Halftime Snacks: Recent Episodes
Ronen Ainbinder
Every Tuesday, the Halftime Snacks Podcast features short, fun interviews with leaders in the world of sports, business, and technology.
We keep episodes short to let you learn from their stories, knowledge, and experiences during the halftime of your favorite sports events!
Come snack with us!
The last Halftime Snack episode features Prantik Mazumdar. Prantik is an entrepreneur, true expert in digital growth, and venture investor who’s passionate about the business and technology of sports and angel investing.
Prantik has provided consultancy in sponsorships, rights, digital marketing, law, and much more to high-quality brands in sports such as IMG, ESPN, Fox Sports, and Top Golf.
He is a strategic advisor at RevSportz, a sports tech venture focusing on multi-sports, multi-language video content, sports NFTs, sports education & sports crowdfunding solutions across APAC.
Prantik is also the managing partner at Happy Marketer – a leading regional digital marketing consulting firm.
In this episode, we discover Prantik's passion for sports and tech. We’ll hear some entrepreneurial lessons on building and selling Happy Marketer and learn about Prantik's mental frameworks toward venture investing, scaling businesses, and the future of sports.
Come snack with us!
-
This episode is available on Apple | Spotify | Google | Amazon
-
Starting next week, my content output through Sports-Tech Biz and Halftime Snacks will come to a hiatus. I will focus and publish all my creative output through FOS, so make sure you bookmark the website to find me and my content there.
Lior Tor is an expert in NFTs and Blockchain technology.
He's the Co-founder of Boyo – a platform that bridges the digital and physical worlds through NFTs, bringing utility to brands and creators.
Boyo works with clients in sports, providing collectible experiences, merchandise, ticketing, and exclusive access to clubs through NFTs.
In this episode, we learn about Boyo’s features and uniqueness. We then discussed the hype behind NFTs and their utility for sports companies. Lastly, we discussed the adoption and future of the NFT space in sports.
Come snack with us!
-
This episode is available on Apple | Spotify | Google | Amazon
-
Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates on the show.
-
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
-
Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
This Halftime Snack features Adam Davis. Adam was one of the executives that built Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment (HBSE) and ran as their Chief Commercial Officer for over four years. He also worked for the NY Yankees, The Madison Square Garden Company, Prudential Center, and the New Jersey Devils.
Today, Adam is the Managing Director in North America for Two Circles – a data-focused sports marketing firm that helps sports leagues, teams, and governing bodies monetize their data. They work with world-class organizations worldwide, such as the IOC, UEFA, Formula One, English Premier League, Learfield, and the NFL.
In this episode, we discover Adam's lessons and insights from his background and his current work at Two Circles. We also discussed data as a business model and its value in understanding sports fans/consumers. Finally, we learn about the strategy for Two Circles, the 'why' behind their business verticals, and how Adam thinks about community.
Come snack with us!
-
This episode is available on Apple | Spotify | Google | Amazon
-
Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates on the show.
-
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
-
Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
Zac Litwack joins this Halftime Snack to discuss the sports betting market, growth hacking, and scaling startups.
Zac is a partner at Savage Ventures and helps grow their portfolio companies, primarily as their CMO. Savage Ventures is a venture operator that invests, acquires, and operates high-growth businesses within different industries, including sports.
Zac is also the CEO at Savage Sports, which is the top sports betting and online gambling marketing affiliate in North America.
We learn about Zac's story and current work as head of Savage Sports, CMO, and growth hacker. We also discussed Zac's rationale behind scaling companies, the outlook for the sports betting market, and the Savage Sports affiliate business.
Come snack with us!
-
This episode is available on Apple | Spotify | Google | Amazon
-
Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates on the show.
-
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
-
Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
Doug Holtzman is a legend in the sports business who has over 20 years of experience in sponsorship sales and has worked for world-class brands in the NBA, the NFL, the MLB, NCAA, and NBAG. He also worked on diverse sports tech and media projects at companies like Learfield, Media Brokers, and the OnTrac Sports app.
Doug has been working at Sportsdigita for about four years, where he was recently promoted to Senior Vice President (SVP) of Sports.
Doug works with professional teams worldwide to help them improve their storytelling through great presentations.
In this episode, we decode Doug's craft & expertise in sales – mastering the skills needed, finding mentors, lessons, insights, and main takeaways from failures and tips for starters. We also discussed 'storytelling as a service' – differentiating between good and bad stories, mental models for brands who want to crush their storytelling, and sources of inspiration. Finally, we learn why Doug works on Sportsdigita, his next steps as the SVP, and how he grows from here.
Come snack with us!
-
This episode is available on Apple | Spotify | Google | Amazon
-
Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates on the show.
-
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
-
Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
Jacob Feldman is a Harvard Alumni with +10 years of experience writing for brands in sports such as the NFL, Boston Globe, the Washington Post, and Sports Illustrated.
Today, Jacob is a sports business reporter at Sportico – a digital content and media company that brings high-quality data, information, news, and strategy from what's hot and relevant in the sports business.
Besides being an expert in sports tech and media and having broad experiences as a content creator, Jacob also teaches sports journalism at Brandeis University.
We discussed the evolution of content and media in sports, Jacob's process, style, and tactics for writing, sports journalism, Sportico, and what the industry needs in the future.
Come snack with us!
-
This episode is available on Apple | Spotify | Google
-
Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates on the show.
-
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
-
Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
Adam Bates began his career as an investment banker, then worked for +3 years as the Director of International Strategy for Topgolf Entertainment, where he led all investments and strategic operations for Topgolf’s international business units.
Today, Adam leads the investments in sports & entertainment for SuRo Capital Sports. SuRo Capital is a venture capital fund that seeks capital gains from private equity investments.
SuRo has an investment philosophy based on promising high-growth, venture-backed investments across different industries – including sports & entertainment.
In this episode, you’ll learn more about Adam's story, his experiences at SuRo, and how he finds great investments and entrepreneurs in sports. We also discussed how inflation, rising interest rates, and disrupted supply chains influence the VC business & Adam's work at SuRo.
Come snack with us!
-
This episode is available on Apple | Spotify | Google
-
Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates on the show!
-
Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
-
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
-
Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
This episode features the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) commissioner – T.J. Baumbaugh.
T.J. is a former pro racquetball player who has been the active commissioner for the LPRT since 2016.
She organizes, manages, and promotes women’s professional racquetball, consisting of a 10-month touring schedule, executive and broadcast teams, and a board of directors.
The Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour is an event-driven governing body of a growing number of the highest-level professional women players in the world. These elite women athletes represent over a dozen countries, including the United States, Mexico, Chile, Canada, Colombia, Ireland, and Japan.
During our conversation, we discussed TJ's vision for the future and growth of the sport and how technology helps them grow. We also discussed the value of sponsorships, culture, and values of a new sport. Towards the end, we discussed how the LPRT envisions and practices diversity, inclusion, and equity for sports.
Come snack with us!
-
This episode is available on Apple | Spotify | Google
-
Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates on the show!
-
Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
-
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
-
Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
Greg Tomchick is a former professional baseball player, book author, and cybersecurity expert.
He played for the St. Louis Cardinals in the Minor League, published "Growing Into You," where he shares some of the lessons he's had in his career, and now devotes his life to cybersecurity.
Greg is the CEO of Valorr – a team of cybersecurity experts that helps sports and entertainment organizations tackle their most challenging cybersecurity risks and capture their greatest competitive advantages.
At Valorr, they deal with cyber threats, privacy and security, workforce shortages, compliance, and other complex implementations.
In this episode, we discover what’s similar and different between professional sports, cybersecurity, and being an author. We discussed the diverse cyber threats sports organizations might be facing and ended up learning best practices, tools, and guidance for sports organizations to start taking action on their cybersecurity.
Come snack with us!
-
This episode is available on Apple | Spotify | Google
-
Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates on the show!
-
Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
-
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
-
Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
Dan Healy is a serial entrepreneur who builds solutions with technology for diverse industries, including sports.
Dan's the Co-Founder and CEO of PickUp – an incentivized fan engagement platform that lies at the intersection of sports media and betting.
PickUp transforms content into interactive experiences that deliver insights and revelations about their partner's businesses. Its mission is to validate the fans' opinions and, in the process, make sports content more fun.
During the episode, we discussed the value of fans' opinion & how it plays a key role in Pickup's formula for engagement. We also learn about what it means (from an operational view) for PickUp to partner with relevant brands in sports like NASCAR, FloSports, and Comcast. Lastly, we discover the alternative opportunities for PickUp in media, betting, and other adjacent segments in the "engagement" economy.
Come snack with us!
- This episode is available on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates on the show!
- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
Today's episode features Cathy Long, who worked for over 15 years in the Premier League on fan campaigns, media, partnerships, policy, and diversity.
Cathy became an independent consultant for clients like Tottenham, Liverpool, Watford, and Swansea FC.
She has also collaborated with multiple organizations like Kick It Out, the FSA, and Women in Sport to promote equality, diversity, and supporter empowerment.
Cathy founded Aposto – a digital platform that provides services and tech products for sports venues and organizations.
In this episode, you'll learn what it's like to work at a sports league from Cathy's experiences in the PL and with the clubs. You'll also hear best practices on working (and understanding) with fans, fan empowerment, diversity, and inclusion. Finally, we discussed how Aposto enables new solutions for sports venues and organizations.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates on the show!
- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
Today we’re hosting Kenneth Giles – an expert on Financial Modeling and Investments who also holds a bachelor’s in Actuarial Science and Economics.
Kenneth worked for three years as an Actuarial Analyst at Allianz Life and then founded SimBull in September 2020 to create a new form of sports investment.
SimBull is the stock market for sports allowing fans to profit from their sports knowledge by trading shares of teams.
The platform was designed to lower gambling fees, create long-term investing in the sports industry, and develop a new form of sports entertainment centered around the stock market.
We talked about the story and foundation of SimBull, the features, concept, and product roadmap. Finally, we discussed the business model, economics, and market that SimBull created.
Come snack with us!
- Promo: If you sign up for SimBull in May, you’ll get $10 when you open an account. Plus, if you deposit with the promo code “Ronen” you’ll get a $500 money-back guarantee for three months. You can try the market completely risk-free, meaning you can keep it if you make money. We will refund it in the first three months if you lose money!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates on the show!
- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
Robert Schneider joined this episode of the Snacks from Dallas, Texas. He is a former paratrooper commander and Columbia Business School alumni.
Rob is the Chief of Content, Development, and Strategy at Learfield – the leading media and technology company in college athletics. They connect brands with passionate fans through media, technology & data.
He’s responsible for growing Learfield’s direct-to-consumer business across data, marketing & content. He’s also an advisor to diverse organizations in sports like Stadia Ventures, Courtside Ventures, and Big Media Holdings.
We talked about Robert's specific background in the military and the experiences that built his mindset around content and marketing. We then discussed the product mix strategy for Learfield through learning the reasoning behind projects like The Varsity Network and Learfield Studios. Lastly, we chatted about diverse trends around content, data, digital media, and innovation in college sports.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates on the show!
- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
It's very rare to see a fully qualified physical therapist and sports psychologist with the experience and understanding of human performance that Dr. Jo Brown has.
With over 20 years of experience in high-performance sports, Jo is a phenomenal physical therapist and coach from Australia who works with multiple Olympic and pro athletes.
She has taken her expertise in performance & mindset coaching to sixteen sports at the international level in five different countries.
She's the founder of Performance State, where she works with high-performing athletes supporting both their physical and mental aspects of performance.
In the interview, I asked Jo about her story and path toward finding her life's mission in performance coaching. We also discussed the different daily challenges of a sports performance expert, the value and evolution of the mental aspects of performance, technology for rehabilitation and performance, and much more!
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates on the show!
- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
Kelly Pracht is an entrepreneur and tech leader with over 18 years of experience leading solutions through engineering.
She first worked at HP Enterprise and then innovated in sports by delivering unique new experiences to sports fans.
Kelly’s the CEO and Co-Founder of nVenue – a software that uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to provide real-time predictions and analytics to every outcome of a play. The platform supplements broadcasts, games, and sports betting providers.
We discussed specific knowledge, her career at HPE, nVenue's story and role in the present and future of fan engagement, product, technology, and growth towards full potential.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates on the show!
- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
This Halftime Snack features Adam White – the CEO and founder of Front Office Sports.
FOS is the leading media brand covering the business of sports and reaching millions of business professionals through its newsletters, social media channels, courses, podcasts, and exclusive content.
Adam leads the company's day-to-day operations, including content, strategy, socials, events, partnerships, and more.
We discussed the beginnings of FOS and Adam’s process, vision, and mindset for building a brand in sports media. We then learn more about FOS’s growth stage, challenges around hiring the right people, setting the culture, creating a reputation through content, and different perspectives on the future for media and FOS.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates on the show!
- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
This episode features Helene Guillaume – data scientist and athlete who loves extreme sports and outdoor adventures. Her life mission is to change the perception of what a "woman" is to achieve equality in society.
Helene is the CEO & Founder of WILD.AI– a platform that applies the science of female physiology to athletes to enhance their performance and everyday life.
They provide women with the training, nutrition, and sleep recommendations based on their physiology, considering whether they menstruate, use birth control, or are in menopause.
We talked about Helene's story of building Wild AI, the progress and challenges of changing the perception of women in sports, and ended up discussing best practices, lessons, and science from the data of Wild AI about performance.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates on the show!
- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
Today's Halftime Snack features Nick Meacham – a sports and media leader with +20 years of experience in the media and sports industries.
Nick currently serves as the CEO of SportsPro Media – the premier publisher, advisory, and events business driving the digital transformation of global sports.
SportsPro delivers some of the best content across diverse channels, including a printed magazine, newsletters, podcasts, conferences, articles, etc.
Nick is also an independent director of the British Volleyball Federation and host of the StreamTime Podcast (weekly episodes profiling the leading people and organizations across streaming and digital sports).
In this conversation, we dove intoNick's story and relationship with sports, discussed content-as-a-strategy on the attention economy, and learned about the digital transformation of sports and its impact on SportsPro and media.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates on the show!
- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
Today’s episode features Dinesh Natarajan. Dinesh is based in Singapore and has a solid background in law.
He’s the founder & CEO of Trident Strategy – a consultancy firm that provides commercial and legal advisory to clients worldwide in several areas in sports related to sponsorships, investments, rights, and E-sports.
In this conversation, we discussed Trident’s operations and types of clients in sports, trends related to investments and technology, the back-end of sports operations, and much more.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates on the show!
- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
Issa Hall is the founder and CEO of the JRZYVERSE – a decentralized playground where athletes connect, engage, and monetize the opportunities they create. Their mission at JRZYVERSE is to empower athletes with technology to develop their careers and leverage the unique opportunities they encounter at every stage.
In this conversation, we learn the story and vision of JRZYVERSE, the evolution and roadmap of such product, social, technological, and legal trends that are helping and challenging Issa’s mission, and end up discussing the role and potential of the metaverse, NFTs and blockchain for athletes.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates of the show!
- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
Joe De Pinto is focused on empowering the gaming community but believes that blockchain technology can positively impact all of humanity.
Joe played four years of professional baseball in the Chicago White Sox and dove into the world of entrepreneurship right after finishing his sports career. He founded a few companies, including Haste Arcade.
Haste Arcade is the world's first Instant Leaderboard Payout (ILP) system, enabling gamers to get paid for their high scores on virtually any game. The platform also features a software developer kit for game developers who wish to add these new incentive mechanisms to existing or new video games.
We talked about Joe's sports career and process towards building Haste Arcade, play to earn, ILP (Instant Leaderboard Payout), the role of microtransactions on the internet, and ended up sharing diverse takes on eSports, crypto, NFTs, Bitcoin SV, and much more.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates of the show!
- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
Former guest of the Snacks – Steve Madincea – joined me for a second conversation on the show.
Steve is a marketing communications expert, and he’s the managing partner of Fantastec. This platform uses new technologies to enable globally distanced fans to engage more deeply with the sports, teams, and athletes they love. The platform has already joined forces with Real Madrid, Dortmund, and Arsenal.
Our first conversation was a general conversation around digital collectibles, but this time, we dive deep into some lessons from the Flow blockchain, token utility, community & engagement, and social trends. We also discussed controversial takes around NFTs – scams vs. valuable projects, investments vs. gambles, and who to follow. Finally, we talk about what Steve expects from the future of NFTs, market adoption, and their role in the sports industry.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates of the show!
- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
Former guest of the Halftime Snacks and good friend from Australia- Clint Vojdinoski - joins us for a second episode this week.
Clint is the founder and director of Bullpen – a media company covering startups, investments, and trends in media, sports, music, entertainment, and everything in between.
Last time, it was all about digital piracy in sports. This time, we talk about the new deal tracker by Bullpen, we discuss best practices for startups looking to raise capital (do’s and don’ts, how to navigate the networking phase, checklist of a pitch deck), and end up discussing trends to keep a close eye on for 2022.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates of the show!
- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
Gerald Asante is a tech entrepreneur creating an impact by making sports activities more accessible and allowing facility managers to generate revenues.
He's one of the Co-founders of GameOn Active – a startup on a mission to get everyone playing more sports by making it easy to book venues, organize events, find games to join, and meet other people.
In this episode, we discover Gerald's story with GoA, learn about its progress and development, discuss product, strategy, and operations that will take GoA to the next level, and end up debating diverse takes on grassroots sports.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates of the show!
- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
Today’s Halftime Snack features Todd Cooper.
Todd worked in regulatory finance and risk management for over 20 years before starting his blockchain business focused on creating NFT products for sports, music, and entertainment rights holders.
He’s the CEO & Co-founder of NuArca Labs – a platform focused on creating NFT products for sports, music, and entertainment rights holders. Their goal is to create fan engagement through innovative, cutting-edge technology, web3, and the blockchain.
We discussed the fundamentals of the blockchain, NFTs, web3, their current/future relationship with sports, NuArca’s projects, the product launch with the Rugby League World Cup, and more.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates of the show!
- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
Former guest John Balkam joined us this week for a second Halftime Snack.
John is a social entrepreneur, marketing specialist, author of 3-Win Sponsorship, and founder of Third Win Group.
We discussed purpose-driven marketing, how small brands and athletes can get involved, trends enabling more and better partnerships, mental health, environment, and much more.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates of the show!
- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.
Today's episode features Cole Morgan. Cole is a former Division 1 level quarterback, coach, and entrepreneur.
He's the CEO & Founder of Snap! Mobile – a platform that aims to improve the fundraising process for educational programs and youth sports teams.
Their mission is to simplify program management, allow visibility and financial transparency, build successful athletic and extracurricular programs that can positively impact kids beyond their high school years.
Their signature product, Snap! Raise, is the largest digital fundraising tool in the US for high school programs, and it has been used by over 88,000 teams and clubs, raising a collective $500M.
During our quick chat, Cole shared stories from being a pro athlete and an entrepreneur in sports; we learned how Snap! 's brand went from idea to product to monetization. We ended up discussing verticals, trends, and technologies relevant to Snap! 's future.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates of the show!
- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Joining us today from Lithuania is Dariuš Butkevičius.
He has wide experiences in technology, including Software Engineering and Artificial Intelligence (AI), while he's also led different teams and co-founded FitpassU – a popular social fitness app in Europe.
Today, Dariuš focuses his energies on his latest venture– FittyAI – where he's the co-founder and CEO.
FittyAI provides a virtual trainer that gives real-time feedback to the user on his training which fitness platforms can integrate into multiple online fitness platforms.
We talked about connected fitness as the disruptor, threat, and competitor of gyms and traditional fitness programs, the value and benefits of leveraging technology to measure, calibrate, and improve our wellbeing, Darius' plans with FittyAI, his expectations on the market, and plans for funding and scaling it.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates of the show!
- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Deven Hurt's background in sports includes work in cybersecurity for Nike and the NBA.
He's currently the CEO and co-founder of PredictionStrike – the world's first sports stock market, allowing fans to buy and sell shares of their favorite pro athletes.
The company raised its first VC funding in 2021 and has processed over $4.5M of transactions on the platform to date.
In this conversation, I discussed with Deven the past and present of PredictionStrike, the differences, and similarities between the stock market, sports betting, and PredictionStrike (risk profile, intrinsic value, expected returns, etc.), his plans, projects, and projections for sports investing, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates of the show!
- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's Halftime Snack features Scott Deans – former collegiate kicker and punter, architect, designer, and data analytics manager.
Scott is an expert in design, performance, and technology. Today, he's the CEO and founder of BeONE Sports – a platform that uses AI to help young athletes maximize their performance, gain exposure for their talents, and get advanced training on demand.
In our conversation, we talked about:
- How Scott's background as a semi-professional athlete tied him to BeONE
- BeOne from idea to product to monetization
- Strategic growth for BeONE
- Scott's vision for the future of young athletes & NIL
- And more!
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates of the show!
- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's Halftime Snacks features Santosh Vuppala – expert in software and product development from India who's passionate about building solutions for people.
Santosh once led the development of a renewable energy platform that helped over 50,000 people and built a digital product that gave access to educational experiments to high school students.
Today, he's the co-founder of HomeGround – a platform that helps grassroots cricket players and coaches with instant analytics, recommendations, and expert feedback on their training sessions.
We talked about the power of code and software, the technology, value, business model, roadmap, projects, and vision of HomeGround.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates of the show!
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today we’re snacking with Fernanda Rojtenberg – the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Colosseum Sport.
Fernanda has vast experiences in content creation, campaigns, and digital marketing with years of a solid background in the sports and fashion industries.
Colosseum is an innovation group based in Tel Aviv that provides technology, tools, and exposure to help grow the sports technology ecosystem in Israel and worldwide.
We talked about marketing as a strategy in sports and tech, how it is different from other industries (particularly fashion), the local and global strategy for Colosseum, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates of the show!
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's Halftime snack features the Head of Marketing & Strategy at Mint.
Matt has two decades of digital content and marketing experience, and he has worked with many of the world's largest brands such as the NBA, the New York Mets, and more.
Mint is an end-to-end NFTs technology platform for brands, sports leagues, and teams to create and manage NFT experiences. The platform includes a customizable storefront, NFT viewer and wallet, secondary marketplace, community, and engagement features.
We talked about the transition of content & digital strategies in sports, the opportunities from NFTs as a digital strategy for brands, how and why Mint will unlock the next big thing in Web3 and Sports, and much more.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates of the show!
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
This episode features a very spicy Halftime Snack with Fernando Mendivil.
Fernando is a Mexican entrepreneur who’s extremely passionate about sports and solutions through technology.
Today, he's the CEO & co-founder of Pitz – a platform that combines video and commentary technology to enable the soccer community to generate viral content and connect to sponsors.
I talked with Fernando about the pain and solution that Pitz addresses, different opportunities in the sponsorships and 'creator economy' markets, the potential, challenges, and roadmap for Pitz, and much more.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's Halftime Snack features Konstantin Sonkin – expert in computer science, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence.
Konstantin has researched for over a decade neuroscience and artificial intelligence and has a Ph.D. in Computer Science and postdoctoral studies in AI.
He's the CEO & co-founder of i-BrainTech – an AI-powered brain-training platform that enhances the performance of athletes in sports.
Their video game trains the athletes' minds by developing skills related to planning and executing sports actions. They currently offer the solution for soccer, began developing one for basketball, and aim to expand to other verticals.
We talked about Konstantin's transition from academia to sports, the science and logic behind i-BrainTech, the future of i-BrainTech, alternative neuro-training methods, and technology for sports and healthcare.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's Halftime Snack features Michael Schneider – a serial entrepreneur and startup founder who has had two successful exits so far in his career.
Today, he's the founder of Break Stuff – an AI-driven and Blockchain-based shop for sports card collectors and investors. The platform offers a complete digital ecosystem that includes a social network, a marketplace, and an AI-grading tool for cards.
We discussed collectibles, NFTs, the behind-the-scenes of Break Stuff, and why it is the next big thing.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Our guest of the Halftime Snacks today is Miguel Angel Leal.
Miguel has over 25 years of experience in the telecommunications and IT markets, and he's an expert in digital transformations, growth, and profitability through technology.
Today, he's the CEO of LaLiga Tech – an entity created by LaLiga that aims to build and develop the products that will push the sports industry further into a digital transformation.
Broadly, the products of LaLiga Tech focus on fan engagement, content enhancement, and competition management. LaLiga and its clubs have used this ecosystem successfully over the past five years.
We talked about the goals and plans Miguel has for LaLiga Tech, the position of sports in the digital transformation, opportunities, threats, and challenges around fan engagement, content enhancement, competition management, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's episode features Paul Astley. Paul is an expert in high-performance sports events, strategy, and venue operations.
Paul has been involved in sports as an elite athlete, instructor, and strategist all his life.
His experience includes advising Adidas, venue management for the Euro of 2020, operations for the FIFA world cup of 2022, and many more projects worldwide.
We talked about the culture and values of event planners, the process of planning and delivering macro events, challenges that emerged from COVID-19, how technology aids operations and logistics, and much more!
Come snack with us!
- Link to transcript.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today’s Halftime Snack features Lloyd Danzig. He is one of the leaders driving the disruption and innovation of the sports industry.
Today, Lloyd is the managing partner of Sharp Alpha Advisors – a venture capital firm focused on sports betting and online gaming technologies.
He recently raised a $10 million fund through Sharp Alpha Advisors to invest in seed and Series A sports betting start-ups.
We talked about the operations & dynamics of a VC firm in sports, the purpose and plan for the latest 10 million dollar fund, and finally discussed online sports betting, fantasy sports, digital collectibles, and more.
Come snack with us!
- Link to transcript.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Joining the snack from Australia is Adam Mussa – the founder of Campaignware.
Campaignware is a free platform that helps brands and rights holders by creating highly engaging, digital interactive content that helps them grow their fanbase, gather insights, and activate their sponsors.
They help brands through different creative tools such as quizzes, trivia, polling, surveys, user-generated content, and more – everything at a low cost with no code required.
They’ve helped many brands and sponsors such as the NRL, NBL, Rugby League World Cup, A-League, Western Bulldogs, and many more.
We talked about digital marketing and social media, the fundamentals of understanding an audience, how technology empowers brands and sponsors, the journey and future of digital marketing, and more.
Come snack with us!
- Use promo-code HALFTIMESNACKS when you sign-up to Campaignware to get 50% off any of their paid plans for three months!
- Link to transcript.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Coming up next on the Halftime Snacks is Adam Mitchell.
Adam's the CEO & co-founder at SponsorPulse — a first-of-its-kind sponsorship intelligence tool that makes sponsorship insights accessible to properties, brands, and agencies of all sizes.
The platform serves brands from several industries – from sports to music, entertainment, causes, and more.
You can find the latest most marketable sports properties report here.
We discussed everything from sponsorships, metrics for evaluation, reliability, and accuracy of the data, dangers of making choices purely from data, the latest report on the most marketable sports properties, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's snack features Daniel Shichman – CEO & founder of WSC Sports.
Daniel and his friends founded WSC Sports in 2012 in Tel Aviv, Israel, and it's the biggest Israeli sports technology company today.
The platform uses A.I. to identify and analyze every event that occurs in live sports broadcasts. And in real-time, creates and publishes customized short-form videos to a broad set of different networks.
WSC has raised +39 million USD to date. They work with over 200 leagues and organizations worldwide, such as the NBA, NHL, ESPN, FanDuel, Bleacher Report, and many more.
Daniel and I discussed A.I. and the technology powering WSC, the power of leverage through technology in sports, the future of content and fan engagement, how WSC grows from here, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Our next guest of the Halftime Snacks is Melinda Travis – a sports industry veteran with experience on both sides of the media equation.
Melinda is the CEO & founder of Mile 44 – a company pushing the boundaries of creativity by developing high-end quality content for global sports brands.
Our conversation featured discussions around sports marketing and media, the role of sports in culture, challenges of working with brands and athletes, Mile 44, the value of diversity, and so much more!
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today’s snack features Dr. Jo Shattuck. Jo is a former top-10 world-ranked racquetball athlete and elite coach. She is an entrepreneur with a Ph.D. in neuroscience, and she’s currently working as a sports scientist.
Jo is the founder & CEO of Panthertec – a performance enhancement company that combines data, neuroscience, and biomechanics to capture athlete’s motion and provide sensory feedback. Their goal is to enhance performance and reduce injuries and impact by disrupting sports’ training and recovery.
In our conversation, you’ll discover Jo’s story and path towards finding her mission, understand the value of biomechanics & neuroscience in sports and the wearables market, learn about the challenges that a wearable company faces, and find ideas in the intersection between sports, neuroscience, and biomechanics.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's Halftime Snack features Andres Cardenas.
Andres is the CMO of Minute Media – one of the leading media and technology-focused platforms in sports. Minute Media is the mastermind behind publications like The Players' Tribune, 90min, and FanSided.
Andres is responsible for all marketing functions across Minute Media's portfolio, the production of branded content, athlete marketing, and so much more.
Our conversation featured discussions around the difference between the media and the clickbait industries, the challenges and mindset of an experienced CMO in sports, best practices in marketing and branding, the future of media, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's episode of the Halftime Snacks features Chad Goebert – a sports tech researcher with over 9 years of experience specializing in different areas of various athletic and recreational programs.
Chad’s research is focused on the use of immersive technologies in sports marketing, and he's looking to understand the role and value of AR as a tool to improve the fan experience.
Additionally, Chad has been a sports leadership instructor and lecture assistant for over 5 years.
In the episode, we discussed AR, its relationship with sports and marketing, the value and adoption curve of this technology, applications, trends, predictions, opportunities, and so much more!
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's episode features Michael Katos. Mike is the founder & CEO of Playing the Field — a social network for sports fans that allows them to connect to create anything from friendships to teammates, or maybe even finding your MVP.
Mike is also the Host of Fan Experience TV – the show where sports fans go behind the podium to share their favorite fan experiences.
In this episode, we discussed meeting sports-minded people, the value of sports in our culture, the future of networking and dating, the strategy to grow a platform to different verticals, and so much more!
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Our next guest of the Halftime Snacks is Maurici Lopez-Felip from Barcelona in Spain.
Maurici is a behavioral science legend and an enthusiastic sports tech entrepreneur.
He's the CEO of Kognia — a sports intelligence platform that conducts in-depth tactical analysis of football games through deep learning and AI technology for teams, leagues, and coaches.
Amongst their investors, they're getting support from the legendary football icons Xavi Hernandez and Iker Casillas.
The conversation covers the importance and aid of automation and technology in football, the behavior and decision-making process of football coaches and players, who can and can’t avoid innovation in sports, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Lauren Knight Hughes is the Director of Business Operations at Sports Thread.
Throughout her five years at Sports Thread, Lauren has executed multiple roles in diverse areas such as social media, revenue operations, media relations, partnerships, and more.
Sports Thread is the most popular social media app for athletes in the US. It has over a million people in its network, and it now ranks as a top 50 sports apps in the App Store.
Lauren has been an essential piece of the lego to build and develop the network and software that brings several solutions to the sports industry.
The conversation covers the importance of leadership, vision, and culture, finding fires in operation and creating systems to solve and prevent them from happening, marketing through media relations, licensing, advertisements, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's Halftime Snack features Matt Wolff – founder and CEO of Ticket Time Machine – a commemorative product company that helps you keep your memories alive by providing souvenir tickets for the events you attended.
Matt recently launched an augmented reality experience that enhances the fan experience and adds value for sponsors/brand partners while bridging the digital with the physical world.
Our guest also runs the Wolff Den Live Show, where he has excellent chats with sports industry leaders.
In our short conversation, we discussed collectibles, marketing, live events, fan engagement, and technology.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's Halftime Snack features Stefy Bau – a 3-time motocross world champion and an advocate for diversity and inclusion in sports.
Stefy is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in motorsports and esports, and she's the founder and CEO of Init Sports and Init Esports – entities that aim to create, develop, and promote events in motorsports, e-mobility, and Esports to create opportunities for women and for minorities.
Besides being an active speaker empowering women in sports, she advises for different organizations such as Women in Sports Tech, the NCAA Esports commission, and the EK Female Advisory Board.
In our conversation, we discussed the concept of risk and reward in the context of motorsports, how failures build your character, using technology to train motorsports athletes, diversity and inclusion, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Our next guest is Brittany Gilman – professional athlete, entrepreneur, trainer, fitness model, designer, marketing director, and more.
Brittany is the CEO & founder of BG Sports – an agency that provides various services such as representation, PR, event production, branding, digital marketing, and much more to organizations and individuals.
She has managed and worked with over 500 professional athletes worldwide in NFL, the Premier League, La Liga, snowboarding, boxing, and UFC.
Additionally, Brittany is the CEO & founder of BPOP — an opportunity connection platform driving innovation in sports through technology.
In our conversation, we talked about determination, lessons and mistakes, the beginnings of BG Sports, innovating an industry, common challenges athletes face, how technology disrupts, and more!
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Omer Brand is our guest of honor on today’s Halftime Snack.
Omer is a professional sailor, coach, experienced executive, and leader in sailing by winning multiple national and international championships.
He’s originally from Israel and has over ten years of business development experience in diverse tech companies.
Today, he's the CEO and co-founder of Sea-Analytics — a video-based platform that analyses the performance of sailing athletes and helps them improve through personalized insights.
In our conversation, we talked about lessons from being a professional sailor, the technological evolution of sailing, how he came up with Sea-Analytics, the future of sailing, and so much more!
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's guest of the Halftime Snacks features Chad Stender.
Chad’s background includes experiences in diverse companies such as Walt Disney, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Philadelphia Flyers.
He's a partner at SeventySix Capital – a venture capital and private equity firm that invests in seed and early-stage companies in diverse industries, including sports and technology.
In our conversation, we discussed the evolution of VC, private equity, and disruptions in sports, Chad’s perspective on the industry, mistakes to avoid as investors, the ingredients for a successful fundraiser, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's guest of the Halftime Snacks is Keith Bank.
Keith is a graduate of Wharton and Kellogg School of Management. He grew up in St. Louis, started a business, and sold it to become an angel investor of companies in different sectors such as software, healthcare, and sports.
For 26 years, he's been the CEO and founder of KB Partners – a venture capital and private equity firm that invests in early-stage sports technology companies.
Besides being involved with several sports technology companies, Keith is also the founder of Club Champion Golf – the nationwide leader in custom club fittings.
In our conversation, we talked about skills and traits Keith looks for in people, being a manager, venture capital and angel investing, sports technology, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's Halftime Snack features Christopher Aumueller – former Division 1 tennis player and the CEO and founder of FanWord!
Chris is originally from Germany, but he joins this episode from Lincoln, Nebraska. He is a self-taught entrepreneur obsessed with helping college athletes with storytelling, networking, and monetization tools.
FanWord is a platform that helps college athletes to build, monetize, and protect their brands.
In this episode, we discussed NIL in college sports, the story and types of business models of FanWord, brand management, and more.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
This Halftime Snack features Sanjit Atwal — former co-founder of Squawka (one of the fastest-growing digital media & entertainment businesses in football).
Sanjit is an award-winning innovator whose background is packed with experiences in technology, sports, and marketing.
Currently, Sanjit runs Halfspace – a marketing agency with clients in sports and entertainment that uncovers the hidden signals behind your audience and delivers the engagement needed for growth.
We discussed product vs. distribution, the advertising industry, lessons from building, running, and selling Squawka, sports marketing, entrepreneurship, content, and more.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's Halftime Snacks features Andrew Naugher.
Andrew is an award-winning marketing executive who's an expert in social and digital media.
He's currently the founder and CEO of MediaX Partners, and he's building Rikodi –a platform that allows fans to re-live their favorite sports moments while delivering fan engagement and new and different revenue sources to teams.
In our conversation, we discussed topics related to fan engagement, strategy, privacy, product development, and more!
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Joining today's Halftime Snack is Pedro Mestriner.
Besides being a former professional rock climber and Harvard alumni, his background is packed with experiences in coding, sales, marketing, project, and product management.
He's the CEO and Co-Founder of Horizm – a company that uses technology to help sports companies track, value, and monetize their digital media.
In our snack, we talked about rock climbing, strategy, founder-product-market fit, business development, Pedro’s vision for the company and the industry, risk management, and more!
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's guest is Christoph Sonnen. Christoph is a venture capital expert with a passion for startups, sports, and technology.
In the last twenty years, he has founded, managed, and sold several businesses, investments, and accelerator projects.
Together with the Adi Dassler Family, Cristoph co-founded leAD Sports — a group that invests in sports technologies – where he currently is the CEO.
leAD sources, funds, and grows early-stage sports & health tech startups globally.
In our conversation, we talked about big wave surfing, how to catch waves in sports, business, and life, traits that great founders have, the strategy and growth plans for leAD, the value of people, places, culture, timing, luck, and more.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's Snack features Sathish Chittibabu. Sathish is originally from India, and he lives today in Chicago.
He’s the CEO and Co-Founder of Fanisko.
At Fanisko, they aim to help sports brands increase engagement with their fans through digital activations and create new revenue opportunities.
We snacked about sports technology, fan engagement, sales, the sports business, and so much more!
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Joining today's episode is Jimmy Law.
Jimmy has tons of experience in the financial industry under different roles, including investment banking, trading, quantitative finance, and more. Additionally, he worked for three years as a data scientist for the sports streaming company DAZN.
Today, he's the co-founder of GameOn Active – a company that is looking to help everyone play more sports through digitizing the entire process of organizing grassroots sports gatherings.
We snacked about corporate finance, the future of grassroots sports, the biggest failure (and lesson) in GameOn, the COVID-19 pandemic, business strategy, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's episode features Bryan Finnerty. Bryan is an experienced real estate investor and entrepreneur who has had a very active role in the sports industry throughout the years.
Today, Bryan is the CEO of V1 Sports – the world leader in video swing analysis software to improve the performance of golfers.
V1 is used by more than 17K PGA golf professionals, and their app has over 2 million downloads.
Bryan also runs Opportunity Seed Capital – an entity that invests in sports and technology, offers consulting services, and takes an active role in society as a foundation that strives to help different communities.
We snacked about habits that make you smarter, healthier, and wealthier, the strategy to take V1 Sports from good to great, investing in sports and technology through Opportunity Seed, giving back to the community, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's Snack features Daniel Hennes.
Daniel is the CEO and co-founder of Engage (the Airbnb of events). This company digitizes the process of booking athletes and talent for anything from a speech to a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
They currently work with over 2000 athletes, speakers, and agents, including Terrell Owens, David Ortiz, Bo Jackson, and more.
In our conversation, we talked about athletes and agents, the booking industry, the challenges of coordinating events, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Our guest today is Quin Sandler, a serial entrepreneur who has founded companies in online learning, coaching, and digital branding.
Quin has over 12 years of experience in the wearables technology industry, and today, he's the CEO and co-founder of Plantiga – a startup looking to optimize human performance, resilience, and recovery by monitoring and analyzing biomechanics.
In our conversation, we snacked about entrepreneurship, skills and career development, Plantiga’s product, the future of human performance, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's episode features KJ Bryant. KJ is one of the co-founders of NARP Clothing — a marketplace that gives former student-athletes the opportunity to profit off their name, image, and likeness by selling their owned apparel.
They help student-athletes monetize years of hard work through their platform.
KJ is also a former NCAA baseball player from Clemson and College of Charleston.
In our snack, we talked about inspiration to start a business, applied technology, opportunities and experiences created by NARP, its business model, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on your favorite platform :)
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today’s Halftime Snack is a bit different. I invited Robert Gevertz —former guest of the show— to talk about the European Super League.
Robert is a sports consultant from the UK who worked with Manchester City, Sky Sports, and other relevant brands in the industry.
In our snack, we answer questions like:
What is the European Super League?
How was the European Super League idea triggered?
Why is the European Super League not a viable solution?
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on your favorite platform :)
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today’s episode features Sean Leary, also known as "the Mark Zuckerberg of sports."
Sean founded Sports Thread — the social network for athletes — when he was 22 years old.
Sports Thread started as a platform for athletes and coaches to connect, network, and find scholarships. And it has grown to add a Software-as-a-Service solution for youth sports events.
The app has a network of over half a million users, and it has disrupted the youth sports industry by monetizing its platform through advertising.
Sean is also a former Division I baseball player for Oral Roberts University and won two NCAA conference championships.
Additionally, he recently received recognition by Yahoo Finance as one of the Top 10 Entrepreneurs To Watch Out For In 2021.
In our conversation, we snacked about being a professional athlete, the story and focus of Sports Thread, recruitment, covid, technology, and more.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on your favorite platform :)
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today’s Halftime Snack features Max Montrey — a former Microsoft engineer and product manager who's passionate about baseball, data, and the computer vision side of sports.
He dropped his career at Microsoft to co-found and become CEO of a massive business called SportsTrace.
SportsTrace is a company that provides data and insights to coaches and athletes in a digestible format to improve the mechanics of their movements.
In our conversation, we snacked about Microsoft, computer vision technology in sports, product management, data, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on your favorite platform :)
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's Halftime Snack features Steve Hall. Steve is a former banker and private equity expert who worked at Goldman, Citi, and EHF Capital.
Today, he's the CEO & Commissioner of the American Ultimate Disc League, and he's also the co-owner of a team in the disc league called Atlanta Hustle.
The American Ultimate Disc League is the only professional Ultimate sports league in North America, and they currently have 21 teams.
In our chat, we snacked about private equity, Ultimate Frisbee, owning and running a professional sports team, the role of technology in developing a professional league, diversity, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on your favorite platform :)
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today’s Halftime Snack features Matt Campagna! He is an engineer, a sports enthusiast, and a thriving entrepreneur.
Matt is the CEO and co-founder of Reflexion — a technology company looking to create tools to train and monitor athletes' brains.
Their technology tracks, trains, and strengthens neuro-responses, resulting in both neurologic and physical performance enhancement.
In our snack, we talked about becoming an entrepreneur, the value of education, challenges that sports-tech entrepreneurs face, visual cognitive training, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on your favorite platform :)
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's guest of the show is Murray Barnett.
Murray has over 20 years of experience working in sports in companies like ESPN, Formula 1, World Rugby, and the NBA.
He's a master in the future of sports, tech & innovation, commercial partnerships, media, and sponsorships, amongst other topics.
Today, he is the Founder of Sports Consultancy 26West– where they specialize in the business side of sports, Media Rights, Sponsorships, and more.
In our snack, we talked about Murray’s career and his lessons from working in world-class organizations, the electrification of sports, sport for all, technology, media, sponsorships, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on your favorite platform :)
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's Halftime Snack features Mike Emery — a former sales and marketing director from Oslo in Norway.
Mike's an entrepreneur who's passionate about sports and technology, but he's driven primarily to improve the industry's quality worldwide.
He's the CEO of Joymo, a game-changing streaming platform for clubs, athletes, fans, and coaches, where they can film games and training, store content, sell access to fans, and so much more.
He's also the founder of World At Play — a charity foundation that works to inspire and develop young people through sports.
In our snack, we talked about Joymo and traditional sports broadcasting, the DTC & media business, the role of data in 2021, the democratization of grassroots sports, and more.
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on your favorite platform :)
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Joining today’s snack is Dan Evans – an extraordinary and successful sports executive.
Dan is a Former LA Dodgers General Manager, and he worked as an executive in other MLB teams such as the Chicago Cubs, the Seattle Mariners, the Toronto Blue Jays, and the White Sox.
Today he runs a baseball consulting company, from which he provides experienced advice in decision-making, staff, procedures, strategy, and resources of baseball organizations.
Besides being widely known for his expertise and success in the MLB, he was one of the pioneers to use technology & video analysis.
In our snack, we talked about the different ways in which baseball has changed, lessons from the MLB, what differentiates good from great organizations, sports technology, and so much more!
Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on your favorite platform :)
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
John Wallace joins me for a massive Halftime Snack.
John is the director of performance at SPIRE Institute in Ohio, where they develop and implement performance training to increase the athletic abilities from academy students to Olympic athletes. SPIRE Performance is one of the largest performance training centers in the US. John’s role is to educate and prepare athletes with both theory and practice.
He also brings a lot of technology to the mix, as he uses data, functional movement screens, biometrics, and video analysis to the training.
In our conversation, we talked about being the director of performance in one of the largest performance institutions in the US, factors that separate the good and the great athletes, how moving the Olympics a year affects performance, practical tips to improve your wellness and so much more.
🗣Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on your favorite platform :)
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
In today's episode, Amar Singh joins us for a quick Halftime Snack. He's a former head of content at West Ham United and chief of content at Squawka. He then worked with Budweiser as the head of Football Content & Strategy — where he led the content operations from Budweiser's sponsorships of the Premier League and LaLiga.
He now works as a brand manager for Belgian company Anheuser-Busch, one of the most relevant beer-producing brands globally.
Amar is an expert in marketing, branding, product, and, most importantly, beer.
In our conversation, we talked about what makes sports marketing unique, how different are the marketing roles in the brands where he worked, lessons on content distribution, brand building, and so much more.
🗣Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on your favorite platform :)
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's episode features Amobi Okugo.
Amobi is a professional soccer player, a founder, and a Forbes 30 under 30 member.
He's a first-generation immigrant from Nigeria who's been a professional soccer player since 2010.
Additionally, Amobi is the founder of A Frugal Athlete, which helps professional and amateur athletes make better financial decisions.
He also launched the Ok U Go foundation, where they help children from low-income backgrounds to find their talents and passions to build a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities.
In our conversation, we talked about the Nigerian culture, time management as a professional player, the story behind Amobi's foundation, myths around the psychology of money, and so much more.
🗣Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on your favorite platform :)
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Our following guest of the Halftime Snacks is Sameer Ahuja.
He holds a master's degree from Harvard Business School and a bachelor's from Columbia.
Additionally, Sameer has over 20 years of experience as a C-suite executive of high-growth technology businesses.
He co-founded an interactive sports attraction, founded a hedge fund, built a fin-tech company, raised over $110M of investor capital, and achieved two successful exits!
Today, Sameer is the COO of GameChanger, a company developing youth sports communities with the highest quality game coverage.
GameChanger's apps are used by millions of youth sports coaches, fans, and athletes to score, stream, and watch youth sports. Sameer is responsible for the overall vision, strategy, and day-to-day management of the company.
Sameer also writes a blog, Complexity Everywhere, about unexpected events in markets, politics, and society. He actively incorporates deep learning (artificial intelligence) and complexity science in research and writing.
Sameer's area of expertise lies in the intersection between finance, data, and technology.
In our conversation, we talked about GameChanger and its impact in different communities across the US, how their business shifted during the COVID pandemic, and we discussed topics surrounding finance, technology, risk, and bitcoin.
🗣Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review on your favorite platform :)
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter or following Ronen on Twitter.
Today's Halftime Snack features Sean Callanan.
Sean is an entire polymath of the industry. He's the founder of Sports Geek — a platform that helps teams, leagues, and athletes expand their businesses and generate more revenues through digital strategies. He's also the founder of SG Esports and owner of League of Legends professional team Gravitas.
Additionally, he's widely famous for hosting the Sports Geek Podcast since 2014, where he talks about digital marketing and the different applications of technology in sports.
Sean's expertise lies in the intersection between brand management, digital marketing, and technology, but he can provide insights around any topic on the sports and esports industry.
We talked about Sean's story, his sources of creativity, esports, how the sports business will change in the future, and how to develop a sports-biz career.
🗣Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review on your favorite platform :)
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to my weekly newsletter or following me on Twitter.
Today's Halftime snack features Tomer Yehudayan — a lecturer and an entrepreneur from Israel promoting the sports tech community through Israeli technologies.
Tomer was a basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem, and he's been a referee of professional leagues, including wheelchair basketball, for the last eleven years.
Currently, he is the Country Manager & Head of Knowledge at Colosseum Sports. He leads the group's education activities, assists startups in the field, organizes sports events, and delivers education programs to sports executives and professional players. Check out the latest Sports Tech Management Executive Program.
He is also the head of the sports tech management program in Wingate (Israel's leading sports institution) and a lecturer of the sports entrepreneurship course at Ben-Gurion University.
We talked about Israel as a leading country in sports technology, how Tomer thinks of education and innovation, what Colosseum is doing to create the future of sports, and so much more!
🗣Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review on your favorite platform :)
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to my weekly newsletter or following me on Twitter.
Today's episode of the Halftime Snacks features Lee Waters — a Sport Psychology expert with over ten years of experience working in various sports such as Football, Archery, Waterpolo, and Rugby.
Lee focuses his research on decision-making — he seeks to understand why athletes do what they do in the field.
Currently, he is also investigating the mechanisms of decision making using eye-tracker technology and reflective techniques.
In our conversation, we talked about the decision-making process, the role of pressure, the value of our senses, and how human evolution changes the games' competitive nature.
🗣Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review on your favorite platform :)
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to my weekly newsletter or following me on Twitter.
It is my honor to introduce Venugopal Rajagopalan to today's Halftime Snack!
Originally from India and based today in Toronto, Canada, Venu is a sports technology enthusiast with over 14 years of experience working in the sports industry.
His expertise lies in the intersection between sales, marketing, analytics, and content writing.
Venu has experience working with leading sports tech companies such as Hudl, Catapult Sports, Sportsinsight, and Pitchvision. Additionally, he worked with different teams as a performance analyst.
In our conversation, we talked about Venu’s story, his experiences from working with different sports tech companies, what marketing practices teams and brands should do more of, trends in sports-tech, and so much more.
🗣Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google
- If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review on your favorite platform :).
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- If you want to learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology, subscribe to my weekly newsletter or follow me on Twitter.
Today's Halftime Snack features Jason Bergman —an entrepreneur who's passionate about sports, sponsorships, and problem-solving.
Jason is the Co-founder & CEO of MarketPryce, a platform that will revolutionize the way athletes and brands connect for potential marketing deals. MarketPryce works pretty much like a dating app for brands and athletes.
In our conversation, we talked about Jason’s path towards creating MarketPryce, the chicken & the egg dilemma, why athletes, agents, and brands should use his platform, and so much more.
🗣Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- This episode is available on Apple, Spotify, or Google.
- If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review on your favorite platform :).
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- If you want to learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology, subscribe to my weekly newsletter or follow me on Twitter.
Today’s episode features Chris Carli — a sports technology expert from the US.
Chris’s vision of the future of sports includes no lines at security gates, concessions, or restrooms, improved fan experience through authenticated data, real-time engagement between teams and fans, and so much more.
Chris is the CEO and founder of Sports.Tickets — a company that combines several technologies into a single application in fan engagement that identifies every fan in every stadium worldwide.
In our conversation, we talked about how technology will shape the new sports reality post-covid-19, the role of data in sports, the value of data privacy, and so much more.
🗣Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- This episode is available on Apple, Spotify, or Google.
- If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review on your favorite platform :).
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- If you want to learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology, subscribe to my weekly newsletter or follow me on Twitter.
This week’s Halftime Snack features John Balkam.
He is the author of 3-Win Sponsorship. His book talks about how organizations can begin integrating purpose and social impact into their sponsorship platforms.
The core idea of the book is based off a three-win mindset, which means to conduct business with the well-being of the sponsor, the sponsee and the planet.
Additionally, he's the founder of Third Win Group — a sponsorship consulting firm where they help talent in sports to maximize their earning potential and maximize their impact off the field as well.
In our conversation, we talked about writing, marketing, sponsorships, social responsibility, and more.
🗣Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- This episode is available on Apple, Spotify, or Google.
- If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review on your favorite platform :).
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- If you want to learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology, subscribe to my weekly newsletter or follow me on Twitter.
Joining us today for the Halftime Snacks is Tom Vechy!
Tom is a sports-tech enthusiast and a thriving entrepreneur from Budapest!
Tom is a marketing specialist who is creating new marketing and business opportunities for sports organizations by bringing IT solutions to sports events organizers.
He is the CEO & founder of Seyu — a fan engagement platform that allows sports teams to collect fan data and instantly distribute user-generated content on their existing platforms.
In our conversation, we talked about Tom’s story, his experience growing the company, the technology behind Seyu, how brands should connect with the fans, what the data has taught him about human psychology, his approach towards building organizational culture, and so much more.
🗣Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- This episode is available on Apple, Spotify, or Google.
- If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review on your favorite platform :).
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- If you want to learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology, subscribe to my weekly newsletter or follow me on Twitter.
On today's Halftime Snack, I'm hosting Andrew Marston!
He is the author of Sports Pundit— a weekly newsletter that shares some of the best news and trends from the business side of sports.
He also works for a company called CSM Sports, where he does tons of research and finds unique data and trends in sports.
In our conversation, we talked about sports newsletters, Andy's process of creating a weekly edition, the power of writing and building in public, and so much more.
🗣Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- This episode is available on Apple, Spotify, or Google.
- If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review on your favorite platform :).
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- If you want to learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology, subscribe to my weekly newsletter or follow me on Twitter.
Today's Halftime Snack features Evan Kirkham.
Evan is a former lawyer who co-founded Colorcast— a platform that is challenging the traditional sports broadcast system by innovating in the commentary side of live events.
Evan is an entrepreneur who's passionate about sports, technology, and business. His interests cover everything from finance, law, tech, sports, and innovation.
In our conversation, we talked about the story and roadmap of Colorcast, the skills Evan transferred from law to entrepreneurship, finding product-market fit, and so much more.
🗣Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- This episode is available on Apple, Spotify, or Google.
- If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review on your favorite platform :).
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- If you want to learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology, subscribe to my weekly newsletter or follow me on Twitter.
This week, we snack with Tim Underhill, a sports business magnet from the UK.
Tim is the Founder & CEO of SportonSpec, a company looking to reimagine the sports spectator experience post-Covid-19!
Tim is a firm believer that all top-level sports athletes deserve the same exposure.
His expertise lies in the intersection between sports, experiences, and entertainment, and he's here to snack with us about it.
In our snack, we talked about the spectator experience post-covid-19, the business model, funding strategy, and story behind SportonSpec, and about fans in general.
🗣Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- This episode is available on Apple, Spotify, or Google.
- If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review on your favorite platform :).
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- If you want to learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology, subscribe to my weekly newsletter or follow me on Twitter.
Joining us today for The Halftime Snacks is Jakob Wikenstaal!
Jakob is a sports manager and scientist involved continuously in technology, innovation, development, and sports sustainability. His vision is to make an impact and give back to the sports community.
He’s the founder of Sportsidealisten. The #1 sports jobs platform to find your dream job or find your dream candidate.
Additionally, he’s a board member of the European Association for Sports Management, and he co-founded the Nordic Sports Tech community.
We talked about giving back to society, finding a job in sports, how to use LinkedIn as a tool, and how to get your career going if you’re only starting.
🗣Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- This episode is available on Apple, Spotify, or Google.
- If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review on your favorite platform :).
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- If you want to learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology, subscribe to my weekly newsletter or follow me on Twitter.
Today's Halftime Snack features Asaf Nevo— a sports enthusiast and a thriving entrepreneur.
Snacking with us from Haifa in Israel, Asaf is the CEO and co-founder of Pico.
Pico is an award-winning platform that uses data to improve sports organizations' communication strategy by making the experience with their audiences more personal.
Some of their clients include Borrusia Dortmund, The Portuguese Football Federation, and the Nashville Predators.
We talked about his journey as an entrepreneur, the role of data in decision making, organizational culture, and lessons from working with data in sports.
🗣Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- This episode is available on Apple, Spotify, or Google.
- If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review on your favorite platform :).
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- If you want to learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology, subscribe to my weekly newsletter or follow me on Twitter.
On today's Halftime Snack, I'm snacking with Pierina Merino!
Pierina is a Venezuelan entrepreneur who's innovating daily. She's pushing the boundaries of technology to bring the physical and digital world closer together.
Her creative industry experience covers everything from designing architectural projects with one of the greatest architects of our time (Frank Gehry) to leading the design strategy for premium VR experiences for fashion brands.
Today, she is the founder and CEO of Flickplay. This platform combines immersive video technology with gaming tools to create a new and innovative experience.
We talked about creativity, working with Frank Gehry, Flickplay's technology, and how the digital and physical spaces will coexist to create new social experiences in the future.
🗣Come snack with us!
- Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
- This episode is available on Apple, Spotify, or Google.
- If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review on your favorite platform :).
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- If you want to learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology, subscribe to my weekly newsletter or follow me on Twitter.
Joining today's Halftime Snack is Uri Levy.
He's a Middle Eastern football expert and a sports journalist from Israel. He has experience with Israeli media channels such as Sport5, the Jerusalem Post, Walla news, Calcalist, Haaretz, Kan, and many more.
Additionally, he covered the World Cup in Russia, The Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates, and the African Cup of Nations in Egypt.
Uri is the founder and chief editor of BabaGol, a football content brand that focuses on Asian, Middle Eastern, African, and Latin American football.
We talked about football culture in Israel, the story of how Uri came up with BabaGol, and what it's like to be a journalist in the Middle East.
🗣Come snack with us!
- To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
- If you want to learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology, subscribe to my weekly newsletter.
- To see what I'm thinking about, follow me on Twitter.
- Listen to this episode on Apple, Spotify, or Google.
Check out the transcript of this conversation here.
Today’s guest of the show is Robert Gevertz, a digital sports consultant from the UK.
He’s the director of First Five Yards, and he has experience from working with Sky Sports, Metro, talkSPORT and Manchester City.
His experience covers everything from sponsorships and media, to digital presence and marketing for some of the most relevant institutions in the sports industry.
In our conversation, we talked about different perspectives to commercialize sports content, moving from local to global, using the pandemic to be creative, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
If you want to learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology, subscribe to my weekly newsletter.
Follow me on Twitter.
Listen to this episode on:
AppleSpotifyGoogle
Check out the full transcript of the conversation here.
Today’s episode features Farzeen Ghorashy.
Originally from Canada, Farzeen is a former investment banker from Goldman Sachs, and the current Chief Strategy and Financial Officer of Overtime.
Overtime is one of the biggest sports media companies in the world. Their content has over a billion views each month.
In our conversation, we snacked about the transition from a huge financial corporation to a smaller sports-media company, the business model and strategy to grow Overtime, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
If you want to learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology, subscribe to my weekly newsletter.
Follow me on Twitter.
Listen to this episode on:
AppleSpotifyGoogle
Check out the full transcript of the conversation here.
I’m delighted to introduce to today’s Halftime Snack, Gary Boddington! He’s by far our most accomplished guest of the show yet.
Originally from South Africa, Gary is a former field hockey player who competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics.
He has over 25 years of experience working in sports and technology along with multiple athletes, founders, investors, and organizations.
Today, he is the CEO and Co-Founder of Sports Technology Group. A company looking to disrupt the sports industry using ground-breaking technologies.
In our conversation, we snacked about his lessons as an olympian, the transformation of sports through technology, the link between sports and entrepreneurship, and so much more.
Come snack with us!
To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
If you want to learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology, subscribe to my weekly newsletter.
Follow me on Twitter.
Listen to this episode on:
AppleSpotifyGoogle
Check out the full transcript of this conversation here.
On today’s Halftime Snack, I’ll be hosting Doron Maman.
Doron is an entrepreneur by definition. He founded a company, wrote a book, and he’s one of the best public speakers I’ve ever seen.
He is the Managing partner of Excellent, an Israeli company which mentally and physically prepares young adults prior to their draft to the elite units of the army.
His area of expertise lies in the intersection between psychology and sports.
In our conversation, we snacked about building mental toughness, dealing with adversity, having a “comeback mentality,” and so much more.
Come snack with us!
To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
If you want to learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology, subscribe to my weekly newsletter.
Follow me on Twitter.
Listen to this episode on:
AppleSpotifyGoogle
Check out the full transcript of our conversation here.
Today’s guest of the Halftime Snacks is Sean Flynn.
Sean has over 20 years of experience working in different teams and sectors in the sports industry, including the Miami Marlins, Miami FC, and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
He’s a marketing expert, and today, he is the CEO of SureAthlete. A company that uses science, data, and technology to take athletes and coaches to a whole new level.
In our conversation, we snacked about the story of how he first got involved in the sports industry, about SureAthlete, and the way data is being used to improve the performance of teams and athletes.
Come snack with us!
To listen to this or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
If you want to learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology, subscribe to my weekly newsletter.
Follow me on Twitter.
Listen to this episode on:
AppleSpotifyGoogle
Check out the full transcript here.
Buckle up for today’s Halftime Snack with Zushan Hashmi.
Interviewing from Mexico City to Canbra, Australia, Zushan is a co-founder, a sports writer, a policy expert, an academic coordinator, and more.
He's the co-founder of Sportageous, a media platform that is challenging the status quo of the sports media industry by providing innovative and original content.
His interests cover everything from diversity and inclusion in sports, to tech and innovation.
In our conversation, we snacked about the story of how Sportageous came around. We also talked about the role of fake news and media in the sports industry.
Come snack with us!
Read the full transcript of the conversation here.
Follow Zushan on Twitter;
Check out Sportageous;
To listen to this, or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
If you want to learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology, subscribe to my weekly newsletter.
Follow me on Twitter.
Listen to this episode on:
AppleSpotifyGoogle
Our guest today is Steve Madincea.
Joining the show from London in the UK, Steve is a sports marketing legend and an enthusiastic tech entrepreneur.
He’s the managing partner of Fantastec. A company that is reinventing the future of fan engagement using new and emerging technologies such as blockchain, AI, and VR for the trading of digital collectibles.
Steve is a prominent businessman, and we met through my weekly newsletter.
In our conversation, we snacked about digital collectibles and the story of how Fantastec started. We also talked about how they are leveraging blockchain technology and the challenges of winning in such a market.
Come snack with us!
Read the full transcript of the conversation here.
Connect with Steve on LinkedIn;
Check out Fantastec;
To listen to this, or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
If you want to learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology, subscribe to my weekly newsletter.
Follow me on Twitter.
Listen to this episode on:
AppleSpotifyGoogle
Our guest today is Oscar Garza.
Coming to the show all the way from Cancun. He’s the CEO and co-founder of Journey.
Journey is a digital platform used to organize and promote sports using a business model based on embedded sports insurance.
Oscar’s mission is to democratize sports using network effects to improve insurance, marketing, and management in sports.
In our conversation, we snacked about his story as an entrepreneur, the platform behind Journey, the challenges of selling insurance, and the future of team sport and personal fitness in the post-pandemic era.
Come snack with us!
Read the full transcript of the conversation here.
Connect with Oscar on LinkedIn;
Check out Journey;
To listen to this, or any other podcast episode again, check out the archive on my website.
If you want to learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology, subscribe to my weekly newsletter.
Follow me on Twitter.
Listen to this episode on:
AppleSpotifyGoogle
Victoire Cogevina is a sports-tech entrepreneur, a public speaker, and an advocate for equality.
On today’s Halftime Snack, we talk about the football transfer market.
What happens behind the scenes of the football transfer market?
- Transfer fee negotiations;
- Agents’ commission;
- Contract negotiations;
- Image rights;
- Work permits;
- Taxes;
- International clearances.
⚽️🤝⚽️
Read more here.
To listen to this or any other Halftime Snack, check out the archive on my website.
Follow me on Twitter.
Currently, seven relevant trends are disrupting the sports industry: 1. Data Analytics 2. Media and Broadcasting 3. Wearables and Performance Enhancement 4. Smart Stadiums 5. Fan Engagement 6. Sponsorships 7. Esports
Come grab your Halftime Snack! We'll dive into each one of these trends to learn more about disruption in sports.
The NFL faded former San Francisco 49ers quarterback from the NFL due to his protests during the national anthem before games in 2016.
Now, the BLM movement has opened the door for the NFL to make things right with Colin.
Is Colin ready to come back? Will the NFL apologize?
Come grab your Halftime Snack!
Our guest today is Meyer Grunberg. A digital marketing guru from Miami who's passionate about Israel and Jewish History.
Follow Meyer's Jewish History project on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onthisdayinjewishistory/
Check out Meyer's- Two Tall Jews Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZX38g4oK_8Pkgo7lHbfFYw
Sports facilities exist for more than 3000 years.
The accessibility to outdoor sports, design, sustainability, and safety elements are keys to understand sports facilities. Back in ancient times, sports facilities used to represent symbols of power. What about today?
For the entire history of modern sport, race has been a critical dividing concept, particularly between people with black and white skin color. Today, we'll learn about the history and process of racism in sports.