The Sports Business Leaders Podcast

On this episode of the Sports Business Leaders Podcast, we sit down with Han Park , Founder & CEO of Payment Labs. After spending more than 20 years helping build ESL Gaming into a billion-dollar business, Han founded Payment Labs to solve one of the biggest challenges in sports: moving money across borders quickly, securely, and compliantly. Today, Payment Labs powers payments in 180+ countri...

Nate Thompson is the Founder of Catalyst Sports Ventures, Co-Founder of HTX Sports Tech, and creator of The Lab in Los Angeles, a new hub connecting founders, investors, executives, and athletes across the sports industry. With more than 20 years of experience spanning the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Guardians, Houston Astros, and collegiate athletics, Nate has built a career around connecting pe...

Kylee Renouf is the Director of Marketing & Strategic Partnerships at Signature Athletics, a company building one of the most comprehensive ecosystems in youth sports. What started with the #1 lacrosse ball has expanded into custom team gear, sports camps, media, strategic partnerships, and initiatives focused on making youth sports more accessible. In this episode, Kylee shares how Signature...

Raphael Gellar is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Forward Sports Group, a boutique football consultancy that advises North American investors, owners, players, coaches, and clubs across the global football ecosystem. Before entering the consulting world, Raphael spent nearly a decade as an internationally syndicated football journalist with work published by the BBC, The New York Times, T...

Mike Hummel is the Founder and CEO of 1PRCT Labs, the company behind MPG, a clean sports fuel gummy designed to help athletes maintain focus, energy, and performance during long practices and competitions. A former seven-time school record holder at Texas A&M and a coach with more than 20 years of experience working with elite endurance athletes, Mike launched the company after seeing athletes...

Suzann Pettersen is a two-time major champion, former world No. 2, and one of the most accomplished golfers of her generation. After winning 21 professional tournaments and retiring with the iconic winning putt at the 2019 Solheim Cup, Pettersen has turned her focus to growing the business of women's sports as the founder of Voxa , a female-focused athlete management and marketing agency. In t...

Christian Henze is the Chief Strategy Officer at the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL), where he has helped shape the league's growth since its early days. In this episode, Christian shares how the PLL has challenged traditional sports models through its touring format, player equity program, first-party fan data strategy, and recent transition to a city-based league. He also explains why community-bu...

Jes Wolfe is the CEO and Chairwoman of Rebel Girls, a global empowerment brand that has sold more than 13 million books, reached 50 million girls across 100+ countries, and expanded into podcasts, video, consumer products, and live experiences. She is also the Co-Founder and Chairwoman of League One Volleyball San Francisco, one of the newest franchises in the rapidly growing League One Volleyball...

Marques Colston, Super Bowl champion and the New Orleans Saints' all-time leading receiver, and Nick Edwards, former professional MMA fighter, entrepreneur, and Managing Partner of Champion Capital, are helping redefine how investors participate in the business of sports. Together, they co-founded Champion Venture Partners and launched the Champion Fund, an innovative investment platform designed...

Eric Spitz is the Founder and CEO of FanUp.ai, an AI-powered sports technology company helping professional sports teams, leagues, and rights holders unlock the hidden value of their fan data. After pioneering real-time player tracking technology with Trakus, Eric has spent decades building companies at the intersection of technology, media, retail, and data analytics. In this episode, Eric explai...

Susan Brazer is a global media, technology, and sports executive who has spent decades at the forefront of digital transformation. Throughout her career, she has held leadership roles at Apple, Nokia, Virgin Mobile USA, and Showtime Networks, where she helped launch groundbreaking technologies and media platforms that reshaped how consumers access and engage with content. Today, Susan is the Found...

Artin Eskandari is the Co-Founder and CEO of TWLV, a clinically backed performance nutrition company built specifically for combat and hybrid athletes. Before launching TWLV, Artin built his career across startups, consumer brands, healthcare, and e-commerce, serving in leadership roles at companies including Pharmadrug International, MyTaag, DR. EMI ARPA SKIN, and 032c, while also investing in an...

Fran Dunphy is one of the most respected figures in college basketball and the winningest coach in Philadelphia Big 5 history. Across more than three decades as a head coach at Penn, Temple, and La Salle, he built a legacy defined not only by wins and NCAA Tournament appearances, but by leadership, humility, and service to others. In this episode of the Sports Business Leaders Podcast, Coach Dunph...

John Davidson is the founder of Davidson Learning Company (DLC), a sports, gaming, and esports strategist who has helped brands, leagues, teams, and organizations better understand and engage with one of the world's fastest-growing audiences. With a background that spans professional skateboarding, esports, media, and partnership development, John has advised major brands including GameStop an...

Briana Candeub and Chelsea Lazar are leaders at Park Avenue Worldwide, a luxury ground transportation and logistics company that has evolved from a regional limousine service into a trusted partner for major sports, entertainment, and corporate organizations. With a fleet of more than 350 vehicles and a global transportation network, Park Avenue Worldwide provides transportation solutions for team...

Jack Dempsey is the Strategic Partnerships and Development Manager at Laurel Springs School, the world's first accredited online private schools serving students across all 50 states and more than 70 countries. A lifelong entrepreneur, Jack spent more than a decade building and operating businesses before joining Laurel Springs, where he now works with student-athletes, performers, entrepreneu...

Topher Bates is the General Manager of Boxing at On Location, the premium hospitality and experiences division of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of UFC, WWE, PBR, and other global sports and entertainment properties. In this episode of the Sports Business Leaders Podcast, Topher shares how On Location has become the leader in VIP ticketing, hospitality, and exclusive fan experiences across...

Mike Lorenz is the Chief Executive Officer and founder of NGU Sports Lighting, LLC, an industry executive credited with pioneering the modern solid-state (LED) retrofit market for sports and entertainment venues. He has spent over a decade leading companies that design and implement high-efficiency arena and stadium illumination systems. In this episode of the Sports Business Leaders Podcast, Mike...

Tim McDermott is one of the most accomplished executives in professional sports, having held leadership positions across four major leagues—the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLS. As President of Philadelphia Union, Tim oversees all business and corporate operations for the club, including Subaru Park, the Philadelphia Union Academy, and Union II. Before joining the Union in 2016 and becoming Club President i...

Chris Murphy has spent more than two decades with the Golden State Warriors organization, rising from a ticket sales role to become Senior Vice President of Franchise Development for the Warriors and President of the Santa Cruz Warriors. In this episode of the Sports Business Leaders Podcast, Chris shares how the Santa Cruz Warriors have become one of the premier franchises in the NBA G League. He...

Jason Hershman, better known as The Sports CFO , built his career as the first finance hire at multiple startups that went on to achieve an IPO and major acquisitions, including a sports technology company that sold for more than $400 million. In this episode of the Sports Business Leaders Podcast, Jason shares his journey from working as a ball boy for the Philadelphia Eagles to becoming one of t...

Emiliano Abramzon is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and the co-founder of Nearpod, the interactive learning platform that was acquired by Renaissance Learning in a deal reportedly valued at approximately $650 million. Today, he is the co-founder and CEO of Racquet 360, a company building one of the most comprehensive padel and racquet sports ecosystems in the United States. In this episode of th...

Paul Rigault is CEO and co-founder of the DØDS Diving League, a next-generation global sports property built from the ground up for digital-first audiences. He brings more than 25 years of experience as an advertising and media executive, including serving as CEO of Publicis Norway.

Chris Freet is the Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at ⁠WMT Digital⁠ . On this episode, we discuss how teams, leagues, and entertainment organizations are rethinking fan engagement in the modern era. Chris shares insights from nearly two decades working inside college athletics before helping scale WMT Digital into one of the leading fan data and engagement platforms in sports....

Larry Meli is the President of the Delaware Blue Coats and longtime executive within the Philadelphia 76ers organization. Larry shares his career journey from working with the Philadelphia Eagles and Comcast Spectacor to leading the Blue Coats and helping shape one of the NBA G League’s premier franchises. The conversation explores the importance of relationship building, being a great teammate, a...