The Sports Business Leaders Podcast

The Pro Padel League (PPL) is bringing professional padel to North America through 10 city-based teams across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Featuring men’s and women’s doubles, the league combines an international racquet sport with a franchise model built around local fandom, team rivalries, and championship events.

CEO Mike Dorfman joins Jake Voorhees to talk about the league’s growth, raising $25M, attracting brand partners, and reaching new fans through national broadcasts. Mike also shares his journey from insurance entrepreneur to team owner and league executive, along with lessons on athlete storytelling, community building, and creati...

Youth athletes are training like professionals, but parents often lack the support to navigate decisions about their health and performance.

David Lipetz, Founder and CEO of Proteqt365, joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss the “gray areas” of youth sports—when parents aren’t sure whether their child should push, pause, or seek help. Drawing on nearly three decades of experience working with athletes and families, David explains how Proteqt365 provides structure and clarity without replacing coaches or medical care.

We also explore how he’s building the business through trusted relationships with clubs, academies...

Josh Barbieri joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to share how the Philadelphia Phillies are using AI and data to improve business decisions and the fan experience. The two-time World Series champion Phillies play at Citizens Bank Park and serve one of baseball’s most passionate fan bases.

After 25 seasons with the organization, Josh now leads a seven-person analytics team working with more than 35 integrated data sources and ballpark data dating back to 2004. He explains how the Phillies are developing AI agents to help employees access insights faster, support ticket sales, and better understand fan feedback, with a...

Amit Khare joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss how the NFL uses marketing technology, data, and AI to create more personalized fan experiences across the league and its 32 clubs.

We explore the technology connecting stadium and digital experiences, how AI can help teams deliver relevant content at scale, and why human judgment still matters in understanding fans. Amit also shares advice for technology companies looking to work with the NFL, including why understanding the problem is the first step toward becoming a valuable partner.

David Aitken, President of Business Operations & Alternate Governor for the Worcester Railers, joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to talk about growing a minor league hockey business through ticket sales, partnerships, and community involvement.

Based in Worcester, Massachusetts, the Railers compete in the ECHL and play at the DCU Center. The organization has earned five Community Service Team of the Year awards and recently set franchise records in ticket sales, corporate partnerships, and merchandise. With a new NHL affiliation with the St. Louis Blues, David shares his priorities for the team’s next stage of growth.

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Travis Murphy, Founder & CEO of Jetr Global Sports + Entertainment, joins Justin Titchenell to discuss the work behind professional sports’ international growth. A former U.S. diplomat and NBA international government affairs executive, Travis shares how his firm helps roughly 160 professional teams navigate immigration, move athletes across borders, and enter new markets.

We explore the planning behind international games, how sports diplomacy can create business opportunities, and why Travis believes the U.S. needs a more coordinated approach to sports policy. He also shares lessons from building Jetr Global and the relationships that have helped the business grow.

Stephen Amritraj joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss the return of World Team Tennis, the mixed-gender professional league co-founded by Billie Jean King in 1974.

After five years away, WTT is preparing for a December 2026 return across New York, Toronto, and South Florida. Stephen explains how shorter matches, city-based teams, and player equity are helping reshape the league, with stars including Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Taylor Fritz, and Tommy Paul.

We discuss the business behind the comeback, building lasting team loyalty in an individual sport, and lessons from emerging leagues like Unrivaled and TGL...

Dan McInerney, Business Development Manager at AE Live, joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss how graphics, real-time data, and augmented reality help broadcasters tell better stories.

Dan shares his journey from NBC Sports to Riot Games, where his team’s graphics work earned a Sports Emmy, and breaks down AE Live’s work on everything from NFL score graphics to the SpongeBob Super Bowl broadcast. We also explore how player tracking could change the viewing experience and his advice for building relationships with broadcasters and sports rights holders.

Omri Dekalo, Co-Founder & CEO of Ubeya, joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss the people and operations behind major sporting events.

From stadium matchdays to Wimbledon and the British Grand Prix, Omri explains how Ubeya helps operators manage scheduling, staff communication, attendance, and external vendors in one place. He also shares why being on site with customers matters and his advice for building lasting relationships with teams and venues.

Dan Connerty, Founder & CEO of NTangible and former professional baseball player, joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss how teams can better understand athletes’ decision-making under pressure.

Dan shares how NTangible’s Clutch Factor™ and NTerpret™ assessments help coaches evaluate players and tailor their communication and development. We also discuss building a sports technology business, earning opportunities across college athletics and professional motorsport, and navigating how teams adopt new technology.

Jeff Greer, Vice President of Communications at Gotham FC, joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss how the two-time NWSL champions are growing their presence in the New York and New Jersey market.

Jeff shares his journey from sports journalism to team communications, how Gotham earns attention through media coverage and cultural moments, and the club’s planned move to Etihad Park in 2028. He also takes us behind the scenes of Gotham’s CarMax partnership and a community coaching initiative in Queens, offering practical advice for companies looking to work with professional teams.

For episode 200, SBL co-founders Justin Titchenell and Jake Voorhees share their vision for Sports Business Leaders.

SBL connects professional teams, leagues, and venues with the companies that serve them, acting as a trust layer in the industry through relationships, warm introductions, and an understanding of what both sides need. Through live events, the podcast, SBL VIP membership, and business development services, SBL helps sports executives learn from peers and discover solutions, while helping companies build credibility, reach the right decision-makers, and win new business.

What started as a meetup with three attendees has grown into 80+...

Mark Washo has spent more than 30 years helping build the business of American soccer. An original D.C. United employee during the launch of MLS, he went on to leadership roles with the MetroStars, Chicago Fire, Washington Freedom, Washington Spirit and Rochester Rhinos.

Today, Mark is the founding partner of Freedom Sports and Entertainment, working with professional teams and college athletic departments on ticket sales, sponsorships, recruiting and training. He is also a co-founder and minority owner of Flower City Union and the author of Break Into Sports Through Ticket Sales.

Mark joins the Sports...

Nick Lawson, Co-Founder and CEO of SQWAD, joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss how teams can generate more sponsorship revenue and prove the value they deliver to brands.

A former college football player with a background in design and sponsorship sales, Nick shares how a job interview turned into SQWAD’s first paying customer. Today, the company helps college and professional sports organizations build interactive activations that connect fans with sponsors through games, first-party data, and redeemable offers.

We discuss creating new sponsorship inventory, turning fan participation into qualified leads, and helping brands fo...

Andy McDonald is the Founder and CEO of Gameplan Performance, a platform helping medical and performance departments plan, track, and manage athlete rehabilitation and return to play.

With more than 17 years of experience as a physiotherapist and strength and conditioning coach across 30+ sports, Andy saw how disconnected systems made it harder for specialists to coordinate an athlete’s recovery. He built Gameplan to bring those people, plans, and data together.

Andy joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to share how he turned that problem into a business and what it takes to sell technology to pr...

Matt Pell is the CEO of Beyond Pulse, a wearable sports technology company helping coaches and teachers track performance, recognize progress, and give more meaningful feedback.

Before Beyond Pulse, Matt helped build PureWellness, a software company acquired by Cerner in an $80M+ exit without outside capital. He later worked with early-stage companies to grow their sales operations before bringing that experience into sports.

In this episode, Matt shares how Beyond Pulse is finding its place in youth sports, college athletics, and professional soccer by keeping its technology simple and easy to use. He discusses the...

Francis Anzalone, Chief Operating Officer of TPH Academy, joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss building and growing a sports organization while keeping athlete development at its core.

Since joining TPH in 2017, Francis has helped the organization expand from 10 to more than 40 cities, grow from four to over 20 academies, and increase its team from 40 to more than 225 employees.

Francis shares how his hockey coaching background prepared him for business leadership and how TPH expanded its academy model to serve athletes across 18 sports and disciplines. We discuss combining academics, training, and mentorship into the school...

Austin Moss is the founder of Capital Collab and OpalKadia, bringing 20 years of experience across private equity, fintech, private credit, and entrepreneurship. His lending platform, Capital Collab, has facilitated more than $2.2 billion in financing and supported over 5,000 businesses.

Austin joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss how he’s applying that experience to sports through Proven Sports, a faith-based NIL and athlete representation agency, and his advisory work with fan engagement platform Fanways.

We explore how athletes can build businesses and brands that last beyond their playing careers, why teams need a deeper understanding of...

Davis Filippell is the President of TeamWork Online, a hiring platform and professional network connecting more than 1,500 organizations with over 8 million candidates across sports, media, hospitality, and events.

On the Sports Business Leaders Podcast, Davis discusses how teams and sports companies find talent, what candidates can do to stand out, and how technology is changing hiring across the industry. He also shares how his experience in consulting, venture capital, and product leadership shaped his approach to building professional communities.

Outside of work, Davis is a runner, swimmer, and cyclist who lives by a simple rule: “no...

Brendan Doyle has had a front-row seat to the growth of soccer and youth sports in America for nearly four decades.

From building UK Elite Soccer from a small coaching operation into a national business serving tens of thousands of athletes, to creating global soccer properties at Relevent Sports Group, to helping scale US Sports Camps, Brendan has built his career around growing sports organizations, experiences, and partnerships.

Today, as EVP of Growth and Partnerships at US Sports Camps, Brendan helps grow a platform that reaches hundreds of thousands of young athletes across the country...

Ted Finn has spent decades in the global footwear industry, co-founding a company that produced more than 50 million pairs of shoes and insoles across international markets.

Now, he’s working to reinvent what footwear can do.

Ted is building WellSole, a smart insole platform designed to capture real-world movement and biomechanics data and turn it into actionable insights for athletes, coaches, and eventually broader health applications.

Ted joined the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss why the foot represents an untapped opportunity in wearable technology, how WellSole can function as a “gait lab unde...

Bryan Goelz has experienced sports technology from nearly every angle: professional athlete, coach, entrepreneur, and sports tech executive.

After being drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers and spending time in the Dodgers and Red Sox organizations, Bryan transitioned into entrepreneurship and eventually built a career at the intersection of sports, technology, data, and AI.

Today, he serves as VP of Business Development at Infinite Sky AI, where the company uses computer vision, AI, and physics-based modeling to generate performance insights from video. Infinite Sky currently processes every pitch across MLB and Triple-A as part of...

Chris Ryan has spent his career at the intersection of fitness, business, and high performance.

A former Division I track athlete at the University of Florida, Chris went on to become an entrepreneur, train high-level executives in New York, appear on NBC’s STRONG, and become one of the founding trainers at Mirror before its acquisition by Lululemon.

Today, he’s the founder of Chris Ryan Fitness, where he works with executives, entrepreneurs, and professionals looking to improve their health and performance without sacrificing demanding careers.

Chris joined the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to t...

Michael Proman is Managing Director and Partner at Scrum Ventures, where he leads the firm’s sports and entertainment investing strategy. His path to venture capital includes experience at the NBA and Coca-Cola, as well as building and exiting his own company.

Michael joined the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss how Scrum approaches investing across sports and entertainment, why the firm looks beyond traditional “sports tech,” and what separates an investable company from one that is truly venture-backable. He explains how Scrum evaluates opportunities across areas like human performance, recovery, licensing, fan engagement, and technologies with applic...

Scott Fleischer is the Director of Digital Sales at Monumental Sports & Entertainment, where he focuses on growing digital media and creating new revenue opportunities across one of the most diverse portfolios in professional sports.

Monumental sits at the center of the Washington, D.C. sports ecosystem, with properties including the Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards, Washington Mystics, Capital City Go-Go, Capital One Arena, Monumental Sports Network, and its direct-to-consumer streaming platform, Monumental+.

Scott joined the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss how the shift from traditional television to streaming is changing the business of sports.

Ari Zabersky grew up in the licensing industry, watching his family build a toy business and experience firsthand how difficult it was to secure valuable IP. Years later, he turned that problem into Negosh, a global licensing marketplace built to make it easier for brands and manufacturers to find each other and get deals done.

Negosh now connects 800+ IPs with 1,000+ licensees and uses technology and AI to streamline a licensing process that traditionally relied heavily on relationships, manual outreach and lengthy negotiations. Ari says the platform has helped reduce deal timelines from six or seven months to...

B.G. Lemmon is the Co-Owner and General Manager of the Philadelphia Lightning, the 2025 National Squash League Champions.

The National Squash League is bringing a new approach to professional squash through city-based teams, a faster-paced format, elite international players, and a greater focus on the fan experience.

B.G. joined the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to break down what it takes to build a professional sports team and help grow an emerging league from the ground up.

We discussed the story behind the Philadelphia Lightning, how the NSL is rethinking the traditional squash...

Tim Goldwater, Managing Partner of Goldwater Enterprises, joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to break down what actually makes a sports partnership valuable.

With experience across Learfield, IMG College, Monumental Sports, Spectra, and Oak View Group, Tim has spent his career building partnerships across professional sports, college athletics, and hundreds of sports and entertainment venues.

In this episode, Tim discusses why the biggest sponsorship opportunity isn’t always the best one, how brands should start with a business problem before selecting a property, and why sponsorships are increasingly being measured against real business outcomes rather th...

Bill Bailey joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss how artificial intelligence is changing the way sports organizations engage fans, generate revenue, and operate their businesses.

Bill brings a unique perspective from his career across sports, technology, sales, and business development, including helping lead revenue efforts for the New Orleans Hornets as the franchise returned to the city following Hurricane Katrina.

Today, Bill is helping drive growth at Satisfi Labs, a conversational AI company that has spent the past decade building technology for sports, entertainment, and tourism organizations.

In this episode, Bill...

After a decade playing professional soccer in the USL, Brandon Miller has turned his focus from making saves to building businesses and investing in the next generation of companies.

Brandon is the Founder of Prime Focus Goalkeeping, a brand he launched while still playing professionally that has grown from a goalkeeper glove company into a global resource for goalkeepers through products, training, content, and education. He is also the Managing Partner of Miller Woods Capital Partners, where he invests across sports technology, real estate, and small businesses.

In this episode of the Sports Business Leaders...

Malcolm Farmer is the President and General Manager of the Texas Legends, the NBA G League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks. After originally joining the organization as a volunteer, Malcolm has spent more than 16 seasons helping build the Legends into one of the G League’s most innovative franchises.

Under his leadership, the Legends have developed a reputation for doing things differently, from pioneering new sponsorship activations and hanging cars from the arena rafters to wearing a different charity-focused jersey at every home game. Malcolm and his team have embraced experimentation with a simple philosophy: there can be...

Eric Botsford, SVP of Growth and Platform Expansion at WZA Sports, joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss the growth of Wodapalooza and the rapidly evolving business of fitness events.

Eric shares his journey through the fitness industry, including leadership roles with Tough Mudder and HYROX, and what he learned helping scale some of the biggest brands in the space. He also breaks down how Wodapalooza has grown from a grassroots competition into a global fitness festival built around community, accessibility, and memorable experiences.

The conversation dives into WZA Sports' expansion into new markets...

Jordan Pink, Strategic Growth Lead, Sports at Tradable Bits, joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss how professional sports organizations can better understand their fans and turn engagement into measurable revenue.

Jordan shares his journey from working on the team side with the Vancouver Canucks organization to helping Tradable Bits work with teams, leagues, and venues around the world. He explains why first-party data has become so valuable, how connecting ticketing, merchandise, social, sponsorship, and engagement data can create a more complete picture of the fan, and why personalization is becoming increasingly important.

The...

Blake Lawrence is the Co-Founder and President of Opendorse, one of the leading athlete marketing and NIL platforms in sports.

After his football career at Nebraska was cut short by injury, Blake turned to entrepreneurship, eventually co-founding Opendorse in 2012. Today, the platform serves more than 200,000 athletes and works with hundreds of teams and more than 200 college athletic departments.

In this episode, Blake joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss the evolution of Opendorse, the rapidly changing economics of college sports, and why he believes the $4.5 billion NIL economy is still in its early stages.<...

Haley Carter, President of Soccer Operations for the Washington Spirit, joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss leadership, building championship teams, and creating a high-performance culture in professional sports.

A U.S. Naval Academy graduate, former Marine Corps officer, professional goalkeeper, coach, and attorney, Haley has built one of the most unique careers in sports. Before joining the Spirit, she helped lead the turnaround of the Orlando Pride, building the roster that won the club’s first NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship.

Haley shares how lessons from the military have shaped her leadership style, wh...

Steven Aldrich, Chair and early investor in Oakland Roots Sports Club, joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to share how a purpose-driven vision helped build one of the most unique organizations in professional soccer.

Before entering sports, Steven built a career as an entrepreneur, investor, and technology executive, including more than a decade at Intuit and serving as Chief Product Officer at GoDaddy. Today, he helps lead Oakland Roots SC and Oakland Soul SC, two clubs built around using soccer as a force for positive impact in Oakland.

Steven discusses the journey from an early...

Dexter Ang, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of Pison, joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss how the company is bringing neural sensing and cognitive performance technology into sports.

Pison has developed patented technology that reads neurological signals from the wrist, giving athletes new ways to measure and train reaction time, decision-making, alertness, and cognitive performance. The technology was developed over seven years with the military and is now being used across professional and collegiate sports.

Dexter shares the personal story that led him to start Pison, how the company is working with baseball programs...

Jason Syversen has built his career at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, investing, and innovation.

After spending more than a decade as an engineer and researcher, serving as a program manager at DARPA, building and exiting a cybersecurity company, and investing in more than 40 startups, Jason turned his attention to sports.

Today, he is the Founder and CEO of SportsVisio, an AI-powered sports technology company making advanced statistics, analytics, and video highlights more accessible across youth and amateur sports. SportsVisio has grown to roughly 250 B2B customers and 30,000 users across 16 countries.

In this...

From professional jockey to Emmy-nominated sports technology entrepreneur, Nathan Horrocks has taken an unconventional path through the sports industry.

Nathan is the Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of POVORA, a sports technology company developing live, broadcast-quality wearable camera systems that give fans a first-person view of the action.

POVORA’s technology has been used across football, rugby, baseball, MMA, cricket, motorsport, horse racing and more, working with major broadcasters and sports organizations around the world. Its innovations include CapCam, EarCam, BodyCam and HelmetCam, with its Wireless Tilt Control CapCam earning an Emmy nomination alongside ESPN.

Mayer Reich has spent more than 20 years building companies across technology, fintech and digital media. His latest venture, Prosperity AI, is taking on a unique challenge: helping professional athletes better understand and manage their money.

On this episode of the Sports Business Leaders Podcast, Mayer shares how Prosperity AI evolved from a consumer finance platform into a financial intelligence platform built for athletes, including tools around contract analysis, taxes, budgeting and long-term wealth management.

We also discuss why athletes face such unique financial challenges, how NIL and entrepreneurship are changing the way athletes think about...