Roster

Peter Hassen

Co-Founder / Chief Executive Officer

Sports are in Pete’s blood. A former college baseball player, he traded the bat for a hockey stick and a nearly two-decade executive career with the Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks. He has been lauded by his peers as an industry visionary able to bring fresh ideas to the NHL focused on growth and the player’s well-being. It’s that same passion for finding opportunities to help athletes prepare for the future that he brings to NIL Partners to help student-athletes realize their true potential.

phassen@nilent.org

Steven Simmons

Co-Founder / Chief Operating Officer

After a stint as the shortest and heaviest member of his Division 1 rowing team at Colgate University, Steve went on to a successful career helping grow early-stage hedge funds and private equity funds. He received the “Rising Star” award from Institutional Investor Magazine for his efforts in overseeing, launching, and raising capital for early-stage funds. A former 9/11 First Responder and co-founder of Populate Wall Street- a foundation aimed at getting women and BIPOC candidates more meaningful jobs on Wall Street- he is a firm believer in redemption stories and leveling the playing field.

ssimmons@nilent.org

Jay Chaudhry

Chief Digital Officer

Jay Chaudhry is a three-time awarded filmmaker and digital content specialist. He's one of the very few producers out of Canada to hit the US market with his signature sports series, and since then, he's worked with the likes of NBA's Chris Paul, Steph Curry, DeAndre Jordan, UFC's Max Holloway, Superbowl Champion Travis Kelce. In 2017, he founded Break Media Group which served as the sport of boxing's first-ever Name Image and Likeness network which was responsible for producing Media IP for American athletes.

jchaudhry@nilent.org

Dr. Saifdean Ammous

Pioneer in the Understanding of Bitcoin and Central Bank Devaluation

Dr. Saifedean Ammous is the author of The Bitcoin Standard: The Decentralized Alternative to Central Banking, the best-selling groundbreaking study of the economics of bitcoin. The book was a pioneer in explaining bitcoin’s value proposition as the hardest money ever discovered, and the only working alternative to national central banks for international payments.

Dr. Ammous holds a PhD in Sustainable Development from Columbia University, where his doctoral thesis studied the economics of biofuels and alternative energy sources. He also holds an MSc in Development Management from the London School of Economics, and a Bachelor of Engineering from the American University of Beirut.

This website is intended to showcase Dr. Ammous’ research in studying the economics of bitcoin, and nothing in it should be construed as investment advice. Bitcoin is a sophisticated technology whose ownership requires an understanding of complex technologies and tools. Before deciding whether to invest in bitcoin, you should do your own extensive research into the financial and technical aspects involved. Nothing written in this website should be considered advice related to that decision.

Erik Averill

Former MLB Player; Founder of Averill Wealth Management

During his career as an ASU Sun Devil, Erik was a 2003 Freshman All-American Honors, 2004 & 2005 All Pacific-Ten and Pitcher of the Year for the 2005 College World Series Team.  He went on to play professional baseball with the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners organizations. Erik was convinced that the traditional model of financial advice for athletes was broken. Athletes have made the right decision to hire a “financial advisor,” however, the financial industry has failed them and the results were often disastrous.  With athletes four times more likely to file for bankruptcy, twice as likely to be divorced, and have squandered millions due to fraud, high fees, and unqualified advice, he decided to do something about it.  Erik is a Co-Founder and Partner at AWM Capital, where he is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) Professional and a Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA®). He is the co-author of “PAID: How to Maximize Your Signing Bonus, Simplify The Money Game and Secure Your Future,” and is the host of the Athlete CEO podcast.

Dr. Dante Brittis

Medical Director for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Sacred Heart University Athletic Teams

Dr. Brittis is a partner at Orthopedic Specialty Group a medical practice based in Fairfield, CT that focuses on sports related injuries and rehabilitation. He completed a Fellowship in Sports Medicine at the Lenox Hill Hospital, Nicholas Institute for Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma, New York, NY, and Orthopedic Surgery Research at the Hospital for Special Surgery, Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY.

Dr. Brittis is a Diplomat, National Board of Medical Examiners and the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, and a Member of the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. He is also a medical director for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL) hockey team and the Sacred Heart University athletic teams.

Marcia Caporn

Professional Athlete, Chief Revenue Officer for Credenza, a Leading Web 3 Technology Firm

As a former professional golfer and soccer player, Marcia understands the importance of fan engagement and optimizing your professional window. A senior legal counsel turned sports executive, she specializes in strategy and development in emerging revenue sectors for sports partners in the US and Australia.  As Chief Revenue Officer at Credenza, she works to bring web3 solutions to professional and collegiate sporting properties and to educate partners on new property rights implications of web3.

Credenza enables brands to seamlessly integrate Web3 technologies into existing operations to enhance direct-to-fan relationships and create new digital revenue streams.

She is currently building the Home of Women’s Sports (in the Metaverse) for Title IX.

Laura Casselman

CEO of JVZoo, an INC. 5000 “Fastest Growing Company in America”

As a former Radio City Music Hall Rockette and now CEO of tech company, JVZoo, Laura has always trained both her body and her brain. Laura believes the mind of elite athletes is extremely powerful and can be conditioned for both optimal performance and to thrive in what others would consider high stress circumstances. Like all athletes, she enjoys a little competition and is the recipient of three Stevie Awards and has landed JVZoo on the Inc. 5000 list of the "Fastest Growing Companies in America" four times. JVZoo is a leader in the digital marketing and online affiliate space, creating massive affiliate marketing campaigns that have resulted in over 2.5 Billion in revenue for their users in the last 10 years.

Dr. Carolina Castilla

Behavioral Economics Professor at Colgate University

Dr. Castilla is the Richard M. Kessler Professor of Economic Studies at Colgate University, specializing in development and behavioral economics with broad interests in gender and intra-household bargaining. She has been a mentor three times for the “Structural Transformation of African Agriculture and Rural Spaces (STAARS)” program and has been listed as one of the most influential people at Colgate University by the graduating class five years in a row.  A recipient of the Torch Medal “In recognition of the positive impact and personal influence on a graduating member of the senior class," Outstanding Dissertation Award from the AEDE Department, Ohio State University, and recipient of multiple Colgate research grants.

Lauren Colonna

CEO and Founder of Ovis Creative, a Leading Creative and Strategic Marketing Agency

Lauren Colonna is the founder of Ovis Creative, a leading creative and strategic marketing communication agency focused on serving the alternative asset management industry. With over 24 years of direct experience working in the financial services sector, Lauren has designed and produced a wide range of award-winning corporate communication programs for leading asset management and wealth advisory firms. Before founding Ovis Creative she served as Vice President and Director of Creative and Client Solutions at Synergy Graphix. At Synergy she led the creative development of all marketing communication projects and established the firm's financial services practice. Prior to Synergy, Lauren was a Senior Art Director at Morgan Stanley where she executed and led the creative design and production of high-level communication programs for both the Investment Banking Division and Individual Investor Group. Lauren's background also includes creative and strategic roles at Prudential Financial and Lord Abbett & Co., where she designed and produced print and digital communication for the investment management, wealth advisor, mutual fund, annuities and managed account divisions. She earned a BA in Corporate Design and Digital Imaging from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Joseph De Perio

Chairman of I Got It Holdings, an NFT Focused Tech Company

Joe De Perio is the Chairman of the Board of I Got It Holdings Corp. a technology company focused on marketplace solutions, memorabilia and end-to-end technology architectures for NFTs.  Mr. De Perio leads the innovation of new NFT products for the Company’s partners that include NFL and NBA teams, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and elite young and retired athletes.  Prior to his work in emerging technology companies, Mr. De Perio served as a Senior Portfolio Manager at Clinton Group, a hedge fund based in NYC for over ten years.  Prior to that, Mr. De Perio worked in private equity and public equity in vesting for Millennium Management and Trimaran Capital Partners.

Morgan Frazier

3x NCAA Champion; Talent ID and Coordinator for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)

Morgan was a University of Florida gymnast and 3x NCAA champion. A lawyer by trade, she served as General Counsel to SANIL, an agency of record dedicated solely to helping brands and collectives navigate Name, Image, and Likeness. Currently, she is responsible for talent strategy for the WWE and their focus on NIL and student-athletes.

McKeever "Mac" Conwell II

VC Who Established the First State-Backed Pre-Seed Fund for Women and Minorities in the Country

McKeever “Mac” Conwell II is a software engineer by trade and was a former DOD contractor with a top-secret clearance. He was a two-time founder with an exit and a failure. Next Mac moved on to the venture capital world via the Maryland Technology Development Corporation as part of their Seed Investment Team. During his four years there, Mac amassed experience leading an initiative to create the Minority Business Pre-seed Fund, the first and only, at the time, state-backed pre-seed fund for women and minorities in the country. The program institutionalized the friends and family round for black-, women-, and minority-led startups and was subsequently funded long-term by the state of Maryland. In September 2020, Mac founded RareBreed VC, a $10M pre-seed fund that invests in exceptional founders outside of large tech ecosystems.

Zach Banner

Professional Football Player, Philanthropist

Zach Banner is a USC All-American and current Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle. Born in Tacoma, WA and raised by a close-knit family, Zach learned at a young age to value education, community and diversity. As his football career accelerated, he maintained his focus on giving back to the community that raised him. When he was drafted in 2017, Zach’s first priority was to form a nonprofit focused on mentorship and education for students in Tacoma, Los Angeles, and Guam.

Since its founding, the B3 Foundation has provided over 2,000 filled backpacks for students in need, launched a growing mentorship program in Zach’s hometown and a scholarship fund to support greater access to higher education for students of color.

Banner is passionate about social justice, embracing his role as athlete activist, standing with his Black community in working for legislative changes, police reform and more, as well as standing in solidarity with the Jewish community and taking a stand against anti-semitism.

He graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Communications in 2016. He was named an All-American in his senior season.

Follow him on social media @ZBNFL and follow his B3 Foundation @B3Foundation. For more information: www.B3Foundation.org

Dr. Swasti Gupta-Mukherjee

B-School Professor and One of Eight Worldwide Aspen Institute’s 2021 Ideas Worth Teaching Award Winners

Swasti Gupta-Mukherjee is associate professor of finance at Loyola University Chicago’s Quinlan School of Business. Her research and teaching focuses on capital markets, particularly investments and portfolio management. She is interested in market-based solutions to global challenges which create economic, environmental, and social value for stakeholders, moving business and society towards a more responsible and sustainable capitalism. Dr. Gupta-Mukherjee’s course "Finance for a Sustainable World" developed for the core MBA curriculum was one of eight courses worldwide to receive global recognition with the Aspen Institute’s 2021 Ideas Worth Teaching Award. Her introductory and advanced finance courses on investments apply an integrated and innovation-focused lens to view mainstream finance in relation to sustainability, technological advancement, and social change. Her research has been published in high-impact academic journals, and her recent commentary on how markets can adapt better to climate risk was included in Stanford Social Innovation Review’s “2021 Guide to Climate Change Solutions” by the journal’s editorial board. She holds a PhD in Finance from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Bachelors in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology.

Gary Frazier

CEO of PerformUS, a Coaching and Mental Optimization Platform

Gary Frazier is the Founder and CEO of PerformUS LLC, an online/live coaching and training platform designed to optimize people and organizations. The skills PerformUS teaches are evidence-based and empirically researched. Their mindset training has been used by the top high performing leaders, from military leaders and professional athletes, to Fortune 500 executives and A-list celebrities.

A former college football player for Grambling University, Gary was a Master Resilience Trainer-Performance Expert L2 with the Armed Forces Service Corp. He also served as a Performance Coach at The Optimum Performance Program in Sports (TOPPS) at the UNLV.

Gary has a Masters in Performance Psychology and is a Doctoral Candidate in Sports and Performance Psychology.

Jason Gryniewicz

Social Media Influencer with Over 13 Million Followers

Jason Gryniewicz created, developed the YouTube Channel Daily Dose Of Internet (also known as NOSAJ) and has built an incredible following in excess of 13 million followers. He has carefully compiled and uploaded compilations of various videos from around the web, which can vary from viral, interesting, or thought-provoking content.

He previously had a separate gaming channel called Sir NOSAJ, where he posted footage from video game franchises such as Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, and Fortnite.

Jason has successfully monetized these channels and has sucessfully created a model that is a blend of subscription and sponsorship driven revenues.

Ruben Lindo

Entrepreneur, CEO, Former NFL Player, Advocate; Athletes for Care

Ruben Lindo is an experienced voice of reason and strong proponent for social equity in the New York state marketplace and beyond, as the business of cannabis and federal legalization become a more realized possibility.

After his career start as a two-time All-American football player at the University at Buffalo and playing professionally for more than 10 years in various leagues. Ruben retired in 2005 and transitioned to Executive Management in the high tech and finance industries, before entering the hemp and legal cannabis industries. He founded Blak Mar Farms, a minority-owned and operated, multistate cultivation operation specializing in luxury craft cannabis products, in 2019, and is the CEO of Phoenix Nutraceutical, which houses the Aminatu CBD beauty brand and Blitz CBD sports recovery products. He is also the President and CEO of Herbn Couture, a luxury cannabis events production company.

As one of the first successful African American CEOs in the cannabis space, Lindo strives to create attainable opportunities for those adversely affected by systemic racism. His proposal to create an ethical and equitable cannabis industry by reducing barriers contributing to the lack of representation of those impacted by the failed War on Drugs, including people of color and other marginalized community members, was awarded a grant by California's GO-Biz Cannabis Equity Grants Program for Local Jurisdictions. He is the co-author of “The War on Legal Cannabis, Just Say Yes”, a guide to understanding and working in the legal cannabis industry, along with his business partner, Dr. Norris Dorsey. Together, they run Gridiron Enterprise Management Group Inc.

Lindo is an active member of Athletes for Care, which unites athletes as one voice to advocate for research, education, and compassion when addressing important health issues. Lindo is extremely involved in a community-based relations program with the New York State Police, Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, and City of Kingston Police Department; working together to bridge the gap between the community and law enforcement. He is also a good-standing member of the Hudson Valley Cannabis Industry Association, and a board member of the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation. 

Lindo holds an MBA in Finance and Management from NYU’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business and an undergraduate degree in Biology from the University at Buffalo.

Michael Haviland

Former NHL Player and Stanley Cup Winning Coach

“Havi” won a Stanley Cup while he spent 4 years as the assistant coach to the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL. He was the NHL ALL- STAR COACH in 2011. He coached for 5 years in the AHL, and helped develop 31 players who transitioned to the NHL who have played over 200 games, with 12 of them having won a Stanley Cup. He was the Head Coach for Colorado College and part of the ECAC winning championship team at Elmira, a 1st Team All-American, and drafted by the New Jersey Devils.

Rebecca Kacaba

CEO and Co-Founder of DealMaker

Rebecca is the CEO and Co-Founder of DealMaker, winner of Lexpert's Top 40 Under 40, named one of North America's most innovative lawyers by the Financial Times, a finalist for 2022's EY Entrepreneur of the Year and one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women. After a decade of practicing securities law, she took an ambitious leap from her partnership at the world’s largest law firm and founded DealMaker to build a system that would combat the costly inefficiencies that plague the traditional capital raise process. She is the force behind building DealMaker into Canada's 3rd Fastest Growing Company as ranked by the Globe & Mail's Report on Business. With her vision and drive, Rebecca has become a leader and trailblazer in the intersection of the capital markets and tech, who is committed to driving change and doing business the right way. In only 4 years, DealMaker has powered over $1.7 Billion USD in capital raised, more than double any leading US counterpart in less than half the operating history.

Tank Ledger

WWE NXT Rising Star, Inaugural Member of the WWE Next In Line Program

Joe Spivak aka "Tank Ledger" was a football standout at Northwestern University where he served as team captain. He was a multiple nominee for the Wuerffel Trophy, known as "College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service," as well as

an Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Member for his dedication and service to community, along with academic excellence and on-field impact.

He was selected as part of the WWE's inaugural class of new talent as part of their Next In Line program and is now a rising wrestling talent for the WWE NXT brand.

Mary Mazzio

Olympic Rower, Former Law Partner, and Socially Impactful Documentary Filmmaker

Mary Mazzio is “the most important Olympian you’ve never heard of.” An award-winning documentary film director, Olympic rower, and former law firm partner, Ms. Mazzio is Founder and CEO of 50 Eggs, Inc., an independent film production company dedicated to making socially impactful films. Mazzio’s newest documentary film, A Most Beautiful Thing, was narrated by Academy Award-winning artist, Common and produced with NBA stars Grant Hill and Dwayne Wade. It has received a 2021 Gracie Award and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award, a Critics’ Choice Award, as well as nominated for Best Documentary by the International Press Academy.

Greta McAnany

Co-Founder of Blue Fever, a Mental Health and Emotional Awareness Platform

I am an entrepreneur and Gen Z expert with media roots. I graduated from USC and began my film career by starting my own production company and producing the feature film Bite Size. It was released on TV, Netflix, Amazon and was featured in People Magazine, The Washington Post, and on ABC. After, I realized that the entertainment industry had a lot of problems (esp for women) so I co-founded a licensing company X-Factor Films, which sold female-driven movies and shows for millennial audiences to digital distributors like Fullscreen, SundanceNow, and AMC. At that point, I saw that it wasn't only the content that was an issue in Hollywood, but it was the lack of innovative distribution and curation channels that served our most basic needs: our emotions.

So I co-founded Blue Fever- emotional media, not social media for Gen Z. I have extensive experience in product-marketing and fundraising for non/for profits and am a recipient of film grants from Morgan Freeman and his Rock River Foundation, Chicken & Egg Pictures, and the prestigious Thornton Foundation. Blue Fever is Venture-backed by investors like Amazon, Bumble, Blue Run Ventures, Halogen, and more.

I believe in giving back (and karma), so I serve on the Inspired Stars Council for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s non-profit After-School All-Stars. I am dedicated to empowering young people to be their best selves through emotions + technology. I am addicted to musical theatre and nachos and just joined an NFT DAO to learn more about what Web 3.0 might look like.

Dr. William C. Meyers

Founder of the Vincera Institute; leading core muscle expert for NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, MLS and U.S. Olympic team

Dr. William C. Meyers has dedicated more than 25 years to pioneering the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and prevention of core muscle injuries (also known as athletic pubalgia or sports hernia). He founded the Vincera Institute in 2013.

Dr. Meyers is the leading authority on the awareness that the whole core muscle complex, inclusive with the hip joint, contributes to the injury which has advanced old terminology such as athletic pubalgia or sports hernia.

Treating patients with abdominal or groin injuries stemmed from his unique experiences in the 1980s with the U.S. National Soccer Team, Miami Dolphins, and various Olympic athletes. Since then, he has developed a number of variants of the surgical repair for core muscle injuries and their relationship to the ball and socket hip joint. He has evaluated more than 15,000 patients, including professional players from the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB and MLS, as well Olympic track and field athletes, professional tennis players, golfers and bull riders, as well as collegiate and recreational athletes.

EDUCATION

Dr. Meyers received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and his M.D. from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons.

He completed his residency and fellowship at Duke University, subsequently serving 14 years as Chief for various divisions of surgery.

Prior to moving to Philadelphia, Dr. Meyers was Chairman of Surgery and Surgeon-in-Chief at University of Massachusetts-Worcester.

He served as Professor, Chairman of Surgery and Senior Associate Dean at Drexel University College of Medicine from January 2001 until November 2010.

BS, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

MD, Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, NY

Residency: Duke University Surgery Residency Program, Durham, NC

Fellowship: Duke University, Durham, NC

MBA, University of Pennsylvania/Wharton Business School, PA

CURRENT POSITIONS

President and Chairman, Vincera Institute

Professor of Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine

Consulting Professor of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center

Professor of Surgery, Jefferson Medical College

Dave Meluni

Syracuse University Sport Management Faculty Member and Adjunct Professor

Dave Meluni joined the Sport Management faculty at Syracuse University in 2018 after having spent the previous four years as an adjunct professor in the department. He has over 20 years of experience in the sports industry, including two years as Vice President of Sales and Business Development for both 805 Stats and Infinity Sports and Entertainment. He spent five years as the Vice President of Sales at SIDEARM Sports, where he negotiated and signed agreements with the University of Texas, University of Kansas, the Heisman Trophy, and the Maui Invitational as well as hundreds of Division I, II and III institutions. Prior to working in the digital space, the Syracuse native spent 10 years with IMG College.

Zach Miller

Former NFL Super Bowl Winner and Private Wealth Advisor

Zach Miller played in the NFL for 8 seasons where he won a Super Bowl Championship with the Seattle Seahawks. His NFL career started with the Oakland Raiders as a 2nd round pick after a standout career with his hometown Sun Devils. During his NFL career and while serving as his team’s NFLPA Player Representative for 7 seasons he witnessed the financial exploitation of players and unethical motives of many “trusted” people that encompass an athlete’s inner circle. Following career-ending ankle reconstruction surgery, Zach returned to Arizona State to finish his undergraduate degree. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the W.P. Carey School of Business with a B.S. Finance.

Dr. Anthony Ocampo

Distinguished Author and Professor of Sociology at California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Dr. Anthony Ocampo is a Professor of Sociology at California State Polytechnic University-Pomona. He is the author of The Latinos of Asia: How Filipino Americans Break the Rules of Race and the forthcoming book Brown and Gay in LA: The Lives of Immigrant Sons. Dr. Ocampo research has been featured on the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, NPR, the New Yorker, NBC News, Buzzfeed, among others. His writing on issues of race, immigration, and LGBTQ issues has appeared in GQ, Colorlines, Life & Thyme, Gravy, KCET, and many more. Born and raised in Northeast Los Angeles, Dr. Ocampo earned his B.A. and M.A. from Stanford University, and his M.A. and Ph.D. from UCLA. You reach him on Twitter at @anthonyocampo.

Pratik Patel

Former NY Giants Director of Performance Nutrition and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach; Outer Energy Coach for Own IT Coaching

Pratik Patel is a Sports Dietitian, Strength and Conditioning Coach, speaker, consultant to sports teams, and 1-on-1 coach to athletes and non-athletes of all ages.  For the past 20 years, he has studied nutrition, fitness, recovery, and the interplay between these and optimal health and performance.  He has spent the past 11 years implementing his knowledge with elite athletes, most recently as an Assistant Coach with the New York Giants as the Director of Performance Nutrition and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach in charge of all things nutrition, hydration, supplementation, sleep, and recovery related to optimizing health and performance. During his career Patel has worked with athletes from the NFL, Pro Bowlers, NBA, PGA, and USATF Olympians.

Patel is a Registered Dietitian and board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) as well as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

Christine Pinalto

Executive Director and Co-Founder of Mental Health Non-Profit Sidelined USA

Christine Pinalto is the executive director and co-founder of Sidelined USA, a nonprofit organization which provides free support resources for athletes forced to discontinue competition due to career-ending injuries, health conditions, or repeat concussions. Christine is leading efforts to raise awareness about the psychological impact of medically-forced exit from sport and educates the sports medicine community on improved patient care for medically disqualified athletes. She advocates for improved after-care for sidelined student-athletes on a national scale with particular emphasis on mental health impact and identity loss associated with medical retirement.

Patrick Kane

Three-time Stanley Cup Winner and Olympic Athlete

Patrick Kane II is a right wing and alternate captain of the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks selected him with the first overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft. He has won three Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Ranked as one of the 100 greatest hockey players of all-time and, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy for the Most Valuable Player in the 2013 playoffs. He was also the first American born player to win both the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player and the Art Ross Trophy as scoring champion. Patrick was the youngest U.S. player to reach 1,000 career season points.

Patrick represented the United States at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics and received the Silver Medal.

Katie Perry

General Manager IR Innovation at Public.com

Katie Perry is General Manager IR Innovation at Public.com , an investing platform that helps people become better investors. Public.com has raised $310 million to date from investors including Accel, Greycroft, Lakestar, Will Smith’s Dreamers VC, Tony Hawk, J.J. Watt, The Chainsmokers’ Mantis VC, Alexa von Tobel's Inspired Capital, and Sophia Amoruso. Prior to Public, Katie was VP of Corporate Strategy at Comscore and was a strategic marketing and communications consultant for early-stage startups, media companies, and Fortune 500 brands.

Before that, she was the Director of Marketing at Suzy (formerly Crowdtap) and was an early corporate marketing hire at 360i at a time when the digital agency was named one of the Most Innovative Companies in the World by Fast Company.

Katie frequently lends her expertise as a thought leader in marketing, communications, and retail investing trends, and her writings and work have appeared in Adweek, Advertising Age, Entrepreneur, Inc., Morning Brew, CNBC.com, Nasdaq.com, Yahoo! Finance, and more. She was featured in the 2021 Adweek CMO Issue and was named to Crain's Notable in Marketing & PR list.

Follow her on Public at Public.com/katiep.

Omar Solimon

Author, TV Personality, and Co-Founder of College HUNKS Hauling Junk

Omar Soliman is a published author, entrepreneur and TV personality. He is the Co-Founder of College HUNKS Hauling Junk, a junk removal and moving franchise with over 250 franchises across the country and $300 million in annual sales. CHHJ was named one of the fastest growing franchises in the nation by Entrepreneur Magazine and currently employs over 4,000 people nationwide.

Omar was named 'Top 30 Entrepreneurs in America Under 30' by INC magazine and is an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year winner.

Omar co-authored his first book along with his business partner Nick Friedman titled EFFORTLESS ENTREPRENEUR. The book has become a national best seller and is a must read for anyone looking to start a business. Omar is a guest speaker at universities, high schools and corporate events. His goal is to excite and motivate the younger generation about entrepreneurship.

Abbie Strabala

Investment Analyst / Women's Health Advocate

Abbie is an investor & advocate within the women’s health ecosystem. She is dedicated to advancing reproductive health and increasing female representation in decision-making roles. Prior to becoming an investor, she worked in the public sector at community and advocacy-focused non-profits in the LGBTQ+ space. At Rhia, she invests in early-stage companies working to improve health outcomes in historically underinvested spaces with a passion for sustainable solutions.

Dr. Meeta Singh

Board-Certified Physician/Psychiatrist in the Science of Sleep; MLB World Series Ring Recipient

Board-certified physician and psychiatrist concentrated in the applied science of sleep. Her evidence-based approach integrates individualized medical, psychiatric, and behavioral diagnosis and coaching to improve clients’ sleep health for their optimized physical and mental performance and enhanced health and quality of life.

Dr. Singh’s deep expertise in sleep disorder diagnosis and treatment was forged in Psychiatry at the Mayo Clinic and as a Physician in Sleep Medicine at the Henry Ford Sleep Center, where Dr. Singh practiced and served as Chief of Service for 15 years. Today, Dr. Singh combines this expertise with extensive real-world experience working with world-class performance organizations to produce Integrated Sleep Optimization Programs tailored to the unique needs and conditions of individual clients to help them optimize their personal and professional performance.

She has served as a consultant for multiple NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, Olympic and college sports teams, as well as large organizations, CEOs, and C-suite executives, all seeking to optimize their competitive performance. Dr. Singh serves clients with individualized services that cut through the hype and disinformation about sleep to provide evidence-based guidance to getting the sleep needed to maximize their performance.

Dr. Singh received a Congressional letter, along with a World Series Ring, for her work with the World Series winning Washington Nationals.

Debra Strougo and Eric Von Frohlich

Wife and Husband Founding Team of Row House and Fitizen’s Holdings

Debra Strougo and Eric Von Frohlich are the husband and wife Founding Team of Row House. Together, as brand builders and entrepreneurs dedicated to the health and wellness space, they grew their brand Row House to over 300 studios by ensuring that all stakeholders are "pulling together" towards a common vision.  With decades of experience as thought leaders in the wellness space, Fitizens Holdings brings together all of Debra and Eric’s passion and know-how; offering Health, Wellness, & Fitness Advisory Services to companies that are launching, scaling, and growing.  With a particular focus on culture and strategy, they love to talk about brand, marketing and growth.

www.fitizensholdings.com

Ahmmon Richards

Former Projected First-Round NFL Pick Turned Entrepreneur

Ahmmon Richards was a wide receiver for the University of Miami and a projected as a first-round pick by multiple NFL scouts. Richards played in all 13 games and made 11 starts as a true freshman at Miami in 2016 and finished the season with 934 receiving yards, which broke Michael Irvin's school record for receiving yards by a freshman. He was second on the team with 49 receptions and three touchdowns. In 2018, it was announced that Richards' playing career had come to an end due to a disabling neck injury he suffered during the first game of the season.

He started LGNDARY Sports to represent and be an advocate for his fellow teammates. LGNDARY Sports merged with Marquee Football, a subsidiary of SFX Sports & Entertainment (which sold for 4.4 billion and is known today as Live Nation.)

In addition to being the CMO of Marquee, he is an executive with OfficialVisit, a newly launched, player-driven college and coach review platform. With what little free time he has, he is building out his College Hunks Hauling Junk franchise based in Miami.

Amy Trask

Former CEO of the Oakland Raiders, NFL Analyst and Author

Ms. Trask is the former CEO of the Oakland Raiders. (and referred to as the "Princess of Darkness" by Raiders fans.) She currently serves as an analyst for CBS Sports, appearing regularly on That Other Pregame Show and periodically on The NFL Today. Ms. Trask is one of the original group of panelists appearing on the first-ever all-women's sports talk show, We Need To Talk on CBS Sports Network. Her book You Negotiate Like a Girl details her experience as an executive in the NFL.

Ms. Trask also serves as Chairman of the Board of Big3, a 3-on-3 professional basketball league, and served as CEO during its inaugural season.

In 2017 she received the WISE Woman of the Year Award awarded by Women in Sports and Events; in 2018 the Campanile Excellence in Achievement Award awarded by the UC Berkeley Foundation and the Cal Alumni Association. She was awarded a Top Women in Media Award by Cynopsis Media in 2020.

As part of the National Football League's commemoration of its 100-year anniversary in 2019, Ms. Trask was named as one of the top 100 Greatest Game Changers in NFL history.

Brenda Tracy

Activist, Survivor, and Listed as One of Sports Illustrated’s “Most Powerful Women in Sports”

Brenda Tracy is a nurse, speaker, activist, and survivor. In 1998, she reported to police that she was brutally raped by four men, two of whom played football at Oregon State University. In 2014, she found the courage to come forward with her story and now seeks to make the world a better place for survivors. As a citizen lobbyist, Ms. Tracy has helped with the passage of eight laws in her home state of Oregon. She has won numerous awards and was named ESPNs top 25 women in 2016, one of Sports Illustrated most powerful women in sports in 2020, and in 2022, ESPNs 11 Biggest Power Brokers and Advocates Shaping College Football. Ms. Tracy is the creator of the “Tracy Rule” which is the most comprehensive serious misconduct policy in NCAA history, and she is the founder of the national campaign and nonprofit, Set The Expectation. Her message of “men as the solution and not the problem” is transforming the landscape of sports and how we engage in gender-based violence prevention work.

Vince Thompson

Founder and CEO of MELT, one of the nation’s largest independent and award-winning sports and event marketing agencies.

Named Chief Marketer Magazine’s 2020 Top 200 Agencies, Sports Business Journal’s 2019 “Power Players”, Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2018 “Most Admired CEOs”, Atlanta Magazine’s 2020 and 2019 Power 500 Players and Biz Bash’s Top 500 Event Producers, Vince Thompson is an award-winning brand builder and one of the nation’s top sports marketers.

In 2000, Thompson founded and has built MELT into one of the nation’s largest independent sports and event marketing agencies. This includes MELT’s 20-year representation of The Coca-Cola Company, activating 17 consecutive Final Fours, 7 consecutive seasons of ESPN College GameDay, FIFA, MLB, MLS, NCAA, Nascar, PGA and Olympics. Clients include AFLAC, Boy’s & Girl’s Clubs, Coaches VS Cancer, Core Power, Crook & Marker, GA Crown, Giving Kitchen, H-E-B Supermarkets, Intercontinental Hotel Group, KIA, Powerade and Wellstar Health Systems.

MELT is a full-service agency offerings its clients brand strategy, event and experiential marketing, social and digital media and sponsorship strategy and consulting.

Thompson, a 1984 graduate of Auburn University, was a Student Assistant in the Sports Information Department and a Sports Editor for The Auburn Plainsman. This led to the formation of MELTU, an award-winning intern program for college students. As a pivot during Covid-19, MELTU has gone virtual reaching hundreds of students. He lectures at universities, is featured in national publications, appears on The Paul Finebaum Show, sits on boards of Samford and UGA and his forthcoming book “Building Brand You” will be released in August.

Becca Wathen

Duke All-American, WNBA, Strategic Partner Manager on the Emerging Athletes/Creators Team at Meta

Becca Wathen is a Strategic Partner Manager on the Emerging Creators team at Meta. In her role she focuses on educating and enabling student-athletes to maximize NIL opportunities across Facebook and Instagram. Previously, she's worked as a Sports Broadcaster, at the National Basketball Players Association & the Atlanta Hawks. She is a former All-American Duke Women's Basketball player and 2018 WNBA Draftee.

Daniel Wallach

"The Sports Betting Attorney" One of the nation’s foremost legal authorities in the field of sports gambling

Daniel Wallach is the founder of Wallach Legal LLC, a law firm focused on the regulated sports betting and gaming industries. Dan advises sports betting operators, fantasy sports companies, casinos, racetracks, skill-based gaming operators, video game developers, gaming vendors, professional sports teams, sports data providers, peer-to-peer platforms, and start-up companies in navigating the complexity of U.S. gambling laws and regulations. He is a general member of the prestigious International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL), an invitation-only organization for attorneys who have distinguished themselves through demonstrated performance and publishing in gaming law, significant gaming clientele and substantial participation in the gaming industry.

Dan is the co-founding director of the University of New Hampshire School of Law’s Sports Wagering and Integrity Program, the nation’s first law school certificate program dedicated to the regulatory and legal aspects of sports wagering law and related integrity issues. Dan is an adjunct professor of law at the University of New Hampshire School of Law and the University of Miami School of Law, where he designed the nation’s first law school course programs centered on sports betting law and regulation.

As one of the nation’s foremost legal authorities in the field of sports gambling, Dan speaks regularly to lawmakers, regulators and stakeholders seeking guidance on sports betting legislation. He has testified before the California Legislature, the Connecticut General Assembly, the Kentucky General Assembly, and the New York Senate as a subject matter expert on legal issues related to sports betting. Dan was invaluable in the efforts to pass an online sports betting law in New York. His Senate testimony in May 2019 helped persuade lawmakers that an amendment to the New York State Constitution was not a prerequisite to the legalization of online sports betting in New York and that the Legislature could accomplish that objective through a purely statutory enactment. In part due to Dan’s crucial legislative testimony, online sports betting was finally approved in New York, creating the largest legal sports betting market in the United States with a record handle of nearly $2 billion in the first month alone.

Dan has written extensively about efforts to legalize sports betting in the United States. His cutting-edge articles have helped shape the national debate around sports betting legalization. His pathbreaking 2021 Forbes article, “Florida’s Gambling Compact Set Up to Fail? Federal Rejection of Mobile Sports Betting Likely to Trigger a Tribal Monopoly”, was the first to assert that the new online sports betting compact between the Seminole Tribe and the State of Florida violated the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act because it authorized gaming activities—such as the placing of a mobile bet—which originate entirely outside of Indian lands. With this article, Dan became the first person to question the legality of the compact. Dan’s controversial opinion—he was the only attorney to declare that the compact violated federal law—proved prophetic six months later when a federal court invalidated the compact for the reasons cited in Dan’s article.

Dan is a legal analyst and contributing writer for The Athletic, where he writes about the intersection of law and sports. He is the co-founder of the Conduct Detrimental sports law website (one of the most influential and heavily trafficked sports law websites in the United States) and is the co-host of Conduct Detrimental, a popular weekly podcast that explores the latest legal controversies shaping professional and collegiate sports. Dan was twice named one of “The Top 50 Must-Follow Sports Business Twitter Accounts” by Forbes and was profiled by Law360 as one of the “20 Attorneys Killing it on Twitter.”

Dan is also a seasoned litigator and appellate attorney. He is AV-Rated (the highest level attainable) by Martindale-Hubbell and achieved board certification from The Florida Bar in Appellate Practice. Dan is a 1991 graduate of the Hofstra University School of Law, where he graduated with distinction (in the top 2% of his graduating class) and was the Notes and Comments Editor of the Hofstra Law Review.

Dan began his legal career as the judicial law clerk for the Honorable Jacob Mishler, a federal district court judge and the former chief judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Upon the conclusion of his one-year clerkship, Dan joined the New York office of Weil, Gotshal & Manges, where he was a member of the Business and Securities Litigation Department (which was the nation’s largest law firm practice group devoted exclusively to the practice of federal securities litigation). Prior to forming his own law firm, Dan was a shareholder at Becker & Poliakoff, where he practiced for nearly 20 years, concentrating in business and appellate litigation and representing a variety of clients in the regulated gaming and sports betting industries.

For inquiries, contact Dan at:

Telephone: +1 305-725-9688
Email address: wallachlegal@gmail.com
Twitter: @WALLACHLEGAL

Danielle Strachman

Co-Founder and General Partner of 1517 Venture Capital Fund

Danielle is a cofounder and general partner of 1517 Venture Capital Fund. She has worked with young entrepreneurs for about a decade. In 2010, during the founding of the Thiel Fellowship, Danielle joined to lead the design and operations. She's worked with some of the most prestigious founders like Vitalik Buterin and Ritesh Agarwal. Previous to her work with Peter Thiel, Danielle founded and directed Innovations Academy in San Diego, a K-8 charter school serving 400 students, with a focus on student-led project based learning and other alternative programs.

Mit Winter

Former D-1 Basketball Player and Respected NIL Attorney and Speaker

Mit Winter is an attorney with Kennyhertz Perry LLC and is recognized as an expert on NIL laws, policies, and bylaws.  He has represented college athletes and businesses in a variety of NIL deals, in addition to representing clients such as universities and conferences in many other college sports law matters.  In addition to being an attorney, Mit played Division I college basketball at William & Mary.  Because of the combination of his experience as a former college athlete and his expertise in college sports law matters, Mit is able to provide clients with practical, real-world guidance on NIL and other legal issues that arise in connection with college sports.

Gale Wilkinson

Founder and Managing Partner at Vitalize Seed Fund and Angel Investor

Gale Wilkinson is the founder and Managing Partner at Vitalize, a seed fund and angel community investing in future of work software. Previously, Wilkinson founded IrishAngels, one of the largest angel groups in the country. Gale has led $65M+ in early-stage deals across 80+ portfolio companies, and she has made over 25 personal angel investments. Her experience prior to VC includes founding two failed startups, consulting for new product launches with Nielsen, and strategy with Orbitz.

Wilkinson received a BBA with honors from Notre Dame and an MBA with honors from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She was a founding Board member of the C200 Scholars Network, and she is currently a founding Board member of Chicago Blend, an organization focused on increasing diversity in VC and startups.

You can find her on Twitter @galeforceVC or on “The Vitalize Podcast." She lives in Chicago with her husband Matt and very lovable yellow lab Samson.

Mark Doyle

Advisor to President Biden, Former Deputy Director of Presidential Personnel in the White House and Director of Special Projects Under President Clinton, Founder of Rags of Honor.

Mark Doyle is currently the Chairman of Unite the Country Super Pac, a presidential Super Pac committed to electing former VP Joe Biden President of the United States. Mr. Doyle is a close friend of the former VP and his family travelled with him full time during the 2008 primary and general election cycle.

Mr. Doyle is the Managing Member of Prairie Avenue Advisors, a Chicago based strategic consulting firm with deep political roots in Washington and Chicago who has spent the last 20 years cultivating and nurturing business and political relationships across the country.

Mr. Doyle was the Director of Advance for President Clinton’s first successful bid for the White House in 1992 and went on to serve as a deputy director of Presidential Personnel in the White House. Additionally, during his tenure in the administration, he served as the Director of Special projects working on the administration’s Health Care initiative.

Mr. Doyle always maintained a political presence in Washington and in 2006 was approached by U.S. Senator Joseph Biden to help him prepare for his 2008 presidential bid. For two years, Mr. Doyle travelled full time with Senator Biden as his travelling political director and as part of his national finance team. During the 2008 General Election and through the Presidential Transition, Mr. Doyle travelled with the Vice-President elect and maintains a close relationship with him.

In 2010 Mr. Doyle was engaged by the United States Army as subject matter experts and deployed to Afghanistan as part of Task Force 2010, the anti-corruption task force stood up by Admiral Mullen. Their mission was to create flow of funds analysis on billions of U.S. contracting dollars being extorted in the battle space. Mr. Doyle and his team were deployed for 12 months. Mr. Doyle has written for the Chicago Tribune about the Afghanistan operations and is a frequent guest in Chicago on their flagship radio station WGN.

After returning from Afghanistan Mr. Doyle founded Rags of Honor, the only custom silk screen operation in the country devoted to hiring homeless and chronically unemployed veterans. Rags of Honor and their sister company Veteran Roasters Cup O’ Joe have combined to hire 85 at risk and homeless veterans since opening their doors. He is a former Director at Prairie Community bank in Marengo Illinois. He is a Trustee at St. Patrick High School, a board member of the Illinois Brain Injury Association and a high school football coach. He is also a very good dancer.

Brad Faxon

PGA Tour Professional, Ryder Cup Member, Revered Commentator

Brad Faxon is a PGA Tour Professional who has won nine times while on tour and was a distinguished member or two United States Ryder Cup teams. Long considered one of the greatest putters on tour, he currently is a putting coach for top tier players as well as a well-respected commentator.

Karina Kogan

Former CMO of Oura, and Sr. V.P., Global Head of Product Marketing for Peloton. Listed as one of Adweek’s Women Trailblazers.

Karina Kogan is an award winning marketing and technology executive with a track record of feuling transformational growth and digital innovation for major brands.  Karina currently serves as a principal at Chief Marketer (LLC) where she provides strategic advisory and marketing services for a range of early to late stage companies.  Most recently Karina was the Chief Marketing Officer at Oura, where during her tenure the organization achieved 110% YoY sales, a $2.5B valuation and engaged in successful partnerships with major brands like Gucci, the NBA, Strava, Natural Cycles, among others.  Prior to Oura, Karina was the SVP and Global Head of Product Marketing at Peloton where she oversaw go-to-market strategy, media planning and buying, lifecycle marketing, and marketing analytics for all of Peloton’s products, digital subscription, and corporate wellness business. Karina has also held senior executive roles at WarnerMedia, Participant Media and SPIN Media.  She currently serves on the board of Jackpot.com and as an advisor to NILENT (NIL Enterprise Solutions.)

Michael Weiss

Founder of Client Engagement Academy (the premier E-Learning and Membership Website Platform development hub)

Mike Weiss is the founder of Client Engagement Academy, the premier E-Learning and Membership Website Platform development hub. He is also the Founder of Clout Selling, a platform focused on maximizing the Linked In inkedIn experience for business owners to generate inbound leads and sales through “Social Selling.” Mike is also an advisory Board Member for the Board of Advisors Community, a select group of the nations most disruptive business owners, real estate investors, technology providers, and marketers.

Dr. Meeta Singh

Board-Certified Physician/Psychiatrist in the Science of Sleep; MLB World Series Ring Recipient

Board-certified physician and psychiatrist concentrated in the applied science of sleep. Her evidence-based approach integrates individualized medical, psychiatric, and behavioral diagnosis and coaching to improve clients’ sleep health for their optimized physical and mental performance and enhanced health and quality of life.

Dr. Singh’s deep expertise in sleep disorder diagnosis and treatment was forged in Psychiatry at the Mayo Clinic and as a Physician in Sleep Medicine at the Henry Ford Sleep Center, where Dr. Singh practiced and served as Chief of Service for 15 years. Today, Dr. Singh combines this expertise with extensive real-world experience working with world-class performance organizations to produce Integrated Sleep Optimization Programs tailored to the unique needs and conditions of individual clients to help them optimize their personal and professional performance.

She has served as a consultant for multiple NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, Olympic and college sports teams, as well as large organizations, CEOs, and C-suite executives, all seeking to optimize their competitive performance. Dr. Singh serves clients with individualized services that cut through the hype and disinformation about sleep to provide evidence-based guidance to getting the sleep needed to maximize their performance.

Dr. Singh received a Congressional letter, along with a World Series Ring, for her work with the World Series winning Washington Nationals.