The CUSP Show

Joe and Mike welcome Adam Tropper, Co-Host of Motorsports Today Podcast and current graduate student at Columbia to talk about his NASCAR media  journey. Adam talks about how he got involved in doing a NASCAR Show, his co-hosts idea to create a show and his fandom of NASCAR. He also talks about the things he learned from getting media access, and creating his own media style. Adam talks about the process for getting media credentials and those who helped him along the way. He also speaks to the business of NASCAR and what makes it so special. Adam also speaks about the growth of the show and getting more recognition. Lastly, Adam embarks advice for establishing a media voice and creating your own brand.  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 Mike Schretter’25 and Lissa Ruiz managing social media efforts. Links:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-tropper-bba990204/ https://open.spotify.com/show/41bEUT1G90vIU4b1WrV8qU Sports Management Conference: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-columbia-university-sports-management-conference-registration-942111369467?discount=EBStudent24

Joe and Mike welcome Carlos Fuentes, student in the incoming class for Columbia's Sports Management Graduate Program. Carlos talks about his unique basketball journey including playing for FC Barcelona when he was 13 and traveling to the USA alone to play basketball when he was 15. He expands on his successful high school career and the adversity he faced to play at Denver. Carlos talks about his passion for NIL, the challenges for international athletes in the US with NIL, and how he was the first student-athlete to broker deals for his fellow teammates. Lastly, Carlos speaks about his love for basketball and the game's future in Europe, as well as the potential of NBA Europe. 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 Mike Schretter’25 and Lissa Ruiz managing social media efforts.   Links:  https://www.instagram.com/carlos.f.e/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-fuentes-esteve/   Sports Management Conference: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-columbia-university-sports-management-conference-registration-942111369467?discount=EBStudent24

Joe and Tom welcome Mary Scott, Senior Associate Director-Career Services at Columbia Sports Management to speak about her career and transition to Columbia. Mary gives insight into her background and how she found a passion for education and career guidance for students. She also talks about what she learned as a student-athlete at the University of Massachusetts, and how her business experience helps with her educational work. She also speaks about leader’s involvement on social media to audiences and how much involvement these leaders should have on these different platforms. Lastly, Mary Scott explains how she plans to help Columbia Students market themselves to succeed in sports. 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 Mike Schretter’25 and Lissa Ruiz managing social media efforts.   Links:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-scott-a6468818/   Sports Management Conference: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-columbia-university-sports-management-conference-registration-942111369467?discount=EBStudent24

Joe and Mike welcome Dedra DeLilli, Group Manager of Sponsorships for Toyota-North America. Dedra dives into her career journey and how she ended up at Toyota. She discusses how creating the first sports sponsorship practice at TD Ameritrade helped her at Toyota. Dedra goes into Toyota’s partnership with the NFL, Flag Football, and what goes into these specific partnerships. She also dives into the critical importance of the Paralympics to her and the team at Toyota. She also discusses the vital importance of these athletes' storytelling. Dedra also examines the characteristics and values of Toyota that she wants to display in all of their partnerships and how she has evolved in her sponsorship strategies. 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 Mike Schretter’25 and Lissa Ruiz managing social media efforts. Links:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dedradelilli/

Joe and Mike welcome RJ Kranz. They discuss RJ’s experience growing up in Guam, the state of Guam sports, and his passion for basketball. RJ discusses being a member of their national team and how it led to Yale, where he managed the team. He dives more into the skills he picked up at Yale, and how he wants to use sports to give back to Guam. The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can contact 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 Mike Schretter’25 and Lissa Ruiz managing social media efforts.   Links:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rj-kranz/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-64-pack-with-rj-kranz/id1548227585

Joe and Tom welcome Bronwen O’Keefe, Head of Global Brand Marketing and Content at the Harlem Globetrotters. Bronwen walks through her unique path to get to the Harlem Globetrotters. She discusses how she led in the accelerated world of content distribution and media and delivering entertainment value. Bronwen discusses Nickelodeon's jump into sports developing content and engaging in sports partnerships with leagues to get more youth fan engagement, and the importance of the NFL doing this to get confidence high in the league. Bronwen discusses the success of the brand of the Harlem Globetrotters and moving the company into a full entertainment company. She speaks more on the importance of the players and diversity in their vision. Finally, she talks about her connection to Bob and Chris Elliot. The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can contact 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 Mike Schretter’25 and Lissa Ruiz managing social media efforts.   Links:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/bronwenokeefe/

Joe and Tom welcome Stephanie Marciano, Head of Sports and Entertainment at Ally. Stephanie Marciano speaks to the success and frenzy of women’s sports and goes into her successful career to get to Ally. She speaks to growing the brand of Ally and the athletes she partners with, including her thoughts about NIL. Stephanie also speaks to social media’s impact and how it helps Ally become more inclusive. Lastly, she talks about the global market for Ally and the importance of investing in women's sports. 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/stephanie-marciano-3b757b37/https://www.ally.com/go/watch-to-change/

Joe and Scott welcome Brian Michael Cooper, President and COO of American Flag Football. 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. Brian compares his other experiences and how they helped 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 format of the league, and the relationship between Flag Football and the NFL. 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 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 Mike Schretter welcome Erin Matson, decorated field hockey star, and current national championship head coach at North Carolina. Erin speaks about her background as a player, her leadership style, and the lessons she learned from Karen Shelton. Erin also speaks to the culture at North Carolina, navigating NIL as a player and a coach and being able to continue the success of winning championships at UNC. Lastly, she speaks about being recruited to North Carolina and the future of her coaching career. 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 Jessica Potter’25 and Felipe Velez’25​​ managing social media efforts.    Links: https://goheels.com/sports/field-hockey/roster/coaches/erin-matson/4138 https://www.instagram.com/erin_matson/?hl=en

Scott Rosner, Program Director and Professor of Professional Practice welcomes Ken Shropshire, Faculty Director, Wharton Coalition for Equity & Opportunity (Wharton CEO); David W. Hauck Professor Emeritus at the Wharton School & Africana Studies; Senior Advisor to the Dean. Ken talks about what he is doing now, he and Scott’s past at Penn and the players they worked with. He also discusses the work he does with DEI opportunities outside of the sports world. He also discusses the Rooney Rule, and trends of DEI in the NFL. He and Scott also discuss how to fix intercollegiate athletics. Finally, he discusses the importance of the athletes thriving later on in their lives. 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 Jessica Potter’25 and Felipe Velez’25​​ managing social media efforts.   Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-shropshire-wharton/

Joe and Scott welcome Kenyon Rasheed, Founder/CEO, Pro Club Agency and Brian Jones, American sports radio and television host and Former American Football Linebacker. They both speak about their career journey and their entrepreneurial path. They explain introducing medical technologies to the NFL and how it led to figuring out inefficiencies in recruiting. They speak about Edge three, making data better and how they are a commercial business that the audience needs. 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 Jessica Potter’25 and Felipe Velez’25​​ managing social media efforts   Links:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/edge-3-ai/

Joe and Guest Co-Host Mike Schretter’25 welcome Dr.Lindsey Sarah Krasnoff, Consultant & Historian, Communications & Global Sports. Lindsey discusses her new book and basketball being a vehicle for change. She also discusses the business involvement of French-based NBA Players and the power of effective communication. Krasnoff details pro divisions in France, the Wemby Effect and the power of Sports Diplomacy in helping bring people together.  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

Joe and Guest Co-Host Mike Schretter’25 welcome Mo’ne Davis’25, former D1 Athlete, Dodgers Intern, Little League World Series Star and Current Full-Time Graduate Student at Columbia. Mo’ne discusses her background and past story. She also speaks about competing with guys, her relationship with Scott Bandura, and the different internships she did. She also discusses the desire to own a women’s soccer or basketball team someday. Lastly, Mo’ne talks about the people and athletes that impacted her, the skills she learned at Hampton and Columbia and believing in herself. 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 Jessica Potter’25 and Felipe Velez’25 managing social media efforts.    Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monee_011/  Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/moneyybag_mo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mo-ne-davis-2b586821b/

Tom and Joe welcome Christian Matthews, Vice President-Partnership Development, the Americas at Williams F1, to discuss his sports journey,his past work with the Washngton Commanders and how he got to Williams F1. Christian shares the differences between F1 and the NFL and what Williams F1 is as a group. He also discusses the F1 races,  Williams' pitch to partners, and offers advice for future sports industry professionals. 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 Pablo Aycart ‘24 (@pablo_aycart),  Hernan Gonzalez Ramirez ‘24 (@hdgonzalezr28), Jessica Potter’25 and Felipe Velez’25​​ managing social media efforts.       Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiansmatthews/

In a special edition, Joe and guest host Mike Schretter’25 welcome Mike Gao’25, social content and publishing project employee with the NBA Global Partnerships ( China) and Part-Time Columbia Student to learn about how he navigates being a student and working for the NBA. Mike Gao and Schretter share their collegiate basketball journey. Gao  discusses how he developed a passion for social content and discusses going viral. He also discusses  time management and balancing mental health. Gao also speaks about his current role with the NBA and promoting content to Chinese basketball fans . He also discussed the impact of the NBA on the Chinese communities,  the evolution of content, and how his upbringing brought him to where he is today.  Lastly, he goes into the skills he learned, and how he wants to overcome doubters . 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 Pablo Aycart ‘24 (@pablo_aycart)  and Hernan Gonzalez Ramirez ‘24 (@hdgonzalezr28)​​ managing social media efforts.   Links: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-gao-1a1573229/ Mike’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mike_gao35/

Tom and Joe welcome Anneliese Mesilati of UBS to learn about her job and priorities. Anneliese shares her relationship with sponsorships and activations with F1 and other relevant sports events such as the Super Bowl. She discusses the importance of media, evolution of the business, social media and the sources for helping aid in social media . Anneliese also speaks about the art space of UBS. Lastly, she explains why sustainable investing is so important for UBS. 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 Pablo Aycart ‘24 (@pablo_aycart)  and Hernan Gonzalez Ramirez ‘24 (@hdgonzalezr28)​​ managing social media efforts. Links:  Anneliese Mesilati (Linkedin): https://www.linkedin.com/in/anneliese-mesilati-1904139/ UBS Sponsorships-Link: https://www.mercedesamgf1.com/partners/ubs

Joe and Tom are joined by Andy Dolich(@Koufish), President of Dolich Consulting and Commissioner of Fan Controlled Baseball (FCB). Andy Dolich brings over five decades of executive experience in the sports industry, including front-office positions in the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL. In this episode, Andy shares his insights on how leaders react, protect their organization’s image, and address critical social issues in the major professional sports leagues. Andy discusses how fandom has evolved over the years and the unprecedented possibilities with the integration of technology and sports. He talks about how they are transforming a fan’s experience through immersive technologies at Fan Controlled Football. Andy also talks about Gen-Z to traditional sports, NFTs, Crypto, how to attract money, the importance of education, and much more. Finally, he shares his experience of being fired twice at the beginning of his career and discusses the importance of teamwork, leadership, and trust in building organizations. 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. The CUSP Show is hosted by Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR). The show is produced by Yash Agarwal ‘22 (@yashagarwall655), Matt Hornick ‘23 (@MNHornick), and Cindy Li ‘23 (@cindyliiiii), with Jillian Quinn ‘22 (@JillianMQuinn) and Marco Vonderheide ‘23 managing social media efforts.