The Sports Business Leaders Podcast

Jason Bernstein is one of the most creative minds in sports media and content strategy. Currently leading partnership innovation and commercial strategy for the United Football League (UFL), Jason is helping shape how modern sports leagues think about content, sponsorship, fan engagement, and emerging technology. Before the UFL, Jason spent years at ESPN and The Walt Disney Company leading more th...

Ryan Hawk is an author, keynote speaker, and the host of The Learning Leader Show, one of the world’s leading podcasts focused on leadership, performance, and personal growth. A former Division I quarterback at Ohio University and professional football player, Ryan has built a career helping leaders, teams, and organizations pursue excellence through discipline, consistency, and intentional growth...

Mitch Askenas joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to cover the future of streaming, fan engagement, and sports media infrastructure. As Executive Director and Head of Commercial for the Americas at Comcast Technology Solutions, Mitch works at the intersection of sports, technology, and media, helping leagues, teams, and broadcasters rethink how they engage and monetize fans in a rapidly chan...

Mark Goddard joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss how he built FIFA’s Transfer Matching System, one of the most impactful infrastructure platforms in global sports. The system transformed international soccer transfers from a process driven by fax machines and courier services into a real-time global platform capable of completing deals in as little as seven minutes. Mark shares le...

In this special 100th episode of the Sports Business Leaders Podcast, co-founders Justin Titchenell and Jake Voorhees break down the evolution of Sports Business Leaders from a small Philadelphia meetup into a growing national connections platform for the sports industry. The conversation covers the early days of SBL, lessons learned from building a community, and how the business has evolved thro...

Adrian Tracy joins the Sports Business Leaders podcast to share his journey from winning a Super Bowl with the New York Giants to building a purpose-driven life after football. Adrian reflects on his NFL and CFL career, the challenges of identity and transition after sports, and how faith, discipline, and community helped shape his next chapter. The conversation dives into servant leadership, ment...

Jack Liechtung is the Co-Founder and CEO of Canopy. On this episode we discuss how the company is building the infrastructure layer for the future of collegiate athletics. Canopy partners directly with universities to help drive athlete visibility, scalable storytelling, and meaningful NIL opportunities across Olympic and non-revenue sports. Jack also shares insights from his background across spo...

Matt Wolff is the founder of Ticket Time Machine. On this episode we discuss how he’s bringing physical keepsakes back to sports and live events in a digital-first world. Matt shares the story behind the company’s creation after attending a Marlins no-hitter in 2017 and realizing fans still craved memorable ticket collectibles tied to emotional moments. The conversation dives into fan psychology,...

Sean Hanrahan is a former Senior Vice President of Sports Brand Solutions for Disney Advertising and a longtime ESPN executive who has spent more than two decades shaping sponsorships, storytelling, and brand partnerships across sports media. Sean shares insights on the evolution of sports media, the rise of streaming, sports betting, AI-driven fan experiences, and how brands can create meaningful...

Shawn Tilger is the President of GF Sports & Entertainment and one of the most accomplished operators in the sports and live entertainment industry. With more than 30 years of experience, Shawn has helped shape organizations at the highest levels of sports, from his early days promoting the Harlem Globetrotters to serving as Executive Vice President and COO of the Philadelphia Flyers and Comca...

Dr. Kim Quigley and Dr. Brenda McBride of OnRise join the Sports Business Leaders podcast to discuss how they are reshaping athlete mental health and wellness. OnRise is a telehealth platform built specifically for high-performance athletes, now supporting 40+ organizations across 11 sports, including partnerships with Inter Miami, the Premier Women's Hockey League, Premier Lacrosse League, At...

Ken Spangenberg is the Chief Sales Officer at AWRE Sports. On today's podcast we discuss the company’s rapid rise in the baseball and softball technology space. Ken shares his journey from college baseball coach at Arcadia University to helping scale AWRE Sports from zero camera installations to more than 4,500 cameras deployed across 80 locations in just four years. The conversation covers AW...

Kelsey Nicole Nelson joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to share her journey from aspiring sports journalist to building a powerful personal brand and media business at the intersection of sports, storytelling, and entrepreneurship. As an award-winning broadcaster, professor, entrepreneur, and founder of the “Listen In With KNN” podcast network, Kelsey has become one of the most influential...

On this special live episode of the Sports Business Leaders podcast, we hosted a panel discussion in Philadelphia focused on pro team innovation and fan engagement featuring Dave Spadaro of the Philadelphia Eagles, Ciara Pierce from NFL Films, and Joel Steele from Rhode Island FC. For more than 30 years, Dave Spadaro has helped shape the connection between the Eagles and their fans, giving Birds f...

FlyHouse is redefining the intersection of private aviation, sports tourism, and luxury travel. In this episode, we sit down with Jack Lambert, CEO of FlyHouse, to discuss how the company has rapidly grown into one of the most innovative brands in private aviation since launching in 2021. FlyHouse operates as a technology-enabled luxury aviation platform that delivers end-to-end travel experiences...

Jake Hanson, COO of ⁠Guardian Sports⁠ , joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss how the company grew from a family-run startup into one of the fastest-growing sports safety brands in the industry. Guardian Sports now provides protective equipment to more than 500,000 athletes while partnering with organizations including the NFL, CFL, NCAA programs, and the PLL. In this episode, Jake...

Vasu Kulkarni is the founding partner of Courtside Ventures, an early-stage venture firm with over $200 million in assets under management and more than 100 investments across sports, gaming, collectibles, wellness, and media. Courtside’s investor base has included legends like Michael Jordan as an LP. Vasu shares his journey from walking onto the basketball team at the University of Pennsylvania...

Dominyck Bullard, Founder & CEO of Athletiverse, joined the Sports Business Leaders podcast to discuss the intersection of sports, content, branding, entrepreneurship, and NIL. Originally a standout baseball player from Las Vegas, Dom shifted his focus from athletics to entrepreneurship after a medical crisis altered his playing career. While studying Business Analytics at the University of Sa...

On this episode of the Sports Business Leaders Podcast, Justin sits down with Brent Peus Jr., Founder & CEO of Skybox, a media-driven growth platform focused on the sports economy. Brent shares his journey from playing quarterback at Stanford University to working in Silicon Valley and venture capital before launching Skybox in 2025. The conversation dives into the rise of private equity and i...

Scott Heyes is the founder and CEO of First Contact Advisory and CFO of Sports Where I Am . This episode covers sports entrepreneurship, cross-border expansion, and the growing opportunities in the global sports industry. Drawing from more than 30 years of experience across institutional banking, venture capital, and international finance, Scott shares practical advice for founders looking to ente...

Mark Dvoroznak, CEO and co-founder of BASE Sports Group, joined the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss building a data-driven sponsorship company focused on the massive youth sports ecosystem. BASE Sports Group has quickly become a leader in youth sports sponsorships, helping brands like Papa John’s, PRIME Hydration, DUDE Wipes, the U.S. Army, and Floyd’s Barbershop connect with families a...

Roger Loughney, Chairman of IK Start USA, joined the Sports Business Leaders podcast to discuss the group’s vision for revitalizing one of Norway’s historic football clubs. Roger shared his entrepreneurial journey, his connection to the club through former coach Mick Priest, and how his lifelong passion for soccer helped shape his approach to leadership and investment in sports. The conversation e...

Malcolm Lemmons is the founder of Vetted Sports, a premium platform and private membership network connecting sports investors and dealmakers. In this episode, Malcolm shares his journey from professional basketball player to building one of the most trusted voices in the sports business space. We dive into how he built credibility through consistent, high-value content, and how that foundation le...

Dave Spadaro is a prominent Philadelphia Eagles insider and media personality who has covered the team for nearly 30 years since 1997. As the team's official insider, he writes columns, hosts shows, and provides insights for PhiladelphiaEagles.com, acting as a key media ambassador. In this episode, Dave shares lessons from nearly 30 years with the organization, including adapting through the evolu...

Pat Colleluori, co-founder and Chief Development Officer of the Headstrong Foundation, shares the powerful story behind one of sports’ most mission-driven nonprofits. From his brother Nick’s battle with cancer to supporting 40,000+ families nationwide, this episode dives into purpose, community, and how athletics can drive real impact.