The Profluence Pod 🌐

Scott Birnbaum is the co-founder and CEO of Booster, a platform reinventing fundraising for athletes and teams. With over 15 years of experience in PPC advertising and leadership roles at firms like System1, Demand Media, and Fullscreen, Scott brings a wealth of expertise in scaling operations, building high-performing teams, and driving digital growth. At Booster, he’s combining this background with his passion for sports to create a smarter, subscription-based fundraising model that eliminates the inefficiencies of traditional campaigns.

At Booster, the mission is clear: make fundraising effortless so athletes and coaches can focus on what really matters—development, performance, and community. Whether at the high school, junior college, or NCAA level, Booster empowers teams to generate consistent, recurring revenue without upfront costs or the constant reset of starting from zero each season. The platform also provides athletes with the tools to build their brands, connect with fans, and unlock new pathways for support as they move through different stages of their athletic careers.

Beyond the platform, Scott’s story is also one of leadership and adaptability. Having scaled System1 from 15 employees to IPO, he has firsthand experience building global teams, navigating transitions, and fostering cultures of collaboration and innovation. Now, with Booster, he’s applying those lessons to the youth and collegiate sports ecosystem—helping athletes and teams access resources that were previously out of reach.

Podcast Chapters:

02:40 The Evolution of Fundraising in High School Sports

05:37 Building Community Through Subscription Models

08:07 Navigating the High School Sports Landscape

10:52 Engagement Strategies for Sustaining Interest

13:45 Leveraging Corporate Partnerships for Growth

16:42 Market Penetration and Future Plans

19:19 The Importance of Youth Sports in Development

22:04 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Konstantin Sonkin is the CEO and co-founder of i-BrainTech, a company transforming how athletes train through the power of neurotechnology. With a background in neuroscience and years of research into brain-computer interfaces, Konstantin launched i-BrainTech to bring cognitive training into elite sports. The platform allows athletes to play video games using only their minds—strengthening focus, tactical decision-making, and mental resilience.At i-BrainTech, the mission goes beyond novelty—it’s about unlocking the brain as the next performance frontier. By partnering with top football clubs in LaLiga, Serie A, MLS, and the Premier League, the company has introduced brain training into professional locker rooms, proving its impact on precision, reaction speed, and recovery. This top-tier adoption has validated i-BrainTech as not just an R&D project, but as a critical tool for modern performance enhancement.Beyond sports, Konstantin’s journey highlights the challenges of building a neuroscience startup—from translating lab research into a scalable product, to navigating hardware, software, and clinical validation. i-BrainTech is now expanding into healthcare and education, opening doors for cognitive therapy, neurorehabilitation, and even mental skills training for youth athletes.With AI integration, improved accessibility, and new partnerships ahead, Konstantin and his team are proving that mental training will soon stand alongside physical training as a pillar of athletic development. And in the process, they’re redefining how the sports world thinks about the brain.Podcast Chapters:00:00 Introduction to i-BrainTech and Konstantin Sonkin02:18 How Brain-Computer Interfaces Work in Sports05:45 Partnerships with Elite Clubs in Europe and the U.S.09:10 Training Focus, Awareness, and Decision-Making12:27 Challenges of Bringing Neurotech to Market15:52 Expanding Beyond Sports: Healthcare and Education18:34 The Role of AI in Cognitive Training21:08 Future Vision: Making Brain Training MainstreamI

Konstantin Sonkin:

🏠Website: https://www.i-brain.tech/

💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/konstantin-sonkin

Scott Garber: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgarber40/

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Amanda is the co-founder of Sequel, a company reimagining women’s health products with athletes in mind. Alongside her co-founder Greta Meyer, she launched Sequel while at Stanford, driven by a frustration that period products hadn’t meaningfully changed in over 80 years. As former high-level athletes, both Amanda and Greta struggled to find a tampon they could rely on in competition—so they leaned on their engineering training to build the product they wished they had on game day. The result was Sequel’s patented spiral technology, designed to offer women more reliable, comfortable, and distraction-free performance.

At Sequel, the mission goes beyond just technology—it’s about impact and visibility. By partnering with top sports organizations like Stanford Athletics, the Indiana Fever, DC United, and Audi Field, Sequel has brought period products directly into stadiums and locker rooms, making history as the first tampon partner in NCAA athletics. Their approach combines top-down credibility with bottom-up storytelling—leveraging creator partnerships, social platforms, and founder-led storytelling to build trust, awareness, and a movement for better women’s health solutions.

Beyond the partnerships and the patented spiral design, Amanda’s story is also one of resilience and persistence. From navigating the challenges of FDA approval as a medical device, to securing early grants and funding from Stanford’s ecosystem, Sequel is a case study in founder-led innovation. And with more products and activations ahead, Amanda and Greta are proving that when you combine sports, engineering, and a mission to help women win, the impact goes far beyond the field.

Podcast Chapters:

02:34 Innovative Tampon Technology: The Sequel Spiral

05:32 Partnerships in Sports: Building Brand Awareness

08:25 The Importance of Creator Partnerships

11:02 Challenges in Developing a Medical Device

13:49 Funding Journey: From Grants to Equity

16:31 Design Thinking: Identifying Real Needs

19:16 Future Aspirations and Community Engagement

Amanda Calabrese: 🏠Website: https://www.trysequel.com/💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/acalabre/Andrew Petcash:🏠 Website: https://profluence.com🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/Thanks for listening! Hit the “follow” button to stay updated on new podcasts.

Ryan Silver, President of Attitude of Gratitude, is a trailblazer in youth sports and event operations. With a vision rooted in appreciation and impact, he has built one of the fastest-growing event platforms in the country, spanning basketball, volleyball, soccer, golf, and more. Silver’s philosophy of gratitude—shaped by personal experiences—drives his mission to transform youth sports into not just competitions, but meaningful experiences that empower athletes, families, and communities.Under Silver’s leadership, Attitude of Gratitude has rapidly expanded to become a premier operator of over 200 annual basketball tournaments, with camps and showcases across multiple states. Recently acquired by Rocket Youth Brands, the company now stands at the forefront of the evolving youth sports industry. With private equity investment, a powerful partner ecosystem, and Silver’s deep operational expertise, the organization is poised to redefine the future of youth events, blending growth with lasting community impact.Beyond his impressive business achievements, Silver has a rare distinction: he is one of the very few entrepreneurs who has successfully built and sold multiple youth sports companies, including West Coast Elite. His journey highlights both the challenges and opportunities in the commercialization of youth sports—while keeping gratitude, service, and athlete empowerment at the heart of it all.Podcast Chapters:02:44 Growth and Expansion in Youth Sports05:21 The Business of Youth Sports: Insights and Challenges07:54 Rocket Youth Brands: A New Partnership10:22 The Future of Youth Sports and Private Equity13:07 NIL and Its Impact on College Sports15:44 Closing Thoughts and Future Plans

Ryan Silver: 🏠Website: https://attitudeofgratitude.com/💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-silver-ba7a63293/Andrew Petcash:🏠 Website: https://profluence.com🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/Thanks for listening! Hit the “follow” button to stay updated on new podcasts.

Karim Kassam is the Vice President of Product at Teamworks, the leading software platform transforming high-performance operations in sports, military, and public safety sectors. He joined Teamworks through its 2024 acquisition of Zelus Analytics, a premier sports intelligence platform. At Teamworks, Karim leverages his expertise in data science and analytics to integrate Zelus’ cutting-edge solutions into collegiate football, helping organizations unlock transformative insights and achieve peak performance.At Teamworks, Karim is focused on building unified, data-driven systems that empower teams to make smarter decisions, optimize operations, and develop athletes holistically. From predictive models to streamlined workflows, Teamworks Intelligence delivers tools that help organizations evaluate talent, construct rosters, and manage performance with precision. Karim’s work ensures that athletes and staff have the right insights and resources to prepare, compete, and excel.Beyond sports, Karim’s career is defined by a unique blend of academic rigor and practical innovation. Before joining Teamworks, he led data science initiatives for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Twins, and Jacksonville Jaguars, and served as a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Fun fact: Karim earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2010, where he studied decision processes and emotion—an unusual but powerful lens for sports analytics.Chapters:00:00 Introduction to AI in Sports Analytics01:05 Karim Kassam's Background and Journey02:54 Evolution of Football Analytics04:40 Teamworks Intelligence and AI Innovations07:09 Challenges in College Football Scouting09:28 Key Metrics for Player Evaluation12:45 Comparative Analysis of Sports Analytics14:18 The Imperfection of Talent Identification16:53 The Role of Technology in Team Success18:23 Exciting Developments at Teamworks21:01 Integrating Diverse Solutions at Teamworks22:48 Future Acquisitions and Market StrategyKarim Kassam: 🏠Website: https://teamworks.com/💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karim-kassam-a4369972/Andrew Petcash:🏠 Website: https://profluence.com🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/Thanks for watching! Hit the “subscribe” button to stay updated on new podcasts.

Izell Reese is the CEO of RCX Sports, a youth-sports experiences business working with professional leagues, national governing bodies, and brands to reimagine accessibility and participation in sports. Under his leadership, RCX has become the official operating partner of NFL FLAG, NBA Jr. League, MLB Pitch, Hit & Run, and other grassroots programs that introduce millions of young athletes to sports each year.With a background as a former NFL player and now as one of the most influential executives in youth sports, Izell is dedicated to expanding opportunities for kids at every level. His vision emphasizes inclusion, character development, and pathways that connect community-based programs to high school, collegiate, and even professional opportunities. By aligning leagues, brands, and governing bodies around scalable, youth-first models, he’s helping to transform the future of sports participation in America.RCX Sports is not just about leagues—it’s about access, equity, and long-term growth. With initiatives that reduce barriers to entry and connect kids with positive experiences on and off the field, Reese is driving a movement to make sports a more inclusive and sustainable part of the youth experience.

Chapters:

01:28 – Izell’s Journey from NFL Player to Sports Executive 04:45 – Building RCX Sports into a National Leader

08:56 – Partnerships with the NFL, NBA, and MLB

12:19 – Expanding Access and Equity in Youth Sports

16:42 – Creating Pathways Beyond the Game

20:11 – The Role of Brands and Governing Bodies

23:37 – Scaling Grassroots Programs Nationwide

27:50 – The Future of Youth Sports Particip

Izell Reese:

🏠Website: https://rcxsports.com/

💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/izell-reese-2a597b11

Scott Garber:

🏠 Website: https://profluence.com/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgarber40/

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Brent Richard is the CEO of IMG Academy, the world leader in sports education, and Drew Weatherford is a Founding Partner at Weatherford Capital, a private investment firm focused on growth equity in rapidly growing technology and technology-enabled businesses with a business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-government (B2G) focus, as well as those operating in highly regulated industries. Together, they are leading Project Add More Athletes—an initiative to expand roster spots in college sports and create more opportunities for youth athletes to compete and develop at the next level.Across IMG Academy’s on-campus and online programs, its student-athletes fill roughly 25% of all college freshman roster spots annually, making it one of the most influential organizations in youth sports. Brent and Drew are advocating for structural changes in the NCAA system—such as bringing back JV teams, allowing multi-division programs in the same sport, and building participation-based models proven at IMG—to meet the growing demand from the 8 million high school athletes in the U.S., of whom only 500,000 currently get a roster spot.Project Add More Athletes is more than a policy push—it’s a movement to reimagine the pathway from youth to collegiate athletics. With strategic deregulation, universities could increase athlete participation, strengthen Olympic and non-revenue sports, and enhance the student experience—all while driving enrollment and community engagement.Chapters:01:36 – Understanding the Landscape of Youth Sports04:11 – Catalysts for Change in College Sports08:31 – Proposed Framework for Expanding Opportunities13:26 – Navigating Deregulation in College Sports17:34 – Vision for the Future of Youth Athletics20:24 – Introduction to Athlete Inclusion22:51 – Community Engagement and Feedback25:36 – Future Directions and Strategic Conversations

Brent Richard & Drew Weatherford: 🏠Website:💼 LinkedIn:

Andrew Petcash & Scott Garber: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgarber40/Thanks for listening! Hit the “follow” button to stay updated on new podcasts.

Samuel Westberg is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of LaSource, a sports consulting agency helping sports tech companies, startups, and media organizations grow and adapt in a rapidly evolving industry. With a decade of experience in sports—beginning with a professional football team and moving into business development roles across sports tech and digital startups—Samuel has built an extensive global network of rights holders, broadcasters, media companies, and clubs. His unique perspective bridges the gap between innovation and the traditional sports ecosystem.

LaSource works with sports tech and SaaS companies to refine their business development and marketing strategies, enabling them to penetrate the European market and expand their client base. They also partner with sports and media organizations to anticipate industry shifts, develop forward-looking strategies, and drive revenue growth. By connecting technology providers with sports and entertainment stakeholders, LaSource helps shape the future of fan engagement, media rights, and digital innovation in sports.

An interesting fact about LaSource is their ability to merge top-tier consulting expertise with deep sector knowledge in data, digital technologies, and media rights—creating a unique platform where sports tech companies, media players, and rights holders can collaborate to accelerate growth and innovation.

Chapters:

02:38 – The Evolution of Sports Tech in Europe

05:22 – Navigating the Global Sports Tech Landscape

08:15 – The Role of VR and AR in Fan Engagement

10:53 – Youth Sports and Technology Trends

13:47 – Finding Innovative Technologies in Sports

16:37 – Building a Sustainable Sports Tech Agency

19:16 – Staying Informed in the Sports Tech Industry
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Mohit Pareek, Partner at Drake Star, a FINRA-registered broker-dealer and global investment bank that focuses on tech and digital media. With over 500 transactions completed since 2003, Drake Star operates across key financial hubs including New York, London, Munich, and Dubai, serving high-growth sectors such as Software/SaaS, FinTech, Mobility, Consumer Tech, and Digital Media. Mohit brings a sharp perspective on deal-making, strategic exits, and how founders can position themselves for acquisition or investment in today’s competitive landscape.Drake Star’s unique strength lies in its global reach and deep sector expertise, enabling them to support founders from early-stage fundraising to multi-billion-dollar exits. Mohit has played a key role in leading cross-border transactions and advising fast-scaling tech companies, particularly in areas like HR Tech, Industrial Tech, and Sustainability. With capital markets evolving and innovation reshaping industries, Mohit shares actionable insights on navigating the complex world of tech M&A and what founders need to know to stand out.An interesting fact about Drake Star is that despite being a boutique firm, its global footprint and hands-on advisory model have earned it recognition as an award-winning investment bank, bridging the gap between high-growth companies and world-class investors across continents.Chapters: 01:00 – Introduction to Sports Tech and Investment Banking 02:23 – Market Overview: M&A Activity and Financing Trends 10:10 – Youth Sports: Investment Opportunities and Growth 16:24 – Capital Flow in Sports and Media Investments 21:37 – Public Market Recovery and Future Outlook

Mohit Pareek:

🏠Website: https://www.drakestar.com/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohitpareek/

Andrew Petcash:

🏠 Website: https://profluence.com

🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/

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Kickback Soccer Media is a groundbreaking new media company founded by leading voices in American soccer. With the 2026 World Cup approaching, Kickback is on a mission to turn the moment into a movement—capturing casual viewers, creating culture, and redefining what it means to be a soccer fan in the U.S. Through three distinct platforms—Soccerwise for traditional coverage, Kickback Committee for creator-led content, and First Touch for fan engagement—the company is bridging the gap between insiders and new supporters. With a 3% pledge of gross revenue committed to growing the game through inclusivity and accessibility, Kickback is aiming for long-term impact beyond the final whistle.Founded by John Parker alongside trusted voices like Tom Bogert, David Gass, and Jordan Angeli, Kickback has also partnered with Bluesky to lead the digital conversation around U.S. soccer. With bold plans and a deep understanding of the sport’s cultural landscape, Kickback Soccer Media is building a soccer media company that speaks to—and with—the American fanbase.Chapters: 01:23 John Parker's Soccer Origin Story04:10 Evolution of Youth Development in Soccer06:50 Kickback Soccer Media: Vision and Mission10:12 Strategies for Engaging New Fans15:55 Community-Driven Content Creation18:44 3% Pledge: Investing in Community Initiatives22:19 Defining American Soccer Culture25:27 The Global Connection of Soccer28:44 Bold Predictions for U.S. Soccer's Future

John Parker: 🏠Website: https://kickbacksoccer.com/

💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-parker-b4b47a4b/

Scott Garber:

🏠 Website: https://profluence.com

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgarber40/

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