The Profluence Pod 🌐

The Player’s Fund is the UK's first-ever “athlete-fueled” venture fund that aim to invest £40M with vehicle composed of athlete collectives including Chris Smalling, Carlos Boozer, Héctor Bellerín, and Serge Gnabry. Ruari Bell is an ex-professional athlete himself who has built agencies and businesses including 4cast and the Bell Partnership.  The Player’s Fund is an outlet for athletes investing in the future of the digital consumer. Chapters: (01:25) Ex-athlete and entrepreneur backstory (06:55) Merging athlete collectives (10:00) Utilizing athlete value within a fund (13:50) The Player’s Fund thesis (15:05) Consumer trends to watch (19:00) India opportunities  . Ruari Bell: Website: https://playersfund.vc/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruaribell/ . Andrew Petcash: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com 🎙 Podcast: https://profluence.com/podcasts/ 🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash 🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/ . Thanks for listening! Make sure to hit the “follow” button to stay up to date on new podcasts.

James Kimball was at the forefront of the WWE’s groundbreaking college athlete NIL program and is now building his own agency.  Novo Sports Group is a management agency operating at the intersection of emerging athletes, talent, properties, & brands. Chapters: (02:40) Corporate to Entrepreneur (05:30) WWE’s NIL program (13:50) 5-6 figure deals (15:30) Novo Sports Group (20:20) Sports Agency Landscape (26:40) Clientele (baseball + golf) (32:30) Finding talent as an agent (34:50) Trends in sports to watch . James Kimball: Website: https://novosportsgroup.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-kimball-28b3ba22/ . Andrew Petcash: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com 🎙 Podcast: https://profluence.com/podcasts/ 🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash 🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/ . Thanks for listening! Make sure to hit the “follow” button to stay up to date on new podcasts. 

Jordan Rogers revamped his life after a stint in jail up the ranks at Nike and now with his own company Perseus Creative.  Perseus Creative teaches athletes, executives, & learners about personal branding, creativity, & life of service through marketing and speaking engagements.  Chapters: (01:40) From Inmate to Executive (07:10) Journey to Nike (12:30) Opportunity with Perseus Creative (16:20) Opinion on NIL (22:50) How brands can execute with NIL (25:30) Trends to watch in sports (31:30) Jordan Roger’s Enterprises . Jordan Rogers: Website: https://www.jordanrogers.xyz/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanrogers26/ . Andrew Petcash: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com 🎙 Podcast: https://profluence.com/podcasts/ 🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash 🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/ . Thanks for listening! Make sure to hit the “follow” button to stay up to date on new podcasts. 

A multiple-time exited founder Jim Cavale is very involved in the NIL and college sports industry and sees the next opportunity with what he’s building at Athletes.Org.  Athletes.org (AO) is a 501c non-profit organization designed exclusively for college athletes to receive on-demand support in navigating their respective college athletics experience and a voice to speak into the future of college athletics. Prior to AO, Cavale sold his co-founder stake in Iron Tribe Fitness and built NIL solution INFLCR which was acquired by Teamworks.  Chapters: (01:30) Entrepreneurship journey (03:20) INFLCR & Teamworks (08:30) Athletes.Org opportunity (14:00) What AO provides athletes (18:55) Partnerships/Legal Structure (22:25) Power 5 vs. Olympic Sports (27:00) Pushbacks with AO . Jim Cavale: Website: https://www.athletes.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimcavale/ . Andrew Petcash: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com 🎙 Podcast: https://profluence.com/podcasts/ 🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash 🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/ . Thanks for listening! Make sure to hit the “follow” button to stay up to date on new podcasts. 

In 2013, Tom Waterhouse (.com) was sold to William Hill Australia for a 20x plus exit. WaterhouseVC invests in listed and unlisted businesses related to wagering and gaming. Whilst the Fund has a concentrated portfolio, the fund is diversified across both geography and market capitalization. Tom Waterhouse comes from the fourth generation of the Waterhouse racing dynasty and is the grandson of one of the first official bookmakers in Australia Chapters: (01:20) Tom’s background (04:50) Personal branding advantages (08:50) From Australia to U.S. market (15:05) Waterhouse VC  (18:10) Interesting sports tech solutions (23:35) Trends to watch . Tom Waterhouse: Website: https://tomwaterhouse.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-waterhouse-a2630132/ . Andrew Petcash: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com 🎙 Podcast: https://profluence.com/podcasts/ 🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash 🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/ . Thanks for listening! Make sure to hit the “follow” button to stay up to date on new podcasts. 

After getting fired from his sports radio job, Kevin Jones put his last $17,000 of savings to build Blue Wire.  Kevin Jones has over 12 years of experience in the sports industry as a beat reporter for the 49ers at KNBR, team reporter for the Cleveland Browns, and contributor to WUSA-TV in Washington D.C. Blue Wire is a sports podcasting platform with over 500 shows under its umbrella. They have raised $12M in venture capital and are doing about $8M in revenue/year.  Chapters: (01:40) Community Crowdfunding (07:00) Founding story of Blue Wire (09:40) Scaling the company (15:20) Business model (20:00) Trends in sports (23:10) Criteria for podcasters . Kevin Jones: Website: https://www.bluewirepods.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-jones-583a1226/ . Andrew Petcash: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com 🎙 Podcast: https://profluence.com/podcasts/ 🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash 🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/ . Thanks for listening! Make sure to hit the “follow” button to stay up to date on new podcasts. 

Kyle Martino spent 6 years in the MLS and is currently building a handful of soccer companies after many years as a TV analyst and a run for President of U.S. Soccer.  Martino’s portfolio includes Street FC, Football Cafe, Over Under Initiative, and Goalpher.  Chapters: (01:40) Transitioning from athlete to next stage (05:15) From sports to entrepreneurship (08:35) Creating community (11:00) Over Under & Goalpher (13:00) Value of athlete investors (15:30) Street FC & Football Cafe (19:00) Problems in youth sports (24:40) MLS growth . Kyle Martino: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylemartino/?hl=en . Andrew Petcash: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com 🎙 Podcast: https://profluence.com/podcasts/ 🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash 🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/ . Thanks for listening! Make sure to hit the “follow” button to stay up to date on new podcasts. 

As sports continue to grow as an asset class, venture capitalist & tech executive Soma Somesegar has entered the space through ownership.  Soma is a majority owner of the Seattle Orcas in Major League Cricket and a minority owner of the Major League Soccer team Seattle Sounders. He is the current managing director of Madrona Venture Group.  This was a great conversation on Soma’s journey from a youth cricket player in India to the owner of a cricket team in the US.  Chapters: (01:40) Journey to Sports Ownership (07:20) Seattle Orcas (10:40) Operating a team vs. company  (13:00) Season 1 Major League Cricket (16:15) US Cricket expansion plans (18:45) Bringing sports downstream (22:40) Sports franchises' growth . Soma Somesegar: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/s-somasegar-113791a5/ . Andrew Petcash: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com 🎙 Podcast: https://profluence.com/podcasts/ 🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash 🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/ . Thanks for listening! Make sure to hit the “follow” button to stay up to date on new podcasts.

Andrew Steinwold first bought Bitcoin in 2013 and now runs a $100M venture fund focused around the metaverse.  Sfermion is a multi-strategy investment firm focused on the immersive internet. Their mission is to accelerate the emergence of the metaverse by investing in the companies & founders creating the digital future.  Sports and the metaverse have massive overlap, which led to a great conversation around crypto, web3, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, and the blockchain.  Chapters: (01:45) What is the metaverse? (03:10) Andrew’s journey (Bitcoin 2013) (06:30) Tokens in sports (10:10) Key terms to know (14:10) What to watch in AI (20:15) State of web3 (in 2023) (23:15) Blockchain going mainstream (28:40) Concerns of CBDC’s (30:50) Applying sports to the metaverse . Andrew Steinwold: Website: https://www.sfermion.io/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndrewSteinwold LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-steinwold/ . Andrew Petcash: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com 🎙 Podcast: https://profluence.com/podcasts/ 🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash 🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/ . Thanks for listening! Make sure to hit the “follow” button to stay up to date on new podcasts. 

Homefans is experiencing massive MoM growth for their marketplace where fans can connect, plan, and book sports trips and experiences hosted by locals. Luke Verbeek spent 1 year in the corporate world before jumping into entrepreneurship and founding HomeFans in 2014.  Homefans is currently focused on soccer in Europe and South America, but plans to expand to more sports and regions in the near future.  Chapters: (01:25) Idea behind Homefans (04:45) Finding his co-founder (06:20) HomeFans overview (13:30) AirBnB for sports model (15:10) Marketplace learnings (18:20) Expansion Roadmap (21:15) Trends in sports experiences . Luke Verbeek: Website: https://homefans.net/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-verbeek/ . Andrew Petcash: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com 🎙 Podcast: https://profluence.com/podcasts/ 🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash 🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/ . Thanks for listening! Make sure to hit the “follow” button to stay up to date on new podcasts.