A peek into today’s edition: 

• Updates at OpenAI
• The NFL launches new mobile game
• Apple Vision Pro digital personas are here

OpenAI Shakeups and Updates

OpenAI’s ChatGPT will no longer require users to make an account to use its platform, though those who don’t won’t be able to save or share chats. Essentially, without an account, users will be able to access a limited version of the conversation AI chatbot.

Elsewhere, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has stepped back from overseeing the OpenAI Startup Fund, the company’s venture arm that invests in early-stage AI companies. Ian Hathaway, an executive who has helped manage the fund since its inception in 2021, will succeed Altman.

More updates from OpenAI:

• Users can now edit DALL-E images directly in ChatGPT by selecting parts of images and texting out the changes they want to make.
• OpenAI teased its new AI-powered voice cloning tool, Voice Engine, to a select group of businesses.
• Microsoft and OpenAI are teaming up to build a $100 billion supercomputer coined Stargate

A16z to Invest $30M in Tech & Gaming Startups

A16z general partner Andrew Chen announced via X that he’s investing $30 million in startups building at the intersection of tech and gaming, specifically across the web3, AI, and augmented reality industries. The $30 million fund is part of the venture capital firm’s Speedrun program, which is an early-stage accelerator for startups at the intersection of tech and games. Accepted startups will receive a $750,000 investment and participate in a 12-week intensive program running between July and October in LA later this year.

The deadline to apply is May 19, and selected startups will be notified in June.

• Apple officially launched Spatial Personas from beta for the Vision Pro to help solve the device’s isolating experience. This new offering allows users to display digital versions of themselves in SharePlay-enabled apps to interact with other Apple Vision Pro users.
• Three TikTok-fueled trends are coming together as one. Alo, the omnipresent sportswear company, is teaming up with Beats by Dre for a special edition headphone drop. The campaign features singer Tyla and is soundtracked by her song Safer. The collaboration is a “celebration of the rhythm of life and the practice of being present.”
• Stevie Wonder, Nicki Minaj, Billie Eilish, and more than 200 other artists signed an open letter penned by the Artist Rights Alliance that calls on AI developers and digital music services to stop using AI to infringe on artists’ rights.
• In an effort to bring more educational content to its platform globally, TikTok is expanding its dedicated STEM feed to Europe after first launching it in the US last year.
• It’s been a busy week over at Microsoft. As the US House of Representatives announced that it’s banning the Big Tech company’s AI chatbot, Copilot, on government devices, Microsoft also announced that it’s unbundling Teams from the rest of its Office subscription services following complaints from the European Union and rivals like Slack.
• Google has agreed to delete millions of users’ web browsing data as part of a settlement for a 2020 class action lawsuit that alleged the Big Tech giant wasn’t being honest about how Chrome tracks web activity.
• AT&T is investigating a widespread data leak that resulted in sensitive information from 73 million of its current and former customers being released on the dark web a few weeks ago.
• Popular NFT collection Doodles is expanding its range with an animated special featuring Pharrell, Lil Wayne, and Coi Leray. The campaign, titled “Project Grey,” will begin its rollout this summer. This isn’t the first time Doodles and Pharrell have linked up, having been named the company’s Chief Brand Officer in 2022.

Tesla‘s annual sales are down for the first time since 2020 due to increased competition. To entice interested buyers, I’m going to bet that Tesla will kick down prices for its EVs at least one more time this year.

The post ChatGPT, Voice Engine, Sam Altman & More Updates from OpenAI appeared first on Boardroom.

The travel industry took a huge hit in 2020, but as of late both business and leisure travel are back up and booming. With that, fans are hopping on flights to catch their favorite teams in action. Through a combination of innovation and pie-in-the-sky dreaming, brands have crafted unique experiences that the average fan never even allowed themselves to dream of.

Back in 2019, Marriott Bonvoy became a leader of these opportunities. The global corporation began its foray into A-list experiences in the sports and entertainment space with the introduction of the Seat of Dreams at Old Trafford. During a Manchester United home game, some lucky fans had the chance to watch the club play from a once-in-a-lifetime vantage point while enjoying complimentary food and drinks, all whilst seated alongside Manchester United legends. Several years later, the two sides raised the stakes with the Suite of Dreams in April 2022. One Red Devils fan and a guest won the chance to wake up in Old Trafford on a Man United match day from the comfort of a suite made to look like a Marriott Hotels guest room overlooking the pitch.

“Part of our creative strategy is, ‘Hey, what could we dream up that would really cool for our members?’ That’s our team thinking from the perspective of consumers and working alongside the talent or the organization themselves to come up with these really cool activations,” said Peggy Roe, Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer of Marriott International, Inc.

Companies are motivated by delighting everyday devotees rather than catering to an elite group of individuals with the monetary means. Anyone can say they received tickets to watch Manchester United win in a thriller against Liverpool, but who can say they sat next to retired defender Wes Brown, picking his brain about the club’s future potential?

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Bringing Fans From Manchester to March Madness

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, sports tourism is the fastest-growing sector in the travel industry. With an estimated growth rate of 17.5% between 2023-2030, marquee competitions like the Olympics, World Cup, and the Super Bowl have become less of an avenue for fans to watch their favorite teams play, but now the perfect excuse to visit a city on their bucket list.

Tens of thousands will flock to Cleveland this weekend for the NCAA women’s March Madness Final Four. With the Elite Eight shattering viewership records, it’s only expected that this weekend’s Final Four and national championship games will break even more ratings and fuel an uptick in ticket prices for women’s sports.

For Marriott, it’s self-explanatory that entities like the NFL, NCAA, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, and others would partner with one of the largest hotel chains in the world. But what makes a fitting potential partner? Simple answer: the fans. The most loyal of all know the ins and outs of their favorite teams and the key aspects of game day rituals that set them apart. Roe explained this to Boardroom:

“I think in the beginning, we were just testing and learning. We started with tickets to Madison Square Garden and then would see what people were interested in from there. Out of that was born the NFL relationship, then NCAA and The Mercedes F1 Team. They can carry us around the world, or they’re big platforms for marketing, and we know that people are passionate about it, but increasingly, there are so many passions.

“Last year, we did some research and broke it down by age to try to better understand what people spend their money on and what motivates their travel. We found that music, sports, and culinary are top of the list. And those are even broad categories you have to dive in deeper to understand well, what about music, sports, and culinary makes people want to pack their bags?”

However, for the brands, creating experiences such as these allows for the opportunity to help improve systems that are otherwise broken. Marriott realized that instead of consumers fighting the bots and masses on Ticketmaster for a first pass at tickets, they’ll unveil their own system for attracting basketball enthusiasts.

Curating the Perfect Game Day Ritual

The most maniacal of fans are known for their fierce commitment to not only their favorite teams but also their game-day rituals. Per a Marriott Bonvoy survey administered by Wakefield Research, 63% of fans with a day of traditions believe their team will lose if they don’t complete said habit and 50% would even wear the opposite team’s gear for a week if it meant their favorite team would come out victorious. Even more fascinating, 74% of those with game day rituals said they would risk their job to watch their team play for a championship during work hours.

As the Official Hotel Partner of the NCAA, Marriott Bonvoy launched a campaign and contest where both fans and players could participate in game-day giveaways and personalized moments with basketball coach Sydney Carter at the Women’s Final Four in Cleveland. The “Score Big with Marriott Bonvoy Game Day Ritual” encouraged fans to post their most unusual game day ritual. One lucky entry won a grand prize for two including flights and hotel accommodations to the Women’s Final Four games this weekend in Cleveland that included a game day rituals session with Coach Carter. The opportunity to go behind the scenes of the biggest event in college basketball allowed fans to get a different perspective, while banking stories to tell for a lifetime.

“We want Bonvoy to help enrich people’s lives,” Roe said when asked about a through line between sports and hospitality. “We talk about connecting people to people, passions, and places in the world through community. But what we’re able to do because of that and 8,800 hotels around the world and 10,000 locations is to be able to unite people around the world. So there’s this element of, yes, we’re a hotel, but what we’re really doing is facilitating a new aspect of travel. Underneath it all, it feels like a hotel company, but it’s the communities that run our hotels every day.”

Marriott isn’t the first, and it certainly won’t be the last firm to pivot toward this method of experiential promotion. However, they’ve developed a blueprint that’s easily tailored based on the sport and activity. Not everyone will have the chance to say they saw Caitlin Clark or Kamilla Cardoso play in one of her last games as a college student, but for big brands, the games are only a small part of an unforgettable experience.

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The post From March Madness to Man United: Brands Make Fan Dreams Come True appeared first on Boardroom.

On the last Wednesday in March, Maverick Carter and Paul Rivera finally had a few moments to breathe and reflect.

Carter, SpringHill‘s co-founder and CEO, and Rivera, The Shop‘s general manager, sat on a couch in a skylit greenroom on the second floor of a SoHo pop-up space retrofitted with a barbershop and a fashion runway. It was all set up to celebrate The Shop’s new grooming line, which launched Monday in more than 1,600 Wal-Mart stores across the US.

The Shop began in 2018 as a barbershop-themed talk show produced by Carter and LeBron James‘ athlete-driven Uninterrupted media company. It aired for four seasons on HBO before transitioning to YouTube, and the show won a Sports Emmy in 2021 for Outstanding Edited Sports Series. Earlier this year, The Shop was spun off from Uninterrupted as its own consumer brand, with Idris Elba tapped as the host of a UK version of the show.

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The men’s grooming line marks The Shop’s first major foray into consumer products. After a whirlwind media tour that included Good Morning America and The Breakfast Club, Rivera discussed the grooming line’s two-and-a-half-year journey from ideation to creation.

“We never set out to create a men’s grooming line because we saw the opportunity in the men’s grooming space,” Rivera told Boardroom. “It just felt like a very organic and authentic extension of The Shop. Over the course of those last three years, I think you’d agree men’s grooming and the stigma around it has evolved as well.”

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During or after filming episodes of The Shop, it became increasingly more common, Rivera said, for hosts and guests to ask each other about their respective skincare and grooming routines. He saw it as a chance to offer a different, fresh product while remaining authentic to The Shop’s brand identity.

The Shop was able to spin off and expand, Carter told Boardroom, because people understood and got on board with what the show and Uninterrupted were trying to emit to its audience, bringing different cultures and identities to life. The Shop wants to reach a curious audience that wants a place for conversation and discourse starring influential people from different walks of life.

“We know and believe that this is a global feeling,” Carter said, “not just a feeling here in America.”

Even with The Shop spun off, Uninterrupted will continue to focus on athlete and sports empowerment, helping athletes tell stories in ways that have never been seen or done before, Carter said. It remains a powerful platform, with 1.2 million Instagram followers, 1.2 million TikTok followers, 745,000 YouTube subscribers, and another million combined followers on X and Facebook. It stems from James caring about not just telling his own story, Carter said, but helping other athletes tell theirs.

James’ story obviously can’t be told without basketball, and his first-ever podcast, Mind The Game, a collaboration between Uninterrupted and JJ Redick‘s ThreeFourTwo Productions, reflects that. The hit show came about, Carter said, by the pair of hoop savants wanting to honor the game and help whoever watches or listens leave the episode smarter and gaining a deeper understanding of basketball.

“Watching them is literally watching two scientists or two wine sommeliers talk about vintner culture, grapes, and geology, not just what wines they like or debating between a Burgundy or a Bordeaux,” Carter said. “They’re talking about weather patterns, getting deep into it. It’s a beautiful thing because even me, I fancy myself as someone who knows the game, I feel like I get smarter watching every episode. And that’s what they set out to do. If only one person watched each episode, they wouldn’t give a shit if that one person became much smarter about the game than they did before they watched the show.”

When asked what advice he’d give to current or future athletes trying to create their own brands or start their own platforms, Carter stressed that it has to originate from a sense of place.

“It can’t just be slapping a name or getting a dot com and starting an email,” he continued. “You have to really care about something and want to deliver it to fans, consumers, and the world in a way that matters to the athlete. It’s not just about starting something because everyone else is doing it. All great businesses and brands are usually about solving a problem or creating something that somebody really, really cares about or a product or a space that they feel like they can get into.”

James, Carter, and Rivera have created a business ecosystem for themselves over the last 20-plus years that gives them a blank canvas to expand into practically any sector or subject area they choose. A major consideration in how Uninterrupted, SpringHill, and The Shop proceed, Rivera said, is whether they can be experts in the space and add to it. That’s applied to all their partnerships, collaborations, content, and products.

Carter always emphasized the “why” when looking to start something new, and the answer can’t just be about money because that’s short-lived. And if they can be a leader in that particular space and have something unique to say and offer, then it could be worth pursuing.

As The Shop prepares for Season 7, Rivera said the show is still exploring its options with Amazon for an alternative stream version of the show for Prime Video‘s Thursday Night Football after completing the partnership’s second season. He said they’ve had a blast doing TNF as part of an overarching ethos to show up anywhere that matters to the show’s consumers, and they’re speaking to potential partners on where to take The Shop next.

The Shop has evolved from a taped series to live experiences and a new product line, and Rivera said that everything is on the table. Carter and Rivera were then done with their media responsibilities for the day, a brief respite in their ceaseless pursuit of new horizons and opportunities.

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The post Everything is On the Table for Maverick Carter, Paul Rivera & The Shop appeared first on Boardroom.

Amar’e Stoudemire has always done things his own way. The former NBA standout was one of a rare set of stars who made the successful leap directly from high school to the league. Despite having not stepped on a court until he was 14, Stoudemire demonstrated a natural skill that propelled him to being named Florida’s Mr. Basketball by the time he collected his high school diploma.

As he leveled up, he stayed on top, earning Rookie of the Year honors while discovering early in his career how to navigate the league. He turned to the veterans around him to seek advice on how to excel in all aspects of the game.

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Now, three years into his basketball retirement, Stoudemire sits back to reflect with Eddie Gonzalez for the most recent episode of Boardroom Talks. Together, they have a candid conversation to discuss his recent honor by the Phoenix Suns, who raised his number to the rafters, his deep relationship with Steve Nash, and his hopes for a future selection to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Additionally, he discusses his iconic parties and how they helped inspire his most recent entrepreneurial endeavor, Stoudemire Wines.

Be sure to check out the entire episode — and more original content — over at Boardroom’s YouTube page.

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Following the massive success of last year’s inaugural event, the CNBC x Boardroom Game Plan Summit will return for a second year, the companies announced Tuesday. The one-day expo, which brings together industry leaders, visionaries, and playmakers from sports and entertainment, is scheduled for Sept. 10 in Los Angeles, Calif. This will be the first of a new multi-year partnership between the two companies.

“Last year’s Game Plan event brought together a mix of incredible athletes and innovators for a day of conversation unlike anything I’ve experienced in my professional career,” said Rich Kleiman, CEO of Boardroom. “The whole Boardroom team is really excited to run it back with CNBC as part of a multi-year partnership and grow the foundation we’ve built together with the sports and business community.”

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In 2023, the sold-out event featured panels centered on everything from the future of athlete brand-building to conversations on the big business of live sports. Select speakers included:

• ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro
• NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman
• NJ Devils & Philadelphia 76ers Co-owner David Blitzer
• Tennis star Nick Kyrgios
• Colorado Rockies Co-owner Linda Alvarado
• 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero
• WNBA Player Lexie Brown
• Kroenke Sports & Entertainment CEO and Los Angeles Rams Owner E. Stanley Kroenke

The afternoon ended with a conversation between Boardroom Co-founder Kevin Durant and CNBC’s Squawk Box co-anchor Andrew Ross Sorkin.

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Throughout the inaugural event’s programming, there were many thought-provoking segments on the aforementioned range of topics. From KD advocating for cannabis to be removed from the NBA’s banned substance list to Kroenke calling SoFi the best venue in sports to Lexie Brown singing the praises of Athletes Unlimited, the first CNBC x Boardroom Game Plan covered it all.

For this year’s event, both CNBC and Boardroom are ready to take the summit to a new level.

“We head in to Game Plan 2024 with significant momentum,” said Nick Dunn, Senior Vice President & Managing Director of CNBC Events. “The buzz from last year was not only about the unparalleled programming, but also the amazing attendees; an influential mix of owners, executives, investors and innovators all connecting and networking at the event. Any real player in this space will want to be in the room this year.”

Panelists and speakers for the second CNBC x Boardroom Game Plan will be announced in the coming weeks. In the meantime, be sure to stay up to date on changes and ticket information here.

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The post CNBC x Boardroom Game Plan Summit Returning in 2024 appeared first on Boardroom.

As the defending national champions, LSU is led by some familiar faces in Angel Reese and Flau’jae Johnson. But as the Tigers look to get back to the Final Four and pull off a repeat, they’ll need freshman phenom Mikaylah Williams, who’s added to the team’s firepower all season long.

The 6-0 versatile forward emphatically announced her arrival early in her collegiate career by dropping 42 points in just her fourth game at LSU. Now, Williams is leaving her mark in the NIL space by becoming one of the youngest women’s players in all of college basketball to land a coveted shoe deal. 

Last week, Williams signed a multi-year sneaker deal with Jordan Brand, making her a mainstay in marketing campaigns and future footwear launches for the iconic namesake brand of Michael Jordan.

“Coming from a small town, where there’s not really a lot of recognition as big as this, I’m just blessed and excited to show a pathway for the girls that are coming up behind me,” Williams told Boardroom. 

It’s a pathway that’s led the top-touted player from Bossier, La., through the ranks of high school basketball, where she starred in the Jordan Brand Classic before making her way to campus in Baton Rouge, less than four hours away from her hometown.

As the advent of NIL came into play during her high school career, Williams and her family began to brainstorm around things like taglines and marketing concepts. It was “12 Island” that they rallied around, which Williams now has tattooed on her shooting wrist, along with 12 hash marks.

The tagline and graphic have even made their way to a collection of merch available for purchase. “Don’t get left on 12 Island!” reads an array of online mixtape titles of her mixing defenders on the wing for yet another bucket.

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“The biggest thing about my game is versatility. I’m able to do it all,” said Williams. “I can shoot from the 3 and the midrange, I can get to the basket, play defense and rebound. Versatility is the biggest thing of my game.”

Jordan Brand continues to expand its women’s category across the globe, with the brand soon inching towards the $7 billion annual revenue mark. Part of that growth plan includes a key focus on highlighting its three current NIL athletes, now including Williams, UCLA guard Kiki Rice and New Jersey high school star Kiyomi McMiller. 

While several companies had reached out to pursue signing Williams well ahead of her potential path to the WNBA, being part of Jordan Brand’s select group most appealed to Williams and her team.

“We’re really happy that they saw a fit for Mikaylah to be one of the people that is going to lead the brand into the next generation,” said her agent Chris Gaston, CEO of Family First Sports Firm. “We want her to be the face of the brand one day and be a person that can have a signature shoe. We like that Jordan doesn’t go after any and everybody.” 

To date, the brand has added just two rising players to the creative NIL shoe deal format since NIL rules went into effect in 2021.

They first landed Rice ahead of her freshman season at Jordan-sponsored UCLA, and then signed McMiller and her oft-highlighted handles and creativity ahead of her senior season at Life Academy High School.

Williams represents yet another new step for the company as she continues her journey at LSU.

“She will be the first player that’s not at a Jordan school, men’s or women’s, to be getting a deal with Jordan at the college level,” Gaston added.

It’s a distinction that Williams doesn’t take lightly, as the NIL era still remains a new frontier for players as young as herself, who now balance basketball, school, and the marketing industry.

“I get to be the engineer for the people coming up behind me,” Williams says of the opportunity. “So everyone can see what to do and what not to do.”

Early on, Williams mentions liking Jayson Tatum’s signature series most on-court and lists the Air Jordan 11 as her all-time favorite Jumpman sneaker off the court.

“1s are always the classics, too,” she says of her everyday rotation. 

Although Jordan Brand has yet to release a woman’s signature shoe during its 27-year history, Williams notes that the recent resurgence of female-led signature shoes in just the last two W seasons points to a shift in the marketing landscape and adds hope for the future.

“Being a little girl, you can know that today, the women’s game is growing,” she beamed. “Women didn’t have [signature] shoes, and now, the women’s game is growing. We have signature shoes, and the NBA players are wearing them and pushing the shoes too. It’s a good feeling, just knowing that I get to come up behind that and help expand the women’s game.”

With her career at the powerhouse platform of LSU just beginning, now in tandem with the marketing muscle of Jordan Brand, Williams finds herself placed in a different tier of elite athletes at the college level. Just 15 women in all of college basketball have a NIL shoe deal this season, with brands narrowing in on the most dynamic players as they look to highlight their stories and appeal to the next generation of players to come. 

“I’m just excited to finally be able to showcase my abilities and what I stand for on a bigger stage,” framed Williams. “I kept my head down, and I stayed humble, and all of these opportunities are starting to come.”

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The post LSU’s Mikaylah Williams is Jordan Brand’s Newest Face of NIL  appeared first on Boardroom.

A peek into today’s edition: 

• Apple‘s developers conference is back
• Tech Talk Reviews: Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses
• TikTok launches Youth Council

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference is Back in June

Apple‘s annual Worldwide Developers Conference will return from June 10 to 14. As always, the keynote will kick off at Apple Park and be streamed online. The conference will showcase the latest operating system advancements across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Vision Pro products. Essentially, this is the conference for devs to learn about what they can build with the most updated Apple software and systems before they are pushed publicly. Like in previous years, developers will be able to get hands-on with Apple designers and engineers during in-person experiences and demos following the keynote on opening day.

We first learned about the Apple Vision Pro at WWDC 2023, so what can we expect from this year’s conference? I heard some chirps that we might get insights into Apple’s AI plans, but if I’ve learned anything about following this tech company, I’m never right about what’s coming next.

Still, I’ll have a download on the event right here in a few months.

Amazon Completes $4B Investment in AI Startup Anthropic

In September 2023, Amazon announced that it would invest up to $4 billion in generative AI startup Anthropic, and the Big Tech giant said this week it has made good on that promise. After initially writing a check for $1.25 billion, Amazon maxed out its investment with another $2.75 billion as part of its strategic collaboration with Anthropic. As part of the deal, Amazon will maintain a minority stake in the company, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) will be the primary cloud provider for Anthropic’s work. AWS customers will continue to get access to Athropic’s AI platforms, including Claud, via Amazon Bedrock, as well as other features.

It seems like Amazon is getting cozy with Anthropic, just like Microsoft is doing with OpenAI. It’ll be interesting to see how the Big Tech companies shepherd in companies that might be their next big competition.

Sam Bankman-Fried Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

On Thursday, disgraced former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison. SBF was facing more than a century behind bars, though the prosecution was seeking a sentence between 40 and 50 years. The defense pleaded for a six-and-a-half-year term since his crimes were nonviolent and he was a first-time offender. SBF was found guilty of multiple fraud and conspiracy charges in November 2023, nearly a year after he was arrested, for his role in the collapse of his crypto exchange.

SBF was sentenced in a Manhattan court, but it’s unclear where he will serve his prison term. If he serves the full 25-year term, he will be 57 years old when he gets out of prison.

Tech Talk Reviews: Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses

Ray-Ban and Meta teamed up again to release the second generation of their Smart Glasses. For the past month, I’ve been testing the new device in different environments, from subway stations to bars, the office, and more. Read up on what I learned here.

• TikTok launched a global Youth Council featuring 15 teens between the ages of 15 and 18 who will be charged with advising the short-form video app company on issues that affect young users and how to mitigate them.
• The European Union is investigating Apple, Alphabet, and Meta to see if the changes the Big Tech companies said they would make on their platforms comply with the region’s new regulations in its Digital Markets Act. Of course, the Commission will be looking into app store operations once again.
• OpenAI published a roundup of videos created using its newly developed text-to-video and image-to-video creator, Sora. This comes as Bloomberg reported that OpenAI is meeting with studios and directors based in Hollywood to promote its ner generative AI tool.
• As if TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts weren’t enough, LinkedIn is testing a short-form video feed with a select group on its platform to give users another avenue to discover relevant content.
• Hulu on Disney+ officially launched this week in the US, bringing Hulu’s library of content onto Disney‘s streaming platform. This integrated experience is available to users who are subscribed to both platforms.
• Google‘s philanthropic arm, Google.org, launched a $20 million accelerator program for nonprofits using generative AI. The inaugural class of the Google.org Accelerator: Generative AI program includes 21 nonprofits that will receive exclusive funding and training for six months.
• X users are getting some new perks. First, the platform’s AI chatbot Grok was enabled for all Premium subscribers after previously only being available to Premium+ members. Elon Musk also posted that “X accounts with over 2,500 verified subscriber followers will get Premium features for free, and accounts with over 5,000 will get Premium+ for free.”

This week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill prohibiting children under 14 from having social media accounts. The law is set to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025, but I’m going to bet it’ll get blocked by a higher court.

The post What Will We Learn at Apple WWDC24 this Summer? appeared first on Boardroom.

As 15 runners took one final stretch before embarking on a grueling 20-minute tread class inside Peloton‘s Hudson Yards studios on a rainy Thursday morning, superstar instructor Jess Sims shouted the mantra she gives to each of her classes, one that’s deeply meaningful to her.

“We all got stresses, worries, concerns, anxieties, judgments, expectations, pressures, comparisons, projections, grief, and miscellaneous toxicity,” she told the group, those tuning in live around the world, and many thousands more members who will eventually take this class from memory, “and through it all, I can take care of myself and put that to the side for the next 20 minutes.”

This particular day’s workout was part of a collaboration series with the NBA called “3rd Quarter” and featured special guest Brooklyn Net Mikal Bridges. The warmup mantra, the 35-year-old told Boardroom following the class, is for everyone’s mental state as well as their bodies. The mantra grew over time, with Sims adding grief following the loss of her beloved father in December. Since it’s inclusion, several members have reached out to her telling her they’ve experienced loss before and that they were happy she was talking about what she’s gone through. Sims’ willingness to unveil her own struggles and triumphs is what’s made her so popular among the global fitness community.

“As a Peloton member, I was really excited to have the opportunity to join the incredible Jess Sims once again for class at Peloton Studios New York,” Bridges said after running and chatting with Sims while a curated playlist featuring Kendrick Lamar, Gucci Mane, DJ Khaled, and Lil’ Wayne blared. “It was so cool to connect with her over our mutual love for basketball, music, and the power of a great workout.”

It’s this relatability and her upbeat, personable nature that’s helped the Massachusetts native as she’s pivoted from a school principal job to a celebrity instructor with a social following of more than 500,000 followers. But that’s only the beginning, in her off-hours, Sims has catapulted to become a prominent member of ESPN‘s legendary College GameDay college football show, a Good Morning America contributor, and the New York Liberty‘s in-arena host.

She caught up with Boardroom about how she gets it all done, what drives her, and how she’s manifested a life that she never knew to dream of.

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After two years leading fitness classes at boutique New York City studios, she joined Peloton in September 2018. It completely changed her life, she said, finding a place she felt she could call home for a long time while embracing a global team that helped her through the dark, lonely days of the pandemic.

During the pandemic, Sims said, the instructors were all dying to get back into work because that’s where they most felt themselves.

“We felt energized and connected in a world that felt so isolating,” she added.

Sims lived near the studio at the time, and as she was walking her dogs on one dreary day, there was a couple working out in a nearby park. Noticing their phone was laid out, she walked in their direction “and all of a sudden I heard my voice!” she said. “So I had this crazy goosebumps moment of ‘here I am sad and feeling alone,’ but these two people are working out and taking care of themselves together to my workout. And that’s all Peloton. Look at the power of that.”

Sims described herself as a lifelong underdog, a behind-the-scenes type of person who was never the leading scorer on her basketball teams growing up, but a scrappy role player who would dive on the floor for loose balls, grabbing rebounds, and doing the dirty work to help her teams succeed. Starting at Peloton pushed her headlong into the spotlight, teaching classes to a global audience with cameras on her five day a week. While she struggled with this at first, Robin Arzón, Peloton’s head of fitness, said that Sims was standing in her spotlight to show others they can do the same and thrive as well.

“I always get butterflies. I always get nervous.” Sims said before teaching a big class or conducting a high profile interview. “And then I just always come back to knowing that people don’t come to me for perfection. They come to me because they see themselves in me. They see imperfections, and they can have this sense of relief. I don’t need to be perfect. They come for improvement and inspiration.”

When Sims looks back on her career as an educator, everything seemed so clear. She had ambitions to become a school superintendent and to help shape education law reform. But since she began pursuing her passion in fitness, Sims embarked on what she called a “no plan plan,” which consists of doing what feels good and right for her.

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With an openness to whatever came her way, all kinds of doors have opened for her.

In 2021, talking about basketball all the time during her classes caught the attention of the Liberty CEO and members of the organization, who believed she’d be a great host. Sims then signed on with a sports agency, which suggested she get in front of executives at ESPN to see if she’d be a fit there. Having found a stable home at Peloton, she felt no pressure as these opportunities materialized, believing that if there was a fit, it was meant to be.

The ESPN meeting came two days after the 2022 Boston Marathon, Sims’ first — and prbably the most meaningful Monday of her life. That day, Sims showed up for one of her fierce followers. The woman had nearly lost her legs while cheering at the finish line in the blasts of 2013. As part of her rehab, the woman took Sims’ class and reached out to ask Sims if she’d run the marathon in her honor.

Coming off this runner’s high, Sims felt on top of the world and decided she’d go into this meeting and just be herself. Authenticity has given her a lot of success, but doing so takes time and isn’t a quick fix. Six months later, Sims was a permanent member of the College GameDay crew. The move sparked a subsequent array of steps. She joined GMA last April and expanded her role on ESPN as a college basketball sideline reporter in December.

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In September 2022, Sims joined Jordan Brand as an ambassador, presenting herself as a professional athlete with no offseason who can amplify women in sports and educate the masses on the connection between mind and body.

While she compares her hustle to Serena Williams, Steph Curry, and Sydney Leroux, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are Sims’ two favorite players of all time. So Jordan Brand was always one of her dream partnerships, along with Dr. Martens and Jeep. Sims is hopeful that not only will the Jumpman come out with a running shoe one day, she’ll get her own signature shoe as well.

Asked what she’d say to people looking to follow in her footsteps, Sims provided two pieces of advice. First, be yourself. The people who stick with you over the long haul will do so because of how you’ve developed your own authenticity and forged your own path over time toward sustained success.

Secondly, don’t force things.

“We grow up and we’re constantly told to ‘try harder. Try this. Try that,” Sims said. “I’ve learned that if you have to try too hard, you’re probably forcing something. So ever since I turned 30, I say that from when you’re born to 30, you learn a bunch of stuff, and then from 30 until the day you die, you unlearn all of those things. One of those things that you need to unlearn is don’t try to force things. Try to get into a flow state, something that feels good for you and then feels good for the people around you. And go with that.”

Because of her “no plan plan,” Sims isn’t sure how she envisions her career going from here on out. As long as it makes sense and she sticks to her north stars of making people laugh, inspiring people, and making an impact, that will guide her path forward. Peloton, her dream job, has been the springboard of everything she’s accomplished over the last five-and-a-half years and will remain her home base for the foreseeable future.

Plus, Sims hates the word goals. She said, preferring to set targets for herself.

“If I stuck with my goals,” she continued, “I wouldn’t be here at Peloton. When I talk about or think about goals, it’s like you have blinders on and you just see that one goal. And when you do that, you tend to not veer off the beaten path. You don’t enjoy the process because you’re fixated on the outcome.”

Sims wants to continue taking care of herself so she can the best at what she’s doing that day, regardless of platform. She’s here to enjoy every single day, getting the most out of her second life inspiring others and basking and thriving in the spotlight.

“Sometimes,” Sims said, “the most beautiful things are off path.”

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The post The Rise and Run of Jess Sims appeared first on Boardroom.

Thirty years after first starring at Georgetown and later landing a 10-year, $60 million rookie shoe deal with Reebok upon turning pro, Allen Iverson is the first to know just how much the marketing landscape has evolved since. 

And yet, he still finds himself signing on as a featured ambassador of global brands after all this time, with his impact on basketball, culture, and style cemented. 

“Being authentic is always going to be in style,” Iverson says of his marketing longevity. “That’s important for me to maintain my loyalty to who I am, the people around me, and the people that molded me to be the person that I am today.”

Just last fall, Iverson took on a new role during his retirement, landing an official management role with Reebok. Alongside his 2016 Hall of Fame classmate Shaquille O’Neal, who now helms the title of President of Reebok Basketball, Iverson will hold it down as Vice President.

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The process was quick, with his “family at Reebok” calling him up, looking to convert his existing long-term ambassador and royalty formatted deal into a real decision maker’s title as VP — a “no-brainer” to sign on. The brand is working behind the scenes currently out of a new Boston-based HQ ahead of a 2025 re-launch for its basketball division.

“I know we can do big things together,” added Iverson, who had 14 Reebok signature shoes during his playing career. “If there’s a decision that’s getting ready to be made or thought about, we talk about it and figure it out. At the end of the day, Shaq makes all of the decisions and I give my input — and we rock and roll.”

While Iverson and Shaq had often been linked during their careers, each signing on as Reebok signature athletes ahead of their NBA debut and later facing off in the 2001 NBA Finals, they’re just as close as ever now, with Iverson often turning to O’Neal — perhaps the league’s most prolific endorser in retirement — for feedback and advice.  

“He’s a genius,” smiled Iverson. “He’s one of the smartest men I ever met in my life. … Just an awesome dude and I’m just so blessed and proud to have him be a part of just an inkling of my life.”

One of Iverson’s most recent endorsement deals is with Pepsi — also a longtime brand partner of O’Neal, who recently made a Reebok shoe with a Pepsi can snuck into the outsole. The brand’s newest campaign toys with the idea of fans using AI to make their March Madness bracket picks. Except it’s “the original AI,” as Iverson likes to now call it, giving the pick advice. 

The spot, a play on words many have made over the last year amidst the rise of Artificial Intelligence and automated apps, passed the marketing filter for today’s era that matters most to The Answer.

“My kids like it, and if they think it’s cool, [then I’m good with it,]” he smiled. “Cause they think their dad is corny and old. [laughs] So I think it’s dope, since they thought it was cool.”

Iverson admits it was a year of getting used to the phrase he’d often hear shouted at him daily by fans.

“It’s kind of strange, cause you hear ‘AI, AI, AI’ — and all the time, I’m thinking somebody is talking about me,” he jokes. “In the beginning, I thought it was corny. Now, as I’ve seen how powerful it is, it’s like, ‘Oh, ok. This might be something that I can work with.’”

As it played out, the campaign with Pepsi for its “Zero Right Challenge” became the perfect opportunity to embrace the two letter confusion.

When discussing this year’s March Madness and his own experience playing in the tournament, it’s hard to ignore just how much the marketing landscape has evolved since the mid-90s. When asked how much he thinks his NIL value would’ve been during his time starring for the Hoyas, the always honest and upfront Iverson caught me off guard with his answer. 

“I’ve never thought about it,” he admits, while stalling to process the concept. 

Regardless, he says there was “definitely excitement” when NIL laws passed in 2021, knowing that the stars of today can monetize their image while in school. A key component of Reebok’s strategy going forward is expected to be looking at signing even more NIL deals, similar to LSU star Angel Reese.

“For you to be able to get paid for something that you would do anyway is a beautiful thing, man,” he added. “For someone to appreciate you enough, to pay you for it, I think that’s dope.”

With fourteen signatures shoes across his iconic Question model and 13 Answer silhouettes, and a lifetime association with the brand that has him now helming the title of Vice President of Reebok Basketball, Iverson it was simply “my time to get down.”

As he continues to look to build up Reebok “to the level that we were at,” The Answer has yet another project in the works with Shaq on the way. O’Neal’s Jersey Legends and Stephen Curry’s Unanimous Media production companies have been working away on an upcoming documentary about Iverson’s life story. 

While many chapters of his life have been well chronicled, Iverson points out that this doc will detail “what it really is.”

“It’s great being Allen Iverson. It’s a great, great life,” he begins. “But it’s a lot that come with it. … With this documentary, you going to

see the journey and the things that I go through in everyday life. Not saying that I want to change anything, cause if I die today, I would rather come back Allen Iverson tomorrow. I would never change anything. 

“But, at the same time, we gonna find out if with all the great things that come with being me, could you put up with being me?”

Like everything throughout his career that he was “beat up for” — the tattoos, the cornrows, the lifestyle, and the baggy clothes — he’s hoping the upcoming project can leave an impact on people and help inspire the next generation.  

“It’s going to be great for people. My story is an open book,” Iverson continued. “There’s things in my life that I’m embarrassed about, but at the same time, I’m going to share everything. … Out of this documentary, if I help one person and it changes their life, then I think I did my duty.” 

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The post Allen Iverson Wouldn’t Change A Thing appeared first on Boardroom.

This story is part of Tech Talk Reviews, a series highlighting tech reporter and digital creator Michelai Graham’s experience testing new tech gadgets, emerging platforms, apps, games, and more. Find more reviews here.

The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses have been on the market for about five months, but the second-generation device is outpacing its predecessor, and for good reason: It’s a much better upgrade.

In this latest edition of Tech Talk Reviews, I tell you everything you need to know about the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses and how I used them in different environments.

The Specifics

Meta announced the release of the second generation of Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses during Meta Connect in September 2023. Meta Connect is the Big Tech giant’s two-day virtual summit focused on AI and virtual, mixed, and augmented realities. Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the new device during a keynote, which was developed in collaboration with EssilorLuxottica, a company that owns eyewear brands and retailers, including Ray-Ban, Oakley, EyeMed, LensCrafters, and Sunglass Hut.

The second generation of the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, which hit shelves on Oct. 17, 2023, didn’t just get a new look and higher quality; they also got a new name and design. The first iteration of the smart glasses was known as Ray-Ban Stories, but that version was discontinued in November 2023 after about two years on the market. The device’s successor improves on all core features, which include open-ear audio and the ability to capture photos and videos with the click of a small button on the glasses.

The smart glasses feature directional audio, two custom ope-ear speakers, extended bass, and a higher maximum volume that allows users to listen to music, answer phone calls, or even listen to podcasts more comfortably in any environment. The glasses also feature five microphones, including two in the left arm, two in the right arm, and one near the nose pad.

The newest and most unique addition to the glasses is Meta AI, a feature that lets users leverage AI to find out more information about the images they take, take photos and create captions, translate words viewed in environments, and much more. Users can also tap into the conversational assistant to make calls and send messages hands-free by using the “Hey Meta” command. Ultimately, this new offering lets users control features using their voices.

Meta reduced the weight and slimmed down the profile of their new smart glasses compared to the previous version, and the device is now water-resistant. The second-generation Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses come in two designs: Headliner, which features a rounded, more retro aesthetic, and Wayfarer, which features the classic Ray-Ban look. The device comes in an array of colors with a shiny or matte finish, including black, caramel, and a bluish jean color. The lenses come in clear, green, brown, black, blue, red, and amber, and some are polarized. Meta also developed the smart glasses to be prescription-lens compatible. Users can customize their frames and lenses on the Ray-Ban Remix platform.

As for the cameras, there are two featured on each corner of the glasses, one being an ultra-wide camera. The glasses can capture endless photos and videos up to 60 seconds. Video length is set to 30 seconds by default, but this default can be shortened to 15 seconds or extended to a minute. Users can tap into the “send a photo” voice command to share images with contacts directly. Another cool feature: users can live stream from the glasses straight to Facebook or Instagram and see comments in preview or hear them out loud via using a Meta AI voice command.

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The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen1 Platform, which was built exclusively for smart glasses that capture photo and video content. When it comes to battery life, Meta redesigned the charging case for the glasses, which can hold up to 36 hours of use. The charging case is USB-C compatible. Another power source for the smart glasses is the Meta View app. All content captured on the smart glasses can be downloaded and viewed in the app, which is downloadable on smartphone devices. Users need the app to set up Bluetooth capabilities with the device, and the app can be used to update settings and navigate other features of the glasses.

The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses cost $299 to $379 and are available for purchase on Meta and Ray-Ban’s websites.

Michelai’s Review

I spent the past month playing around with my smart glasses and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the experience. I have the Wayfarer design in black matte with black lenses. They are the standard frame size, but this version and all other versions also come with large frames at request.

For starters, I love how simple the branding is on the glasses. My favorite part is that they have the classic Ray-Ban logo in the corner of the right lens and on both arms. On the exterior, it doesn’t have a Meta logo anywhere, but it can be found on the interior on the right side where the frame and arm meet. On the opposite side in the same area lives the on/off switch. It’s very small and subtle, and truthfully, I often forget to power my glasses off, yet they still keep a good charge since they are in my charging case when I’m not wearing them.

The arms of the glasses are, of course, a little thicker than your typical glasses arms, but that’s because that’s where the bulk of the tech lives. I was surprised by how sleek the frames were, even with the camera positioned in the corner. The speakers are virtually undetectable, and I like that, yet the audio is very clear. Another favorite aspect of the smart glasses for me is that I can hear different commands when I snap a photo and start a video. The classic lens flutter sound is used for photo capture, and the video start and end sound is a subtle ding.

I’ve used my glasses in various environments throughout New York, including the subway, crowded bars, outside in the daylight and at night, inside coffee shops, at the office, at brunch, and many more places. The photo and video quality was top-tier when I was shooting in natural lighting or bright lighting.

If you didn’t know, the subway has the best lighting for an impromptu photo shoot. Check out these images of my beautiful friend, Yesenia Ramos, captured by the train and inside a crowded subway with my smart glasses.

Going back to the open audio, it’s truly a treat to be able to hear sound with the glasses on, though I’m sure others around me could hear my sound too, which wasn’t the most ideal. Unlike open audio earbuds, the smart glasses sort of create a mini surround sound experience for its user, which is both great yet sometimes unwanted when I want to answer private calls with other people around. Plus, no one wants to be that person awkwardly playing loud music or audio on the subway — at least, I don’t want to be that person.

An interesting observation I noticed: When I was recording video content, I could take the glasses off and the recording would continue going. I subconsciously did this in the middle of recording to pass the glasses to a friend, and we were able to capture the seamless transition, which was impressive. When it comes to audio, on the other hand, the glasses would pause whatever I was listening to or doing on my phone when I removed the glasses from my face.

Aside from that, my main critique is the fact that the quality of content goes way down in low light, as expected. The glasses aren’t equipped with any flashes, but maybe we can expect that upgrade in the next iteration. The quick solution my friends and I found was to raise a camera flashlight, which created some interesting lighting effects.

Overall, I loved testing out this product, and I’ll likely continue using the glasses to capture content. While I mainly used the glasses around New York, I’ll be taking my Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses on vacation soon, and I’m excited to capture the tropical and warm environments around me.

As always, I hope you learned something new from my experience with this new tech device. I’ll have more reviews coming soon.

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The post Tech Talk Reviews: Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses appeared first on Boardroom.

Teezo Touchdown has sprinkled his influence everywhere throughout the current musical landscape. From a Drake feature to a cover included in the most recent Talking Heads tribute album, he’s left his mark.

Now he’s stepping off the opening stage — where he’s taken over for the likes of Tyler, the Creator and Travis Scott — and preparing for his first-ever headlining tour. Teezo locked in with Chase B on the most recent episode of Aux Money to break down how his Beaumont, Texas roots fostered his unique style and helped shape his career. He lists out his diverse musical influences, which include Philip Lynott, Morrissey, and Rick James.

The two also chop it up about his love for New York City and his time on the road, including a breakdown of the perfect green room rider.

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Together, they dive deep into Teezo‘s creative evolution. From his music to his signature style, he breaks down the constant change that he experiences in real time. And now that he’s got a solid foot in the industry himself, Teezo discusses how he scouts new talent via YouTube, where he discovered up-and-coming producer D-LO.

Be sure to catch up on all episodes of Aux Money and more original content from Boardroom on YouTube.

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Remember when Chris Paul began using fashion as a platform to celebrate HBCUs when he famously wore a varsity jacket with all 107 crests and emblems from each historically Black college and university? Or when Dwyane Wade debuted a crisp white Louis Vuitton ensemble with a sash at the 2019 ESPY Awards?

In these two examples, Courtney Mays was styling Paul, while Calyann Barnett was tasked with getting Wade red-carpet ready. On the court, athletes are relegated to matching uniforms, often only leveraging their sneakers as a form of self-expression. Entering the arena pre-game or during an off-court public appearance is when fans are treated to a player’s style, and it’s true when they say it takes a village.

A wardrobe consultant is more than someone assigned to be an athlete’s personal shopper. They’re tasked with developing a part of a player’s identity, curating an authentic aesthetic that mirrors each client’s personality. Even 20 years ago, the idea of an athlete having a stylist on retainer was unheard of. However, these days, those aforementioned looks and more are carefully curated by veterans of style, and they all happen to be Black women.

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Barnett’s career started in music, but she credits DWade as being her first client in the athlete space. The two met at a Louis Vuitton party for Kanye West‘s 30th birthday in 2007, and Wade was coming off winning the NBA Finals in 2006.

“I went up to him and said, ‘You need a stylist,'” Barnett told Boardroom. “I explained to him that he’s a superstar and should look like a superstar and shouldn’t look like an athlete because he is bigger than an athlete.”

The late Kobe Bryant‘s stylist, Paige Geran, began working with the Los Angeles Lakers legend around the time Bryant won his final NBA title in 2010 and, before then, got her start in television. However, her small screen work would take a backseat in 2007-08 due to the writer’s strike. To expand her portfolio and reach, she pivoted full-time to athletes. Due to her lengthy resume in entertainment, Geran was the OG of West Coast stylists. She had briefly worked with athletes in commercials, which led to making connections quickly within the space and subsequently becoming the blueprint.

Before she arrived, Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, was the mastermind behind his outfits. Kobe and Geran were connected via a trusted friend.

“He was trying to figure out ways to incorporate using a stylist for games,” Geran explained. “I don’t think he knew what it all entailed, but he was like, ‘I think I need someone. I need help.’

Ironically, the first thing Bryant’s team called Geran to enlist her help for had nothing to do with dressing him. Around the time Bryant changed his number from 8 to 24, Lil Wayne happened to be performing in LA. Bryant wanted Wayne to be the first person to wear his new jersey, Geran said.

“So I remember his team contacting me saying, ‘Hey, can you help us with this?’ It started with small things here and there, and then eventually, Kobe did a cover and had a big launch to celebrate, and that’s when he finally decided he wanted to branch out and hire a stylist,” she recalled.

Developing a Personal Aesthetic

Fashion and sports have always been synonymous, but thanks to these stylists, we’ve seen a cultural renaissance through the years. These women are an unsung heroes, as these athletes transition into bona fide icons. While their personal aesthetics might contribute to the final look, it’s ultimately reflective of the client’s taste.

Take, for example, Jimmy Butler. Khalilah Beaver met him at a Jordan shoot in 2016 and simply told him, “You need help.” What followed was years of taking the Miami Heat star from fun to watch on the court to a must-attend at fashion shows.

Beaver recalls the first time people looked at Butler as more of a trendsetter was the 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend. It was their first year working together, and she put Butler in a multicolored button-down shirt with a large King of Spades card on the front. It was daring, but it proved to be a success because, according to Beaver, “Everybody loved it.”

For Mays, whom DeAndre Jordan trusts with dressing him, she likens her client’s aesthetic to the late Jimi Hendrix, whose influence on pop culture is still prevalent to this day nearly 53 years after his passing. Mays cultivates Jordan’s wardrobe based on the type of music he listens to and the art in his home. Jordan’s wedding suit, which Courtney expertly selected, bears some resemblance to hippie couture.

Mays also produced the ensemble Kevin Love wore to his 2022 wedding. Unlike Jordan, Mays describes Love’s style as more All-American.

“My goal is to always bring out the best in each client and not put my imprint. Other than that, I’m trying to elevate or make [them look] better. I don’t want anyone to look like me necessarily,” she said to Boardroom.

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Nchimunya Wulf, Kevin Durant‘s personal stylist, started her agency in 2013 and has since expanded her empire through the DesigNCHIMUNYA Interior Design firm. She says her partnership with Durant functions as a collaboration in which he takes the lead, and her job is to make life simple.

“I add my signature touch, and he usually remixes to his liking at the moment! He’s more freestyle and doesn’t feel the impulse to coordinate as much, which I love and works so well for him,” Wulf told Boardroom. “He’s very creative and brilliant, which makes my job so buoyant and boundless.”

When James Harden won the NBA MVP in 2018, he accepted the trophy wearing a Neil Barrett patterned overcoat with matching trousers, a statement pendant, and some shiny lace-ups. His stylist Kesha McLeod explained that the look came together in Milan weeks prior, and she developed an entire itinerary based on the occasion.

McLeod, who also stacks Myles Turner, PJ Tucker, and Serena Williams as clients, first got the chance to work with athletes when Serge Ibaka recruited her for a Paris trip. After attending numerous shows, the pair ultimately decided on a casual pinstripe button-down with a matching bomber jacket and all-black pants. Appropriate enough for a children’s ceremony, chic enough to be remembered a decade later.

“To bring an athlete to Paris and pull a look off the runway and then have him wear it on a red carpet, that’s like Hollywood shit, absolutely what red carpet stylists do,” McLeod joked. “Serge is like 6-11, he’s huge. So, to pull a sample-size outfit for an athlete off the runway was something unheard of before. At that moment, it clicked, and I thought, ‘I’m just going to turn athletes into the new actors and actresses.'”

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Assembling a capsule could best be described as hours of shopping for the perfect fit that encapsulates an athlete’s personality. However, it’s more complex than that.

Barnett interprets her role as building the person’s style from the ground up, ultimately pushing him out of his comfort zone and building something cohesive for all moments of said athlete’s life.

“Sometimes you see a person who looks the same across the board like Steve Jobs. That’s cool, too, but we’re playing Barbie and having a little bit of fun. You don’t want someone to look the same all the time,” Barnett said. “I think women sometimes do a better job dressing men because men tend to dress men how they dress. So when you see a lot of men’s stylists, they look the same, and their clients look the same. I also try to avoid trends. I think I’ve done a good job at making sure my clients never wear the same thing and don’t get caught in the who wore it better situation.”

Suits are the go-to uniform for men in most semi-formal settings. So, imagine Geran’s surprise when Bryant shared that he wasn’t a fan of suits. Rather, the five-time champion felt more comfortable in custom leather jackets, denim, and sneakers, pieces that were just an extension of himself.

“You see him in the latter part of his career wearing suits. But it was by default because people couldn’t mess that up,” she explained.

“Kobe was a person that didn’t enjoy fittings at all,” Geran continued. “So I had to master the art of measuring things. A lot of the stuff I gave him — which is not traditional — he wouldn’t know what he was wearing until game day. He liked to feel good, but he did not spend time on the details of his clothes. That was my job. He was very much focused on his game. That was his job. My job was to make sure he was good with taking up a minimum amount of his time.”

Misconceptions, Challenges, Rewards

From sitting front row at Fashion Week to having access to the season’s hottest pieces before anyone else, being a stylist certainly has its perks. But there are misconceptions in any career, and the ladies would be remiss if they weren’t candid about valid fallacies.

“I think people generally believe celebrities receive boxes and boxes of free products,” said Mays. “When I have a new client, remind them that that’s not always the case. It’s sort of like a 50/50 situation and sometimes 80/20 situation where you’re purchasing a lot of it and developing yourself as a style influencer. You have to get the eyes on yourself as somebody who influences style and culture before people send you boxes of product”

Beaver echoed those sentiments, adding that contrary to popular belief, nothing about her role is easy or glamorous.

“There’s a lot of schlepping,” she added. “There’s a lot of back-and-forth calls and work that goes into pulling a look together. And when you look at the scope of things as far as your team is concerned, we are the ones who do the most work. It can be glamorous when you get to a certain level and have the budget to get things done in a certain way. But until you get to that point, no.”

There’s also the tricky scenario where overseas fashion houses don’t recognize who the stateside superstars of the NBA are. In 2011 during Milan Fashion Week, Barnett said she had to write an 11-page essay to justify Wade’s invitation to sit front row during the presentation. The first show he ever attended was Versace with McLeod’s client, Carmelo Anthony, and they were the only two athletes at the show.

“I was working with the designer and the PR teams to get Dwyane front row because they weren’t checking for them. Being an athlete didn’t necessarily have the best reputation,” Barnett explained. “It was a lot of, ‘I understand what you guys think of athletes, but this is who you want.’ And now they go after them. Whereas before, we were chasing the brands.”

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For McLeod, it’s about performing under pressure or adjusting when things go awry. Or trusting that the outfit you’ve been carrying from Harlem to the airport that has to board a plane within the hour arrives unscathed and in one piece. However, the most exhilarating part of the process is watching your creation admired by others.

“I’ve traveled to Paris with Serena at least nine times in my career, but this time, it was different because she trusted me to build a trip from the ground up. All she said was, ‘I want to go to Paris, figure it out.’ So, to take someone to that level, build relationships, and introduce your client to new things, it’s a different kind of high and excitement.”

However, the business doesn’t come without its fair share of grievances, which is all too common in a male-dominated industry.

“As women, we can’t go to the club with players,” Geran explained. “We have to look a certain way and be professional at all times. Some major challenges are getting the sports agents, the marketing people, and the PR people in sync with the players. If they were more cooperative, it would help women stylists in sports grow even further in their careers.

“No disrespect to the men, but it’s because of women that a lot of things in this industry get done. Win, lose, or regardless of how that player performed, we have to have those difficult conversations with them because men don’t want to be on the receiving end of bitterness.”

What’s Next?

They’ve dressed basketball’s best, had their looks grace magazine covers, and achieved many more milestones along the way. So, it begs the question: Where do these A-list stylists go from here?

For Barnett, she’s already taken on her next challenge as Creative Director for the Utah Jazz‘s private apparel brand CounterPoint. After 13 years and appareling a slew of athletes (Wade, Chandler Parsons, Nate Robinson), she wants to capitalize on everything learned working one-on-one with athletes to a team.

“There’s more I can make pretty,” she said. “Ultimately, what we do as stylists is make things beautiful.”

Meanwhile, McLeod has been an advocate for her clients for so long that she wants to focus on herself as a brand while simultaneously working alongside her A-list roster.

“Who I am and who I’ve worked with helps because now I’m taking on bigger roles as a fashion and creative director. The goal is always working toward bigger and better moments,” McLeod said.

Geran’s next venture includes tapping into her creativity within the artificial intelligence space.

“AI will dramatically change the future of television and film, but not necessarily when it comes to personal styling. I’d like to embark upon more opportunities connected with that in fashion and now I’m figuring out how the two are connected.”

Finally, for Mays, she’s focused on broadening her range as an entrepreneur and figuring out her identity as a brand.

“I’ve spent the past couple of decades being defined by Chris Paul or Kevin Love, and that’s beautiful and has taken me far and I’m grateful to those people. They’re basically my family at this point. But now, I’m figuring out who Courtney is and what she loves, and if there is something that has Courtney’s name behind it without a picture of somebody else,” Mays said.

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The post The Black Women Who Rule Basketball Fashion appeared first on Boardroom.

There has been a lot of buzz about Nvidia this past year as far as what the company does and why it’s having a meteoric rise to the top.

The tech company designs and manufactures graphics processing units (GPUs) that have driven advancements across AI, gaming, robotics, and other tech-focused industries. Nvidia also develops wireless communication devices, computing chips, and other tech systems, services, and software that power artificial intelligence. The company hit a $1 trillion valuation in May 2023 for the first time, marking the first of many milestones for the company in this past year.

The AI computing leader might be in the limelight right now, but Nvidia has been building its tech offerings for more than 30 years. Here is a quick rundown of Nvidia’s origin story and what the company is building.

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Nvidia’s Founding

Nvidia was founded on April 5, 1993, by Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky, and Curtis Priem. All three founding men have extensive engineering backgrounds, with Priem formerly working at IBM as a graphics chip designer. Huang, Malachosky, and Priem decided to launch Nvidia after projecting an uptick in the need for advanced GPUs, which are specialized devices for processing graphics and images on computers at accelerated rates.

The Nvidia founders specifically saw an opportunity to infuse the gaming and multimedia industries with the tech it was building. They didn’t just want to tackle a graphics processing challenge; they wanted to bring a higher level of realism to computer screens. Huang, Malachosky, and Priem started to solve this problem by developing various graphics processing devices. They started Nvidia with $40,000 of their personal funds before raising millions of dollars in venture capital from notable investment groups, including Sequoia Capital, SoftBank, and TriplePoint Capital.

Nvidia was deep in the developmental stages in the late 1990s, and the company even went through layoffs and almost went bankrupt before it created its flagship product: the graphics processing unit. Nvidia was the first company to bring GPUs to market. Huang, Malachosky, and Priem believed a dedicated GPU was vital to advancing computer graphics because, before this, the majority of graphics were processed via the central processing unit (CPU). Nvidia invented the GPU in 1999, recalibrating the computing industry and the quality of graphics, specifically 3D graphics at the time.

Going Mainstream

Nvidia went public on Jan. 22, 1999, and by the end of that year, its flagship GPU, the GeForce 256, was released. The company’s success skyrocketed after this, and Nvidia won the contract to develop the graphics hardware for Microsoft‘s first Xbox console that later launched in November 2001. In 2004, Nvidia inked a deal with Sony to design the graphics processing unit for the PlayStation 3.

Everything seemed to be going well for Nvidia, but with great success comes great failure. In mid-2008, the company faced a class action lawsuit that included some of its shareholders accusing it of selling faulty graphics chips that were failing at abnormally high rates. Nvidia settled the suit with the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2010 and agreed to allot $200 million to cover customer warranty, repair, and replacements for any faulty chips.

In the midst of that, Nvidia continued its rise and fine-tuned its GPU offerings. Here are some of the company’s big wins over the years:

• February 2008: Nvidia announced its Tegra chip series, which are specialized GPUs for mobile devices and smartphones. These chips also power tablets and Nintendo‘s Switch console.
• January 2011: Inked a six-year, $1.5 billion licensing agreement with Intel that has since been expanded to other partnerships.
• May 2020: Scientists at Nvidia developed an open-source ventilator to address the shortage during the pandemic.
• July 2021: Nvidia launched the Cambridge-1 supercomputer, the company’s first supercomputer for external research access to solve medical challenges using AI.
• Sept. 26, 2023: Nvidia celebrated hitting the $1 trillion valuation mark by adding a plaque to its birthplace, a Denny’s in East San Jose. The Nvidia founders conceptualized the company at the popular diner back in the early 90s before launching it. Denny’s CEO, Kelli Valade, joined Huang at the local Denny’s to unveil the plaque.
• March 1, 2024: Nvidia becomes the third company in US history to surpass a $2 trillion market cap.

Once upon a time, Nvidia almost bought one of its competitors, Arm Holdings, from Softbank in a deal valued at an estimated $40 billion, Boardroom previously noted. The deal ultimately fell through in February 2022, and Arm went public in September 2023 as it also caught the wave of the AI revolution.

The AI Revolution

Nvidia reports that more than 40,000 companies are using its AI technologies worldwide. It’s no secret that AI has been the hottest topic since the end of 2022, when the AI chatbot boom began, thanks to OpenAI. Virtually every major tech company, including Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Meta, uses Nvidia’s computing chips to power parts or all of their businesses.

Nvidia is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., and has nearly 30,000 employees today and counting since now, more than ever, everyone wants to get in on the AI movement.

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The post Everything You Need to Know About AI Chipmaker Nvidia appeared first on Boardroom.

A peek into today’s edition:

• Everything you need to know about Reddit‘s IPO
• Yikes. The DOJ is suing Apple 
• LinkedIn is reportedly developing games

Did Reddit Just Have the Best IPO for a Social Network?

Reddit officially made its debut as a publicly traded company on Thursday. The social media company was listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the RDDT ticker. Reddit launched in 2005 with a simple idea: anyone could submit links for others to vote on to create a “front page of the internet.” Those votes led to customized pages of recommended links and content for each user. Much of that is still in Reddit’s DNA.

This moment is almost two decades in the making, but before we jump into how well Reddit did on its public debut, let’s take a look at some major milestones from the company over the years.

Major Milestones

• June 23, 2005: Reddit is founded by University of Virginia roommates Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian.
• Oct. 31, 2006: Huffman and Ohanian sold Reddit to Condé Nast Publications for a reported $10 to $20 million and moved the company to San Francisco.
• January 2008: Subreddits are born.
• January 2009: The “I Am A” subreddit was created, becoming one of the most popular subreddits to date. The forum often hosts Ask Me Anything sessions with notable people.
• October 2009: Huffman and Ohanian part ways with Reddit.
• November 2014: Ohanian joins Reddit’s board as executive chairman. (He later stepped down on June 5, 2020, and called to be replaced by a Black person in response to the murder of George Floyd. Five days later, Y Combinator’s Michael Seibel was inducted into Reddit’s board.)
• July 10, 2015: Huffman rejoins Reddit as CEO, a role he still holds today.
• May 31, 2017: Reddit sunsets default subreddits and introduces the r/popular landing page for more inclusivity.
• April 2018: Reddit unveiled a new design for its website and introduced its famous logo, Snoo.
• Dec. 13, 2020: Reddit acquires Dubsmash to integrate video creation tools.
• March 21: 2024: Reddit begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

A Historic IPO

Nearly 19 years after its inception, Reddit finally went public. The company’s mascot, Snoo, was on deck at the NYSE to ring the opening bell on Thursday. Reddit priced its IPO at $34 per share, but the stock opened at $47 and reached a high of $57.80 on Thursday. Reddit’s market cap reached $9.5 billion on opening day, exceeding its target of $6.4 billion, and shares closed at $50.44 each. Reddit and its selling shareholders raised $748 million, which is what the company was targeting.

Reddit originally filed to go public in December 2021 following the GameStop meme stock saga, but after hitting some roadblocks, the company decided to delay its public offering. It’s clear that now was the best time for the social media network to make its debut on the stock market. Reddit filed to offer 22 million shares for its IPO while reserving 8% of shares to offer to eligible users, board members, and family and friends of employees.

One unexpected person who netted millions of dollars from Reddit’s public debut is OpenAI founder and CEO Sam Altman, who holds 9% of the company’s shares. The shares he controls were worth $613 million at closing price on Thursday. Altman is a close friend of Huffman and has known Reddit’s CEO since the social network’s launch years ago. The pair met during their time as part of the inaugural Y-Combinator class. If you’re wondering where all of those entrepreneurs ended up, check out this read.

Reddit is the first social media company to go public in nearly five years. Before Reddit, Pinterest was the last social network to hit the stock market on April 18, 2019, at $19 per share, with a high of $24.40 on opening day. It’s obvious the market has a larger appetite for social media stocks right now, as Reddit joins the likes of Meta, Snap, and others.

Reddit boasts an estimated 850 million monthly active users and around 73 million daily users. The company has yet to turn an annual profit, but we can expect to see some positive dollar signs for Reddit soon.

I’ll continue following Reddit’s successful public debut and report on the big news here.

• The US Department of Justice filed an 88-page lawsuit against Apple, claiming that the Big Tech giant monopolizes the smartphone market by making it difficult for consumers to interact with some platforms and switch to other smartphones. Earlier this week, Bloomberg reported that Apple is in talks with Google to license its Gemini AI tech on iPhone devices.
• Starbucks is (finally) sunsetting its Web3 rewards program, Odyssey, on March 31 after launching it in beta in late 2022. The Odyssey marketplace will be moved over to Nifty Gateway for consumers still interested in chasing Starbucks‘ coffee NFTs.
• Microsoft hired Inflection AI co-founders Karén Simonyan and Mustafa Suleyman to lead its new Microsoft AI unit, which will focus on developing Copilot AI initiatives. Suleyman, who also co-founded AI startup DeepMind, which was acquired by Google in 2014, will lead the new unit as CEO and executive VP, while Simonyan is joining the unit as chief scientist. The Information reported that Microsoft is paying $650 million to Inflection AI since it’s hiring its leaders and most of its 70-person staff.
• Elon Musk‘s Neuralink company shared a video on X allegedly showing that its first human patient using a brain implant can control a mouse to virtually play chess. The patient, who was paralyzed from the shoulders down during a diving accident, is participating in Neuralink’s first human trial that’s supposed to last for six years.
• AI music generator Suno released its flagship platform, which lets users generate “radio-quality music” made with original lyrics and beats from simple text prompts. The platform can generate two-minute-long songs in seconds.
• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announced a new class of AI chips named Blackwell during the company’s developer conference. The new computing chips will ship later this year and are expected to be Nvidia‘s most powerful yet.

Apparently, LinkedIn is working on launching a new gaming experience within its platform. While the idea sounds fun, I’m going to bet that this project won’t make it out of the beta phase since consumers go on LinkedIn to build their professional networks, not play games.

The post Did Reddit Just Have the Best IPO for a Social Network? appeared first on Boardroom.

The morning after a sweltering March day in Miami, James Blake looked cool and collected inside a Hard Rock Stadium suite despite being headlong into his most stressful and frenzied two weeks of the year.

A former tennis superstar himself, the 44-year-old Blake has been the tournament director of the Miami Open, one of nine ATP 1000 and WTA 1000 events just below the sport’s four grand slam events since 2018. He is responsible for everything from scheduling matches on the court, tending to the players’ needs while making sure every man and woman receives equal treatment. Working together with IMG’s experienced event team, the wider Endeavor network and partners at the Hard Rock Stadium, Blake ensures ensuring that partners, sponsors, broadcasters, and fans have the best possible experience during the tournament’s two weeks.

“During the tournament, no two days are the same, and it’s always shifting,” Blake told Boardroom. “It’s a lot of pressure with a ton of timely things that need to be done to run an event like this. My wife jokes that these two weeks at the Miami Open is the only time I’ve ever had a real job in my life.”

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Making the Miami Open

Putting together the tournament schedule is what Blake said is the most time consuming aspect of his job, dealing with the ATP men’s tour and WTA women’s tour months in advance on prioritizing which players should compete on center court. Once that’s agreed on, things can be fluid and hectic if a player gets hurt or has an early morning media obligation and would prefer not to play at night. That’s on top of making sure players’ basic necessities like top-level courts, facilities, transportation, locker rooms, and trainers are accounted for.

For Blake, being a former player helps the most in earning the players’ credibility that he’s going to do everything he can on their behalf to make sure their needs are accounted for. That includes one request several years ago to be able to use an electric scooter on the tournament grounds, which security would not permit.

“There’s inevitably going to be bad news at events,” he continued, “whether players didn’t get the schedule they wanted, can’t get an extra car, the towels or coffee aren’t the way they want. Whatever it is they’re looking for, they want to know that someone is fighting for them.”

Looking back at his playing days, Blake joked that he should’ve made more special requests now that he sees how much certain players ask for. He realized he played a lot more night matches during his career because he never complained about it, so schedulers felt they could place him in less desirable slots.

Blake’s biggest accomplishment as tournament director is definitely moving the Miami Open from Key Biscayne’s Crandon Park to Miami Gardens in 2019 in a venue that hosts the NFL, college football, boxing matches, concerts, and a Formula 1 race. Having the suites and amenities there, along with being able to provide the players with everything they need, is something he took great pride in.

Mixing Tennis with Major League Pickleball & Much More

While Blake’s focus is largely on the players during the first week, with hundreds competing at once in both singles and doubles. But once you get to the round of 16 and quarterfinals in week two, there are fewer players, and they’ve gotten into a good routine and rhythm. The focus and attention ramp up with sponsors and VIPs from IMG, Endeavor, and Hard Rock Stadium, making sure they’re taken care of and everything runs smoothly.

With fewer tennis matches during the second week, the Miami Open decided to get inventive this year to provide quality content and entertainment for guests on its outer courts. This year, the Open partnered with Major League Pickleball for a showcase tournament featuring 16 of the top pickleball players in the world from March 27-29. There will also be celebrity pro-am matches, all featured at the Open’s famous Bruce Buchholz court. Blake is a co-owner of MLP’s Milwaukee Mashers and friendly with the league board, but he’s hopeful that this tournament can help bring two sports that were historically at odds to come together.

“There’s this narrative that tennis and pickleball should sometimes be at odds with each other,” Blake said, “but I don’t know why they can’t coexist. I love the fact that they’re two racket sports where the hand-eye coordination is somewhat similar, but they’re very different sports. Anyone can play both, and me and my kids love playing both. I’m also hoping to enhance this bond and make it really grow.”

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How the Game Has Changed & What to Expect in 2024

Since Blake retired from singles in 2013, social media’s growing ubiquity enables players to sign a lot more individual and organic endorsement and sponsorship deals that showcase and highlight their personalities. If you post about your morning coffee every day, Blake said, coffee brands can now partner with athletes who are authentically passionate about their product.

“I’m always a fan of players and athletes getting everything they can get out of their career,” he added, “because a lot of fans that watch don’t realize that careers are short for most athletes. So to make the most out of it is really important.”

As for overarching tennis trends in 2024, Blake is interested on the men’s side in how long Novak Djokovic can hang on while being pushed by young superstars like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Daniil Medvedev. On the women’s side, Blake believes that Iga Swiatek, Coco Goff, Aryna Sabalenka, and Elena Rybakina have separated themselves from the pack. He wonders if any of that quartet will develop a signature rivalry that Sinner and Alcaraz have a chance to develop.

Along with Indian Wells, the Miami Open has become a top-level staple in tennis’ spring hard court schedule following January’s Australian Open.

Leading the move to Hard Rock has made the tournament an even bigger draw, combining the glitz and glamour of Miami with the luxury amenities the venue can provide. With pickleball on the horizon for the tournament’s second week and ticket sales and sponsorships at an all-time high, Blake continues to innovate and deliver, serving up a world-class experience for players, fans, and brands alike.

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The post How James Blake is Remaking the Miami Open appeared first on Boardroom.

As March Madness kicks off, a season-long trend is now proving to be truer than ever — women run NIL shoe deals. After beginning the season with nine women signed to an official NIL shoe deal, that number has ballooned to include 15 athletes across a batch of nine brands.

Each company has been steadily featuring the collective of accolade-laden ladies throughout a variety of both national and global marketing campaigns. The players can be seen pitching sneakers, lifestyle apparel, training initiatives, and engaging in community giveback activations — all before technically turning pro.

Just last week, MiLaysia Fulwiley signed on with Curry Brand. She’s expected to headline several of the brand’s upcoming sneakers at Under Armour-sponsored South Carolina, where the freelancing flashy freshman guard has been a highlight mainstay for the undefeated #1 seeded squad. 

“I think her style of play is changing the women’s game on the fly. It’s super unique and creative,” Stephen Curry told Boardroom. “We are thrilled to welcome her into the family.”

Adidas landed UConn star Aaliyah Edwards and Texas A&M’s Janiah Barker in the past month, bringing their total female NIL signings to three, along with LSU’s Hailey Van Lith. 

Since the newly approved NIL rules went into effect during the summer of 2021, the trend started to emerge last fall heading into this past season, as women at the college level have become the leading faces of brands.

Currently, just three male collegiate players are signed to an NIL shoe deal. Adidas inked Louisville guard Skyy Clark this past December, while Nike went into the season with two NIL shoe deals already in place, both with family hoop ties. Kentucky guard DJ Wagner’s pro pops, Dajuan, also played for Coach Cal some 20 years ago, while USC guard Bronny James is, of course, the son of Nike lifer LeBron James.

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In many cases, the women marked a brand’s very first NIL signing of this new era. That was the case when UCLA guard Kiki Rice signed with Jordan and when Azzi Fudd signed an all-inclusive NIL partnership with Stephen Curry’s umbrella company Thirty Ink and by extension, his Curry Brand athletic apparel imprint.

Out in Iowa, Caitlin Clark has led the way in what it means to put your state on the map while also regularly appearing in seasonal Swoosh campaigns for products like its Tech Fleece apparel.

Just after she broke the women’s all-time scoring record, Nike dropped a seven-story tall banner in Iowa City of her 35-foot 3-point record-setting heave. The following week, when she broke “Pistol” Pete Maravich’s scoring tally to become the all-time scoring leader in men’s or women’s Division 1 basketball, there was a new banner billboard just across the street.

When New Balance signed Stanford star center Cameron Brink to a NIL deal, she became the first woman signed to the brand’s basketball category in company history.

“I think that really shows that in college women’s basketball, we have personalities, and people are invested in us,” Brink told Boardroom. “We can tell a story with our play, but we are also team players, the face of our universities, and we give back to our communities. That’s what these shoe brands have seen in us.”

Reebok signed LSU star Angel Reese, in the first move made by its newly appointed President of Reebok Basketball, Shaquille O’Neal.

“There is no one making a bigger impact on the game right now than Angel Reese,” Shaq said during the announcement.

After signing Kiki Rice as its first collegiate NIL athlete, Jordan Brand today announced its newest NIL ambassador, LSU’s freshman scoring phenom Mikaylah Williams.

“Signing with the Jordan Brand is an incredible opportunity and a blessing,” said Williams, who is 18 years-old. “Because it allows me to inspire young girls and contribute to the growth of women’s basketball.”

A 6-foot pure scorer who erupted for 42 points in just her fourth college game, she represents the modern era of where women’s hoops is heading, as the excitement and interest in the game continues to explode.

“I’m able to do it all,” she described. “I can shoot from the 3 and the midrange. I can get to the basket. Play defense and rebound. Versatility is the biggest thing of my game.” 

The Deals:

Even upstart basketball brands like Moolah Kicks and Crossover Culture landed their own headlining NIL ambassadors. UConn’s Caroline Ducharme signed on with Moolah to push their latest NeoVolt Pro model and Ohio State standout point guard Jacy Sheldon is the lone woman signed to Crossover Culture, ahead of their latest collection launching at Dick’s Sporting Goods in April.

When each company has unveiled its new featured faces over the past year, they highlighted messaging and talking points like “growing the game” and “inspiring the next generation of young girls.”

The impact has been immediate, as the halo of deals has raised the awareness level and star power of the top college players to a broader and growing basketball fanbase.

“I keep seeing videos of people saying, ‘I can name five women’s basketball players in college, but not men,’” said Brink. “I just think that’s so funny and such a crazy shift.”

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While more than half of the players hold school-conflicting deals – like all three of Reese, Flau’jae Johnson, and Van Lith at Nike-sponsored LSU – there is a case to be made that the players are actually more noticeable as endorsers, given their ability to be more active across social media and the brand holding the incentive to highlight them more often in campaigns and social posts to establish the partnership. 

The brand-aligning NIL players at UConn, USC, and UCLA have largely worn school player-exclusive sneakers or older Kobe models that fans simply don’t have access to either – perhaps a miss to more fully activate the on-court potential of the partnership with sneakers fans can readily purchase.  

While she wears white Nike shoes in her Stanford games, one of the more active brand partners so far has been Cameron Brink. After starring in last summer’s national “We Got Now” commercial, she fronted New Balance’s “Unity for Sport” women’s campaign. 

Brink has also held youth basketball camps with New Balance for young girls in her hometown of Portland, representing how brands look to activate their partnerships on both a local, national, and ultimately global level. The company also dropped a towering billboard in downtown Portland, which her parents drove by and posted on social media the very day it went up.

“I was emotional, seeing my parents drive up and standing in front of [the billboard] with my grandma,” reflects Brink. “I have that photo on my lock screen. It’s super important to me.”

As the tournament kicks off this week, brand headliners across three of the top-seeded squads in Iowa’s Clark, South Carolina’s Fulwiley, and USC’s Juju Watkins will all be looking to make their mark in March Madness.

Through the 15 NIL shoe deals landed across the college landscape, the leading women of the NCAA are already leaving their imprint on the athletic industry, establishing a new generation of female dominance in the endorsement space that I don’t see shifting any time soon.

It’s a shift that the players involved with pushing have also taken notice of. With more marketing and more resources from brands across the ecosystem to truly invest in and support women as the future faces of their companies, there’s a newfound tier of aspiration and hope that this class of players is providing for the next generation.

“Being a little girl, you can know that today, the women’s game is growing,” said Mikaylah Williams. “Women didn’t have [signature] shoes, and now, the women’s game is growing. We have signature shoes and the NBA players are wearing them and pushing the shoes too. It’s a good feeling, just knowing that I get to come up behind that and help expand the women’s game.”

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Adrienne Lofton, vice president of consumer marketing at Google, never intended to work in tech, even though she often found herself adjacent to the industry throughout her career.

With over 20 years of experience in the marketing industry, Lofton has held executive roles at top brands such as Nike, Under Armour, Levi Strauss & Co., and Target. In her current role at Google, Lofton works in the brand’s Platforms and Ecosystems portfolio, where she oversees a team that brings culturally relevant consumer-first integrated campaigns to market from beginning to end for products like Android, Play, and Chrome.

“Stepping into Google was not intentional, but yet, it was the perfect plan as I’ve continued to grow my career,” Lofton told Boardroom.

As part of Boardroom’s Women’s History Month coverage, Lofton opened up about her career path and shared insights on how her team approaches each campaign with the same goal in mind — keeping culture centerstage.

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From Houston to Howard

Lofton grew up in a predominately white neighborhood in Houston, so when it was time to go off to college, she chose to seek a new experience. Lofton said as soon as she stepped foot on Howard University’s campus, she knew that’s exactly where she needed to be.

“When I went to Howard, it was the first time I realized taking smart risks makes you better and stronger,” she said. “When I got into the school of business at Howard, I told the head of the school that I wanted to work for Nike.”

Lofton didn’t know she would embark on a career in marketing and brand strategy at the time, but she knew she wanted to tell stories and make people feel the way that Nike made her feel as a young athlete.

“I was an insecure kid where sports made me feel like I could do anything, and it was Nike that unlocked that in me,” Lofton said.

But it would be another 15 years and a slew of different jobs before Lofton landed her big opportunity at Nike.

Her journey begins at Gap, before taking a role at General Motors to build out the automotive company’s multicultural division on its agency side. After that, Target approached Lofton to build out a similar multicultural organization before she took her talents to Under Armour (UA). She spent 12 years at UA, a time that she says was one of the best chapters in her life. And then out of nowhere, Nike called in search for a VP and North American CMO.

Lofton said she had huge shoes to fill when she accepted the job at Nike since the person who held the role before her was known as a legend around the company. Still, she jumped right in and was extremely excited to be working with a brand she always admired.

And then, in her fourth year at Nike, Google came knocking.

All Roads Lead to Tech

Lofton didn’t realize her career path led to tech until her current boss, Nick Drake, Google’s VP of global marketing, called her for a reference for someone else years ago, and they immediately hit it off. That 30-minute informal conversation turned into a two-hour deep-dive about what it is to be a marketer today and how to think about the consumer differently.

“So if you’re in marketing and you’re running a full-stack offense, you’re definitely writing checks to Facebook and Google from an advertising perspective, so I had commercial relationships with these companies,” Lofton said. “I think in my head, and this could be imposter syndrome, but by the time I got to year like 10 or 12 [in my career], and as tech was booming, I would always think it was too late for me to jump into something that felt to me completely new.”

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Lofton had her reservations about jumping into a new industry, but Drake was adamant about bringing Lofton onto his team, so much so that the pair talked for eight months about what a role at Google would look like for her. Lofton did acknowledge that she was three years in to her dream job at Nike at this time, a role she didn’t envision leaving.

“In each conversation with Nick, I started to think maybe I can step into this sometimes very intimidating industry called tech and actually make a difference,” she said. “I stepped out almost three years ago now to join Google, and it’s one of the best decisions I have ever made.”

In hindsight, Lofton said Google is both very similar to things she’s done in the past and completely different. One of the biggest differences she noted is how quickly tech innovations happen. Lofton also said there is an interesting balance between art and science inside Google. When she got there, she said she spent a lot of time understanding data and getting deep into analytics before launching marketing campaigns, where she got to bring art into the fold.

Lofton said when she retires, she wants to be able to look back on every chapter in her career and be proud, even a newer chapter such as tech.

Google’s New Circle to Search Campaign

Lofton said this new campaign is intentionally different from what the brand has done in the past, and it comes with multiple layers. Android launched its new ‘Endless Wow Factor’ campaign, featuring an array of celebrities, including Naomi Campbell, Brent Faiyaz, Sha’carri Richardson, and Bronny James, engaging with Google’s AI-powered Circle to Search feature. The feature allows users to tap into a simple gesture to pull up a search of anything on their phone, from screenshots to photos and more. Lofton’s team worked with Crown + Conquer, a creative agency, to bring this new campaign to life.

“So when we talked about the reinvention of search, which is Circle to Search, the ability to stay within your app and just go and circle and find something new, whether it’s information or cultural, we knew that we needed to bring a different level of attention to this new product,” Lofton said. “We wanted to bring real people into the product, hand them our devices, and let them experience it themselves.”

The 60-second video shows the range of this new feature in different settings, which is only available on Android devices. The campaign wasn’t just to highlight a new feature but to see how innovation can impact a trusted and known product like Google Search.

“We are bringing the best of Google technology to the biggest cultural moments, changing the way we engage our consumers,” Lofton said. “While I am proud of so many moments, there is still work to be done to ensure all consumers feel valued, and I’m excited to keep pushing forward.”

Breaking Barriers

Whether inside or outside of the office, Lofton champions DEI. She serves as Google’s executive sponsor for AdColor and often speaks at conferences aimed at underrepresented individuals. As a Black woman, Lofton said she’s used to being the first in many categories. She was the first Black woman in all of her roles at UA, the first Black woman to lead North America at Nike, and the first Black CMO of Dockers at Levi’s.

“I am a Black woman. And I carry that with me into every room I enter, every role I hold, each and every day. It has shaped how I lead, how I engage with those around me, and the work I put into the world,” Lofton said. “It is hard to envision yourself in a position when it hasn’t been held by someone who looks like you before, and that experience can be quite isolating. But I take great pride in breaking barriers and allowing others who look like me to see themselves in places we haven’t been previously, and this motivates me to keep going and unlock more doors for myself and others.”

Specifically at Google, Lofton said the brand is hyper-focused on inclusive marketing, which Google defines as the conscious act of making informed, intentional, and brand-appropriate creative decisions that – in aggregate – positively reflect the diversity and reality of the world around us. All of the marketing campaigns the brand creates are reviewed by its Marketing Review Council, a division that ensures each piece of work sticks to this standard and that there is diverse representation in front of and behind the camera.

“DEI is so critical. From a business perspective, the consumers we serve are so diverse, and our teams and the work we put into the world need to reflect that,” Lofton said. “I always start with my team, and I’m really proud that we’ve increased underrepresented groups significantly year over year.”

Lofton’s Future

Lofton said she’s acutely focused on being present, so it’s hard to envision what her future looks like. Though she does think about it often. Aside from the important work she’s doing at Google, she’s looking forward to spending more time with family and friends, continuing her fitness journey, and cuddling with her furry friend, Kosi Langston. In the distant future, Lofton said she could see herself opening up a fitness studio or starting a dog rescue program.

“Looking ahead, in 10 years, I see myself being mentally and physically healthy. And that is a result of the work that I am currently putting in daily,” Lofton said. “We only get one life, so I will continue the quest to tap into the joy of life and living.”

As for aspiring marketers, Lofton said it’s important to take stock of what success looks like for you, build an authentic network, and challenge the status quo. She always tells her team to focus on getting wins on the board, and this means really putting their heads down and doing the work.

“I’m an athlete, and I live by the mindset of ‘being where your feet are.’ Be present and absorb all you can where you are before worrying about the next thing,” Lofton said. “Never stop being curious. I am a lifelong learner, and even after 20 years in the marketing industry, I’m always looking for new challenges that will help me stretch and grow. Marketing is a beautiful balance of art and science, and both sides are always evolving. So, as marketers, we must continue to respect the craft and hone our skills.”

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The Miami Open is back on the hallowed grounds of the Sunshine State. As the tournament kicks off, some of the biggest names in tennis will grace the courts of Southern Florida. Coco Gauff, Francis Tiafoe, and Ben Shelton are just a few of the top talent who are among those battling for more than $17 million in prize money.

Across the men’s and women’s tournaments this year, there are 19 Grand Slam champions competing, who boast a combined 39 titles. Since its inception in the 1960s, The Miami Open has been committed to equal pay — trailblazing a path for equity in the sport. In addition to player pay, the event has also built a group of rockstar women behind the scenes who occupy senior-level positions, who the tournament credits with driving its success

Through the years, the event has become a coveted ticket of the early WTA and ATP seasons. According to official figures, the 2024 edition continues to build the firm foundation established over the last nearly six decades. Early estimates are that The Miami Open will drive a 15% increase in year-over-year ticket sales as compared to the 2023 tournament.

Boardroom will serve as an official media partner, bringing business stories surrounding the event, its sponsors, and much more.

Let’s break down everything you need to know about the Miami Open presented by Itaú.

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Breaking Down the Field

The tournament features a men’s and women’s event, in addition to corresponding doubles. This year’s pool features the top talent in the sport.

Men’s ATP Highlights 

• 3 Former World No. 1s 
• 4 Grand Slam winners with a total 7 titles  
• 5 Olympic medal winners
• 50 winners with 286 titles (excluding slams)

WTA Highlights 

• 9 Former World No. 1s 
• 15 Grand Slam winners with 32 titles
• 8 Olympic Medal winners with 13 medals
• 63 WTA winners with 342 titles (excluding slams) 

Unpacking the Money on the Line

Overall, the tournament boasts a prize pot of $17 million, split evenly between the men’s and women’s sides. The parity in pay is one of the grounding principles of the event. “The Miami Open is proud to have maintained its commitment to equal prize money since its inception in the 1960s, with a $500,00 prize fund for both the men’s and women’s events,” vice president of tennis events at IMG and assistant tournament director Catherine Stock told Boardroom. “This principle has remained vital to our tournament over the years, and we are now pleased to have over $17 million in prize money, split equally between the ATP and WTA tours.”

Broken down, player paychecks will range from $7,000 to the top takeaway of $1.1 million.

Peeking Inside the Stadium

The Miami Open has become a destination event for players and fans alike. The 2024 tournament will feature several new experiences. For example, it will boast a new partnership with fine-dining purveyor Nobu. Together, they’ll offer signature dishes custom formatted for the tournament.

The Open announced a record 30 sponsors this year, up 30% year over year, with Itaú returning as the presenting partner for the 10th straight year, along with lead sponsors Betway, Cadillac, Emirates, Hologic, Lacoste, Seabourn, and Tecnifibre. The tournament attracted an eclectic new bunch of partners, including Electrolit, La-Roche Posay, Fresh Del Monte, Morrocanoil, Longi, and El Salvador Tourism.

Additionally, for the first time in any 1000 series, it will feature the Miami Open Wheelchair Invitational and a Major League Pickleball showcase.

The Inaugural Pickleball Showcase

During the final week of the Miami Open tennis tournament, 16 of the top pickleball players in the world will take the court as part of the Major League Pickleball Showcase, the Open announced.

“With the event continuing to build interest and momentum as more than just a tennis tournament, we have to keep our customers entertained as well as attract new fans,” Stock said. “The decision to partner with Major League Pickleball is in keeping with the objective to integrate popular and world-class content. And, as we know, pickleball has emerged as one of the most rapidly growing sports in the U.S. over the last few years. We believed it would introduce an element of excitement, providing fans with even more entertainment.”

For the Major League Pickleball Showcase, pool play, and three playoff matches will take place March 27-29 in addition to other pickleball events, including celebrity pro-am matches. MLP All-Stars scheduled to participate include Federiko Staksrud, former Brooklyn Aces Hurricane Tyra Black and Martina Frantova, James Ignatowich, Anna Bright, Pablo Tellez, Jessie Irvine, and more. All matches will take place at Butch Buchholz court, providing additional content on outer courts during the tournament’s second week, when there are fewer matches.

Major League Pickleball’s 2024 season will begin this May with 24 teams across two divisions competing in tournaments across the country following its historic merger with the Professional Pickleball Association. The Open will take Buchholz and convert it into two championship pickleball courts within a 24-hour period, Stock said, repainting lines and changing up sponsorship signage, and installing world-class technological elements.

With the addition of the Major League Pickleball Showcase, the Miami Open aims to build on its festival atmosphere while also engaging a new audience of pickleball fans.

“We are proud to be the first 1000 series event to host not only the world’s top tennis players but now also showcasing the elite talent of pickleball on a global stage,” Stock said.

2024 Miami Open Odds

All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook as of Friday afternoon.

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In Boardroom’s newest conversation series, Boardroom Talks, Rich Kleiman sits down with Visa‘s Chief Marketing Officer Frank Cooper, who comes to the financial institution with a deep résumé in the business world. With stops at Pepsi, Blackrock, and Buzzfeed, Cooper has spent decades perfecting his craft of storytelling around some of the world’s biggest companies.

In this conversation, Kleiman and Cooper discuss everything from the early ’90s in New York to how hip-hop broke through in the corporate space to the importance of continuing to learn and grow among industry professionals. Cooper additionally recalled the work ethic of the one and only Ludacris, who is proof of how opportunity in Hollywood is plentiful to those who lean into preparation and consistency.

Lastly, Cooper sheds light on the evolution of marketing and how major companies could be moving away from celebrity endorsements as we know them. Be sure to check out the entire episode — and more original content — over at Boardroom’s YouTube page.

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She may be the captain of the United States women’s national team, but Lindsey Horan is just like the rest of us. The 29-year-old told Boardroom that she first became aware of Accelerator Active Energy while scrolling TikToks of one of her favorite athletes, Travis Kelce. She noticed that the Chiefs’ tight end was always toting a familiar beverage as he made his way to the locker room each week.

Quickly, the product became part of her pregame routine, so much so that Horan labeled her commitment to it a “superstition” and had the company send it across the pond, where she plays with Lyon. Now, Horan has joined Accelerator Active Energy as an ambassador, teaming up with the likes of LSU gymnast Olivia “Livvy” Dunne, Peloton instructor and Nike athlete Tunde Oyeneyin, and YouTuber Deestroying. When asked about the partnership, Horan signaled her excitement to link with a product she believed in, “You want to believe in what you’re putting in your body and what you’re putting out to the world.”

Boardroom sat down with the star to discuss her new partnership, the state of women’s soccer, and much more.

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This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Bernadette Doykos: Tell me a bit about this new partnership and how it came to be.

Lindsey Horan: It’s amazing. I’m so happy. It’s funny, I learned about Accelerator just from watching Travis Kelce’s reels all the time. So seeing nonstop carrying one into the stadium, I was very curious of what it was and whatnot. And then when I heard about it and then when it came about with my agents, I was actually so stoked… [I}t was something that I was actually very interested in. … I like to work with brands that I actually believe in and that I actually use. So that was probably the biggest benefit.

BD: Hydration is just one part of maintaining the system of being an elite athlete. What are some other key things that keep you in peak condition?

LH: I think now you get older and you get more experienced with exactly what you need each day, training, game day, et cetera. You finally fine tune all these things. For me, if I don’t have my caffeine, I’m screwed. So again, why Accelerator is massive for me … I think we have such a difficult schedule sometimes. It’s just the travel nonstop and training every single day and getting ready for games and sometimes three games in one week. And obviously it’s also electrolytes and getting my protein in and just everything that I put in my body I think is super important. But to make sure that everything I’m putting in is to help me with my performance on the field.

BD: In the past, you’ve discussed the differences between the NWSL and European football, and one of the things that you pointed out was just the difference in the culture and the sport in Europe, just more generally. What are some things that you feel contribute to that difference? And as the NWSL is growing, are you seeing some of that investment happening stateside as well?

LH: It’s so difficult to really pinpoint anything because both leagues and leagues all over the world, they’re difficult and you find difficult things in each one. And I think the NWSL just started yesterday. I was watching these games and it was just like they all looked so hard, and the physical attributes of each one of those games is just so difficult.

When I think of the culture here in France, everything is just about football, about soccer, and in America, it’s a little bit different. You have so many sports and so many sports that people support. And I think now that one people are more invested in NWSL. People are watching it. I’ve watched all these games from France yesterday, which is massive because I don’t know if I would’ve been able to do that two years ago or whatever.

So there’s the investment that you see and the more you watch, the more you contribute, the more you invest what’s going to make the league even that much better. And then it becomes a very football culture. You have that with baseball, with basketball, with American football. Here in Europe, it’s about soccer. And I think that’s why people just live and breathe it.

BD: How are you feeling about the USWNT, especially coming off that huge win last week and just about the squad as it’s starting to come together and with a new coach on the horizon as well?

LH: Yeah, I think this last month together has been crucial for us. We went through everything you could possibly go through as a team during this tournament and without our head coach. So that’s always going to be difficult. But I think we’re doing really great, and Twila’s done a good job as the interim manager. 

I honestly think the games that we just went through, the Colombia game, the Mexico game, the semifinal against Canada, which was not a game, but you got to see every bit of a match that you could possibly endure. And then that kind of preparation, getting me ready for another major tournament is just so crucial. 

I was really, really proud of our team and how we came out of that and how we went on to win. And so I think that experience just in itself puts you in a really good place moving forward and being able to experience every one of those little things. So yeah, I was really, really proud of the team and we keep moving forward.

We have She Believes coming up…we have just another few camps before the Olympics, but I think we’re in a good place right now and obviously Emma will be with us in May, so that’s really exciting to get her feet on the ground in the US and take over this team.

BD: How do you look at the growth of the women’s game right now and where it is, especially for US athletes?

LH: It’s massive. I think the one thing that’s very noticeable is how many youngsters you’re seeing in the NWSL. … it’s showing there’s a different pathway and a different route, which is one that’s familiar for me and Mal [Swanson] and Sophia Smith, etc. But it is just showing some of the best players that are coming through have a different route and have a different ability to go play professionally early on.

I do wish that there’s more investment in our youth national teams, and I think that’s been something that’s needed for a while. I don’t remember the last time we won a youth national team tournament for the US, and that’s where I get frustrated because I want us to be better and to grow. And I think that’s how it filters through into our full team.  

And maybe with the new faces in US soccer, that’s going to help.

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The post Lindsey Horan Accelerates the Future of Women’s Soccer appeared first on Boardroom.

A peek into today’s edition:

• The download on TikTok‘s possible US ban
• Tech Talk Reviews: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
• Reddit eyes $6.4 billion valuation

Everything You Need to Know About TikTok’s Potential Ban in the US

The clock is ticking on TikTok’s fate in the United States after the House of Representatives voted in favor of a bipartisan bill that could ban the platform if it doesn’t get new ownership.

But there is a lot of information to understand and dissect around this ordeal, so I’m here to break it down for you.

How the TikTok Ban Bill Ended Up in Congress

TikTok, which China-based ByteDance owns, launched in the US in September 2016. The company splits its headquarters between LA and Singapore. TikTok’s app didn’t gain noticeable traction until October 2018, when it became the most downloaded app in the US. The US government has always been critical of the video-sharing app since its parent company is based in China, where the government has a stronger influence over local businesses, even if they have an international reach.

Congress is most concerned about national security risks and data privacy since the Chinese government can decide at any moment to instill laws that would require ByteDance to share sensitive information about its users. Still, ByteDance’s leadership said it would never do that, and the tech company has even made strides to build trust in the US. Back in 2022, TikTok agreed to move all US user data to American soil through a partnership with Texas-based tech giant Oracle. This relocation was to make sure only the US-based security team could access the data. Additionally, the US government will have the ability to monitor the operation regularly.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew spoke about this relocation, dubbed Project Texas, in detail during his first testimony before the House in March 2023. The testimony lasted more than six hours, and I watched the entire thing. Here are some key takeaways from the hearing. Chew’s testimony came at a time when sweeping TikTok bans hit the nation. In February 2023, the Biden administration banned TikTok from federal devices, even though the president’s re-election campaign made an account last month. In May 2023, Montana became the first state to ban TikTok after signing a bill that would have gone into effect in January 2024 before a federal judge blocked the decision in November. A slew of states across the US have instilled similar TikTok bans on federal devices, and some universities have restricted the app on school devices and campus Wi-Fi.

The Vote in the House

The noise around a nationwide TikTok ban was quiet for some time, but that was the plan all along. Bipartisan lawmakers kept the bill under wraps until last week when a House committee unanimously voted to put the legislation to a larger vote. Chew quickly traveled to the US to speak with lawmakers ahead of the vote on Wednesday. TikTok also pushed messages to its US users urging them to contact their Congressional representatives to kill the bill. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, as the bill was passed, with 155 Democrats and 197 Republicans voting in favor of it.

Chew responded to the vote on the bill in a TikTok video, emphasizing how much a TikTok ban in the US would negatively impact small businesses and content creators.

What’s Next?

If the bill goes to a vote in the Senate and it is passed, President Joe Biden already agreed to sign it into law. The bill would require ByteDance to sell its ownership in TikTok within 165 days, or the app will be blocked from US app stores indefinitely.

TikTok has grown to attract an estimated 170 million users in the US, which is nearly half of our population, so it’s understandable why there are bigger concerns at play here. It’s unclear if the Senate will bring a bill to a vote.

Personally, I don’t think TikTok is leaving the US anytime soon. Refer to my Bet of the Week for more.

Still, TikTok is in a tough spot since the Chinese government has also told ByteDance it will oppose a sale of the app in the US.

For more on my thoughts on a potential TikTok ban, check out this video.

Tech Talk Reviews: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Electronics leader Samsung debuted its newest line of smartphones in January with new AI tools. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is the first Samsung device to feature a titanium frame, reducing the smartphone’s weight. I’ve been playing around with the Galaxy S24 Ultra for the past six weeks. Take a look at what I learned.

• Reddit announced that it plans to raise $748 million at a $6.4 billion valuation from the 22 million shares it filed to offer for its IPO. The social media platform is launching a subreddit (/RDDT) for users to ask questions about its public offering. Stay tuned; I’ll have more on Reddit IPO next week.
• Bitcoin hit a new all-time high again on Wednesday when it briefly surpassed the $73,800 threshold. For context, Bitcoin was trading at around $26,500 this time last year.
• A new bill in Illinois called the Journalism Preservation Act will soon be put to a vote. If passed, it would require tech companies to pay local news outlets for work viewed by residents on their platforms. Meta says it will pull news from its platform in the state if the bill passes.
• A group of authors is suing Nvidia for alleged copyright infringement. The authors are claiming that Nvidia trained its AI platform NeMo using their books without their consent.
• Spotify is beta testing a new feature with Premium subscribers that allows them to access music videos for select songs via the Now Playing screen. The feature is available across 11 markets.
• OpenAI announced a new board of directors that includes eight members, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Instacart CEO Fidji Simo, and Nicole Seligman, former Sony Entertainment President.
• Elon Musk agreed to release the code and open up access to Grok, an AI chatbot that was previously only accessible to X Premium+ subscribers, following his lawsuit against OpenAI that alleges the AI company is keeping its tech too private. Fun fact: In one of my Bet of the Week editions last year, I predicted this would happen in Q1 of 2024. Check it out here.
• Speaking of Musk, Don Lemon said the troubled tech tycoon canceled his content deal on X’s platform hours after they filmed the debut episode of his new show. Lemon said the episode will still air on YouTube, which will be the primary home for The Don Lemon Show moving forward.

If Congress fully passes the TikTok bill in the US, I’m going to bet that ByteDance will let TikTok spin out as its own company and maintain its HQ offices in Singapore and LA.

The post Everything You Need to Know About TikTok’s Potential Ban in the US appeared first on Boardroom.

The 170 million TikTok users in the US are in jeopardy of losing their accounts after the House of Representatives passed a bill that could ban the app if China-based ByteDance doesn’t sell it.

The federal government has long been concerned about the national security risk TikTok could pose if sensitive data about US users is shared with the Chinese government.

So, how did we get here, and what exactly did the House vote on?

Let me break it down clearly.

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The bill passed by a vote of 352-65. It’s unclear if the Senate will raise a vote on the bill, but the chamber did agree to review the legislation. President Joe Biden already agreed to sign the bill into law if Congress passes it, forcing ByteDance to sell the app in 165 days or see it banned from US app stores.

TikTok’s fate hangs in the balance, but we’ll continue to track the legislation’s movements and report them in Boardroom’s Tech Talk newsletter. Stay tuned.

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The post US House Advances Bill on TikTok Ban appeared first on Boardroom.

This story is part of Tech Talk Reviews, a series highlighting tech reporter and digital creator Michelai Graham’s experience testing new tech gadgets, emerging platforms, apps, games, and more. Find more reviews here.

It’s no secret that I’m an iPhone Stan, but for the past six weeks, I’ve been testing the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (S24U).

It might sound weird to hear this, but the first thing I say about the new smartphone when people ask me about it is that it feels good in my hands. The sleek titanium frame reeled me in quickly, and it was kind of nostalgic to dive back into using an Android device day to day.

In this latest edition of Tech Talk Reviews, I break down everything you need to know about the S24U and how it differs from other smartphones on the market.

The Specifics

I did a download on the new class of Galaxy S24 devices back in January when Samsung first announced them, but I didn’t go deep on how advanced the S24U is. The S24U is the first mobile device from Samsung to feature a titanium frame, which reduces the smartphone’s weight. It comes in titanium black, titanium gray, titanium violet, and titanium yellow, with storage space ranging from 256 GB to 1 TB.

The S24U’s design differs from the other smartphones in its class, which is expected as it is the upper-level Galaxy S24 model. It has square edges, as opposed to round ones, and each titanium color comes with a matt finish. The device’s 6.8-inch display almost takes up the entire front cover of the smartphone, which comes from Samsung reducing the border around it by 42% compared to previous models.

The S24U features five cameras, including ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto cameras. The other S24 models only feature three cameras. The S24U also comes with a stylus, dubbed the S-Pen, that tucks into the bottom of the device. It can be used in various ways, from navigation to note-taking.

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The S24U’s best new feature is Galaxy AI, the bespoke new AI platform that operates on S24 devices and is accessible via the cloud. Galaxy AI features enable live text and call translations, enhanced search, photography and editing, and more. One feature, Live Translate, enables real-time voice and text translations of phone calls within a native app. The Chat Assist feature is built into the Samsung Keyboard and develops different messages and responses with conversational tones. Within the Notes app, Galaxy AI can be used to summarize, format, spellcheck, and translate text files.

The S24U also features a transcription option in the Voice Recorder app, though you have to fully record some audio before tapping the AI icon to generate a transcript. Users can tap Galaxy AI to suggest image edits, and it also offers Generative AI edits where users can decide what they want to edit on their content.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra costs $1,299.99 for 256 GB, $1,419.99 for 512 GB, and $1,659.99 for 1 TB.

Michelai’s Review

When I first set up my S24U, I was more than lost trying to navigate the Android interface. It came back to me quickly, but it didn’t dawn on me until picking up this phone that my brain was warped by Apple‘s pull.

Still, I jumped right in, and there were a few things that automatically stuck out to me. The S24U’s volume control button sits right above the power/lock button, which is half the size of the volume button. This was one of my least favorite things since my instincts kept telling me to press the larger button to lock the device, and it didn’t work, of course. I will be honest and say I never got used to that design because why not just split the buttons up and put one on the opposite side or on top of the smartphone?

Besides that, I really loved the design of the S24U. It’s a bit bigger than my iPhone 14 Pro, but it was so easy to hold in my hand. I feel like the titanium matte finish helped give it an easy grip in my hand. Transparently, I downsized from the Max device when I upgraded to the iPhone 14 Pro because I didn’t like how the Max would fit into my hand. I was always straining my pinky, and I really needed that finger to stay in good shape.

On to Galaxy AI. Samsung’s new AI features are powered by Google’s Gemini suite of AI offerings and operate throughout the device. Since I also use a lot of these AI features on my Google Pixel 8 Pro, catching on to them came to me pretty easily.

I mean, honestly, who doesn’t want five cameras? I played around with them a lot simply because I had access to them, and it was nice to have multiple options. One of my favorite things about the S24U is the display. It was so bright and crisp, and I found myself getting lost in the animated wallpaper I chose because the display was that appealing to me.

As for my favorite feature, that would definitely have to be the Circle to Search feature, which lets me search on my screen without opening up different apps. For instance, I could take a photo of sneakers or a jacket I saw someone wearing, circle or draw on that item, and the device would pull up options across Google Search to purchase it. I am sure we all do this, but I’m constantly screenshotting things on social media that I want, and this feature comes in handy for that and cuts out a lot of the manual research I have to do.

The S-Pen came in a close second once I realized that I could use the stylus while my phone was locked to take notes on the black lock screen. The lightbulb in my head went off, and I began using the feature to jot down notes at any given time. I’m one of those people with 100 notes on my iPhone, and sometimes, I find it really inconvenient that I have to unlock my phone and tap an app before I get to jot something down, so this feature on the S24U gets a 10/10 from me.

Another roadblock I ran into caused a bit of chaos in my little studio. I have a Google Nest Hub display, and with my Pixel 8 Pro also in the mix, it was nearly impossible to use the “Hey Google” command at home since all three devices would respond. I’m sure there is a workaround for this, but I haven’t figured one out yet. 

While I enjoyed getting familiar with the S24U and getting reacquainted with an Android device, I don’t know if there was anything about the new smartphone that would sway me away from Team iPhone.

Maybe I can be convinced one day, but for now, stay tuned for more product reviews. And let me know what you think of the S24U if you’ve had a chance to try it out.

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The post Tech Talk Reviews: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra appeared first on Boardroom.

Just ahead of undefeated overall No. 1 seed South Carolina’s entry into the upcoming NCAA Tournament, the school’s flashy freshman scoring guard, MiLaysia Fulwiley, has landed a multiyear NIL shoe deal with Curry Brand. She will headline upcoming footwear launches from Curry Brand, be featured in campaigns as a brand ambassador, and create her own player-exclusive colorways of future models with the brand’s team of designers. 

“Welcoming MiLaysia Fulwiley to the Curry Brand team is something I am super excited about,” Stephen Curry told Boardroom. “She is such a unique talent and an unbelievable ambassador for the game of basketball, obviously with strong Carolina ties … We are thrilled to welcome her into the family.” 

Fulwiley grew up in Columbia, with dreams of one day playing for the nearby University of South Carolina, also located in her hometown. While in high school, she played for Team Curry, the AAU team launched by the Warriors star in his hometown of Charlotte, just two hours north. 

“I decided to join Curry Brand because it felt like family,” said Fulwiley. “I’ve also been watching Stephen Curry since I was young and coming up playing on Team Curry. I’ve always had a close connection to the brand.”  

The deal marks a new chapter that’s been in motion for Curry Brand this season. After first launching in late 2020 within the Under Armour umbrella, Curry Brand signed Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox last fall as its first signature athlete, with his Fox 1 sneaker expected to launch this upcoming fall. 

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Fulwiley now represents a Curry Brand on-court extension into the collegiate ranks, where she will be a featured ambassador playing for one of Under Armour’s flagship college basketball programs. 

“It feels incredible to be picked to represent the Curry Brand,” said Fulwiley. “Knowing that I can be a role model for other young girls to come out here and do exactly what I did, is amazing.” 

After dropping a career-high 24 points in defeating LSU to win the SEC Tournament last weekend, Fulwiley became the first freshman in South Carolina school history to be named SEC Tournament MVP. With her explosive scoring ability, creative finishes and moves in transition, it’s Fulwiley’s freelancing flash that’s allowed her to stand out early on.  

“I think her style of play is changing the women’s game on the fly. It’s super unique and creative,” described Curry. “She’s got just a flow about her on the floor that I don’t think people have seen for a very long time.”

It wasn’t long ago that Curry was able to see that flash up close in person, as Fulwiley was the breakout star of his annual Curry Camp during the summer of 2022. With her transition pull-up threes, up-and-under layups and constant crossovers mixing defenders, Fulwiley had the gym buzzing in downtown San Francisco. 

“She was a part of Curry Camp and is a Team Curry alumni, so the fact that there is a such a full circle moment of being a part of the Under Armour family from the jump is great,” said Curry. “Being able to be a part of the work we did out here in the Bay Area and the fact that she is playing at an Under Armour school now — there are just so many great tie-ins.”

All season long, Fulwiley has been rotating through a batch of Curry Brand sneakers, specifying a simple factor she prefers for her shoes. 

“Bright! I like to stand out on the court,” she said. “I wear short sleeve compression shirts and compression pants. Socks going over my compression pants and some swaggy shoes.” 

Curry quickly noticed her on-court look and style while tuning in. 

“Just the way that she carries herself with a confidence, even as a freshman coming out, you can see that she’s about her business and she turns heads whenever she’s out there on the court,” he added. 

In the near future, Fulwiley will be meeting with the Curry Brand design team to create her own player exclusive colorway of a Curry Brand sneaker, a reality that she’s already overwhelmed by. 

“That is actually insane,” Fulwiley admits. “I used to do that on 2K, and so just being able to do that in real life and actually for me … it’s unexplainable, really. Just having that joy of knowing you get to create something just for you, after seeing it as a kid, it’s amazing and I can’t wait.” 

With this year’s NCAA tournament set to begin this week, Fulwiley is already dreaming big for both this season and the rest of her collegiate career ahead, when asked where she sees herself in four years. 

“Getting drafted first round, entering the WNBA Draft. 4-time NCAA Champion — I want to win a championship every year. And just getting better and going up,” she says proudly. 

Along with future marketing campaign plans to highlight her exciting play while at South Carolina, Fulwiley and the Curry Brand team will also be looking to map out potential giveback opportunities together.

“I know she has a deep commitment to community impact and we are going to be doing a lot of work in her hometown,” outlined Curry. “The ability to continue to change the game for good, nobody can speak to that more than MiLaysia.”

For Fulwiley, the partnership won’t only put her in a different tier of players amongst the college ranks, as she is one of just a dozen female basketball players now boasting a NIL shoe deal, and the only signed directly to Curry Brand. 

She’s also looking forward to building out her personal relationship with the 4-time champion and hoops icon, as she continues on her own bright basketball path ahead. 

“It’s incredible to be able to have Steph around as a mentor and someone I can call,” she smiled. “Not a lot of people have that opportunity, and I feel like through my hard work on and off the court, I’ve been able to put myself in this position. It means a lot to have him in my corner.” 

“The ability to partner with her and Curry Brand is such a special opportunity,” closed Curry. “And I’m humbled that she is now a part of the family.”

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The season following a championship win is always pivotal for any club. They’re simultaneously chasing a winning feeling again while also ensuring they’ve got the roster to follow through. Who knows what 2024 will bring for NJ/NY Gotham FC when they return to action on Friday against the San Diego Wave, but the newest players representing the reigning champions certainly know they’re the talk of the NWSL.

“Everyone is so focused on us joining the team, But honestly, to be fair, we’re also on our individual journeys,” Crystal Dunn told Boardroom from Gotham’s Media Day in January.

Dunn was the first in a flurry of blockbuster signings Gotham completed during the offseason. What followed her addition was Tierna Davidson, Rose Lavelle, and Emily Sonnett, all members of the current United States Women’s National Team. They were already a threatening side thanks to the likes of Midge Purce and Lynn Williams, but now the four arrivals essentially solidify Gotham as the league’s most star-studded and menacing team.

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The New-look Gotham FC

One reason the four new players share equal excitement about joining Gotham FC goes far beyond championship potential. With a solid front office and an in-form roster, they all agreed that Gotham is truly setting itself up for long-term success.

When general manager Yael Averbuch West and head coach Juan Carlos Amorós approached Lavelle about taking her talents to the tri-state, Lavelle remembers the bulk of their conversation revolved around her personal growth. At 28, with multiple honors to her name within the league and as a part of the USWNT, finding a suitable home to further develop her craft was a non-negotiable.

Thankfully, she was able to find a home that will allow her to continue prospering. She’s thrilled at the prospect, especially since she gets to do it alongside Sonnett, her teammate with the OL Reign.

“I think there’s something special that’s really going to be happening here, and the more Yael spoke about the future and where she wants to take this organization, I could sense this shift within me,” Lavelle recalled. “It all aligned with the personal goals I set for myself, and the hunger of [the] free agency period was a bonus.”

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For Davidson, it was the familiarity of the current lineup. Because the women’s soccer world is a close-knit community, she knew a lot of the players on the team, having previously come across them through her experiences from youth camps to the national team. Considering she was leaving the Chicago Red Stars for life on the East Coast, familiarity among her teammates was a comforting thought. Davidson also had high praise for the passion, intelligence, and preparation the coaching staff and front office exude on a daily basis.

“The organization as a whole has a clear vision of what success looks like and with that comes a step-by-step process of how they want to get there. That’s so exciting to me that it’s not just we want to make things better. It’s like, ‘OK, this is actually how we’re going to do it with clear steps to becoming the foremost team and set the standard for other people to try and catch up with us.'”

Gotham’s achievement in recruiting some of the best players in the game rightfully keeps them firmly in the contender discussion and maybe even puts the team at the top of some lists to repeat as champions. It also led to a new discourse in women’s soccer: the NWSL’s first superteam.

As the first of the club’s major signings, Dunn acknowledged that Gotham has superteam potential, but it must be paired with other essential qualities in order to be successful.

“I’ve been playing this game long enough to know that you need the pieces, and you also need the chemistry,” Dunn said to Boardroom in December. “I think the NWSL is one of the hardest, if not the hardest, leagues to play in. Gotham has that firepower, but we’re not going to just beat you because of who’s on our team. We’re going to beat you with the style of play, the relentless attitude, and a winning mentality that we’re going to carry from the moment the game starts until it ends.”

Sonnett added: “I’ve never really viewed us as a superteam, but I think there is a lot of talent. So now what we have to figure out is how can all that talent get on the same page and make it work in the form of wins and goals scored. There are so many talented teams in the NWSL, but one thing that’s necessary to make it all work is whether we all have the same mentality while training and playing.”

Crystal Dunn Returns Home to Be a Leader for Gotham FC & Women’s Soccer

The new Gotham FC player speaks with Boardroom about the prospect of an NWSL superteam, the advice she received from Ali Krieger, and her role in advancing the sport.

Check it out!

Moving Forward with a New Media Deal

Last season, CBS Sports channels were the sole platform to watch your favorite NWSL team play. That all changed in November when the league announced a new four-year media rights deal that will partner the women’s domestic topflight football league with CBS Sports, ESPN, Prime Video, and Scripps Sports.

Reportedly valued at $240 million, the agreement is a massive increase from the three-year, $4.5 million contract previously in place with CBS. It’s a monumental feat for the league because, moving forward, 118 matches will be distributed across the aforementioned services.

“There’s never been more of an exciting time to be part of women’s sports. The buzz, interest, and value is here to stay and it’s just going to keep growing and getting better,” Lavelle said about the landmark deal, adding, “I think having better access to watching games is a positive for kids. They see their role models and say, ‘Oh, I want to do that one day.’ That’s going to have a long-lasting effect on them.”

“I’m excited to no longer answer texts from people asking, ‘Where is the game?'” Sonnett joked. “But in all seriousness, it’s nice to see visibility for both women’s sports and women’s soccer.”

In a November 2023 report, Deloitte predicted that women’s professional sports could generate profit that surpasses $1 billion. Not only is that a 300% increase in valuation, but the first time it will reach that billion-dollar milestone.

There is an obvious throughline contributing to this forecast. For starters, NCAA women’s basketball teams like the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks and individuals like Caitlin Clark are attracting audiences in droves to watch their games in person and on television. That leads to record-breaking viewership numbers, and brands are naturally shelling out more money than ever to promote their products during live broadcasts. NIL deals are another factor, and currently, more women in the college space have inked sneaker contracts than their male counterparts.

At the pro level, the Las Vegas Aces became the first team in WNBA history to completely sell out of its regular season ticket passes. Meanwhile, following the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, jersey sales for Australia (co-hosted with New Zealand) increased by 19%, and Code Sports estimates the economic benefit totaled $1.32 billion.

The math is mathing when it comes to advancing women’s sports, which makes this upcoming season a monumental one for NJ/NY Gotham FC and the NWSL as a whole. Excitement for the game has always been there; now, more people are paying attention.

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The post With Superteam Signings, Gotham FC is Raising the Bar for the NWSL appeared first on Boardroom.

Beyoncé. Drake. Nicki Minaj. Travis Scott. Future.

These are just a few of the artists that Grammy-nominated producer Tay Keith has worked with throughout his career. After a strong 2018 that saw him co-produce BlocBoy JB’s “Look Alive,” Drake‘s “Nonstop,” Travis Scott‘s “Sicko Mode,” Eminem‘s “Not Alike,” and Lil Baby and Gunna‘s “Never Recover,” Keith has continued his strong ascension in the hip-hop world to this day.

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In the latest Aux Money episode, host Chase B sits down with Keith to talk about what it’s like working with 2023’s breakout artists in Sexyy Red, whom he recognized as a legitimate star early in the game while many have wrongly doubted. The two also discuss the greatest producers in the game, with shout-outs to Pharrell, Dr. Dre, and Metro Boomin, as well as how his collaboration with Beyoncé came about in “Before I Let Go,” wanting to help bring Post Malone‘s old sound back, and how Drake helped put him on when he didn’t have to.

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This past October, as the increasingly honest and blunt Milwaukee Bucks centerpiece has done over and over again during media sessions, Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered an on-the-fly, all-time, hilarious one-liner.

“Money is not important,” he paused. “A lot of fucking money is important.” 

He had a Bucks contract extension decision looming, and it was to his advantage to actually wait until after this current season to extend, when he’d be eligible to sign a new four-year deal for $234 million.

The Twitter chatter challenged his charming humbleness and modest upbringing, with people pushing narratives that the star power and global audience had changed him — that it was now about the money as he entered his 11th season. 

It couldn’t have been further from the truth. 

(Just weeks after the Damian Lillard trade, Giannis eventually signed a new three-year, $169 million extension on the Oct. 23 deadline, that could escalate to $186 million, the extra guaranteed year he had wanted be damned.) 

Although it was said jokingly, there’s a deeper layer behind that Giannis quote.

As Antetokounmpo’s budding business empire has shown in recent years, a lot of fucking money is important because of the platforms, the programs, and the infrastructure that it’s allowing the entire Antetokounmpo family to build. 

Not just for themselves now, but for generations of Antetokounmpos to come. Just as importantly, for the community of Milwaukee, the people back home in Greece and Nigeria, and an audience around the world. 

Over the last decade, Giannis has empowered a team around him to begin building out an array of pillars that represent his different focuses, both in athletics and away from the game. The culmination of that groundwork led to the formation in June 2023 of Ante, Inc., the parent company for which Giannis serves as Chairman and Co-Founder. Ante, Inc. operates the business interests and efforts of him and his brothers Thanasis, Kostas, Francis, and Alex. 

“My family is building a business that we can be proud of,” beamed the Bucks star. 

The business of Giannis is booming and still growing. With those pillars now entailing a new media company, a growing global sneaker empire, over a dozen endorsements and investments, a web of sports franchise ownership stakes, and a charity foundation, Boardroom sits down with Giannis to get an inside look at how Antetokounmpo is building out a legacy for his family name.

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The Media Company 

In January, Giannis officially announced his newest venture with the formation and launch of Improbable Media. The new production company, co-founded with ESPN broadcaster Jay Williams, already boasts a host of documentaries, TV commercials, and other uplifting content in the works.

“Building the company was great and is something that, in my world, helps my life become easier,” he said. “I would love to produce a lot of things that I’m passionate and interested about, that people would love to watch.”

The company named former Fusion Media Network and Red Bull executive Jonathan Stern as its CEO. It also added the Milwaukee Bucks Director of Content Nick Monroe as its Head of Features, who has photographed, filmed and traveled extensively with Antetokounmpo over the years.

Improbable’s debut feature production is a full-length documentary on Giannis himself, dubbed The Marvelous Journey and available to watch on Amazon‘s Prime Video. He specifies that it’s been two years in the making. The film features his mother’s first extensive solo interview and provides more access to his life away from the court than ever before.

“I wanted to be myself, and I wanted people to see me not just as a basketball player,” he said. “For example, I never talk about or show my kids, and this will probably be the first time that you’ll see that.” 

In addition to his own documentary, the company produced UGO: A Homecoming Story, a 31-minute long feature in partnership with WhatsApp following Antetokounmpo on his first visit to his family’s homeland of Nigeria.

Improbable Media is currently working on another feature-length film to share the true life story of Efe Obada, a Nigerian-born NFL player who overcame human trafficking and homelessness at the age of 10 when he and his sister moved to London. The production company is also working to co-produce content for companies like Breitling and Nike, with whom Antetokounmpo has long-term partnerships. 

With Marvelous Journey serving as the premiere piece of content from the new venture, Antetokounmpo is already seeing firsthand how shaping stories with his Improbable Media team has been able to cut through in the space. 

“In my industry, a lot of people always talk about what I had to go through and who I am as a person,” he described. “There are a lot of narratives that people create. But this is no narrative. This is me talking about the stuff we had to go through and the real journey. … Things that we had to go through in order to get here. It shows a different side of me.”

The Endorsements & Investments 

For every generational talent in the NBA, there’s a litany of lucrative offers constantly from companies looking to partner with a player of Giannis’ stature. 

“A lot of endorsement deals come to my table, and I try to pick things that align with my brand,” Antetokounmpo says matter-of-factly of his approach. 

His “brand” has proven to be one of the more unique across the league. His family connection and pride for his loved ones are undeniably a hallmark of both his public image and his daily persona, a trait and storyline that’s shown to connect with audiences from around the globe. 

He’s also long accepted and embraced his constant goofiness, sharing near-daily dad jokes in interviews and constantly coming across as one of the league’s more natural comedians for his audience of a combined 25 million followers across Instagram, X, and TikTok on social media. 

Coupled with his underdog rise from an unknown prospect upon entering the league to a now two-time MVP and NBA champion, Antetokounmpo’s aspirational story is the ascension to greatness that brands are constantly looking to celebrate in marketing campaigns.

All of that has led to Giannis holding one of the NBA’s most expansive endorsement portfolios. 

Antetokounmpo’s collective of corporate sponsors and partners, which he has secured through his years of being represented by his agent, Alex Saratsis, features an array of global companies, including Nike, WhatsApp, Google Pixel, Degree, JBL, 2K Sports, Kronos Foods, T-Mobile, TCL, digital health insurance company Antidote, and Greece’s Aegean Airlines. 

Just before NBA All-Star Weekend, the All-Star Game’s leading vote-getter added yet another endorsement deal to his stable, becoming the new face of lemon-lime soda Starry, the official soft drink of the NBA. 

“I feel like I could be funny and joke around, the same way that Starry jokes around,” said Antetokounmpo of the fit. “The 30-second clip is fun, and it shows the fun side of me out there. It promotes the product in a great light, and I was happy with it.”

Under the Ante, Inc. parent company, Giannis and his family also boast a growing investment stable that now features equity in companies including Flexpower Health, Candy Funhouse, and Ready Nutrition. They also acquired a 10% stake in Hellenic Wineries, which oversees Boutari Wineries, a 100-year-old Greek legacy winery that produces both wine and natural mineral water. 

At the start of this season, the Antetokounmpo family also launched their own AntetokounBros Shop, just adjacent to Milwaukee’s new Trade Hotel, which sits across the street from the Bucks’ home at Fiserv Forum and the city’s “Deer District.” Another AntetokounBros Shop is located within the Athens Airport, with each store featuring casual and athletic apparel celebrating the brothers of the Antetokounmpo family. 

Along with the emerging business portfolio, in 2022, the collective launched the Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation in honor of their late father, who passed away after a heart attack in 2017. The “global social impact foundation” has already launched several initiatives in categories including education and health. The foundation is also specifically providing resources and financial support for refugees and immigrants to help improve their living conditions, as well as widows and families facing the loss of a loved one.

Each of the efforts aligns with the Antetokounmpo family’s experiences and hardships as they established themselves in Greece and, more recently, faced the loss of Charles.

Another key pillar of the foundation’s mission is athletics, and with the launch of the AntetokounBros Academy, in partnership with Nike and the EuroHoops organization, Giannis and Co. aim to provide access to sports for youths in Milwaukee, Greece, and Africa. 

The Shoe Deal 

Within the signature shoe business, there’s been a pricing and positioning trend in just the last decade, which Nike has been ramping up to aggressively grow the business of its handful of featured athletes. 

Several of their signature athletes actually have two signature shoes each season — their main annual “numbered” model and a “takedown” model that is priced considerably lower with a different distribution strategy. Several other brands have also utilized the strategy in recent years.

Antetokounmpo is now on the fifth model of his Zoom Freak series, priced at $140, and the third model of his Immortality sneaker, priced at $90. Since launching his own signature series with Nike in 2019, he’s been steadily building a top-five-grossing signature basketball shoe business among active NBA players, that now towers north of nine figures, thanks largely in part to his dual-model approach.

“I’m happy that my relationship with Nike has been incredible,” said Antetokounmpo. “They allow me to showcase my personality and I think our product is really, really good — one of the best in the league.”

The Immortality shoe has become the best-selling sub-$100 basketball sneaker, with Nike’s first European signature athlete driving serious volume internationally and across a batch of sporting goods retailers nationwide in the US. More than 40 players have worn an Immortality shoe in the NBA this season, with the model also worn all across the EuroLeague.

“I love it,” he adds. “And I know that a lot of people around the world love it too.”

This past summer, entirely behind the scenes, Antetokounmpo was actually faced with yet another large looming contract decision — his Nike deal was set to expire in the fall of 2024.

Because of the standard 14-18-month product planning calendar that the footwear industry operates under and the success that Giannis and the brand have had to date, Nike looked to lock in a shoe deal extension well ahead of the expiration date in July 2023, so as not to interrupt the ongoing planning for the Fall 2024 season at the time. 

As a dude that specifically covers sneaker deals, a few weeks beforehand this past June, I got a DM on Instagram from Giannis himself. He was looking to give me a ring and pick my brain about the signature shoe business at large, as he weighed the new extension, just before heading to China for his latest sneaker tour with Nike.

“Man, I’m gonna give you a shout-out here, Nick,” Antetokounmpo now jokes. “For a lot of people that don’t know, me and Nick, we had a lot of conversations throughout the summer. He’s got a lot of knowledge on contract extensions and the footwear world.” 

As it turned out, he quietly and happily inked the new long-term deal that is set to make him one of the industry’s highest-earning sneaker endorsers, while also guaranteeing longevity in the sneaker game that few players achieve during their playing careers. 

“It was easy for me,” he says now. “It was legacy. We talked about it. I had the opportunity to have a Giannis 10 and Giannis 15, and I don’t think there’s a lot of people that can say that. Obviously, Kobe, KD and LeBron — those are the three, and now I’m joining a list like that.”

As he’s shown throughout his tenure with the Milwaukee Bucks, his decision to extend with Nike was also powered by the connective elements of both familiarity and loyalty. 

“I pride myself on my loyalty and sticking around with the people that have supported me and given me the opportunity to be where I am today,” he described. “That’s what I tried to do.”

Giannis fondly remembers once sharing Nike shoes with his older brother Thanasis when they couldn’t both afford a pair of basketball shoes while growing up in Greece, later first inking a modest-paying shoe deal as a teenager beginning his pro career in Europe and now being one of the Swoosh’s global featured faces of the entire company. 

“Nike believed in me when I was a skinny 17-year-old kid with nothing,” he smiled. “Again, it was a no-brainer to continue this partnership and to build something great here. It’s going to last longer than me. I’m very, very happy for the extension.” 

The Team Ownership Portfolio 

In addition to the media company, another of Antetokounmpo’s noted focuses in recent years has been his pursuit of team ownership stakes across professional leagues in the US. Since signing a supermax contract in 2019 and his most recent max extension last fall, he’s set his sights on building out an ownership portfolio across other professional sports leagues. 

Giannis and the Ante, Inc. parent company are currently minority owners across three leagues, holding equity percentages of the MLB’s Milwaukee Brewers, the MLS’s Nashville SC, and the Los Angeles Golf Club of the upcoming Tiger Woods-backed Tomorrow’s Golf League. In each case, he and his brothers have entered into the ownership groups together. 

“I’m trying to do things that I’m passionate about,” he said. “The Milwaukee Brewers — it’s home. I know the best player on the team, and that was easy. Soccer, my dad played soccer, and I played soccer since I was like 11 before I focused on basketball. I’m a big, big soccer fan.”

While he admits he’s just beginning on the links, the potential and excitement around the upcoming TGL and the opportunity to take on an equity stake in one of just six of the upstart league’s franchises was too good to pass up. 

“Once I’m done with basketball, maybe I’ll get myself into golf a bit more,” he joked. “[With] golf, I’m trying to get myself together, man. [laughs] My swing is not that good, but Doc Rivers might help with that. He’s a big golf player and golf fan, so we’ll see. I’m just excited to do things that I can prep for my career for after basketball.”

As TV and streaming platforms continue to prioritize high-cost rights to air live sports, franchise valuations across leagues have rapidly accelerated over the last decade. There’s perhaps no better case study than the Bucks, who were purchased for $550 million in 2014, the year after Giannis’ rookie season. 

Thanks to his star power, the continued global growth of the NBA, and the Bucks’ championship run in 2021, the franchise currently boasts a valuation of over $3.2 billion. With over $400 million in combined on-court past earnings and guaranteed future contract years, and another max contract likely in store ahead, Antetokounmpo doesn’t necessarily want to estimate how much he’s helped to spike that rise in the Bucks’ overall valuation, though he’s proud of the contribution he’s certainly made. 

“I really don’t know, and I don’t want to sound arrogant,” he said. “But anyone that’s followed my journey and the Bucks’ journey will understand my impact on the team being worth $3 billion dollars — it’s big. But I really don’t care about that.

“I understand that it’s a business, and the owners gotta do what they have to do,” he continued. “I didn’t buy the team for $400 or $500 million — they did. They’re the ones that sold the team when the valuation was $3 billion. They’re businessmen, and they have to make a living. They’re good in business and good at putting value into stuff and flipping it. They’re good at putting everything together for it to be successful.”

With the experience of seeing that rise up close and in real-time, the 29-year-old has learned the value of already taking on ownership stakes in leagues he has the ability to enter now. His franchise stakes across three teams currently set him up to benefit as each league and the sporting landscape continue to grow. 

The Legacy 

Across the myriad of moves made, companies launched, investments, and endorsements inked, Giannis doesn’t hesitate to reflect on how he’s gotten to this point and the legacy he’s looking to build for himself and his family. 

He always comes back to his father Charles, and the pride to pursue the impossible that was instilled in him early on after his family’s humble upbringing in Greece. 

“My dad did not have nothing,” he reflects calmly, with a pause. “But he had us.”

Since 2017, Giannis has relentlessly sought to celebrate Charles’s life and impact on his children. Just afterward, he tasked the Nike design team with always including a phrase on his annual signature shoes: “I Am My Father’s Legacy.” 

“When he passed away, he didn’t leave money, cars, or houses — none of that,” continued Antetokounmpo. “But he left his legacy with me and my brothers. So we want to represent him every single day to the best of our abilities. That’s what we try to do.”

As a result, his budding business empire is shaping up not just to generate “a lot of money” for Antetokounmpo, but through his foundation, his media company, his athletics academy, and his inspiring play on the court, Giannis is already seeing just how his legacy can begin to extend around the world and make its mark in Milwaukee and beyond.

“I’m just happy that I was able to impact the city of Milwaukee,” he said.

“I believe with me being there, I provided a lot of jobs, provided excitement and have tried to help the community with my family. … We’ve been able to uplift people and help close the gaps, man, and we’re doing it with the people that we love.”

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Much has changed with Coinbase‘s crypto wallet since the leading crypto exchange launched its flagship product in 2018.

Boardroom previously explained what digital wallets are and how to store cryptocurrencies on them. As a refresher, we’re back with a video breakdown of how to set up a Coinbase Wallet if you want to get in on the current rally around crypto.

VIDEO GOES HERE

This walkthrough couldn’t have come at a better time, as Bitcoin went over the $70,000 threshold for the first time last week and had been trading above $72,000 at the time of this writing. The crypto bull market is upon us as other popular cryptocurrencies, such as Ethereum and Solana, are also seeing positive upticks in recent months.

Important note for Coinbase Wallet users: This type of crypto wallet is a self-custody wallet managed by its owner and kept secure by Coinbase. It allows users to interact with crypto and decentralized finance protocols, but users will have to skip over to the Coinbase crypto exchange via the app or at Coinbase.com to buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrencies.

Happy crypto trading, folks.

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A peek into today’s edition: 

• Social media platforms went down this week, but why?
• EU fines Apple $2B as the tech giant and Epic Games go at it (again)
• OpenAI responds to Elon Musk’s lawsuit

Social Media Platforms Went Offline This Week. But Why?

Hmmm, seemingly every social media platform went down this week but X, and that just really doesn’t sit right with me.

It all started on Tuesday morning when Meta‘s family of apps, including Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, experienced a widespread outage that lasted roughly two hours. The platforms glitched for some users and wouldn’t refresh or load, while others were completely logged out of their accounts. Meta acknowledged the issue on its status page, but when the services returned online, the company didn’t say why they were ever down other than that there was a “technical issue,” which we all could have guessed.

YouTube also briefly went down on Tuesday after experiencing a surge in traffic due to outages across Meta’s platforms. The same happened to Discord. Again, the platforms were brought back online without much explanation. LinkedIn also briefly went offline Wednesday evening after nearly 45,000 users reported encountering an error page when accessing the networking site.

We’ll probably never know why all of these social media platforms went down, but on the bright side, Instagram users can now edit DMs up to 15 minutes after sending them and pin chats. Woohoo!

EU Fines Apple $2B as the Tech Giant & Epic Games Go At It Again

The European Union announced on Monday that it’s hitting Apple with a $2 billion fine for breaking antitrust laws in the region following a complaint filed by Spotify in 2019. This is the first time Apple has received a fine from the EU, which pertains to the Big Tech giant’s App Store practices for music streaming platforms. The EU told Apple it can’t stop music services from advertising cheaper subscription deals outside of the App Store. Apple responded to the ruling, saying the EU didn’t “uncover any credible evidence of consumer harm,” so it will appeal the decision. Apple also accused Spotify of trying to rewrite its App Store rules to gain competitive advantages and reap all the benefits.

Amid this, Apple terminated Epic Games‘ developer account this week before reinstating it a few days later. Epic Games intends to use the account to launch its own app store for iPhones in Europe to distribute Fortnite and other games. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said the gaming company’s account was iced as retaliation following Epic’s lawsuit against Apple, other litigation, and some of his social media posts. Apple responded, saying it had the right to terminate Epic’s account for breaching its contractual obligations.

The developer account termination was another red flag for the EU, which announced it will investigate.

Crypto Chronicles: Bitcoin, Ethereum Reach New Milestones

Bitcoin and Ethereum are having a historic week after reaching new heights since Q4 of 2021. First, Bitcoin set a new all-time high of $69,210 on Tuesday before doing it again on Friday by eclipsing $70,000 for the first time ever. The token outpaced its previous highest value of $68,982 on Nov. 10, 2021, and has been trading above $66,000 consistently throughout the week. Soon after, ETH surpassed the $3,800 mark on Wednesday morning for the first time since December 2021, partly due to its upcoming network upgrade. ETH hit its all-time high on Nov. 9, 2021, when it was trading for $4,815, so the crypto has a way to beat that record.

ETH’s value has historically trended along with Bitcoin, so it doesn’t surprise me that the crypto and many others are seeing some success this week. There was even a big NFT sale. CryptoPunk #3100 sold for 4,500 ETH, or $16.03 million, on March 4. This is the second-highest CryptoPunk sale ever, and some NFT enthusiasts are saying this sale is a sign that the bull market is back.

• The OpenAI leadership team finally responded to Elon Musk’s lawsuit last week in a blog post revealing that the tech tycoon promised to invest as much as $1 billion but only cut a check for $45 million. The AI startup said Musk didn’t significantly impact its development and success, even after he offered to bring OpenAI under Tesla‘s wing in 2018.
• Anthropic debuted Claude 3 on Monday, a new AI chatbot and suite of AI models that it’s dubbing its most powerful offerings yet. The company said its latest chatbot can summarize up to 150,000 words. For reference, that’s about how long Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is.
• ByteDance‘s revenue in the third quarter of 2023 rose by an estimated 43% to $30.9 billion, showing that it’s growing at twice the rate of Meta, The Information reported. The news broke as TikTok‘s parent company internally shared plans to buy back stock, indicating that it wants to stay a private company for the foreseeable future.
• Coachella announced a partnership with NFT marketplace OpenSea to give NFTs a second try for fans seeking access to more VIP areas and exclusive merch at its annual music festival. This new offering comes after Coachella’s failed 2022 partnership with FTX following the crypto exchange’s collapse.
• Former Google software engineer Linwei Ding was arrested in California and charged with four counts of federal trade secret theft for allegedly stealing and sharing AI trade secrets with two companies based in China.
• More than 200 AI researchers signed an open letter published by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University urging generative AI companies, including OpenAI, Google, and Meta, to allow investigators to access their systems for examination and safety testing.

I’m going to go long here and bet that Bitcoin will cross the $80,000 threshold before the summer hits since its value has consistently been trending upward in recent weeks.

The post Social Media Platforms Went Offline This Week. But Why? appeared first on Boardroom.

Throughout the year, Boardroom continuously spotlights the women making waves in their respective professional industries but creating change outside of them. But with Friday, March 8, being International Women’s Day, we wanted to look back over time and gather some of our favorite stories in one place to celebrate these women who are having a wide-ranging impact.

From New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu to ESPN’s Monica McNutt and everyone in between, below are just a few of our favorite stories highlighting these amazing women.

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Sabrina Ionescu: What Having My Own Signature Shoe Has Meant To Me

The Liberty star joined rare company when she launched her signature shoe with Nike earlier this year. In her own words, Ionescu lets us in on how life has been since.

Click here to read the full story from Sabrina.

The Sabathia Family Business

“Amber’s the kind of woman who you meet once and you’re like, ‘Damn, I want to be in her orbit,’” Ruocco said [of Amber Sabathia]. “I want to be in her presence because she’s just so clearly a winner, and a winner with a beautiful heart. She’s just a powerhouse, a human being who gets things done. She’s just a ridiculously smart, committed, dedicated woman who can problem-solve basically anything. She’s that kind of special.”

Click here to read the full story from Shlomo Sprung.

The Undeniable Ascent of ESPN’s Monica McNutt

Hooper and ESPN personality Monica McNutt talks breaking into sports media, building equity and dignity for women in the industry, and the base of support that powers her forward.

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Kiki Rice & the Evolution of the Air Jordan Rollout

A NIL deal allowed UCLA guard Kiki Rice to debut the latest pair of Mikes. Learn how MJ’s empire is maneuvering its marketing to meet modern hoopers where they’re at.

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Aerial Powers: A Gamer On and Off the Court

Boardroom caught up with the Minnesota Lynx’ Aerial Powers to talk about how she’s progressing on the court and in the digital world as a gamer.

Click here to read the full story from Michelai Graham.

Cedella Marley: For Football, Freedom & The Reggae Girlz

The Jamaican women’s national team reached new heights in 2023. Here’s how Cedella Marley, daughter of Bob Marley, helped make it happen.

Click here to read the full story from Vinciane Ngomsi.

Kara Nortman & Monarch Begin Reign with NWSL Boston Investment

A minority stake in the newly awarded NWSL expansion club in Boston is Monarch’s first investment. Boardroom catches up with collective co-founder Kara Nortman.

Click here to read the full story from Shlomo Sprung.

Crystal McCrary McGuire Wants to Make Your Kid an NBA Player

With the help of her son, Orlando Magic point guard Cole Anthony, McCrary Mcguire is scaling the youth basketball ecosystem through an app. Here’s what they hope GameUp can bring to the industry.

Click here to read the full story from Michelai Graham.

Sarah Mensah Becomes First-ever Female President of Jordan Brand

The sportswear industry vet who helped to lead a decade of growth at Nike, Inc. will now be the first woman to lead Michael Jordan’s global company. Here’s what you need to know about Sarah Mensah.

Click here to read the full story from Ian Stonebrook.

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The post Spotlighting The Women of the Boardroom appeared first on Boardroom.

While NFL free agency doesn’t officially begin until next week, the football world is already abuzz with salary cap cuts, franchise tags, contract extensions, and an avalanche of rumors surrounding a fascinating group of impact players who could switch teams.

To preview free agency, Boardroom assembled a panel of experts: three-time Super Bowl champion executive Scott Pioli, former New York Jets and Miami Dolphins general manager Mike Tannenbaum, and Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson, who discussed everything from the unexpected salary cap spike, the running back market, and more.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

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Shlomo Sprung: The NFL’s salary cap number for 2024 is $255.4 million, more than $12 million higher than initial projections. What do you think the biggest impacts will be from this spike?

Scott Pioli: Teams that were feeling a crunch and the pressure of time to get in compliance with the cap now have a lot more time and space to make decisions that they weren’t projecting to be able to make. So, it helped all 32 teams. Unfortunately, a couple of teams made moves prior to that number coming out that they may otherwise would not have made.

Mike Tannenbaum: For the teams that were going to be stuck against the cap, it’s going to give them a lot more wiggle room than they expected. Teams like Kansas City and Dallas, in particular, will benefit from it.

Sam Monson: Teams weren’t prepared for that kind of jump. They’re all going back to the board and re-running all the numbers and recalculating everything they have planned. What makes it intriguing is that 32 of them are doing that, so it’s all very inflationary with more money going around. It will change the dynamic a little bit for a team or two where maybe they didn’t think they could get a move in or didn’t think they could apply a franchise tag.

Generally, it will just inflate certain contracts this offseason.

SS: It seems like the running back market is in the same place as last year, minus players getting franchise-tagged with lower-than-expected salaries despite a stacked free agent class. What do you think the state of that position looks like to you?

SP: It’s a very interesting dynamic. If you ask players in every position except for quarterback, they all think that their number is too low. And for some reason, last year, there was a lot of public attention given to that specific position. But again, players at every position think that the numbers should be higher. The skill positions that are uniquely fantasy football point generators are always in focus, and running back is one of those positions.

The other skill positions have gone up exponentially, and the running back position, there’s a lot of attention drawn not just the players at that position, but the agents for the players at that position, making sure that story gets told.

MT: There’s a tremendous amount of supply. And because of it, for Derrick Henry, Tony Pollard, Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, it’s going to put a ceiling on what they can earn because there’s just so much more supply than demand. You’re going to see a depressed market just because of the laws of economics. 

SM: It’s tough for running backs right now. It’s this unique position currently where the best years of a running back are the first contract, which almost invariably that’s not the case for any other position. You get the best years out of every other player on their second contract or even beyond, but running backs might be done by the time they hit that second contract or reaching a point where they’re potentially damaged goods. 

Saquon Barkley is a great example of that. He’s 27 years old and hitting that second contract, looking to get paid. But we’ve seen multiple season-ending type issues, and we’ve seen evidence that even when he’s playing great, he might not be able to move the needle in terms of wins and losses. So the landscape for an NFL team to throw him a giant sum of money the way they would have 15 years ago just isn’t there. Teams have smartened up to that. As good as running backs are, they’re probably not changing the dynamic of and losses unless everything else is already in place.

So you’ve got Barkley, Josh Jacobs, guys absolutely in their prime looking to hit that big deal, but I don’t know how many teams are willing to give that big contract. If those guys can’t get big-money contracts, then almost nobody can. 

Derrick Henry. who is all of the red flags rolled up into one, is an X-factor. He’s almost 30 years old. He’s got an insane amount of mileage on the clock. On the other hand, it’s Derrick Henry. And for his entire career, he’s been an exception. He’s been the guy that goes against the rules of everything you think you know about running back deals. So, I’m actually curious to see if somebody’s willing to give him a couple of years at good money on the basis that he just isn’t the same as other running backs.

Introducing the NFL Running Backs Association

It’s time to win back equity — and dignity — for football’s backfield bruisers before a running back salary crisis consumes the league. Here’s how we do it.

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SS: Who are some big names that we should be watching out for, not necessarily as the most obvious people on your radar, but who might move the needle the most in terms of the impact?

SP: Something that happened during the season that’s really going to impact a specific positional market is the backup quarterback position. When we look at how many starting quarterbacks were hurt and missed games this year and how many teams’ futures were put in the hands of backup quarterbacks, there’s always the haves and the have-nots with starting quarterbacks. Last season, we witnessed a case of the haves and have-nots with backup quarterbacks, and it made a difference. The backup QB market is going to change significantly, and there will be people paying high premiums on insurance.

MT: Who’s interesting to me is Tyron Smith. He’s an “A” player. He had some bumps in the road with injuries, but he’s a great player. It’s unusual for a player with his ability to be out there. Danielle Hunter can’t be franchised. He’ll do well because of his length and his production. He’ll have a pretty strong market as well.

SM: Plenty of players will probably get re-signed, like Mike Evans from Tampa Bay or Justin Madubuike from Baltimore, but there will be really intriguing players that hit the market. Guys like Tyron Smith, who’s still only 33 years old, which it’s not young, but we’re in a world now where offensive tackles are playing deep into their 30s, if not towards 40. He’s shown that when he’s on the field, he’s still one of the best left tackles in the NFL. Injuries are a constant risk or concern with him, but there are tackle-needy teams out there that could absolutely bring him in and immediately fix that position as long as he’s out in the field.

One guy that’s I think one of the most important players in this free agency is Bryce Huff, the edge rusher from the New York Jets. He’s neither the best edge rusher on the market nor the biggest name. Those would be Danelle Hunter or Brian Burns if he hits the market. But Huff has been one of the most effective pass rushes in the NFL over the last two years in terms of a per-snap basis. His pass rush win rate has been ridiculous. He’s been part of this Jets defensive line rotation, which has been incredibly strong, but if a team is willing to give him the kind of Cameron Wake treatment and say, “Let’s scale up his work, let’s see if this still works.” As an every-down player, he’s a potential star for a defense.

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SS: What’s an important free agency trend that people may not be talking about that you think will come to the forefront next week?

SP: The way the Baltimore Ravens handled free agency last year, signing a number of veterans to short-term deals that paid dividends. Since they only got the players for a year, the players tried to perform. It’s exactly what we used to do in New England in the early 2000s, and some teams tried to pick up on it. In 2001, our first Super Bowl year, we signed 23 free agents, many of them very short-term veteran contracts. The benefit is that you get the player at a good, fair price. If the players succeed, they get rewarded not only in the moment but with the next contract. And then the team also has a chance to get additional compensation on the other side through the compensatory pick system. The Ravens brought this strategy back to people’s minds.

MT: The lack of quarterbacks besides Kirk Cousins and getting Justin Fields resolved. Most teams are going to have to look towards the draft for a quarterback. Assuming Baker Mayfield resigns with Tampa Bay, there’s going to be six quarterbacks taken in the first round of the draft.

SM: Free agency this year is a real opportunity for teams to fix offensive lines, and there’s a few teams out there that really need that to happen. It’s a good draft for offensive linemen as well, but a general team-building strategy is that the less you run into a draft with needs, the better shape you’re in. You want to try and fix holes with free agency and give yourself the flexibility to just draft the best players. This free agency presents teams with a real opportunity to go and attack offensive lines. While it’s not big on style power, this group is actually quite deep with capable, solid starting offensive linemen at a variety of different positions that won’t break the bank.

There are teams out there, say the New York Jets, with a desperate need to overhaul an offensive line before next season, and they can do that without that much money in free agency. It’s kind of the way the Cincinnati Bengals improved a couple of years ago. After Joe Burrow got destroyed in his rookie season, they went out there and signed three offensive linemen that first free agency.

SS: Who are some of the biggest players you think can change teams next week, or players that will receive contracts that turn some heads?

SP: Look out for Christian Wilkins from Miami, Chris Jones from Kansas City, and Danielle Hunter from Minnesota.

MT: Danielle Hunter‘s going to do real well. Jonathan Greenard from Houstons can do really well, and Kirk Cousins will get a deal north of $40 million a year.

SM: With the Chiefs tagging L’Jarius Sneed, Chris Jones is almost certain going to hit the market. I don’t see any reason why he would re-sign with Kansas City on the eve of free agency because it’s only going to cost him money. Jones is absolutely a top-tier free agent available. He’s still under 30, and he’s arguably been the best interior pass rusher over the last couple of years, even superseding a guy like Aaron Donald, who’s one of the best of all time. There’s a team out there that’ll give Chris Jones a crazy contract, and he’ll probably justify it for at least two or three years or so.

Kirk Cousins is the obvious one as well. He’s the only high-quality starting-caliber quarterback available as a veteran. If you don’t have a quarterback and you’re not in the first couple of draft picks this year, Cousins is your guy. So a team like Atlanta, picking at No. 8 overall in the draft, if you don’t think you can maneuver for one of those top quarterbacks or you don’t like them, the Falcons have a team that’s ready-made to be good.

Can’t Keep Kirk Cousins Down

Following his injury last year, Boardroom sat down with Cousins to talk about the NFC North, his NFL future, and much more.

Check it out!

The Vikings don’t want to go where Cousins does in terms of contract, whether it’s overall costs or structure. He wants a repeat of the kind of deals he’s been getting, the three-year fully guaranteed contracts, but at 35 years old, coming off an Achilles injury, it’s understandable the Vikings don’t want to go there. But some team probably will, whether it’s the Falcons, Raiders, Patriots, or some team out there willing to do the type of deal Cousins wants that could be pretty huge with the increased cap.

SS: What else is on your radar that we should be looking out for?

SP: Due to the unexpected significant salary cap increase, that extra space not only allows you room to sign players, but room to move on from players, particularly teams with new coaches or new leadership groups in the front office. When you bring in a new head coach or a new head coach and GM, there’s always players that the new regime wants to move on from but can’t necessarily do it.

MT: Because of the increase in cap, and we saw it with Mike Evans, the bigger money will go to players that are returning to their teams, between the franchise tag and long-term extensions. The increase in the cap gives flexibility to structure around their own players.

SM: It’s going to be interesting for teams searching for wide receivers. It’s not the best wide receiver group. You’re already down to Marquise Brown, and then it gets pretty weak after him. But there’s always trades. And trades are the interesting element of free agency that we tend not to focus on too much heading into it.

All these guys that got franchise tagged are potential trade candidates, as are players reaching the end of their deals. Wide receiver is one of the most important positions in the NFL. It’s a great draft. A lot of teams will be looking to fill that need there, but if you’re searching for an impact number one guy, maybe a trade is the way of making that happen.

I know Tee Higgins has been the subject of some trade speculation rather already having got the franchise tank. But a guy like Brandon Aiyuk who’s reaching the end of that deal, the 49ers already have five or six guys with a $20 million cap hit next year. Aiyuk’s an amazing player. I’m sure they’d love to have him back. I’m sure they could bring him back, but at some point, they’re going to have to pay Brock Purdy a big money deal, and maybe they would prefer a first-round pick, reset the clock at that position, and get a bit younger and cheaper.

So trades are always the big X-factor in free agency, and we don’t have a great line of sight on them until they happen.

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The post NFL Free Agency 2024: Increased Salary Cap, Running Back Market & More appeared first on Boardroom.

Bitcoin briefly reached new heights on Tuesday morning when it hit $69,210 for the first time ever, outpacing its previous highest value of $68,982 on Nov. 10, 2021.

The cryptocurrency has steadily risen since early December, climbing in value weekly. The rally around the most valuable digital asset on the market comes as the Bitcoin network prepares for its next halving event, and investors are getting more acquainted with spot Bitcoin ETFs. Bitcoin has grown by nearly 70% this year, and its new record comes two months after the token celebrated 15 years on the market.

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A year ago, on this day, Bitcoin’s closing price was $22,440, over $40,000 less than what it’s trading for today. It seems like a steep fall, but this was actually when the token was rebounding from its lowest-recorded price of 2022 on Nov. 21, 2022, which was in the $15,780 range.

If you’ve been following the crypto world closely, then you know that the FTX collapse in November 2022 sent the industry into a downward spiral from which it’s still recovering. The entire crypto market was impacted by FTX‘s fall, which sent many crypto lenders into bankruptcy.

Bitcoin has shown the most resilience of all the cryptocurrencies out there and still holds the most value. On the same day that the token reached its new all-time high of $69,210, Bitcoin also fell by nearly 10% at the time of this writing. This is likely due to a spike in liquidations as investors look to earn a quick dollar from Bitcoin’s latest success.

What’s Fueling the Bitcoin Bounce-back?

Boardroom breaks down what a spot Spot Bitcoin ETF is and why it’s the reason Bitcoin is back on the rise.

Check it out!

It’s unclear if retail or legacy crypto investors are pulling their assets out, but on Jan. 10, the day the first group of spot Bitcoin ETFs was approved, Bitcoin was trading for around $47,600 at its height, and it’s only been going up since. There has been a wave of retail investors getting in on crypto, thanks to spot Bitcoin ETFs, so maybe they’ll hold their investments through another surge in the token’s value.

I want to say it’s only up from here for Bitcoin, but the crypto market is too volatile to predict. Still, I could see the token surpassing the $70,000 threshold in the next month or so as the network prepares for the next halving event. This moment will tighten Bitcoin’s supply, making the token more scarce as time passes.

Stay tuned to Boardroom and subscribe to Tech Talk for a follow-up soon with more on Bitcoin halving and what it means for the crypto market.

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The post Bitcoin Hits New All-time High Above $69K appeared first on Boardroom.

The tennis world converged on Las Vegas Sunday for the Netflix Slam, a live match between legendary Spaniards Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, one of the first live events the streaming giant has ever attempted.

It was Netflix’s second live sports event in five months, both taking place in Vegas and both quasi-extensions of popular documentary programming. The Netflix Cup golf match paired pro golfers from its Full Swing series and Formula 1 drivers from its ubiquitous Drive To Survive series. Alcaraz has previously appeared on the network’s Break Point series.

Just over a week after airing Hollywood’s SAG Awards live, it’s the shortest time between live events in Netflix‘s history.

“Each one of these is about learning and getting better,” Gabe Spitzer, Vice President of Nonfiction Sports at Netflix, told Boardroom on Saturday. “We just want to make a fun, exciting, entertaining event.” 

Leading into Sunday’s big event at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob Ultra Arena, billboards all over the Las Vegas Strip hyped the match of tennis greats like actors on a marquee promoting a buzzy new TV show or movie. It came as no surprise, then, when Saturday’s introductory press conference with Nadal, Alcaraz, and Vegas native Andre Agassi — preceding one in Spanish — had journalists from People, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, E! News, and The Ankler, despite Netflix still being far more well-known for its TVs and movies than for its sports coverage.

Despite competing with a pair of Australian pro rugby matches Saturday at Allegiant Stadium that began its regular season, with tens of thousands of Aussies trekking to a gusty desert that delayed flights all weekend, the trio of tennis superstars expressed how vital these tennis exhibition matches are.

“It’s an obligation to promote our sport,” Nadal told Boardroom, “especially in places where professional matches aren’t coming.”

Agassi went a step further, loving the Netflix format because it allows for tennis to be discussed in ways that aren’t allowed on traditional linear networks beholden to soundbites and commercial breaks. Netflix’s delivery mechanism, he said, provides a more complete picture both to dedicated tennis fans who get more uninterrupted access to the sport they love and offers casual fans how much more is actually going on than on the surface.

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Sunday morning, a breakfast reception for VIPs and guests inside a Mandalay Bay restaurant blocked off for the weekend was followed by attendees receiving green envelopes containing a green wristband and tickets to the event. After passing through a chaotic security line to get in, the wristbands got guests into the Netflix Sports Club, a luxurious large room decorated with vintage pictures of its aforementioned flagship sports docuseries with plenty of hors d’oeuvre, cocktails like the US Open staple honey deuce, and a massively long line to receive free custom merch like Netflix Slam sweaters and towels.

Media were generously sat in the arena’s third row in time for a pair of tune-up events.

First, the Bryan Brothers, Genie Bouchard, and Asia Muhammad competed in a set of doubles, and then Taylor Fritz beat out Jon Isner, Sam Querry, and Francis Tiafoe in an Ace Challenge featuring three rounds of the Americans trying to hit the fastest serve, an exhibition event that could be tennis’ answer to the NBA’s 3-Point Contest or MLB’s Home Run Derby. Fritz’s fastest serve came in at a blistering 139 miles per hour.

Celebrities from Hollywood and sports like Charlize Theron, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michael Douglas, Colin Kaepernick, Jordan Love, Lindsey Vonn, and a heavy Los Angeles Rams contingent of Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Puka Nacua sat down to watch Nadal and Alcaraz receive introductions onto the court similar to what boxers or UFC fighters normally receive. While we couldn’t figure out how much Netflix paid out to the players and to FullDay productions for producing the event, it’s clear that no expense was spared.

Several boom mics bordered each baseline to pick up every discernible sound. Rail cams on either side of the arena picked up every fault, and blistering shot down the line. And, of course, the trusty sky cam hovered above the action to make sure every crevice of the court could be covered. The English language commentary team of Agassi, Andy Roddick, Patrick McEnroe, Mary Joe Fernandez, Jim Courier, and Kay Adams have talent that would rival coverage of any tennis major, with in-match interviews in both English and Spanish you’d never get during a regular tournament.

A couple of notable technical snafus that were noticed, though they far from overshadowed a tremendous match. During the first game, you could hear the TV commentary over the loudspeakers in between points, which drew a chuckle out of Nadal and the fans but probably spooked Netflix execs from the outset. Netflix quickly resolved the issue. And during a few of the replay challenges, the results of the calls were delayed on the scoreboard, eliciting joking boos from the sold-out crowd of 9,489.

After not having played a competitive match for more than two months, some feared that Nadal wouldn’t be fit and Alcaraz would easily take both sets as they both prepared for the upcoming ATP tournament at Indian Wells. Nadal quickly swatted away those concerns, taking four of the first five games and winning the first set 6-3.

However, the 22-time Grand Slam champion began to run out of steam in the second set, quickly going down a pair of breaks and falling to Alcaraz, 6-4. In the interest of time, Netflix decided that instead of a third set, there would be a tiebreaker up to 10, win by two. For the purposes of dramatic television and riveting tennis, it proved a shrewd choice.

Nadal saved five match points, going back and forth to the pro-Rafa crowd’s delight before Alcaraz prevailed, 14-12. Celebrities and guests got their final glimpses of these sporting supernovas before heading back downstairs to the Netflix Sports Club for more cocktails and small bites, with both the Hollywood and sports media wondering if and when the next Netflix Slam would take place.

“We’re always open to doing more if the right opportunity arises,” Spitzer said Saturday, alluding to live sports specials that feel different and unique with the ability to bring in the casual sports fan. “We’ve only had four or five events before this, so honestly, we’re just excited to have the capability and figure out how live can enhance entertainment for our members.” 

The fans watching at home were likely highly entertained by what they saw Sunday in Las Vegas. The scale and scope of which Netflix will air live broadcasts in sports and other genres will be determined over time as the streamer slowly dips its proverbial toes into previously uncharted waters.

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The post Was The Netflix Slam a Glimpse of the Future of Live Sports at the Streaming Giant? appeared first on Boardroom.

A peek into today’s edition: 

• Bitcoin briefly hits $64K
• No EV car from Apple is coming
• Alphabet faces $2B lawsuit from media publishers

Bitcoin Briefly Hits $64K for the First Time in 2 Years

Suddenly, it feels like November 2021 again since Bitcoin briefly broke the $64,000 threshold earlier this week and is holding steady above $61,000 as of Friday morning. The token just closed out its best month since 2020, and its value is up 40% this year already. In this past week alone, Bitcoin was up nearly 20%. This is a big deal for the world’s most valuable digital asset, which hasn’t traded in the $60,000 range since it hit its all-time high of $68,789 in November 2021.

So, what’s driving Bitcoin’s rally right now? Demand, increased interest, spot Bitcoin ETFs, and the impending Bitcoin halving event could all be playing a role in the token’s success right now. Personally, I don’t think there is enough of the crypto to account for all this new demand, though some investors are liquidating their assets as the token climbs. It’s important to note that around the year 2140, Bitcoin will cap at 21 million total coins in circulation, meaning no more tokens will be mined after that, ever. The Bitcoin network is currently producing roughly 900 tokens per day. Originally, the halving event was supposed to happen in May, but it got pushed up due to increased demand.

I’m going to hold on to my biggest Bitcoin hot take for now, but expect to see one as my Bet of the Week very soon.

Apple Pulls the Plug on its Decade-long Electric Car Project

After 10 years of development, Apple has decided to nix its electric vehicle plans coined Project Titan, the company told employees on Tuesday. Apple CEO Tim Cook first announced the tech company’s plans to foray into the auto industry in 2017, even though reports surfaced in 2014 that Apple was building a driverless car. Apple had nearly 2,000 employees working on Project Titan, and some of them will be relocated to other AI teams while others will be laid off. Apple’s EV ambitions have been plagued with reorganizations and new leadership shuffles over the years.

Apple spent billions on its EV project, but its investors seem to be pleased it stopped development since the Big Tech company’s stock rose by 1% following the internal announcement that was prematurely leaked to the press.

TikTok Removes More of Universal Music Group’s Catalog from Platform

This week, TikTok began removing more music from Universal Music Group‘s catalog as their battle over royalties continues. UMG’s contract with TikTok ended on Jan. 31, and the pair decided not to renew it after they failed to reach a new agreement on royalties for artists and songwriters. Initially, TikTok only removed music owned and distributed by UMG, but it extended its removal to include songs published by the music company as well. That even includes some songs with non-UMG artists who feature songwriters and artists under UMG’s umbrella.

It seems like TikTok and UMG are inching further away from reaching a new agreement, but I still have faith the companies will come to some sort of resolution sooner rather than later.

Tech Talk Reviews: Bose Ultra Open Earbuds

Audio giant Bose recently launched the Ultra Open Earbuds, a new product I’ve been testing for the last month. The earbuds feature a fashion-forward, cuff-like design, and they were built for users to hear their favorite audio and physical surroundings at the same time. I shared my thoughts on Bose’s newest device in the latest edition of Tech Talk Reviews, a series highlighting my experience testing new tech gadgets, emerging platforms, apps, games, and more.

• Elon Musk is suing Sam Altman and OpenAI, alleging the company has abandoned its founding mission to develop artificial intelligence “for the benefit of humanity broadly.” The lawsuit says that OpenAI‘s focus on maximizing profits for Microsoft negates that.
• While Google announced the expansion of its Gemini AI tech in its messaging system, wearables, and Android Auto, 32 media groups banded together to hit its parent company, Alphabet, with a $2.3 billion lawsuit filed in a Dutch court. The media companies, including Axel Springer, allege that they suffered losses due to Alphabet‘s digital advertising practices.
• Automattic, the parent company of WordPress and Tumblr, is nearing a deal to sell user data to OpenAI and Midjourney, 404 Media reports. This could include private and deleted posts, so millennials, it’s time to get back into those Tumblr accounts and see what you posted back in the day.
• Meta is putting together a team focused on tackling voter disinformation and generative AI abuse in the European Parliament elections in June. The Big Tech giant will launch an Election Operations Center to mitigate threats in real-time.
• New money: Photo-sharing app Lapse closed a $30 million Series A that will go toward product and team expansion, while Humanoid robot startup Figure AI raised $675 million from notable investors, including Jeff Bezos, Nvidia, Microsoft, and OpenAI.
• Spotify announced that it paid out nearly $4.5 billion to independent labels and publishers last year, marking a new record for the streaming platform.
• Sony Interactive Entertainment is shuttering its London PlayStation studio and is laying off 900 employees, or an estimated 8% of its global workforce, from its PlayStation division. The staffing cuts come after Sony also cut its sales forecast for the PS5 after lower demand.

Nokia phone maker HMD announced a collaboration with Mattel to develop the real-life version of the Barbie Flip Phone, which is slated to be released this summer. Nostalgia and the Barbie movie will drive potential interest in the device, so I’m going to bet that sales will at least top 100,000 at launch.

The post Bitcoin Briefly Hits $64K for the First Time in 2 Years appeared first on Boardroom.

@boardroom The NFL combine is trending up and down at the same time. #nflcombine #nfl #nfldraft #calebwilliams #jaydendaniels #marvinharrisonjr ♬ original sound – Boardroom

All eyes are on Indianapolis this weekend, with the 2024 NFL Combine having kicked off on Thursday. Thousands have descended upon the Colts‘ Lucas Oil Stadium for the weekend, with executives, reporters, and players alike all hoping to leave Indy more informed on what the future holds than when they got there.

The NFL‘s annual pre-draft event has grown exponentially since originating in the 1970s and has been an economic boom for the local economy by bringing in nearly $10 million every year. Instead of simply using the event to allow teams to evaluate NFL Draft prospects, the league has turned the entire weekend into a fan experience. On top of that, millions more will be watching the telecast of these soon-to-be pro athletes performing this glorified drill session.

While it’s been a success when it comes to the Indy economy and fan interest, there’s a flip side to the NFL Combine — the main one being the various ways a prospect’s draft stock could drop via poor performance, bad test scores, or, worst-case scenario, serious injury.

Taking all of this into account, it begs the question: How is the annual event bigger than it’s ever been before, yet on the brink of being irrelevant at the same time? Boardroom’s Gabe Oshin breaks it down.

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The post The Good & Bad of the NFL Combine appeared first on Boardroom.

Early Thursday morning, Jessica Gelman‘s vibrant energy was palpable over the phone as she prepared for what could be her biggest professional weekend of the year.

The CEO of Kraft Analytics Group, the analytics and consulting firm under the auspices of the Kraft family that owns the New England Patriots and Revolution, was preparing last-minute notes for a major work meeting. The next day, the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference— which Gelman and now-Philadelphia 76ers team president Daryl Morey conceived of and co-founded at the 2006 Women’s Final Four— was set to kick off its 18th two-day edition at the Boston Convention Center.

“The overarching focus of the conference is how analytics continues to evolve and help change sports both on the business and the on-field or on-court,” Gelman told Boardroom, adding that more than 45% of this year’s speakers are women. “That’s really the cornerstone of it. It’s more like a festival where we have these very entertaining concurrent channels.”

Themes for this year’s Sloan Conference, the annual event Bill Simmons lovingly coined “dork-a-palooza,” include sports’ increasing globalization, streaming content, AI, the growth of women’s sports, and the changing college sports landscape. Gelman described the conference as more of a festival with interesting and entertaining panels taking place at multiple venues at once under the same roof.

In addition to the talks, there’s a hackathon, a startup competition, a research paper competition, and a pitch contest for graduate students, along with an element of fun. Last year, the conference featured live pickleball; this year, chessboxing takes center stage.

A major conference element Gelman takes great pride in is that it’s a student-run nonprofit.

“I love seeing how the students who we’ve been working with over the past 10 months getting to experience what they’ve built and created,” she said, “bringing the ideas they’ve had to life that make the conference unique each year.”

Another unique element is a mentorship program, now in its fourth year, geared toward people who normally wouldn’t have access to the sports industry. They receive crucial access early on in their academic or professional careers, and Gelman said it’s at the point now where former mentees are now in the position to pay it forward.

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Is it a coincidence that Gelman joined Kraft Sports Group just as the Patriots’ dynasty began? After working her way up the organization, including a six-year tenure as Vice President of Customer Marketing and Strategy, the analytics group idea came together as a technology, analytics, and strategic services company in 2016 following a two-year incubation period.

Now, KAGR helps clients ranging from the NFL, NCAA, NASCAR, and the UFC to the Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Carolina Panthers optimize their operations and fan engagement and interactions through a data-driven, customer-focused approach. Like almost every industry, AI will have a huge impact on analytics, Gelman said. Her job and focus with KAGR is to ensure the data that AI may eventually use is accurate and from the right place, guiding clients on proper AI use and application.

“Our goal is that everyone from the LA Rams to NASCAR to the NCAA can better understand their fans through data and apply it in the right way to drive fan engagement and a love of sports,” Gelman said.

The NCAA partnership announced in January aims to build the largest college sports fan database to optimize future college sports champions and events to draw the most fans and cultivate new followers. It’s the main element of a new digital strategy initiative embraced by new president Charlie Baker, who celebrates his one-year anniversary in charge on March 1.

“Kudos to the leadership of Charlie Baker and understanding the opportunity that they have,” Gelman said, “which is to ensure that fans are the ones who are actually getting to the championships that they run and host. We’re really excited to be supporting the NCAA and helping them create these more personalized experiences through better data.”

KAGR aids the NFL in a similar way, helping the league understand who the fans coming to its games are, especially what Gelman called “non-home fans.” That’s a mix of casual fans and those traveling for games who aren’t those die-hard supporters. How to reach beyond those avid fans beyond football and basketball is what she believes is critical for college sports. Beyond tournaments like softball and baseball that are held in the same location, Gelman and company are helping the NCAA find the right venues to attract and build fans in fast-rising collegiate sports like volleyball, wrestling, and gymnastics.

Gelman’s expertise in live sports makes her uniquely equipped to discuss where she thinks it’s headed over the next 12-24 months. It’s something she’ll get to apply IRL as a minority partner and alternate governor for the Utah Royals, a new NWSL expansion team beginning play this month.

“If you’ve been tracking what Steve Ballmer is doing with Intuit Dome,” Gelman said, “he’s basically not going to have TVs in suites, and they’re streamlining very few food options because they don’t want people to be in line. They want to make it flow as quickly as possible.”

That’s been the opposite of the trend over the last few years, where teams have focused arenas and venues on the communal aspects, creating more common meeting places where fans can connect in person and through social media.

“I’m very intrigued by the approach Ballmer is taking, and obviously he’s had a lot of success,” Gelman continued. “It just seems so counter to what the rest of the sports industry has done since the pre-COVID time period, where it’s been about creating more places for people to meet and convene within the venue.”

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Many teams are taking a two-pronged approach to bringing in different types of fans. There are more premium and luxury areas and offerings than ever before, but there’s also an increasingly popular plan to cheaply bring in younger fans by buying a ticket without a seat and having them hang out in communal, standing-only areas or being assigned a seat when they get to the ballpark.

Gelman recently toured the Sphere in Las Vegas, the prime example of a larger overarching effort to bring more visual, immersive experiences to live sports. That will include virtual elements to help fans feel as close to the action as possible. The question the industry will face is how it can continue to create those memories and experiences while keeping the fans present, enjoying themselves, and in the moment rather than being distracted on social media and feeling like they’re in two places at once.

“The worry for all of us is our ability to disconnect from always being on and enjoying the experience itself, which is really what I think Ballmer is going for,” Gelman said. “I look at my kids who are often watching something, and then they’re also on devices doing something else, and they probably learned that from me and my wife, who do the same thing. So that divided attention and being in two places will increasingly be what we’re trying to figure out as an industry.”

Regardless of where the future of sports is headed, Gelman has positioned herself at KAGR to be uniquely equipped with data, analytics, and industry know-how to be ready for whatever will come next.

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The post Jessica Gelman: The Woman Behind the Most Influential Conference in Sports appeared first on Boardroom.

For Chase B, this week’s episode of Aux Money is personal.

Chase sits down with Chicago’s own multi-hyphenate, Don C. As Chase and Travis huddled up in New Jersey to plan out how they wanted to take over the worlds of hip-hop, fashion, and beyond, they looked to Don C as the blueprint. Now, the two chop it up about everything from how his love for throwback jerseys and entrepreneurial hustle had him slinging jerseys on the early days of the internet to his path to serving as a creative advisor to his beloved Bulls.

For those who don’t know, Don C has established himself as one of the most well-known names in the fashion space, from opening RSVP Gallery in 2009 to being named the Creative Director of Premium Products at Mitchell & Ness. Famously known for selling M&N jerseys out of the trunk of his car, this episode dives deep into Don C’s love and admiration for the Philadelphia brand. The two even stage a history lesson, bringing out multiple jerseys from legends of the game like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Vince Carter, dropping dimes about the design of each respective throwback.

Don C dishes on some of his favorite NBA All-Star Weekend moments, the influence Virgil Abloh had on his career, who are the best-dressed athletes (with shoutouts to OBJ and SGA), and so much more.

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