The ROAR Podcast

ROAR

The ROAR Podcast powered by Seregh and Northwestern University’s School of Professional Studies features dynamic sports industry leaders globally who share their unique career insights and perspectives on a wide range of topics related to the business of sports, including real estate, economics, marketing, branding, media, sponsorship, events, and public policy.    Founded in 2021 and hosted weekly by Northwestern Master of Arts in Sports Administration (MSA) faculty members Adam Grossman and Brice Clinton, along with Caroline Valvardi from Seregh, notable guests have included Milwaukee Bucks President Peter Feigin, ESPN's Sara Spain, and NHL Chief Marketing Officer Heidi Browning.   Grossman is also Chief Analytics Officer at Seregh, a global real estate company that develops and invests in sports and entertainment mixed-use districts surrounding stadiums and arenas. In fall 2025, Seregh acquired ROAR, a sports data analytics company founded by Grossman. 

  1. 3d ago ·  Video

    The ROAR Podcast: Jackie Krutz

    Jackie Krutz started her career as a therapist. Today she leads development at Titletown, the Green Bay Packers’ 45-acre mixed-use district just west of Lambeau Field. In this episode, co-host Caroline Valvardi talks with Jackie about her unusual path. She left counseling psychology for real estate during the 2008 downturn and helped shape community at Playa Vista in Los Angeles. Then a cold email to the Packers changed her trajectory. Jackie explains why roughly a quarter of Titletown is free public space, and how the Packers’ community ownership shapes the way the district is planned and run. She also describes what it took to prove that a market like Green Bay could support this kind of development. The conversation also covers Titletown’s atypical financing model, the role of TIF in funding infrastructure, and how the district reset local expectations for rents and home prices. Jackie shares a surprising data point from Titletown Flats: residents who leave their units are often upgrading to bigger apartments in the same building. 00:00 Welcome and introduction 00:32 From therapist to real estate 03:00 The Hail Mary email to the Packers 05:49 What is Titletown? 07:40 Beyond game day: year-round activation 09:31 Lessons from Playa Vista 12:55 Community ownership as a differentiator 15:07 Balancing residents, tenants, and visitors 18:41 Challenges, opportunities, and the next parcels 23:56 Economic impact on Green Bay 26:00 Resetting market expectations 29:54 The capital stack: how Titletown was funded 32:24 Why TIF matters 35:15 Building public support 37:45 Data and AI in decision-making 42:22 The surprising apartment data 45:03 Becoming a Packers fan 46:36 Impact and legacy

  2. Oct 22 ·  Video

    The ROAR Podcast: Rick Wade

    Rick Wade is Senior Vice President of Strategic Alliances and Outreach at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he leads the organization’s work connecting small businesses, athletes, and the broader business community to the sports economy. He grew up in Lancaster, South Carolina. He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of South Carolina and a master’s in public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. His career has moved between business and government. He served as chief of staff to South Carolina’s lieutenant governor and as a vice president at Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina, and he ran for South Carolina Secretary of State. In 2007 he joined then-Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign as a senior advisor. He later served at the U.S. Department of Commerce, where he led trade missions around the world. After founding a global advisory firm, Rick began working with the U.S. Chamber as a consultant in 2016. He has been there ever since and has served six years on the board of USA Track & Field. 00:00 Welcome to The ROAR Podcast 00:47 Rick's non-linear path:  01:45 The phone call from Senator Obama 02:56 From Commerce to consulting, and crashing the Chamber's party 05:06 What the U.S. Chamber is, and why it's focused on sports 08:48 Mega events as long-term economic engines 12:24 Sports districts and why "all business is local" 13:58 Using data to drive policy 15:33 Small businesses and AI adoption 18:24 Balancing large tenants and local businesses in districts 19:35 The 2027 NFL Draft and small business procurement 21:11 Athletes as "pro CEOs" and the Hiring Our Athletes idea 24:43 NIL and support for college athletes 25:21 Why athlete entrepreneurs need different support 27:54 Leading across the public and private sectors 32:08 Sport as a unifier and sports diplomacy 33:32 What brings Rick joy 37:51 What's next for Rick and the Chamber 38:55 Wrap-up: "Let's ROAR together"

  3. Oct 15 ·  Video

    Best of The ROAR Podcast: Kirtan Mehta

    We’re resurfacing one of our favorite conversations this week. Kirtan Mehta, Chief External Affairs Officer for the Washington Commanders, joined Caroline Valvardi for a clear-eyed look at one of the most complex real estate projects in American sports — and it’s only gotten more relevant as the RFK project moves forward. From Harvard Law to two U.S. Senate offices to an early stint at Robinhood, Kirtan brings a government-relations lens you rarely hear in sports business. The conversation covers aligning owners, fans, and three separate jurisdictions; the case for building a neighborhood rather than just a stadium; how data and AI are being deployed from construction phasing to fan experience; and the leadership ethos the franchise calls the Commander Standard. If you missed it the first time, this is the one to start with.  00:00 Best of — intro 00:31 An unlikely path: math, mock trial, law, and politics 03:02 What Capitol Hill experience brings — politics as "a sport of addition" 04:52 Finding intersection among diverse stakeholders 06:04 Translating between groups — the 11–2 DC Council vote 07:49 Why listening is the underrated skill in public affairs 11:46 Three jurisdictions and the federal-land overlay of the RFK site 14:42 Building a real estate team for a real estate project 17:12 Legislative timelines and the 2030 / 2031 World Cup deadlines 20:05 The $2.7B case: housing, environment, and a food desert 21:40 The Nationals ballpark as the blueprint everyone points to 24:23 Partnering with the city — and the mayor's role 26:57 Data & AI: Voice of Fans, the team's RFI, and a roofed stadium 30:51 Experiential design inside and outside the stadium 34:25 The transportation puzzle: Metro, tunnels, and a river 36:09 What drives him: service, joy, and a product you believe in 38:56 Leadership and the Commander Standard — the five C's 41:15 Close

  4. Oct 8 ·  Video

    The ROAR Podcast: Lauren Adams

    When the final whistle blew at World Cup matches this summer, fans weren't ready to go home. Where the stadium gave them a place to gather, they stayed. Where it didn't, the party moved elsewhere, sometimes miles away. Adam sits down with Lauren Adams, Global Director of Lifestyle Research at Gensler and lead author of The Fandom Effect: Sports Urbanism 2026. It's a three-part study from the Gensler Research Institute, Oxford Economics, and ROAR, and the research tracked fans before, during, and after the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It combined a baseline survey of fans across the U.S. and Canada, real-time social listening tied to every host stadium, and a post-tournament survey of host-city residents. Together, those show how a global event shaped the way fans felt about their venues, their districts, and their cities. Lauren and Adam unpack the study's headline finding. Fans used words like "we" and "us" 70% more often when posting from the public spaces outside the stadium than from inside the bowl. When they used awe words like "goosebumps" and "electric," that collective language jumped 189%. They also cover "afterglow," the spontaneous celebrations after a match, and what it means when a stadium ringed with parking sends that energy somewhere else. 00:00 Intro: The afterglow that went to Times Square 01:55 Welcome, Lauren Adams 02:17 Inside The Fandom Effect: before, during, and after the World Cup 04:41 The loneliness crisis and the stadium as the new town square 06:45 The scale of the study 08:09 Voice of the Fan and AI-powered language analysis 10:00 "We" vs. "I": collective language outside the bowl 11:41 Designing for awe: lessons from Rockefeller Center 13:52 From crowd to community: access and programming 16:21 The "awe-free zone": entry, ingress, and safety 18:50 Inside the bowl: whistle-to-whistle documentarians 20:59 What is afterglow? 23:07 How ROAR measured afterglow 24:50 New York / New Jersey and the afterglow catcher's mitt 28:26 Families, locals, and superfans 32:45 A catcher's mitt for everything: zoned programming 33:30 Collective effervescence explained 35:09 What's next for Gensler and host cities 37:52 Lessons for everyday game days 40:22 Expanding the fan base beyond the core 41:34 Designing for the next 5–10 years 43:36 Wrap-up

  5. Oct 1 ·  Video

    The ROAR Podcast: Nick Elam

    In 2007, a young high school math teacher in Ohio asked a simple question: why does the end of a basketball game reward teams for breaking the rules? His answer was to turn off the clock and play to a target score. It took a decade of cold outreach, rejection, and reinvention before TBT gave it a shot in a small Division II gym in Philadelphia. Since then, the Elam Ending has been used at the NBA All-Star Game and in the NBA G League, the Canadian Elite Basketball League, Unrivaled, the Women's College All-Star Game, and grassroots leagues around the world. Adam Grossman sits down with Dr. Nick Elam to talk about the persistence it took to get a radical idea adopted, why simplifying the concept was the breakthrough, and the call from the NBA that came while Nick was sitting in an airport terminal. They also explore why rule changes matter far beyond the court, shaping fan experience, ticket sales, and sponsorship value. Finally, they make the case for a dedicated innovation segment in sports media. In this episode: How the flaws of late-game basketball (intentional fouls, stalling, and "blooper reel" shots) sparked the ideaPitching roughly 80 commissioners, executives, and media members, and why a thoughtful "no" still mattersWhy moving to a flat target number made the concept easier to sellWhy TBT was the ideal first home, and the comeback that won over the crowdThe NBA All-Star Game run, and why exhibitions are a different testNick's take on MLB's pitch clock, pickoff limits, and the ghost runner ruleRule changes as a "recalibration" that restores the style of play fans love00:00 Introduction 01:58 Welcome and What Is the Elam Ending? 03:35 A Math Teacher's Lightbulb Moment 06:58 Ten Years of Tomorrows 09:27 Learning to Sell a Radical Idea 13:41 Early Believers: Dan Bonner and the ABA 16:53 Inside TBT: The Perfect Landing Spot 20:00 That First Weekend in Philadelphia 23:46 The Call from the NBA 26:43 Why Rules Drive Revenue 27:59 Pitch Clocks, Ghost Runners, and Recalibration 30:29 The NBA All-Star Game Run 33:58 Building a Personal Brand 35:52 The Case for an Innovation Expert in Sports Media 38:44 Wrap-Up

  6. Sep 24 ·  Video

    The ROAR Podcast: Ferran Prieto

    When Pau Gasol went looking for someone to run his business in 2015, he wasn't looking for a sports insider. He wanted someone who could be Catalan in Barcelona, Spanish in Madrid, and American in the U.S., and who understood investing, startups, and leadership. He found that in Ferran Prieto, a Barcelona-born engineer whose career ran through the automotive industry, General Motors' corporate strategy and venture team, and Dan Gilbert's startup ecosystem. Nearly eleven years later, Ferran is CEO and Managing Director of Gasol 16 Ventures and Managing Partner at Everest Advisory Services. In this conversation with Caroline Valvardi, he explains why athletes in the U.S. are years ahead of their European counterparts in building businesses during their careers, and what cultural pressures keep many European stars quiet until retirement. He breaks down the three pillars of Gasol 16 Ventures: Pau's institutional role in sports, including the Olympic movement; the Gasol Foundation's work against childhood obesity; and a business arm spanning brand partnerships, advisory work, and investments across sports, health, and wellness. Ferran also shares where he sees the biggest opportunities in sports as an asset class. He's bullish on women's sports and on the WNBA, where he invested early. He explains why investors increasingly want to know whether a team controls the real estate around its venue. And he looks at MotoGP and select startup leagues. He discusses how data and AI help him compare deals, why confidentiality and human review still matter, and the advice he gives athletes: use your platform while you're competing, because the window closes faster than you think. In this episode: Ferran's path from automotive engineering to running Pau Gasol's businessThe differences between U.S. and European athletes as business leadersWhy honesty and "earning your role every day" sustain long-term athlete relationshipsInside Gasol 16 Ventures and Everest Advisory ServicesThe investment case for women's sports and the WNBASports-anchored real estate and why owning your venue matters more as valuations riseHow AI is changing deal evaluation, and where to stay cautiousLeadership lessons and career advice for active athletes 00:00 Welcome and Spain's World Cup win 02:00 Ferran's path 04:25 Founding Everest and helping athletes plan for life after sports 05:34 Athletes as business leaders 08:43 What makes athlete relationships last 11:47 Inside Gasol 16 Ventures 16:06 Everest Advisory Services 17:24 Where the investment opportunities are 19:58 Sports-anchored real estate 22:07 Finding markets where athletes have an unfair advantage 24:37 How data and AI shape deal evaluation 27:41 Using AI responsibly 31:48 The passion of sports and the athlete's superpower 37:36 The early WNBA bet and the league's rise 39:44 Leadership philosophy and advice for active athletes 43:39 Wrap-up

  7. Sep 17 ·  Video

    The ROAR Podcast: Mike Carney

    Most sports real estate conversations start the same way: the venue anchors the district, and the district delivers the return. Mike Carney is building from the opposite direction. Mike is the head of On Deck Partners, the minor league baseball platform established inside Avenue Capital Group's sports fund, which came to market in December with its first two club acquisitions in Visalia and Montgomery and has since added Wilmington. He's explicit that On Deck is not a real estate developer. The thesis is that in a small or mid-sized market, the ballpark already functions as the community's central entertainment hub and anything built around it should be designed to reinforce that hub, not compete with it. Residential is the early area of interest, including player housing, a recurring ask from both municipalities and major league affiliates. Before On Deck, Mike spent ten years with the Washington Nationals, arriving in 2015 from a data engineering and consulting background and eventually leading business operations. He walks Adam through what actually changed on the data side across that decade: a club that started with ticketing data used only to run a ticketing business, a centralized platform MLB built in partnership with Google, and the customer data and marketing automation work that mostly landed post-pandemic. He also gets specific about what worked with fans targeted surprise-and-delight credits, a Kids Eat Free program he's now looking at for the minor league clubs and his read on the trade fans will make: they'll share data when they feel they're getting value back. The conversation covers the harder parts too. Managing the business through a rebuild with no control over the on-field product. Planning around winning streaks and quiet stretches rather than projected win totals. Zip-tying seats and re-manifesting the ballpark coming out of the shutdown, which Mike names as one of his fondest memories with his team. And on leadership, a position he returns to repeatedly: transparency up and down, and no surprises in either direction. On AI, Mike draws a sharp line. Because minor league front offices are already running lean, he argues this is a growth play rather than a headcount play — which means AI has to eventually touch fans, and that's exactly where he's slowing down. On Deck is leaning in on internal workflows and creative production, and holding back on anything that puts a non-human between the club and a customer in communities built on relationships. 00:00 Welcome and introductions 00:40 On Deck Partners, and ten years with the Nationals 01:59 NASA, consulting, and the move into sports data 03:57 What data looked like at the Nationals in 2015 06:21 How fans actually want to be marketed to 08:19 Winning on the field vs. working the business side 10:27 COVID: revenue to zero, and the return 12:32 Zip-tying seats and working the concessions register 12:57 Managing the business through a rebuild 15:29 Getting alignment up and down the organization 17:12 Leadership: the decisions get harder 18:58 A decade of change in data and technology 20:42 Leaving the Nationals for On Deck Partners 23:44 Avenue Capital, the sports fund, and the thesis 26:02 Why multi-club ownership changes the math 28:38 The real estate and mixed-use thesis 30:59 Real estate that feeds the ballpark, not the reverse 33:02 Programming mix, residential, and player housing 34:10 Institutional capital in minor league baseball 36:01 AI as a growth play, not a headcount play 38:55 Where On Deck is using AI today 40:31 What AI-powered growth looks like at the ballpark 42:06 Closing thoughts

  8. Sep 10 ·  Video

    The ROAR Podcast: Steve Lefton

    Steve Lefton has spent twenty-nine years at what he jokingly calls "the largest firm you've never heard of." Kimley-Horn is eleven thousand people across a hundred and sixty offices — engineers, planners, landscape architects and environmental scientists who handle nearly everything on a project except the architecture. As Executive Chair, and previously as president and CEO during a stretch in which the firm doubled in size, Lefton has watched sports venues transform from standalone buildings into full districts that have to work three hundred and sixty-five days a year. He joins Caroline to trace that shift from the ground up. The conversation moves from his early redevelopment work in post-Hurricane Andrew Miami, to why the districts that succeed feel like organic neighborhoods rather than projects, to the scale problem hiding in plain sight: a New York City block runs about three acres, and these developments can span sixteen to a hundred blocks. That math, he argues, makes public partnership unavoidable. Along the way: what a Kimley-Horn employee is doing beside a police officer on game day with an earpiece in, how the firm moved 2.8 million fans during the World Cup, where Lefton draws the line on AI in a profession of licensed professionals, and why a Commanders project on the RFK site is personal. 00:00 Welcome 00:52 What sports mean to him: family, coaching, and a son playing college lacrosse 03:37 Cornell, landscape architecture, and the "spaces in between" 06:05 Leading Kimley-Horn: doubling the firm in seven years 07:37 Two projects that shaped him: the Miami River Corridor and Midtown Miami 10:36 "The largest firm you've never heard of" — and how the sports practice grew 14:11 Public-private partnerships and playing the honest broker 16:33 Beyond the deal: moving 2.8 million fans at the World Cup 19:54 AI as amplifier: agents on the team and moving up the value chain 22:52 Where he's cautious: faster isn't better, and what a licensed profession can't outsource 25:04 Game day traffic ops: the earpiece, the command center, "go green north" 29:20 What makes a district work: organic neighborhoods, art and science, silo delivery 34:17 Mobility, not transportation — and creating value 365 days a year 36:36 Local insight at national scale, and why the Battery is still the gold standard 37:37 Full circle: Formula One, the Commanders, and RFK with his dad 41:34 Leadership and humility: "you're not that important"

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Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

The ROAR Podcast powered by Seregh and Northwestern University’s School of Professional Studies features dynamic sports industry leaders globally who share their unique career insights and perspectives on a wide range of topics related to the business of sports, including real estate, economics, marketing, branding, media, sponsorship, events, and public policy.    Founded in 2021 and hosted weekly by Northwestern Master of Arts in Sports Administration (MSA) faculty members Adam Grossman and Brice Clinton, along with Caroline Valvardi from Seregh, notable guests have included Milwaukee Bucks President Peter Feigin, ESPN's Sara Spain, and NHL Chief Marketing Officer Heidi Browning.   Grossman is also Chief Analytics Officer at Seregh, a global real estate company that develops and invests in sports and entertainment mixed-use districts surrounding stadiums and arenas. In fall 2025, Seregh acquired ROAR, a sports data analytics company founded by Grossman. 

Information

  • Creator
    ROAR
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    181
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 ROAR
  • Show Website
    The ROAR Podcast

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