The Upside Newsletter

Today we have the honor of interviewing Emma Meehan, CEO of KinetikIQ, a leading real time excercie feedback and analysis company. KinetikIQ, developed by Precision Sports Technology, is an innovative LiDAR based app that provides real-time, sensor-free movement assessments. Utilizing AI-powered computer vision, it analyzes movement patterns to deliver instant metrics on biomechanics, such as rang...

Today we have the honor of interviewing Michael D'Auria, EVP Partnerships, Sports and Technology at Genius Sports , a leading sports technology company. Genius Sports is a global sports technology company that provides data, technology, and broadcast solutions to the sports, sports betting, and media industries. Essentially, they act as a crucial link between sports leagues, betting operators, and...

This week we had the honor to interview a group of NCAA sports performance experts. * Dr. John DeWitt, director of applied sports science in the athletic department and a faculty member, Rice University (NCAA team). * Eric Renaghan, Executive Director of Sport Performance, University of Miami (NCAA team). * Drew Lukes, Senior PT at Duke University and the head of sports science, Duke university’s...

This week we have the honor to interview again Dr. Ron Dick, associate professor of sports marketing at Duquesne University in the school of business. Ron also worked for 20 years in sports, including 15 years in the NBA with the Sixers and the Nets, and then five years in the NCAA. Watch the full video interview by clicking on the link below: You can read the full transcript of the podcast interv...

Monarch Collective is a venture capital firm dedicated to investing in women's sports. Launched in 2023 by Kara Nortman and Jasmine Robinson, the firm initially raised $100 million, with backing from notable investors such as Billie Jean King, Laela Sturdy, and Cindy Holland. As of March 2025, Monarch Collective expanded its fund to $250 million, reflecting growing interest in the sector. The firm...

Today we have the honor of interviewing ​ Dr. John DeWitt, the director of applied sports science in the athletic department and a faculty member at Rice University (NCAA). ​Dr. John DeWitt has been working a Rice University since July 2023. In this role, he aims to develop a premier sports science program that integrates various sports within the department and collaborates with external research...

This week we had the honor to interview   InnoPower CEO and former NFL player, Emil Nagbo Ikior. InnoPower is a venture-driven organization focused on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in underserved communities in the U.S. and emerging markets in Africa. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Ekiyor moved to the United States at 15 to pursue educational opportunities, eventually earning a football schol...

This week we have the honor to interview a group of NFL sports performance executives to talk about the latest trends in the world of sports performance, load management, sleep/recovery management, rehabilitation and data & wearable tech integration, and mental performance in the NFL. * Ted Rath, Director of sports performance, New Orleans Saints (NFL team). * Ryan Juarez, Director of rehabilitati...

Today we have the honor of interviewing Kyle Sela, CEO of AVA Cooling Technology , a leading performance enhancement company leveraging thermoregulation through palm cooling. Picture: AVA Cooling Technology What is Palm Cooling? Palm cooling is a thermoregulation technique that leverages the body's natural heat exchange mechanisms to enhance performance, delay fatigue, and accelerate recovery. It...

This week we had the honor to interview Joshua Bonhotal, Director at Sequence Equity, a leading multi strategy investment platform dedicated to backing resilient technologies, sports, and innovative businesses that enhance the human experience. Picture: Josh Bonhotal, Purdue University Joshua is a Director at Sequence Equity, where he leads investments across sports teams, leagues, and sport adjac...

This week we had the honor to interview again Dr. Ron Dick, associate professor of sports marketing at Duquesne University in the school of business. Ron also worked for 20 years in sports, including 15 years in the NBA with the Sixers and the Nets, and then five years in the NCAA. You can read the full transcript of the podcast interview with Ron located at the top of this blog post. Here are som...

This week we have the honor to interview a group of NHL sports performance executives to talk about the latest trends in the world of sports performance, load management, sleep/recovery management, rehabilitation and data & wearable tech integration, and mental performance in the NHL. * Alexi Pianosi, Head S&C coach, Colorado avalanche (NHL Team). * Adam Douglas, S&C coach, Pittsburgh Penguins (NH...

Today we have the honor of interviewing Pieter Bulsink, CEO of Maverick Training, a sports performance company focused on elite athletes in F1 and other sports. Pieter has been working with top athletes such as 4 times world champion in F1 Max Verstappen (Red Bull). Picture: Pieter Bulsink (left), Max Verstappen (right) Picture: Max Verstappen (middle), Pieter Bulsink (right) Pieter has also worke...

Today we have the honor of interviewing James Morehen, sports nutritionist from the England men national rugby team . James originally started out as a snowboard instructor in Canada from ages 18 to 21, but then decided he wanted to pursue an academic career in sports science. He studied at Liverpool John Moores University, where he completed an undergraduate degree in sports science, a master’s i...

Today we have the honor of interviewing Jamie Tout, GM of the New Zealand Campus of Innovation & sports , a shared resource campus where multiple teams such as the New Zealand All Blacks, Swedish women football team have been training. The New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport (NZCIS) is a world-class high-performance facility designed to support elite athletes, teams, and organizations. Loca...

This week we have the honor to interview again a group of sports performance executives to talk about the latest trends in the world of sports performance and rehabilitation. * Jason Han, the former head of rehabilitation at LAFC (MLS). Jason is also the head of business development in North America at OneBase health. * Michael Messer, the head of rehabilitation at Nashville SC (MLS). * Dr Derek L...

Today we have the honor of interviewing Pierre Barrieu, the director of performance for the Canadian national men soccer team , and a technical advisor for the UEFA and also works as a freelancer for the FIFA. Credits: Audrey Magny Pierre Barrieu is a highly respected sports performance expert with extensive experience in elite soccer. Originally from France, he has worked with multiple national t...

Today we have the honor of interviewing Eric Renaghan, Executive Director of Sport Performance at the University of Miami a top NCAA organization. Eric Renaghan leverages 15 years of elite sport experience to advance evidence-based athletic development programming for Miami Football and Track & Field. His career includes serving as Head of Sport Performance for the 2019 Stanley Cup Champion St. Lo...

Today we have the honor of interviewing Dr Duncan French the SVP of the UFC performance institute. Duncan has 25 years of experience working with athletes from over 40 different professional and Olympic sports. As the Senior Vice President of the UFC Performance Institute, Duncan is responsible for directing high performance services to 700 UFC fighters globally, and managing three state-of-the-ar...

Today we have the honor of interviewing Drew Lukes, the sr PT at Duke University and the head of sports science for Duke’s women soccer team. 📝Show Notes: Through this interview, we touched on his background, and his role at Duke University. We also touched on what his typical day looks like. We also discussed his approach towards innovation and biofeedback, and how important technologies are to...

Dear colleague, This week I sat down with David Daoud , CEO of Compliance Standards to share my thoughts on the sports tech market, the various segments (Performance tech Vs fan engagement, AI), the latest trends, my favorite technologies, the average tech budgets by leagues (NBA, MLS, etc..), the sports leagues that are hard to break into and more. You can listen to the audio interview by clickin...

Today we have the honor of interviewing Dr Trent Nessler, a sports physical therapist, with an expertise in ACL injuries and Mixed Martial Art. Trent Nessler, PT, MPT, DPT is owner of The Athlete Lab, a sports rehab facility specializing in ACL rehab, MMA/ BJJ and mature athletes. The Athlete Lab is an operating research facility and one of the few in the US specializing in ACL Return to Play & MM...

Here is a recap on their past investments: KB Partners is a venture capital firm focused on investing in early-stage companies at the intersection of sports, media, and entertainment technology. Based in Chicago, the firm primarily backs startups leveraging innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, gaming, and digital media to transform the sports industry. KB Partne...

This week we had the honor to interview again a group of sports performance experts. * Jordan Troester, PhD, Director of sports performance and sports science at the University of Oregon (UO) , a top NCAA organization. * Drew Lukes, Senior PT at Duke University and the head of sports science for Duke university’s women soccer team , a top NCAA team. * Pierre Barrieu, Director of performance for th...

Today we have the honor of interviewing Dr Andy Barr, president of Quantum Movement , a leading biomechanics and movement analysis and training software for practitioners working in sports to help them make more accurate decisions and allow them to get better training outcomes with athletes.  Andy has worked in the NBA and professional soccer for 25 years. He has worked for teams such as New York...