The CUSP Show Columbia Sports Management

Description:

Joe and Tom welcome Gary Warech, Global Leader, AI for Sports & Entertainment to speak more about sports and AI. Gary goes through his career and the diverse experiences he has been a part of. He speaks about AI and the education side of it. Gary speaks about AI’s impact on the business and the consumer side with AI technology in sports. He also speaks about the difference between open and closed source AI and how leagues deal with it. Gary speaks about what skills are needed in the AI industry and the new jobs that get developed. He speaks about startup companies that invest in new technology and presents them to the league and the impact these companies have on solving problems. Gary also speaks about the growth of AI into streaming, and the impact of AI on global broadcasting. The CUSP Show is hosted by Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR). The show is produced by Mike Schretter’25 (@mikeschrett1), LJ Holmgren (@LJ_Holmgren), and Danny Hagenlocher (@DhColumbiaSPS), with Lissa Ruiz and Felipe Velez’25​​ managing social media efforts. 





 

Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/garywarech/

 

Tom and Mike welcome back Layden Williams, Senior Manager of Athlete Marketing at LIFT Sports Management. Layden gives his background and how he ended up joining LIFT. He also discusses marketing the different athletes he works with and the parallels from his brand marketing work to athlete marketing. Layden goes on to discuss more about LIFT, their growth as an agency and LIFT Media. Lastly, Layden also discusses NBA Basketball, trends in college athletics and how LIFT continues to grow as an agency.  The CUSP Show is hosted by Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR). The show is produced by Mike Schretter’25 (@mikeschrett1), LJ Holmgren (@LJ_Holmgren), and Danny Hagenlocher (@DhColumbiaSPS), with Lissa Ruiz and Felipe Velez’25​​ managing social media efforts. 





 

Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/laydenwilliams/

https://www.liftsm.com/

 

Brian Michael Cooper talks about his career journey and becoming the President of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBA G-league, being in the XFL and Flag Football. He also talks about learning the different components of running and league and the status of American Flag Football. He compares his other experiences and how it helps me in his role at American Flag Football. He also talks about how valuable working in minor league sports is. Finally, Brian talks about the positive impact of Olympic Flag Football on the growth of the sport, the relationship between flag and the NFL and the format of the league.  The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CU_SPS_Sports and Instagram @cu_sps_sportsmanagement. The CUSP Show is hosted by Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR). The show is produced by Mike Schretter’25 (@mikeschrett1), LJ Holmgren (@LJ_Holmgren), and Danny Hagenlocher (@DhColumbiaSPS), with Lissa Ruiz and Felipe Velez’25​​ managing social media efforts.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianmichaelcooper/

Joe and Tom welcome back Matt Restivo, CEO of OddsJam to talk about OddsJam and the growth of the company. Matt expands on how he got to work with the guys at OddsJam, how Oddsjam works and their work to educate sports betters. He explains how he gets users and how OddsJam monetizes. Matt gives his take on the status of the sports betting space at this present time, including professional players' issues with gambling. He talks about X and Elon Musk and the differences between bigger and smaller companies. Lastly, he speaks about his advice for young entrepreneurs. The CUSP Show is hosted by Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR). The show is produced by Mike Schretter’25 (@mikeschrett1), LJ Holmgren (@LJ_Holmgren), and Danny Hagenlocher (@DhColumbiaSPS), with Lissa Ruiz and Felipe Velez’25​​ managing social media efforts. 





 

Links:

https://oddsjam.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattrestivo/

Joe and Tom welcome Ryan Duke, Founder of Crossover Culture. Ryan dives into his background and the development of Crossover Culture. He discusses the size of the company and how they pick the athletes they partner with. Ryan further explains what success looks with the athletes they partner with, and the nature of the deals. He expands on marketing, interacting with paid marketing outlets and using grassroots events. Ryan also talks about the impact of NIL on his business. Lastly, Ryan speaks about future potential partnerships and the vision of the company. The CUSP Show is hosted by Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR). The show is produced by Mike Schretter’25 (@mikeschrett1), LJ Holmgren (@LJ_Holmgren), and Danny Hagenlocher (@DhColumbiaSPS), with Lissa Ruiz and Felipe Velez’25​​ managing social media efforts. 





 

Links:

www.crossoverculture.com

IG: @crossoverculture 

Tik Tok: @crossoverculture

 

Joe welcomes Adrienne Smith, Creator of Blitz Champz and wide receiver for the Boston Renegades. She speaks about the development of Blitz Champz and her desire to create this company. Adrienne continues speaking about her passion, and success in tackle and flag football. She discusses her excitement about the acceleration of flag football. Adrienne talks about the impact Blitz Champz has on the global audience. Lastly, she talks about the future of women’s football, flag football, and Blitz Champs. The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CU_SPS_Sports and Instagram @cu_sps_sportsmanagement. The CUSP Show is hosted by Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR). The show is produced by Mike Schretter’25 (@mikeschrett1), LJ Holmgren (@LJ_Holmgren), and Danny Hagenlocher (@DhColumbiaSPS), with Lissa Ruiz and Felipe Velez’25​​ managing social media efforts.



 

Links:

https://www.blitzchampz.com/about