Athletes In Business

Sacred Heart MBA Program Prepares Former Student-Athlete For Marketing Role

By Front Office Sports

(Sacred Heart University is a proud partner of Front Office Sports) One thing that sports and a strong education have in common: they prepare young people for the professional world. Katherine Haines, a former basketball student-athlete and current project manager at Media Planet, found an opportunity for both of these at Sacred Heart University. An injury late in her playing career granted Haines a fifth year of eligibility, which Haines used to enroll in Sacred Heart’s MBA program and work […]

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Athlete x Media Summit: Where Sport Meets Business

By Front Office Sports

(BrandForward is a proud partner of Front Office Sports) On Thursday, January 30, more than 200 sports industry executives, professional athletes, venture capitalists, and representatives from teams, leagues, agencies and players associations came together for the Athlete x Media Summit during Super Bowl LIV Week. Produced by BrandForward and The Network Advisory during Super Bowl Week, Athlete x Media was designed for networking and in-depth conversation centered around the intersection of sports, athletes and media. In addition to the summit, the […]

missy-franklin-swimming-retirement-business

By Emily Caron

Missy Franklin Finds Her Lane In Retirement With Long-Term Brand Deals

By Emily Caron

"You definitely become more aware of your own brand after retirement,” Franklin says.
Franklin has continued her relationships with Speedo, Dasani, USA Swimming Foundation and more while adding the likes of Bridgestone and Laureus to her list of partnerships.

When you ask six-time Olympic medalist Missy Franklin about life after swimming, you won’t hear about regret or retirement. Instead, the 24-year-old smiles as she shares the story of life after her December 2018 decision to step away from the sport: she’s gotten married, bought a home and become a dog mom, all amid what would better be classified as a new chapter as opposed to the end of an old one. All of which she’s glowingly “grateful” for, she […]

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Sacred Heart University Prepares MBA Grad, Former Student-Athlete For Professional World

By Front Office Sports

(Sacred Heart University is a proud partner of Front Office Sports) When entering the business world, few recent graduates have the benefit of being a former Division I student-athlete. Fewer still have the benefit of learning from a world-class MBA program. Kiana Ye has had both. Ye completed her undergraduate course work at Sacred Heart University in 2018 while also playing for the school’s basketball team. When the NCAA granted her an extra year of eligibility, Ye enrolled in the […]

Athletes Turn to Tech to Prolong Careers On And Off The Field

By Pat Evans

Athletes finding equity investment in various tech sectors a natural move.
New generation of team owners offer players tech industry and investment insight.

Technology continues to impact sports in a variety of ways, from prolonging careers on the field to impacting the way fans experience live events. Those advancements are also providing athletes new investment opportunities. For current professional athletes, former NBA guard Michael Redd said it’s important to realize their position can make it easy to meet essentially anyone and open doors that might not otherwise be open to them. “Really the last five to seven years, athletes are thinking of themselves […]

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Lance Thomas and Slangmagic Give Back Through Fishing

By Front Office Sports

(BrandForward is a proud partner of Front Office Sports) It is not uncommon in 2020 for professional athletes to turn their off-court passions into a business. It is a special sight, however, when an athlete utilizes that business to make a real impact in the community and the lives of others. With more than eight NBA seasons and an NCAA championship under his belt, Lance Thomas is a name that basketball enthusiasts know well, but not all fans may realize […]

NBA Veteran Drew Gooden Finds Success With Restaurant, Real Estate Investments

By Pat Evans

Gooden began his portfolio with an investment in Wingstop franchises.
His bread and butter is triple-net commercial real estate properties.

As Drew Gooden reached his 10th year in the NBA, he realized he wasn’t making money outside the sport. During the four years following that, Gooden continued to play in the league, rebuilding his off-the-court career to support his post-career life. Gooden went with an industry he knew well: restaurants. Specifically, chicken wings and the quick-service restaurant, Wingstop. “From a customer perspective, I fell in love with the restaurant, it was something that pulled me in,” Gooden said, explaining how […]

Jonathan Stewart Gets Creative In Business Following NFL Career

By Pat Evans

After 11 seasons with the Carolina Panthers and New York Giants, Jonathan Stewart is spending his time creatively.
Stewart is a partner at the marketing firm Coast Creative, as well as replica locker company LockerSource.

As Jonathan Stewart was running against defenses during his 11-season NFL career, his creativity was bubbling to the surface. While in college at Oregon, Stewart said he didn’t pursue an academic focus related to creativity, as it was a path he said he wasn’t attuned to. But now that he is removed from his playing days he’s embracing his creative side as a partner in a marketing firm, Coast Creative, a creator with his wife at Charlotte Lately, as well […]