The Profluence Pod 🌐

Jonathan Lupinelli is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of UNLMTD Soccer (formerly Soccer Roof), where he leads operational strategy, facility development, and network expansion across North America. Before building one of the fastest-growing urban sports facility networks in the country, Jonathan spent over a decade competing at the highest levels of global soccer, developing through FC Bordeaux's renowned academy system in France before playing alongside World Cup champion Antoine Griezmann at Real Sociedad in Spain.A former elite youth player in FC Bordeaux’s academy, Jonathan moved to the US to earn a degree at Southern New Hampshire University, where he won an NCAA National Championship. Following a tenure in USL and a corporate role in executive operations at Major League Soccer, Jonathan co-founded Soccer Roof in 2019. Under his leadership, the venture has evolved into a high-growth network of urban small-sided soccer facilities, expanding across major US metropolitan markets and rebranding to UNLMTD Soccer to accelerate its national expansion.In this episode, Jonathan explains the details of the business mechanics, unit economics, and scaling playbook behind urban sports infrastructure. Jonathan breaks down the operational drivers behind rebranding from Soccer Roof to UNLMTD Soccer, their balanced 50/50 revenue model across adult leagues and youth programming, their capital strategy for scaling to 50+ locations, and how they integrate AI camera technology to deliver pro-level analytics to amateur players.

Gary Green is the CEO of Alliance Building Services, Principal Owner of Baseball America, Co-Owner of the Richmond Flying Squirrels, and Founder & Managing Partner of Union Omaha.Starting his entrepreneurial journey by founding Alliance Building Services at age 26, Gary scaled the venture into a 5,000-employee facility services powerhouse servicing premier sports venues like Yankee Stadium and Citi Field. He leveraged his operational success to venture into sports franchise entrepreneurship in 2009 by acquiring the Norwich Navigators (relocated to become the Richmond Flying Squirrels). A subsequent meeting with Warren Buffett led to acquiring the AAA Omaha Storm Chasers. Today, Gary continues to build across sports media and technology as Principal Owner of Baseball America and CEO of CounterSpike, a drink-spiking deterrence technology ecosystem.In this episode, Gary unpacks the playbook for sports entrepreneurs building, scaling, and monetizing sports assets. Gary breaks down how to spot mispriced sports properties, comparing the cash-flow stability of Minor League Baseball against the high-upside venue development play of USL soccer. He also discusses private equity’s entry into sports valuations, navigating public-private stadium deals, and using sports franchises as testing grounds for early-stage tech ventures.

Gavin Ferlic, Co-Founder and CEO of TayCo Brace, joins host Andrew Petcash to discuss the origin, engineering, and commercialization of the TayCo Brace, an external ankle brace designed at the University of Notre Dame to fit outside the shoe rather than inside it.Spurred by Notre Dame associate athletic trainer Mike Bean’s observations of paratrooper gear and medical insights from Gavin’s father (Dr. Fred Ferlic, a retired orthopedic surgeon), TayCo Brace addresses a core issue with traditional bracing: space restrictions inside athletic footwear. By bracing externally, the product anchors into the rigid structure of the shoe, utilizing an I-beam engineering principle that increases width to deliver 2.5 times the lateral stability of internal braces without restricting vertical range of motion or required foot clearance.In this episode, Gavin breaks down the biomechanical mechanics of the brace, its application as a lighter alternative to rigid walking boots (the RecoverX line), its adoption across the NFL and NCAA, and the operational transition into direct-to-consumer healthcare sales to bypass health system purchasing friction.

Rich Routman is the President of Minute, a global sports and culture content, publishing, and technology company. Returning to the Profluence Podcast as its first repeat guest, Rich brings decades of experience leading major media platforms, having previously served as CEO of The Sporting News and holding senior executive roles across digital sports publishing and distribution.Minute operates a dual business model combining a direct-to-consumer editorial portfolio, which includes iconic brands like Sports Illustrated, The Players' Tribune, FanSided, and Mental Floss—with a robust B2B technology and video distribution infrastructure anchored by STN Video. This operational strategy balances owned-and-operated media environments with syndicated video highlight distribution for major leagues like the NFL, MLB, NBA, F1, NASCAR, and the PGA Tour.In this episode, Rich evaluates the state of modern sports publishing. Rich breaks down how publishers can weather search engine algorithm changes by placing brands back at the center of their distribution strategy, the operational mechanics of creator-publisher collaborations, the strategic criteria for digital media M&A, and the rise of Connected TV (CTV) and FAST channels as the future of home-screen video consumption.

David Brickley is the CEO and Founder of STN Digital, a specialized social media and digital marketing agency serving professional sports franchises, leagues, media networks, and elite athletes. Drawing from an early career in sports broadcasting—including hosting live post-game shows for LakersNation, interviewing Kobe Bryant, and producing at Fox Sports Radio—David launched STN Digital in 2013 to bridge the gap between sports organizations and digital-native fanbases.STN Digital architects and executes end-to-end digital strategies across major North American sports leagues (NFL, NBA, WNBA, NWSL) and corporate brands. The agency focuses on content creation, social performance optimization, and audience activation—specializing in high-profile "surge moments" such as Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever debut, NFL draft campaigns, and major team launches. STN Digital’s methodology treats organic social media as a top-of-funnel trust-building asset while converting digital engagement into sponsorable inventory and commercial revenue.In this episode, David unpacks the evolution of sports digital media over the last decade. David breaks down how to reverse-engineer fan psychology, the operational mechanics of preparing for viral franchise milestones, the distinction between brand marketing and lower-funnel sales campaigns, and why Fortune 500 companies are shifting from traditional linear media buying to owned brand studios and live creator partnerships.