RECAP: TPI Business Kickoff @Super Bowl LX 

Super Bowl weekend in San Francisco brought more than just football—it brought together athletes, founders, investors, and industry leaders for the The Players Impact Super Bowl Business Kickoff, a day focused on ownership, innovation, and building lasting legacy beyond the game. Our eighth event around the big game, this one was expertly emceed by Monica Livingston, who set the tone and guided the day with energy, clarity, and purpose.

As always, we welcome our community together for learning and networking so we started out with an insightful panel on Sports as an Asset Class: The Athlete Perspective. An athlete driven, powerful conversation on how athletes are redefining their role in the sports ecosystem—not just as players, but as owners, investors, and long-term value creators.

The discussion explored athlete-led investing, brand alignment, and the importance of thinking strategically about opportunities during and after a playing career. A consistent theme emerged: athletes who understand ownership early are better positioned to build sustainable success beyond the game. The panel was moderated by Josh Kampel of Worth Media and included athlete panelists Leslie Osborne (Pro Soccer), Nick Edwards (MMA), Marshall Faulk (NFL) and Von Miller (NFL).

Our second panel shifted the focus from income to impact, diving into how athletes and founders can apply family office principles to personal wealth strategy and long-term planning. From Earnings to Endurance: Applying Family Office Thinking to Personal Wealth was moderated by David Meltzer with Jordan Hutchinson, President of Jets & Capital; Evan Kaplan, President of the MLB Players Association (MLBPA); and Hardik Jagda, Founder, CEO, and Chairman of Proximity Works. This conversation emphasized discipline, intentional decision-making, and aligning financial strategy with personal values.

TPI’s Signature Event: Athlete-centric Pitch Competition
Innovation took center stage during our Pitch Competition, where founders presented bold ideas across sports, technology, food, and consumer brands to our panel of Athlete “Sharks”.

The exciting companies that participated included the winning company, Groov — Dan Cataldi, Praxis AI — David James Clarke, Wing Riot, Elevated Eats — TJ Anderson, Game Plan Skin Care — Gabriella Arancio

Our panel of athlete sharks included Garrett Klugh (Olympic Rower), Jake Browning (NFL), CiCi Bellis (Pro Tennis) and Rennie Curran (NFL).

Now we move to the 2-Minute Drill, where our Athlete Founders get to showcase their companies and their “off the field” efforts.

The energy accelerated with moderator by Nic Glazer spotlighting athlete-led ventures and fast, focused storytelling.
Participating Athletes and their companies were Armilla Tech — John Bronson (NFL) & Robert Griffith (NFL) is developing advanced protective performance solutions to enhance athlete safety and durability; Tenpo — Luca Deza (Pro Soccer) is a performance and wellness platform focused on optimizing training, recovery, and long-term health; and Flag50 — Lonie Paxton (NFL) is expanding access to youth flag football through structured programs that promote skill development and community engagement.

Pitching to a panel of investors Sean Jacobsohn of Norwest Ventures, Victoria Treyger of Felicis and Jen Welter (First Female NFL Coach) of Grifiron Girls.
Luca Deza and Tenpo captured the win, demonstrating the power of athlete entrepreneurship and clarity under pressure.

From insightful panels to high-energy pitch competitions, the Super Bowl Business Kickoff delivered on its mission—connecting athletes and founders with the tools, conversations, and community needed to build lasting impact.

A special thank you to all of our participants—panelists, founders, athletes, judges, moderators, and attendees—who brought their time, insight, and energy to make this event truly meaningful.

We’re also deeply grateful to our sponsors for their support in bringing this experience to life:
Sunmoon • BTA Sports • Tular • Ruvango

This is what happens when sports, business, and legacy come together. We’re already looking ahead and excited for Super Bowl 2027. See you in LA next year!

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