The CUSP Show

Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson welcome longtime college football coach and current ESPN/ACC Network analyst as well as Executive Affiliate at the Wake Forest School of Business, Dave Clawson for a wide-ranging conversation on how big-time college football is being transformed by NIL, the transfer portal, and donor influence. Clawson traces his journey from Fordham, Richmond, and Bowling Green to...

Joe Favorito welcomes Columbia Sports Management Program alumna, and content creator, Aliyah Funschelle for an in-depth conversation on the intersection of women’s sports, digital storytelling, and the growing creator economy on social media. As a sports reporter, and the founder of Sports With Aliyah, she discusses her journey from Wichita State to Columbia, and how she turned her passion for wom...

Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson welcome Kati Fernandez, Chief Content Officer at TOGETHXR, for a conversation on leadership, innovation, and the fast-changing world of sports media. A former ESPN executive, Fernandez talks about how women’s sports have become a booming business, as well as dives into the strategy behind TOGETHXR’s short & long form video, and podcast production. She emphasizes how...

Joe and Tom sit down with Mike Abdenour , the longtime head athletic trainer for the Detroit Pistons and one of the most respected figures in the NBA. With decades of experience on the sidelines, Mike shares how the role of athletic trainers has transformed - from old-school tape jobs and gut instincts to cutting-edge technology and sports science. He offers rare insight into what it takes to keep...

Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson welcome New York Times NFL reporter Ken Belson to discuss his new book Every Day Is Sunday . Belson shares how the 1993 labor peace set the foundation for the league’s financial explosion, the role of visionaries like Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft in transforming the business, and how media innovation, from Fox’s early deals to today’s streaming era, reshaped fan eng...

Joe and Tom are joined by Ben Malcolmson, Head of Investor Relations at Trinity Capital, whose remarkable journey took him from reporting for the school paper to CFB, to the NFL, and now into finance. A Journalism major at USC, Ben earned a walk-on spot via tryouts on the Trojans roster in his senior year, which eventually led him to work closely with legendary coach Pete Carroll for many years, i...

Joe and Tom sit down with Ann Kletz, a trailblazer in women’s sports and a seasoned leader with 25 years of experience building and scaling mission-driven companies. Together, they explore the surging momentum behind professional women’s sports leagues, diving into the growing investments, expanding audiences, and the broader cultural impact. It’s a conversation about strategy, opportunity, and th...

Joe and Tom sit down with Fred Quartlebaum, Director of Basketball Operations at the University of Kansas and a key figure behind the team's National Championship success. Coach Q is recognized not only for his leadership and culture-building expertise but also for being one of the fittest coaches in college sports. In this episode, Coach Q shares powerful insights on what it truly means to lead,...

This week, Tom is joined by Charece Williams - a powerhouse in sports marketing and strategic partnerships. As the founder of Inside the Huddle and host of How the Business Is Played , Charece has built a career brokering high-impact brand deals across women’s sports and collegiate athletics. She shares her journey from student-athlete to executive roles at PepsiCo, Under Armour, and Coca-Cola, of...

This week, Tom is joined by Eric Meistrich and Andre Buchanan, the duo behind Athletech - a startup revolutionizing sports training with AI. They dive into Baseball AI , their flagship product that helps athletes fine-tune their swing through advanced technical analysis. Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrekbuchanan/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-meistrich-a817ba153/ The CUSP Show is host...

Joe and Tom sit down with Shripal Shah, Chief Digital Officer at Next League, to explore how emerging technologies are reshaping the sports industry. From AI-driven fan engagement to scalable innovation strategies, Shripal shares how top organizations are leveraging digital transformation to boost revenue and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving landscape. Whether you're in sports, tech, or just curio...

This week, Tom and Joe sit down with Chris Blivin, Vice President of Consumer Products for Gaming, Collectibles, and Emerging Technology at Major League Soccer. Chris dives into the evolving world of digital collectibles and shares his perspective on whether the market is poised for a resurgence. The conversation also explores how MLS is embracing emerging technologies to deepen fan engagement, dr...

With the tennis world focused on New York, Joe and Tom get an inside look at the sport with writer, publisher, podcaster, and tournament director Randy Walker. They dive into the biggest trends and debates in tennis today, exploring the innovations driving the game forward and the potential issues that could hold it back. Follow on X: TennisPublisher Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randolph-w...

Joe and Tom are joined by Fiona Green, Founder and CEO of ProDataStack - an AI-powered platform that empowers professional athletes to access and control their personal performance data. Fiona explores the key principles behind data collection and usage in sport, revealing how athletes can leverage data both on and off the field. Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionagreendata/Visit: https://p...

Joe and Tom are joined by Justin Papadakis, who serves as United Soccer League’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Real Estate Officer. Justin leads the USL’s strategic direction, oversees expansion efforts into new markets, and drives stadium development efforts. Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-papadakis-9b466522/ The CUSP Show is hosted by Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richar...

Joe and Tom are joined by Peter Robert Casey, the chairman of SLAM and founding partner at JDS Sports, a purpose-driven private equity firm. Together, they explore how basketball storytelling has evolved alongside the changing landscape of digital sports media. Peter also offers a deep dive into the world of 'purpose-driven' investing, explaining the goal of creating a positive impact through spor...

Tom Richardson is joined by Pet Berisha, the creator of Sporting Crypto. They discuss the passing of the GENIUS Act, the United States' first comprehensive legislation on stablecoins. The cryptocurrency industry’s journey to mainstream is now nearing completion. Pet and Tom also discuss the prevalence of digital currency in the sporting world, and what that future looks like. Subscribe - https://n...

Roll Tide! Joe is joined by filmmaker Jimmy Jenkins, whose Alabama football documentary, Nothing But A Winner , is about to hit theaters. Discover the immense time and dedication behind bringing the story of college football's greatest program, the University of Alabama Crimson Tide, to the big screen. Listen in for an exclusive preview. https://nothingbutawinner.com/Jimmy Jenkins - https://www.im...

Joe and Tom are joined this week by Carl Thomas, the host of The Best Boss Ever podcast. In a storied career, Carl has a track record of scaling businesses across sports, entertainment, and technology. They discuss what success means in today’s world and explore the qualities that make a good leader. Connect - https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-a-thomas/The CUSP Show is hosted by Joe Favorito (@Joef...

Tom is joined this week by Carla Varriale-Barker, the Chairperson of the Sports, Recreation and Entertainment Practice Group at Segal McCambridge and a Professor with Columbia University’s Sports Management program. They analyze the House v. NCAA settlement and discuss what the future of college sports may look like. Carla and Tom also examine the impact that AI currently has on both the law and e...

Tom and Joe are joined this week by Joseph Caporoso, President at Team Whistle, a DAZN Group Company. He provides an overview of the sports digital media space, and dives deep into the various streams of content (both live and non-live) that are available to sports fans today. Caporoso speaks about his engagement with AI and also lists best practices and strategies for creating engaging digital co...

Mandy Gutmann is the VP of Communications and External Affairs at the Professional Women's Hockey League. She sits down with Joe Favorito to discuss the opportunities and challenges in building a ‘start-up’ women’s sports league. Mandy talks about driving growth through teams and players, via branding and storytelling. Connect with Mandy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandygutmann/PWHL - https://ww...

Joe and Tom are joined this week by Micky Lawler, the Commissioner at Unrivaled Basketball. She talks about the success of the inaugural season in early 2025, and details the planning and work that went into the launch and on-court action. Before joining Unrivaled, Micky was President of the WTA. She talks about the similarities (and differences) in growing women’s basketball as compared to the su...

Joe and Tom welcome back Marc Horine, Chief Business Officer at For Soccer Ventures, for a conversation about the growth of soccer in the U.S. They discuss how rising brand investment, grassroots development, and a more diverse and youthful fan base are impacting the industry ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Marc shares new insights from For Soccer’s annual United States of Soccer report, reflects on...

Joe and Tom welcome Calvin Sibert, Chief Mission Officer at Learn Fresh, to explore how the NBA Math Hoops program is helping students build critical math and social-emotional skills through the power of sports. Calvin shares his journey from 20 years as a schoolteacher in Detroit to leading a nonprofit that now serves over 1.5 million students worldwide. He discusses how partnerships with the NBA...