We are lucky to have a student from Elon University, Noah Zaret, working with us this summer. We have asked Noah to go back and break down some of the best episodes of the CUSP Show, the Columbia University Sports Podcast. Starting off with the 50th anniversary of Title IX this week, are ones we have done recently with powerful impactful people who happen to be women. The first three and more recent, are Sarah Flynn of Thirty Five Ventures, Nicole Jeter West of Underdog Ventures and activist and young leader Noor Abukaram. More from key episodes to follow…all episodes can be found here as well.
Building a Sports Business, Media and Investment company w/ Sarah Flynn
Thirty Five Ventures: Sarah Flynn – Chief Marketing Officer, trusted advisor to Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman.
Sarah Flynn (@flynnwaslike), Chief Marketing Officer at Thirty Five Ventures, a venture capital and multi-media company founded by the two-time NBA Champion Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman. Sarah got her start at Roc Nation in 2013, running their music and sports marketing ventures before joining Thirty Five Ventures in their nascent stages. In this episode, Sarah discusses her career story, evolution of the media industry, consumer engagement behavior, digital marketing and investment strategy for Thirty Five Ventures and their three business verticals. She describes how the organization is always looking to stay ahead of the curve with emerging technologies and trends including NFTs, Metaverse, NIL etc. Additionally, she dives deep into the launch of Boardroom.tv, a multi-media sports business platform with newsletter, two flagship podcasts, premium videos, writing, news and much more
Key learnings.
Understanding consumer marketing and consumer behavior will lead to an understanding of how to approach a specific audience and what they are looking for.
Boardroom.TV – The premium videos and short form content give athletes the opportunity to talk about how they build their side businesses and what they are trying to focus on; gives them the opportunity to talk about what they are passionate about (outside of sports) as opposed to just talking about their respective sport.
Sarah mentions how it is important for Thirty Five Ventures to stay up to date with what is and what is not working in the world of NFT, Metaverse, crypto, etc. This virtuous circle is constantly changing.
Career advice from Sarah: Be honest with yourself with what you know and do not know (you can always learn more), ask people questions when you do not know something (do not pretend you know everything).
You can listen to the full episode here.
The Entreprenurial Mindset with Nicole Jeter West
Nicole Jeter West is CEO of Underdog Venture Team, a hybrid VC fund and marketing services business with a mission to promote investment in businesses founded by women and people of color. Prior to Underdog, Nicole has worked at the New York Knicks, USTA, Legends, LA 2028, and more. In this episode, Nicole talks about her start in the sports industry and how she has combined her entrepreneurial drive with her passion for sports, fashion, and more. Additionally, Nicole provides invaluable expertise for young entrepreneurs, highlighting the importance of diversity, trust, and interpersonal relationships.
Key learnings.
Always be a curious listener willing to learn. Don’t assume, no matter what place your are working, that you cannot learn more.
Make lists, keep track of your progress and share your progress internally so that you are achieving your goals. Your position is only defined by you.
Have strong mentors and look to drive a positive culture. Take every opportunity to progress forward not just in the workplace, but personally and professionally.
Don’t get stale in your position. We can always look elsewhere for inspiration and learning, and then apply that learning back to what we are doing today, or want to do tomorrow.
Have the right support system around you, whether you are working for a large expansive company, or at a startup in your kitchen. Survival and growth comes from collaboration, not isolation.
You can listen to the full episode here.
Fighting Discrimination and Injustices in Sports w/ Noor Abukaram
We are joined by Noor Alexandria Abukaram, Founder of Let Noor Run. In this episode, Noor discusses how her disqualification from a 5K cross-country race in Ohio because of her ‘hijab’ drove her to start the Let Noor Run initiative. She explains how her story shed light on the broader discriminatory policies against participation in sports, which led the state senator to take action and introduce a bill that prohibited organizations from implementing discriminatory policies in interscholastic activities in Ohio. Noor also talks about the steps she took to start Let Noor Run and now managing the organization alongside her school. Noor discusses our critical role as young people in anchoring change and the importance of voicing our opinions in front of policymakers. Here is the trailer from her ESPN documentary as well.
Key Learnings.
After she ran one of the best runs of her life she was looking for her rankings to see her time but her name was not listed. Noor’s team members told her after she asked them that she was disqualified. Noor assumed it was the bracelet she was wearing because cross country has strict rules, but it was actually her hijab.
A State senator in Ohio asked to meet her for coffee and talk but then later on Noor found out from her lawyer that there was a bill written up that prohibits discrimination in interscholastic activities.
Noor’s story provided and shed light onto the discriminatory actions that are apparent in sports today.
Be a postive activist by being the communicator to all communities and how it represents religious freedom.
Going forward Noor hopes to introduce this bill to other states that are having similar situations to herself.
You can listen to the full episode here.
Thanks and enjoy!
