Pickleball Innovators

As pickleball clubs continue to evolve, many operators are asking the same question: How do you create a facility people don't just play at, but genuinely want to be a part of? For Kady Pooler, founder of Pickle Athletics in Oakland, California, the answer lies in what she calls the "play-and-stay" model. A former professional tennis player turned first-time pickleball club owner, Pooler has built...

As pickleball clubs continue to expand across the country, many operators are focused on growth, court utilization and member acquisition. But according to Cameron Linder, one of the biggest risks operators face may actually be hidden in the fine print of their insurance policies. As the CEO of Pickleball Insurance Program (PIP), Cameron has a front-row seat to the claims, coverage gaps and operat...

While many pickleball operators are focused on fast expansion and filling warehouse space, Chris White took a different approach in Canada. He built IPOP as a partnership-driven model — one that works alongside nonprofits, municipalities and local communities to solve one of the sport’s biggest challenges: access to courts. The result? A pickleball concept that’s less about real estate arbitrage a...

When everyone else was converting grocery stores and warehouses into pickleball facilities, Kelly Bodner went a different direction. She built Indiana's first ground-up, purpose-built indoor pickleball club from dirt — and modeled it after a country club. The result? Pickle on Penn in Carmel, Indiana: eight cushioned courts, locker rooms stocked with the essentials, a boutique pro shop, and a rest...

In this episode of the Pickleball Innovators Podcast, Michael Wilmot — Chief Growth Officer at Boston Pickle Club — breaks down how BPC built the New England Tournament Series into a six-event, year-long competitive circuit that's growing 25 to 30 percent with every leg. Wilmot shares why they walked away from paid marketing in favor of a grassroots approach built on player influencers and early r...

In this episode of the Pickleball Innovators Podcast, Christy Howden — owner of Wolverine Pickleball Club in Ann Arbor, Michigan — shares how she built one of the most community-driven facilities in the country, one intentional decision at a time. From beach tennis and bocce to mahjong and goat yoga, Wolverine Pickleball has become something far bigger than a place to play. Howden opens up about w...

Curious about the 2026 Pickleball Innovators Summit and what all it entails? In this Discovery Session webinar, Editor-in-Chief Rachel Chonko sits down with Mitch Dunn, founder of The Pickle Lodge and returning attendee, and Andrew Herrera, Director of Specification Sales at LSI Industries and returning sponsor, to pull back the curtain on what the Summit actually looks and feels like from the ins...

What happens when a passion for human connection becomes a business model? For Kevin Richards, it became RECS — and a blueprint for what a pickleball club community can look like at its best. In this episode of the Pickleball Innovators Podcast, Kevin — CEO and founder of RECS in Portland, Oregon — shares how a decade-long journey from building pickleball's first algorithm-based rating system led...

What does 30 years in the global fitness industry teach you about running a pickleball club? Quite a lot, it turns out. In this episode of the Pickleball Innovators Podcast, Tim Keightley — CEO of Center Court Pickleball in the Phoenix Valley — breaks down how he's applying decades of health and fitness expertise to build one of the most member-focused pickleball club brands in the country. From t...

In this episode of the Pickleball Innovators Podcast, Seymour Rifkind — founder and president of the World Pickleball Federation and the International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association, and founder of the Pickleball Hall of Fame — shares his global perspective on the rapid international expansion of pickleball. The conversation explores where the sport is growing fastest around the worl...

In this episode of the Pickleball Innovators Podcast, Kurtis Campbell — founder of Pickleball Manager and former professional pickleball player — shares how tournament and league software is transforming club operations. The conversation explores how automation, accurate data tracking and seamless digital experiences can reduce court downtime, free staff time and increase revenue. For pickleball o...

Ace Pickleball Club (APC) brought qualified members from 17 clubs across the country together January 27 through February 1 for the 2026 APC National Championship, delivered with DoorDash. The six-day event served as the culmination of the organization’s 2025 Championship Series — a six-stop, members-only competition that generated over 7,000 player registrations throughout the year and represente...