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https://underthenumber.substack.com/ Neil Schwartz is President of SBRnet, Inc., with over 25 years of experience in sports marketing and consumer research. A recognized expert in fan and market analytics, he leads the Sports Market Analytics Platform, a key resource for universities, brands, and teams tracking fan engagement, consumer behavior, gambling, sponsorships, and merchandise trends.

Previously, Neil directed research at the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) and SportScanInfo from SportsOneSource, collaborating with major financial firms, global brands, and retailers to interpret shifts in the sports marketplace.

He also co-founded the Get in the Game Sports Business Career Conference and hosts the My First Job in Sports Podcast, helping aspiring professionals enter the industry. A frequent conference speaker, Neil is known for translating complex data into clear, actionable insights across the sports business landscape.https://sportsmarketanalytics.com/

🏟️ Get off the sidelines ➡️ https://underthenumber.substack.com/

Ty Montgomery helps lead relationship development and investment support at Next Legacy. As part of both the network and investment teams, he focuses on building meaningful connections across the ecosystem, engaging athletes, LPs, GPs, and founders, while contributing to deal sourcing, diligence, and strategic community initiatives. Ty also plays an active role in advancing the firm’s signature programs and supporting athlete engagement across the platform.

Before joining Next Legacy, Ty spent nine years in the NFL, beginning his career with the Green Bay Packers where he became widely known for his versatility on the field. During his playing career, he developed a deep passion for finance, sparked by the Parable of the Talents in the Book of Matthew. What began as angel investing soon evolved into a full-time calling.

Ty graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in Political Science. He grew up alongside more than 17 foster siblings and now serves on the board of Connections Homes, continuing his mission to support youth aging out of foster care through redemptive relationship, service, and mentorship.

Outside of work, Ty is grounded by his faith and energized by adventure, sports, and helping others grow. He's always down for a trip, a conversation about Jesus, a round of golf, or discovering a new favorite restaurant.

Bio via Next Legacy

Sean Clifford is currently a quarterback for the Green Bay Packers and a Penn State football legend, holding school records for passing yards, touchdowns, and wins. Clifford led Penn State to a 2023 Rose Bowl victory, in which he was named Offensive MVP.  Off the field, Sean co-founded Limitless NIL, a pioneering name, image, and likeness agency, which he successfully exited.

He now invests alongside his brother Liam at Clifford Capital, leveraging his firsthand experience as an athlete and entrepreneur to spot and support innovative opportunities in sports, tech, and athlete-led businesses.

🏟️ Get off the sidelines ➡️ https://underthenumber.substack.com/

Wayne Kimmel is a sports tech venture capitalist, entrepreneur, podcast host, and author. He is the Managing Partner of SeventySix Capital, the venture capital company he founded in 1999 that invests in sports, media and entertainment companies.The Sports Business Journal named Kimmel a Sports Tech Power Player, Insider named him a Top Sports Venture Capitalist and was awarded the Most Admired CEO award from the Philadelphia Business Journal.Kimmel was an investor in VSiN, the sports betting media network (sold to DraftKings), Vigtory, an innovative sports betting tech platform (sold to FuboTV), C360, the pylon cam company (sold to Cosm), SeamlessWeb (sold to Aramark and now public as GrubHub), Take Care Health Systems (sold to Walgreens and became their healthcare clinics), and NutriSystem. He has also sold companies to Intel, IBM, and Yahoo.Kimmel also hosts the SeventySix Capital Sports Leadership Show, a podcast featuring the industry’s top entrepreneurs, athletes, and thought leaders.Kimmel is a graduate of the University of Maryland at College Park and the Delaware Law School. He is passionate about innovating the asset class of sports and working to make the world a better place.[Bio via SeventySix Capital]

🏟️ Get off the sidelines ➡️ https://underthenumber.substack.com/

Ben Gardner joined the Will Ventures team following a 5+ year stint at Andreessen Horowitz, where he built out the a16z consumer team’s go-to-market platform. During that time he worked as a strategic advisor for portfolio companies like Instacart, Lime, Sleeper, Substack, Levels Health, and Dapper Labs, among many others. He also built and managed a16z’s network of corporate executives and influencers across sports, media & entertainment, consumer brands, gaming, and talent agencies.

Prior to his time at Andreessen Horowitz, Ben graduated from Stanford and was a captain of the Rose Bowl-winning football team. In 2014, he was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys and played 3 years in the NFL with the Cowboys and Chargers.

Bio via Will Ventures

🏟️ Get off the sidelines ➡️ underthenumber.substack.com

Lindsay Barnett is the Founder and CEO of Playground Productions, the company that owns the Backyard Sports Franchise. Lindsay founded Playground after she spent close to a decade teaching second grade in a Chicago Public School in addition to manufacturing educational products. She gained national attention, as a semi-finalist on Live with Kelly and Ryan’s Top Teacher Search. Now, she has curated a slate of IP in the children's space and collaborates directly with authors and writers to ensure that Playground’s content will make families proud and kids love learning.Barnett received her Bachelor of Science in Communications: Radio, Television, and Film as well as an Interactive Arts and Entertainment Module from Northwestern University. She then earned her Master of Science in Education in Elementary Teaching at Northwestern.Bio via Playground Productions

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🏟️ Get off the sidelines ➡️ underthenumber.substack.comChristopher “Chip” Paucek is a visionary leader and seasoned entrepreneur who has dedicated his career to revolutionizing education and empowering individuals to pursue life-changing opportunities. As the Co-founder and Co-CEO of Pro Athlete Community (PAC), Paucek spearheads connecting the biggest talent in sports with unparalleled educational resources, experiences, and vital personal connections, ultimately enabling them to passionately pursue and shape their futures.Prior to becoming co-CEO of PAC, Paucek served as Co-Founder and CEO of 2U, Inc. During his 16-year tenure, Paucek architected the education technology company into one of the world’s largest online education providers, led a successful IPO in 2013, and grew the company to nearly $1 billion in annual revenue. His contributions earned him multiple accolades including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Goldman Sachs’s Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs Award, and recognition as one of America’s best chief executives by Institutional Investor magazine.Paucek’s entrepreneurial journey began in 1993 when he co-founded Cerebellum Corporation, known for its award-winning PBS television show, Standard Deviants. He also served as CEO of Hooked on Phonics and managed the successful re-election campaign of U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski in 2004.With a BA from George Washington University and an MBA from the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, Paucek is an active speaker on entrepreneurship and the global education and technology landscape. While Chip lives in Annapolis, MD with his wife (Gabbi), they stay closely connected to their two sons (Noah and Henry) at Syracuse University through a shared love of all things dogs, Florida, and the Miami Dolphins.Bio via Pro Athlete Community (PAC)

Cooper Manning is a Senior Managing Director at AJ Capital and is entering his 11th year as the host of “The Manning Hour” on FOX NFL Kickoff. He is the oldest son of former professional football quarterback Archie Manning, the older brother of Super Bowl champion quarterbacks Peyton Manning Eli Manning, and the father of current University of Texas quarterback Arch Manning.

Manning was an all-state standout wide receiver at Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans. He accepted a scholarship to the University of Mississippi before his promising football career was cut short upon his diagnosis with spinal stenosis prior to his freshman season in 1992.

Bio via FOX Sports

Marcus Elliott is the Founder & Director of the Peak Performance Project (P3). Dr. Elliott is a Harvard trained physician specializing in performance enhancement and the development of elite athletes. As Founder and Director of P3, he is dedicated to applying cutting edge science for optimal athletic achievement. He has trained some of the world’s best athletes including those at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, the Australian Institute of Sport, and the Sports Science Institute of South Africa. Since 1998, Dr. Elliott’s primary focus has been on peak performance and injury prevention in U.S. professional power-based sports, including baseball, basketball, football, and soccer. Recently, Dr. Elliott was appointed the 12th Annual Augustus Thorndike Lecturer at Harvard Medical School for his pioneering work in sports science. As the 2019 Thorndike professor, he joins a handful of other luminaries in sports medicine, including Dr. James R. Andrews (2012), Dr. Neal S. ElAttrache (2014), Dr. David W. Altcheck (2016).Starting in 1999 and continuing through their Super Bowl drive, Dr. Elliott was the physiologist and injury prevention specialist to the NFL’s New England Patriots. He was widely credited with reducing muscle injuries in the Patriots and has completed NFL sponsored research leading to recommendations on optimal conditioning and injury prevention strategies. He is also a sports science consultant for a number of professional organizations, and was Major League Baseball’s first-ever Director of Sports Science and Performance with the Seattle Mariners.Dr. Elliott is an internationally renowned leader in the field of sports science, a highly acclaimed speaker and serves on several boards in the sports and performance nutrition fields. He resides in Santa Barbara with his wife Nadine and three children.Learn more about P3 at www.p3.md Follow Under the Number on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/underthenumberpod/

Yogi Roth is a Big Ten Network college football analyst and the founder of Y-Option. He has been driven by the power of sports and story for over 20 years, as an on-air college football analyst, Elite 11 coach, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, and New York Times and Amazon best-selling author. A former Pitt wide receiver and USC coach, he is also a motivational speaker, tv and event host, and world traveler. To talk football, family, and storytelling, connect with him @YogiRoth.Subscribe to Y-Option on Substack at www.y-option.com

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