Sports Business Leaders: Kicking Off 2025 with Innovation & Community
On January 8th, Jake Voorhees and Justin Titchenell hosted the first Sports Business Leaders (SBL) event of 2025 at Yards Brewing. With over 120 passionate SBL members in attendance, the energy in the room was electric—fueled by shared passions, new connections, and big ideas. SBL events are designed to provide a thriving community and valuable resources for startup founders, entrepreneurs, and corporate leaders looking to drive innovation in the sports industry.
A Huge Thank You to Our Sponsors & Partners
First and foremost, a massive thank you to Vincent Rizzuto and Jim Dooney from Philly Sports Trips for sponsoring the food. Special thanks to Tony Trzeciak for making the introduction! Philly Sports Trips has some fantastic events lined up, including the Birds Give Back fundraising event on January 30th, which supports both the Eagles Autism Foundation and Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Impactful Contributions & Special Guests
A huge shoutout to Kelsie Nolan from the Philadelphia Eagles Autism Foundation for sharing insights on how we can help fundraise for their mission. Kelsie has been an incredible brand ambassador, and through the EAF, we were able to raffle off an AJ Brown signed football—a highlight of the night!
Philly sports was well represented with an incredible lineup of attendees, including:
Jamie Pagliei (The Philly Sports Guy)
Gayle Saunders (4th and Jawn Podcast)
Griffin Kennedy (Philadelphia Eagles)
Kate Marlys (Philly PR Girl)
Sébastien Le Toux (Philadelphia Union All-Star)
Shoutout to Jesse Wines, a talented designer and creative force behind brands and events in sports!
Capturing the Moment
A special thanks to Jack Hally for facilitating introductions and connecting us with our photographer. The event photos by Jake Rucket turned out amazing!
Welcoming Our New Technical Advisor
We’re excited to welcome David Lewanda (ex-MLB, Samsung, and Birchbox) as the Technical Advisor for the SBL community. David’s expertise will be invaluable as we continue to grow and provide cutting-edge resources for our members.
Celebrating Young Entrepreneurs
Tanner Maddocks, congratulations on launching Athlete Squared! It’s been incredible to watch his progress as a current Villanova University quarterback and entrepreneur. We also had the pleasure of meeting other young innovators like Danny Vitale—the future of sports business is bright!
Friends from Near & Far
Thanks to our friends from North Jersey, Jake Kovalcik and Zoya Lehrer, for making the trip to Philly. Jake is making NIL accessible across all levels of college sports, while Zoya is doing big things in youth sports logistics.
A special thank you to James Santore from Rithmm, and longtime friends Alex Archawski (Veteran Shark Tank), Jason O'Mara, and Josh Meunier for joining us.
What’s Next?
If you missed this event—don’t worry, there’s more to come! We host SBL meetups every second Wednesday of the month, and our next event is set for February 19th at Yards Brewing. Mark your calendar and get ready to connect with some of the best minds in sports business!
We are thrilled to announce the expansion of the Sports Business Leaders (SBL) community with two upcoming events:
Join us at the Graduate by Hilton Princeton for an evening dedicated to fostering connections among sportstech startup founders, investors, and sports ecosystem leaders. This event marks our inaugural gathering in Princeton, led by David Stengle, who has successfully guided Startup Grind Princeton for a decade. Attendees can anticipate engaging discussions, networking opportunities, and insights into the latest trends in sports technology.
We are excited to bring the SBL experience to New York City at Coexist GameHouse. This meetup is tailored for sportstech and esports startup founders, entrepreneurs, and professionals eager to connect within the sports business ecosystem. Building upon the success of our Philadelphia events, which have attracted over 125 attendees from companies like Nike, Deloitte, JPM, and SeventySix Capital, we aim to replicate this dynamic environment in NYC.
These events are designed for individuals who are building, investing in, running, advising, or mentoring sports businesses. Whether you're a founder, investor, or industry professional, our meetups offer a platform to share ideas, forge meaningful connections, and drive innovation in the sports sector.
We look forward to welcoming you to these events as we continue to grow and strengthen the SBL community. Stay tuned, stay connected, and keep driving innovation in sports!
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