graduated from Oregon State University in 2000 with a business degree. She played basketball in college and had an opportunity to play professionally overseas. Her post playing career has included roles with the Iowa Barnstormers, the Chicago Rush, and the University of Minnesota before coming to her current role with the Bears.
Starting this summer Tanesha will be the newest faculty member of the Northwestern MSA program leading and course centered on events and entertainment.
This week’s episode features Mike Schroeder. Mike is a certified athletic trainer and Manager of Athletic Services at Athletico. Mike has a diverse background in the sports industry with work at the college, minor league, and professional levels across multiple sports.
Mike and Brice discuss the athletic training profession, his career journey, current trends in the sports healthcare, and advice for those with career interests in the sports industry.
You and find out more about Mike and Athletico at their website, www.athletico.com, on social media at @athleticopt, and to find out more about careers in athletic training check out @NATA1950.
On this week's episode Adam takes a break from asking the questions in favor of answering the questions. Adam was a recent guest of the Sports Equity Podcast, hosted by Brett Weisbrot.
A graduate of the University of Arizona, Corey Leff—better known as JohnWallStreet—began his career in sports talk radio at the Fox Sports Radio affiliate in Tucson. After a couple of years covering his beloved Wildcats, the New Jersey native left Southern Arizona for sunny South Florida. Leff spent much of the next decade honing his business skills at a pair of tech-based startups.
In 2012, he returned to the tri-state area and entered the world of equity research. Leff spent the next half decade at a NYC-based sell-side TMT firm. In 2017, he pulled his sports, business and finance background together with the launch of JohnWallStreet. The daily e-newsletter has since become a "must-read" for the most influential names within sports business.
Brian is the President & Chief Financial Officer at beastcoast. Founded in July 2017, beastcoast is an esports organization that focuses on player interests, well-being, and happiness. The firm emphasizes quality content, entertainment, and community engagement. It elevates esports merchandise. The organization celebrates the diversity and charm of gaming communities, large or small.
Tony Schiller has 25+ years in the sports and entertainment marketing industry with a successful track record of building sustainable marketing platforms and relationships. His strengths include innovation, relationship building, strategic vision, building dynamic, measurable programs, and intense, being a results-oriented negotiator. Most importantly, he's always focused on creating and maintaining a healthy culture that promotes trust, open communication, and reliable, enjoyable teamwork.
Clients have included Continental/United Airlines, Anheuser-Busch, General Mills, Holiday Inn, Sears, Gatorade, One A Day Vitamins, Alka Seltzer, Bayer, Gillette, Sharpie, PNC Bank, Lucent Technologies, Reliant Energy, Giant Eagle et al.
Tony has worked with the MLB, NFL, NBA, PGA, NASCAR, NCAA, USOC, and most sports properties from little league up to the pros. Additionally, he's had intensive experience in music, entertainment, arts, and media marketing channels.
Tony advises start ups in the area of capital raise, revenue generation, strategic partnerships and operations. Start ups including Pogo Seats, Sports Lock, Gain Fitness, Passion House Roasters, Golf Miles, vStream, Fan Footage, Triax Technologies, a Upfront Analytics, CashMusic.org and Whetstone Winery. Advisor to Enterprise Ireland.
Charles Baker is Co-Chair of O’Melveny’s Sports Industry Group. Chuck’s corporate practice encompasses mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and venture capital transactions, with a core focus in the sports, media and consumer sectors.
Chuck has represented buyers and sellers of sports franchises in the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS, and many of the European football leagues. Most recently, Chuck represented David Tepper, founder and president of global hedge fund Appaloosa Management, in his acquisition of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.
Chuck has been featured by dozens of national publications and other media outlets as a thought leader in the fields of sports and entertainment law, and is also a frequent public speaker on those topics. Most recently, The American Lawyer named Chuck to its prestigious 2019 “Dealmakers of the Year” list. He was also profiled in Variety’s 2018 and 2017 “Dealmakers Elite New York,” a feature spotlighting the most important players in the fields of law, finance, representation, and executive leadership.
Chuck has been recognized nationally for sports law in the last six editions of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, which has described him as a “very strong practitioner” who is “well connected, incredibly bright and just able to get the deal closed” with “tremendous experience and know-how in the sports space.”
He was also recognized by Law360 in 2015 and 2016 for his stellar M&A and sports law work, and by the Global M&A Network for his work on the sale of the Atlanta Hawks NBA team, naming it the “2015 USA Deal of the Year” at its prestigious M&A Atlas Awards. In 2016, he was featured in Sports Business Journal’s “Power Players: Sports Lawyers & Outside Counsel” 2016 list.
Chuck, who holds a JD from Cornell University, is a Distinguished Lecturer at NYU’s Tisch Institute for Sports Management, Media, and Business. He is also a member of the University of Miami School of Law’s Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law board. Chuck also served as a staff associate for former Senator Bill Bradley.
He is active at the board level with the March of Dimes and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and previously with USA Triathlon.
Chris Cabott is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Steinberg Sports & Entertainment and oversees all aspects of the company’s finances, internal operations and is a certified NFL agent on all SSE athlete contracts. Originally from Philadelphia, Chris is an attorney, certified National Football League Player Agent and has extensive experience in the entertainment industry. Throughout his career, Chris has negotiated over $500 million in client contracts.
In addition, Chris has over 92 gold and platinum records to his name and has worked on a number of feature films. In 2016, Chris was honored as the first professional to ever in one calendar year sign a first round draft pick, land a major record label deal for a recording artist, and negotiate a life rights option with a major film studio. Chris has also helped a number of athletes become successful in the entertainment industry with one of the most notable examples Jimmy Rollins and Jimmy Rollins Entertainment Group; where Chris created a music publishing company for Jimmy and helped him become the first athlete to ever turn a profit in the music industry.
Leigh Steinberg says that Chris Cabott is the next super agent. This billing comes at no surprise considering Chris’ resume and success.
Chris is an adjunct instructor at Temple University’s Fox School of Business, where he teaches sports law. He is the coauthor of "Keeping Out the Little Guy: An Older Contract Advisor’s Concern, a Younger Contract Advisor’s Lament" (2005) in the Villanova Law Journal and The Legal and Business Aspects of Sport Management (2012 Kendall Hunt Publishers). Both publications address the laws and rules governing the representation of NFL athletes. He is a member of the American Bar Association Forum on Sports and Entertainment Law and Sports Lawyers Association.
French has created and operated multiple disruptive businesses in the sports, consumer goods, media and technology industries.
He is currently the Chief Executive Officer and on the Board of Directors for X2 PERFORMANCE®. Previous ventures include Mission, The Players' Tribune, and NBCUniversal.
Mark is a Founding Partner of MISSION and Inventor of Court Grip, an NBA endorsed, patented traction-enhancing formula and delivery system that Mark developed with NBA Legend Dwyane Wade. Mark and his team also launched EnduraCool a revolutionary instant-cooling product line. Mark worked closely with partners Serena Williams, Dwyane Wade, Drew Brees, Carmelo Anthony, Reggie Bush, Georges St. Pierre, etc. on the development and marketing of MISSION's product lines. MISSION was acquired in 2017.
Mark is partnered with Bunim / Murray Productions and CAA Sports where Mark is developing television properties with world-class athlete partners.
Mark is a member of Derek Jeter’s Board of Advisors for The Players’ Tribune. Mark is helping Jeter and partners (Steph Curry, Kobe Bryant, Russell Wilson, etc.) with strategy, athlete relations, fundraising, marketing, and recruiting.
Mark was an accomplished media intrapreneur. As the Founder/GM of NBC’s Universal’s alternative media division, NBC Everywhere, Mark developed a national OOH network featuring screens in taxis, trains, gas pumps, etc. delivering 3BB annual captive mobile impressions.
Mark serves on the Board of NFTE and is a delegate for Pope Francis' Sport At The Service of Humanity global initiative.
John Kosner is an internet pioneer and 40-year veteran of sports media. Today, he is president of Kosner Media, a digital media and sports consultancy. In 2018, John and the late NBA Commissioner Emeritus David Stern created Micromanagement Ventures, a portfolio of sports technology start ups focused on media, betting, and player health. John continues to serve as an advisor to and an investor in the fifteen companies in Micromanagement Ventures. He is also a popular moderator and panelist at industry events and webinars.
Previously, John led ESPN digital media from 2003-2017, after stints at Sports Illustrated, the NBA, CBS Sports, and NBC Sports. In his twenty-one years at the company, Kosner built ESPN into the world’s leading digital sports destination, increasing traffic tenfold and turning an unprofitable business into ESPN’s fastest-growing one. Kosner and his team helped revolutionize the sports experience with ESPN.com, the ESPN App, Fantasy Sports, streaming including the development of ESPN3, and podcasting with PodCenter subscription services with Insider (now ESPN+). He was also responsible for recruiting, retaining, and developing exceptional sports writing talent including Wright Thompson, Bill Simmons, Zach Lowe, Ramona Shelburne, Bill Barnwell, and Sambit Bal as well as specialists like Adrian Wojnarowski, Matthew Berry, Henry Abbott, Jayski and Darren Rovell.
George Pyne is Founder & CEO of Bruin Sports Capital, the global sports and entertainment company launched in 2015. Bruin is the latest chapter of his widely-respected career--architecting business transformation in a range of industries that manifest in billions of revenue shareholder value. Backed by the industry's top private equity companies and family investors, Bruin specializes in developing high-growth global, sports, and entertainment businesses.
Throughout his career, Pyne has demonstrated an uncanny ability to uncover potential that others may not, and then turn that potential into immense value. Bruin is the latest example, a venture created to identify the great ideas that would thrive amidst the tectonic shifts to the sports economy and, with the Bruin overlay, lead the industry forward. Today, Bruin's portfolio of leading-edge companies operates on five continents. It is relied upon by virtually every major sports league, governing body, rights holder, as well as billions of sports fans.
Bruin follows Pyne's stewardship of IMG, where, as President and Board Member for IMG Sports and Entertainment, he was responsible for record revenue and earnings growth across multiple commercial lines of business. That growth was the catalyst for the $2.4B price WME paid for the company in 2014. Before that, as COO and Board Member for NASCAR, he designed the commercialization plan that transformed the regional, niche sport into an elite U.S. sports league generating multibillions in commercial revenue.
He began his career working for his family's real estate business before moving to Atlanta, GA to lead a full analysis of the city's school budget and operations, on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce. That work led to sweeping reforms. He went on to work for Portman Companies, the eponymous commercial real estate and architectural firm founded by the iconic architect. At Portman, he organized the world's second-largest debt restructuring (at the time) and also launched his first business (sports marketing). NASCAR was a client and eventually recruited him to build the commercial side of the sport. He became only the second non-family member to join the Board of NASCAR.
He is on the Board of the National Football Foundation and the National Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of New York. He also served on the Board of 24-Hour Fitness. A Brown University graduate, Pyne was Captain, All-Ivy League, and All-New England honoree as an offensive lineman for the Bruins.
Matt Gottlieb is currently the Vice President for Insights and Measurement for Sports at NBC Universal. Matt started his career in analytics at Qorvis Communications in Washington DC before moving on to Atlantic Media where he had a focus on polling. Matt was also the polling editor for the National Journal Hotline a well-known polling outfit with a focus on political news.
Matt received an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business and continued his work in New York with Verizon with multiple roles that focused on analytics and research particularly across Verizon's partnership portfolio. Matt joined Whistle as the Vice President of Research and Insights in 2009. Whistle is a digital media first company that examines digital media, and the ability to connect with fans using insights, research, and media strategy.
Ray Warren is President of Telemundo Deportes. In this role, Warren oversees NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises’ growing sports business and leads its strategy across all its platforms and networks. He is responsible for developing opportunities for both existing franchises and future acquisitions with a keen focus on the FIFA World Cup properties.
Warren joined NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises from NBC Sports, where he was Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer of NBC Sports Regional Networks.
His over thirty-year career spans several senior-level positions at leading advertising and media companies, including serving as President of Carat Media Group Americas, Managing Director of OMD USA, and President and CEO of Raycom Sports. He also held several senior sales positions at ABC Television Network.
Warren serves on the board of Citizens through Sports Alliance, the York College Foundation, and the York College School of Journalism. He received his bachelor’s degree in communications from York College of The City University of New York.
A strategic thinker with an analytical approach to solving problems, Marques is driven to create growth, where others may not see opportunity.
As a small school prospect and 7th round draft pick by the New Orleans Saints, not much was expected from Marques as an NFL player. His ability to understand the nuances of the wide receiver position allowed him to make an immediate impact. He developed a keen understanding of how every role fit into the overall context of an offensive game plan, and how to leverage his instincts and strengths to exploit the weaknesses of his opponents. That approach allowed Marques to thrive for a decade, in a role that became vital to the team’s success. He retired in 2015 as a Super Bowl champion and franchise leader in almost every receiving category.
While still an active NFL player, Marques leaned on those same tools to start his second career in business. Over the last 15+ years, he has developed a multidimensional understanding of the business world through his experiences as an entrepreneur, investor, advisor, and pro sports owner and executive.
He leverages his experience to consult and advise companies at the intersection of sports, health and wellness, technology, and media. Combining his instincts and problem-solving skills with operational experience, Marques helps clients navigate complex challenges to maximize their performance as well as the performance of their organizations. As a speaker and coach, he’s been featured at several business conferences and summits where he shares insights about business success, leadership, team building, and individual performance improvement.
Marques brings together his interests in health and wellness, tech, and entrepreneurship to give back to his community through his support for educational programs that share insights on success with others. In 2018, he partnered with Columbia Business School to create an executive education program for current and former athletes. He also partnered with his alma mater, Hofstra University, to establish the Marques Colston Fellowship to develop experiential learning programs for student-athletes pursuing health careers.
Mike Tannenbaum joined ESPN as an NFL Front Office Insider in April 2019. A former NFL executive with more than two decades worth of experience in team front offices, he now appears on a variety of ESPN platforms, including NFL Live, SportsCenter, First Take, and Get Up!.
Tannenbaum also contributed to ESPN’s coverage of the 2019 NFL Draft, serving as an analyst on ESPN Radio alongside Dari Nowkhah, Ian Fitzsimmons, Chris Canty, and Jim Nagy.
Prior to ESPN, Tannenbaum worked for several NFL franchises, most notably as executive vice president of football operations for the Miami Dolphins (2015-18), and executive vice president and general manager for the New York Jets (2006-12).
Under Tannenbaum’s leadership, the Dolphins made the playoffs in 2016 for the first time in eight seasons, and the Jets advanced to the playoffs in three seasons, won four playoff games, and made two AFC Championship game appearances. Tannenbaum’s tenure as general manager of the Jets marked the most successful seven-year period in franchise history.
Between executive roles with the Jets and Dolphins, Tannenbaum represented head coaches Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors), David Blatt (then with the Cleveland Cavaliers), and others serving as an agent and principal at Priority Sports and Entertainment from 2013-14.
Peter Feigin brings more than two decades of dynamic corporate leadership to Milwaukee’s sports and entertainment scene. His talents, hard work, and dedication are the driving force behind the transformational vision for not only the Milwaukee Bucks and the new world-class Fiserv Forum, but for the city of Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin.
Since taking over as president of the team in October of 2014, Peter has completely reimagined, rebuilt, and reenergized the team’s business operations, resulting in substantial increases in attendance, ticket revenue, merchandise revenue, partnership sales, and TV viewership. He has assembled a top-flight management team and has nurtured a corporate culture marked by accountability, collaboration, and fun. The Bucks were named one of Milwaukee’s best places to work in 2015-2019 and Peter’s inspired leadership was recognized when he was named the Milwaukee BizTimes 2015 CEO of the Year.
Prior to joining the Bucks, Peter served as the Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer of Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, a major international entertainment company, where he managed global business units and handled branding and business development. Before working at Deluxe, Peter was the President and Chief Operating Officer of Marquis Jet Partners Inc./NetJets, the world’s leading private aviation company. Peter was integral in Berkshire Hathaway’s NetJets acquisition of Marquis Jet in 2010 and played a central role in the integration of the two companies. After transitioning post-merger to the same responsibilities at NetJets, he led the company to significant revenue growth.
From 1998 to 2004, Peter worked for the New York Knicks in a variety of roles culminating in his position as Vice President of Marketing. Under Peter’s leadership, profits, season subscriptions, and suite revenues increased significantly. From 1993 to 1998, he held sales and marketing positions with Six Flags Theme Parks, which was then a Time Warner company.
As Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, Heidi Browning leads the National Hockey League’s growth marketing strategy with a focus on digital, innovation and social media. With more than 25 years of marketing experience, including success with major brands in Silicon Valley, Browning brings a valuable mix of client, agency and media owner perspective to the NHL. Browning is known as a passionate pioneer in digital, mobile and social marketing and as an executive who advances new ideas and innovation within the industry. Inspired by the intersection of media, technology and culture, Browning studies generational trends in attention and brand engagement. Her experience marketing to Millennial and Gen Z audiences is essential for engaging young sports fans and will help guide her leadership of the NHL’s new fan database/analytics initiative.
Under Browning’s leadership, the NHL has experienced a 33% growth in followers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. She spearheaded the introduction of eight new Twitter accounts, including six international language, @StanleyCup; @NHLGIFs; NHL Europe on Instagram; and TikTok, Weibo and WeChat accounts. As a result of a focused strategy on video content, video streams have increased 111% across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Since Browning’s arrival at the NHL, the League’s Instagram engagement has increased by 58%, while followers on that account increased 46%.
Prior to joining the NHL in 2016, Browning served as SVP, Strategic Solutions, at Pandora, overseeing the development of marketing experiences creating value for fans, bands and brands. Leveraging Pandora’s passionate fan base, first party data, and personalization, Browning’s team launched live music and content experiences pairing Fortune 500 clients with emerging and iconic artists.
As Senior Vice President of Client Solutions for Fox Interactive Media/MySpace, Browning evangelized the value of social media in the marketing mix and positioned brand communities as a new way to build audience, create engagement and establish a two-way dialogue between consumers and brands. She led the first in-depth consumer segmentation and ROI study for social media - Never Ending Friending, A Journey Into Social Networking, which quantified the impact of The Momentum Effect.
Browning is a sought-after featured speaker at industry conferences, including CES, SXSW, TEDx Women, Variety Entertainment Marketing Summit, Adweek and the Youth Marketing Summit, among others. Her honors include Adweek’s Most Powerful Women in Sports, Most Powerful Women in Music by Billboard, Forbes CMO Next, and being named one of Forbes’ World’s Most Influential CMOs in 2020 among others.
Browning earned a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Colorado, Boulder and resides in San Francisco and New York.
Northwestern's Master of Arts in Sports Administration (MSA) program is pleased to host the Revenue Above Replacement (RAR) podcast. MSA faculty members Adam Grossman and Brice Clinton will interview sports industry leaders weekly on a wide range of topics including business, economics, marketing, branding, media, sponsorship, events, and public policy. The podcast will also be directly integrated into the MSA curriculum with students taking MSA 401-0: Sports Research Methods and Quantitative Analysis creating a production plan that includes an episode’s guest, questions, audience and timing as part of a group assignment for the course.
Al Guido was named President of the San Francisco 49ers on February 15, 2016. Guido oversees all key business initiatives for the team. Guido also concurrently serves as the Chairman and CEO of Elevate Sports Ventures, which launched in 2018. The company works to bring comprehensive business solutions to the sports and entertainment industry that identify new revenue opportunities and bring new, innovative ideas to the market.
Prior to being named President of the 49ers, Guido served as the team's chief operating officer from 2014-16. Levi's Stadium has proven itself to be a 360-degree entertainment venue in its first four years under Guido's leadership. The venue has hosted Super Bowl 50, WrestleMania 31, Major League Soccer, multiple Pac-12 Championship Football games, International Soccer giants Manchester United and Barcelona, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, the Grateful Dead, and the NHL Outdoor Classic. In 2017, the stadium played host to the largest soccer tournament on U.S. soil since the World Cup with the Copa America Centenario as well as hosting the prestigious 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship.