The Profluence Pod 🌐

Mike Carney is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of OnDeck Partners, a sports business and investment company focused on elevating the fan experience and driving sustainable growth across the communities it serves. With a career spanning leadership roles in both Major League and Minor League Baseball, Mike has built a reputation for developing high-performing organizations, fostering strong cultures, and creating long-term value through sports.

Before launching OnDeck Partners, Mike served as EVP of Business Operations and Chief Revenue Officer for the Washington Nationals, where he led large teams across revenue, strategy, and operations. His leadership contributed to the organization's growth and success, including the Nationals' historic 2019 World Series Championship. Throughout his career, Mike has remained passionate about the unique role sports teams play as economic and cultural anchors within their communities.

At OnDeck Partners, Mike is helping reimagine the future of Minor League Baseball by investing in community-first clubs and creating new opportunities for fan engagement, live events, and local impact. In this conversation, he shares why Minor League Baseball remains one of the most compelling opportunities in sports today, how community serves as the foundation of every successful franchise, and why the future of sports ownership may be rooted in creating unforgettable local experiences.

Podcast Chapters:

02:30 The Importance of Community in Minor League Baseball

05:21 Why Minor League Baseball? A Unique Opportunity

07:59 Exploring the Teams: Visalia Rawhide and Montgomery Biscuits

10:31 Partnerships and Ownership Structures in Minor League Baseball

13:15 Business Models: Cash Flow and Long-Term Strategy

16:05 Multi-Club Ownership: Learning from Others

18:37 Revenue Streams in Minor League Baseball

21:30 Activating the Ballpark Beyond Baseball

24:21 Technology and AI in Minor League Operations

26:40 Trends to Watch in Sports and Fan Engagement

29:28 Looking Ahead: The Future of On Deck Partners

Evan Dabby is the CEO of New Jersey Youth Soccer, one of the largest state soccer associations in the United States, serving more than 120,000 players annually. With over 25 years of experience across professional and grassroots soccer, Evan has played a key role in shaping the growth of the sport in America, from his time at Major League Soccer to leading youth soccer development throughout New Jersey.Before joining New Jersey Youth Soccer, Evan spent 15 seasons at Major League Soccer, overseeing major initiatives across event operations, competition management, team travel, sports medicine, venue operations, and league logistics. During a period of significant growth for MLS, he helped execute MLS Cup Finals, All-Star Games, and league-wide events while witnessing firsthand the evolution of soccer in the United States.Today, Evan leads New Jersey Youth Soccer's efforts to expand access, improve player development pathways, reduce barriers to participation, and strengthen the youth soccer ecosystem. Under his leadership, the organization has grown participation while maintaining affordable registration costs, expanding programs for underserved communities, and investing in coach education, player safety, and grassroots development.In this episode, Evan shares his perspective on the future of youth soccer in America, the challenges of pay-to-play, the importance of player retention and enjoyment, and how major events like the FIFA World Cup, Women's World Cup, and LA28 Olympics can accelerate the growth of the game. He also discusses the evolving youth soccer landscape, technology's role in player development, and why creating lifelong connections to sport matters far beyond the field.Podcast Chapters:02:27 The Evolution of Soccer in the U.S.05:15 Current Trends in Youth Soccer07:58 Stakeholders in Youth Soccer: A Complex Landscape10:40 New Jersey Youth Soccer: Mission and Impact13:21 The Role of Parents and Community in Youth Soccer15:52 Technology's Influence on Soccer Development18:33 Looking Ahead: Optimism and Challenges in Soccer21:12 The Buzz Around the World Cup24:07 Future Trends in Soccer: What to Watch For

Bobby Basham is a longtime executive with the Chicago Cubs, where he focuses on player development, innovation, and emerging technologies that help shape the future of baseball. With more than two decades of experience in the sport as both a player and front-office leader, Bobby has been at the forefront of integrating data, sports science, and technology into professional baseball operations.

In addition to his work with the Cubs, Bobby is the co-founder of Union Baseball Systems, a player development organization based in San Diego that supports athletes from youth baseball through the professional ranks. He is also an active advisor and investor in sports and technology companies, helping founders build solutions that improve athlete performance, health, and development.

Known for bridging the gap between sports, technology, and business, Bobby brings a unique perspective on innovation, leadership, and the future of the sports industry.

Chapters:

00:55 Bobby's Background and Experience in Baseball

03:47 Evaluating Technology and Innovation in Baseball

06:31 Balancing Tradition and Professionalism in Baseball

10:05 Insights on Founders and Technology Pitches

13:01 Understanding Organizational Pain Points

15:47 The Role of Athletes in Entrepreneurship

17:47 Cubs' Approach to Early-Stage Innovations

21:12 Future Opportunities in the Sports Industry

Kira Pritchard and Jon Solomon are leading voices in youth sports development and access, working to create healthier, more equitable pathways for young athletes through research, philanthropy, and community impact. Together, they recently collaborated on the State of Soccer in New York City & North Jersey report, an in-depth examination of the opportunities, challenges, and future of youth soccer in one of the most influential regions in the United States ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Kira Pritchard serves as Program Director at The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, a New York City-based philanthropic organization focused on expanding access and opportunity through arts, education, health, and youth development initiatives. She helps lead the Fund’s Play to Thrive initiative, a $10 million multi-year effort designed to leverage youth sports as a vehicle for mental health, well-being, and community connection.Through partnerships with organizations such as Gotham FC, Street Soccer USA, South Bronx United, and City Parks Foundation, Kira works to increase access to quality sports experiences and address barriers facing young athletes, particularly girls and underserved communities.Jon Solomon is the Editorial Director of the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program and Project Play initiative, where he helps lead national efforts to increase youth sports participation and improve the quality of sports experiences for children across the United States. Through Project Play, Jon works alongside leagues, governing bodies, brands, municipalities, and community organizations to create more accessible, affordable, and youth-centered sports systems. His work includes research on youth participation trends, coaching development, athlete well-being, and the growing challenges surrounding the commercialization of youth sports.

Chapters:

01:10 The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund and Youth Sports

04:22 Research Insights on Youth Soccer Participation

07:55 Bridging Theory to Practice in Youth Sports

11:48 Commercialization and Corporate Partnerships in Youth Sports

14:18 Steering the Future of Youth Sports

18:25 Local Champions and Community Engagement

21:10 Leveraging Digital Communities for Youth Engagement

24:20 The World Cup Opportunity for Youth Soccer

28:05 The Future of Youth Sports Development

31:29 Key Takeaways and Closing Thoughts

Jed Collins is a former NFL fullback, financial educator, and entrepreneur helping athletes build lasting success beyond the game. After being cut 13 times during his NFL career, Jed became the No. 1 rated fullback in the league through grit, resilience, and relentless consistency. Today, he is the founder of Money Vehicle, where he educates professional and collegiate athletes on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, personal branding, and long-term wealth creation.

Over the past 15+ years, Jed has worked with athletes across the NFL, NBA, WNBA, and NWSL, teaching the language of money through an education-first approach. While earning his Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation during his NFL offseasons, he discovered a passion for helping athletes prepare for life beyond sports, not as clients, but as business athletes. Through Money Vehicle, he now works with thousands of players and teams, helping them navigate investing, NIL opportunities, wealth management, and entrepreneurship.

Throughout his career, Jed has shared locker rooms and experiences with some of football’s biggest names, including Drew Brees, Calvin Johnson, Matthew Stafford, Andy Reid, and Kellen Moore. His perspective on resilience, mindset, and storytelling has made him a sought-after speaker and educator across sports and business communities.

An interesting fact: Jed began journaling during his NFL career as a way to process uncertainty, setbacks, and growth while fighting to stay in the league. Years later, those journals became the foundation for Fourth & Goal—a project designed to help the next generation of athletes and entrepreneurs capture their own stories before AI replaces authentic human experiences.

Podcast Chapters:

02:07 Redefining Failure and Grit

05:28 The Language of Money

06:50 Consistency in Athlete Development

10:27 Advice for Founders Working with Athletes

16:37 Navigating Chaos and Control

20:47 The Launch of Fourth and Goal

21:15 Building a Legacy Through Storytelling

22:23 Capturing Personal Experiences

24:37 The Role of Journaling in Personal Branding

25:57 Reflections on Past Experiences

27:10 The Cocktail Party Moment

28:28 Lessons from the Field

30:37 The Importance of Documenting Moments

31:21 Connecting the Dots of Experience

32:16 Identifying Patterns for Greatness

33:15 The Significance of Day 214

36:39 Creating Meaningful Human Moments

38:36 The Essence of Sport and Personal Growth

Benjamin Grubbs is a media executive, investor, and operator focused on the intersection of the creator economy, digital media, sports, and consumer brands. As Managing Partner at Creator Capital, Ben works with founders, creators, and emerging companies shaping the future of content, commerce, and community-driven businesses.

Over the past two decades, Ben has held leadership roles across some of the world’s most influential media and technology companies, including YouTube, Google, Turner Broadcasting, Yahoo, and eBay. During his time at YouTube, Ben helped drive global creator partnerships and platform growth across international markets, witnessing firsthand the evolution of creators from hobbyists into scalable media businesses and global brands.

Throughout his career, Ben has worked across North America and Asia, helping scale media, commerce, and platform businesses globally while studying how communities form around content, creators, and fandom. His perspective on the future of sports media, social commerce, AI, and creator-driven businesses has made him a sought-after advisor, speaker, and investor across sports, technology, and entertainment.

Ben shares insights on the rise of the creator economy, the evolution of YouTube and digital media, the growth of creator-led sports brands like Good Good Golf, and how platforms such as TikTok, Roblox, Whatnot, and YouTube are reshaping fan engagement and commerce. 

Podcast Chapters: 

02:50 Ben Grubb's Journey in Media and Sports

05:18 The Rise of the Creator Economy

08:11 The Evolution of Sports Content on YouTube

10:47 Good Good Golf: A Case Study in Creator-Led Brands

13:21 Investment Insights in the Creator Economy

16:20 The Future of Sports Media and Community Engagement

19:11 Leveraging New Platforms for Sports Engagement

21:40 AI's Role in Content Creation and Community Management

27:35 Engagement Trends and Brand Strategy

29:20 Staying Sharp as an Investor

30:31 Learning from the Next Generation

31:48 Advice for Non-Traditional Creators

Ayden Syal is the Founder & CEO of MOGL, a leading athlete influencer marketing platform helping brands connect with more than 30,000 college athletes for sponsorships, endorsements, and digital campaigns. Founded in 2019 ahead of the NIL era, MOGL quickly became one of the first platforms built to streamline athlete-brand partnerships at scale, automating everything from campaign matching and contracts to disclosures and reporting.

Under Ayden’s leadership, MOGL has helped shape the evolving NIL landscape by giving brands direct access to athlete creators while helping athletes monetize their influence more efficiently. The platform now leverages AI agents, first-party athlete data, and paid social capabilities to help brands activate campaigns faster and deliver measurable ROI through athlete-driven marketing.

Before launching MOGL, Ayden worked in banking and private equity after graduating from the University of Notre Dame, where he first recognized the opportunity to connect athletes and brands in a more scalable and compliant way. What began as a side project built during the uncertainty of the pandemic evolved into one of the most recognized athlete marketing platforms in the NIL ecosystem.

Podcast Chapters:

01:18 Aidan's Journey and the Birth of MOGL

02:50 Navigating Chaos: Founding Mogul During Uncertainty

06:18 Raising Capital in a Blue Ocean Opportunity

09:11 Evolving the Business: Staying Ahead of Market Trends

14:00 Understanding the NIL Landscape

19:06 Expanding into High School Athletes and Future Markets

22:31 Engaging Alumni and Former Athletes

25:04 Future Trends in NIL and Private Equity

28:32 Memorable Campaigns and Insights on Non-Revenue Sports

31:24 Connecting with MOGL: Opportunities for Athletes and Brands

Brett Goldberg, co-founder of TickPick, and John Brennan, founder of AC Momento, break down how ticketing and fan engagement are evolving, and why the future of live events is about more than just the transaction.

Memento was acquired by TickPick in late 2025 and continues to operate as a standalone platform. Together, they’re building for millions of fans attending live events each year, combining transaction and emotional data to create a more complete fan ecosystem. More than 20 million tickets have already been transformed into Momentos.

Brett shares how TickPick disrupted the ticketing industry by prioritizing transparency with all-in pricing and building a platform designed to help fans make smarter purchasing decisions. Meanwhile, John dives into the origin of AC Momento, a platform built to capture and relive live event experiences, turning ticket stubs into rich, personalized digital memories.

From AI-driven ticket recommendations to post-event engagement and community-driven content, this highlights how platforms are beginning to serve fans before, during, and long after the event ends. They also unpack the strategic thinking behind TickPick’s acquisition of Memento, the power of combining transaction and emotional data, and how this unlocks a more holistic fan ecosystem. From World Cup-scale opportunities to everyday fandom, this episode dives into how technology, data, and storytelling are redefining the live event experience.

Podcast Chapters:

01:01 The Founding Stories of TickPick and Momento

05:39 The Evolution of Fandom and Ticketing

09:06 The Acquisition of Memento by TickPick

10:22 Understanding the Target Audience of Memento

13:07 Leveraging Fan Data for Enhanced Experiences

15:24 Insights on the Acquisition Process

17:47 Future Vision Beyond Ticketing

19:27 Industry Trends in Ticketing

21:05 Bridging Digital and Physical Experiences

24:30 Building a Community Around Live Events

28:29 Capitalizing on the World Cup Opportunity

31:14 The Future of Fandom

Jack Pfeiffer and Cole Rubin are the co-founders of FanFeed and are redefining how teams, leagues, and artists understand and engage their audiences.

Jack and Cole break down the fundamental shift from ticket buyers to verified attendees, and why owning first-party fan data is becoming one of the most valuable assets in sports and live entertainment. They share how FanFeed leverages camera roll data and AI to build a more authentic picture of fandom, unlocking hyper-personalized experiences, smarter ticketing, and more effective sponsorship strategies.

The conversation dives into the future of ticketing, where AI-powered recommendations replace endless browsing, and fans receive curated offers based on their behavior, preferences, and history. They also explore how emerging leagues, colleges, and smaller teams can use these tools to compete with larger organizations by building deeper, one-to-one relationships with their fans.

From NIL-driven opportunities in college sports to the evolution of sponsorship sales, and the blending of digital and physical fan experiences, this episode highlights how data, personalization, and technology are reshaping the entire live event ecosystem.

Podcast Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to FanFeed and Its Founders

06:21 Understanding FanFeed's Core Products

11:00 The Shift from Ticket Buying to Verified Attendance

17:31 The Impact of Verified Attendance on Brands and Sponsorships

24:46 Emerging Markets and Custom Solutions in Live Events

30:26 The Future of Fandom: Blending Digital and Physical Experiences

Ricardo Briceno is the CEO of GameFam, a leading metaverse gaming company helping global brands and sports properties connect with younger audiences through immersive digital experiences. With a career rooted in brand building at Procter & Gamble and Mattel, Ricardo has spent years mastering how to create meaningful engagement with consumers. At GameFam, he brings that expertise into the world of gaming, specifically Roblox, where he’s helping redefine how IP, entertainment, and sports intersect with Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

Ricardo breaks down how platforms like Roblox are reshaping fan engagement, why authenticity and scale are critical for brands entering the space, and how GameFam is working with major organizations like FIFA to build the future of sports fandom ahead of the 2026 World Cup. He shares insights into bridging digital and real-world experiences, the evolution of gaming as a social platform, and why the biggest opportunity isn’t immediate monetization, but long-term fan development. This episode is a deep dive into the next generation of sports consumption and the platforms defining it.

Podcast Chapters:

01:07 Ricardo's Journey and GameFam's Mission

04:05 Understanding Roblox: The Gaming Community Platform

07:52 Authenticity in Sports Engagement on Roblox

12:04 Bridging Digital and Real-Life Experiences

15:44 Monetization vs. Fandom: The Roblox Opportunity

19:23 Media Rights and Engagement in Roblox

21:24 The Evolution of Athletes and Creators on Roblox

24:00 The Human Experience on Roblox

25:22 GameFam's Plans for the World Cup

27:43 Engagement Strategies for Leagues and Clubs

29:08 How to Collaborate with GameFam