PODCAST

The Upside Newsletter

Julien Blin

Data, insights, and stories from the world of sports, business, and technology. www.theupside.us

All Episodes

21:27

⭐Upside VC Profile: LEAD & Chat with Thomas Rudy,...

The Upside Newsletter ·

2025/01/10

Here is below the logos of LEAD’s portfolio startups:Source: LEADLEAD is a global venture corporation dedicated to enhancing lives through sports and health tech. With a family of funds investing across all stages of venture and a cutting-edge advisory division, we have expanded on the traditional Venture Capital model. We are a leading collective of global investors, innovators, and athletes, joining forces to make meaningful progress, one idea at a time. Originally inspired by Adi Dassler and the

22:10

🔥Upside Chat: Dr Ron Dick, Duquesne University, Ex...

The Upside Newsletter ·

2025/01/07

This week we had the honor to interview again Dr. Ron Dick, associate professor of sports marketing at Duquesne University in the school of business. Ron also worked for 20 years in sports, including 15 years in the NBA with the Sixers and the Nets, and then five years in the NCAA.You can read the full transcript of the podcast interview with Ron located at the top of this blog post.Here are some of the best quotes of our conversation with Ron:1. On the CNBC rankings of the 75 most valuable college

32:37

🎙️ Upside Chat with Pierre Vespignani, CEO of EZTM,...

The Upside Newsletter ·

2025/01/06

Today we have the honor of interviewing Pierre Vespignani, CEO of EZTM, an AMS platform that can be used by the performance and medical staff of clubs. Pierre is the former physio of the Olympique de Marseille a top Ligue 1 team. EZTM built an Athlete Management System (AMS) platform. Unlike many existing solutions, it was created to address specific gaps we identified in the international market. They started by studying the tools already used in professional clubs, such as Excel tables for

39:48

🔥Upside Chat with Andrea Hudy (UCONN/NCAA), Drew...

The Upside Newsletter ·

2025/01/02

This week we had the honor to interview again a group of sports performance experts.* Andrea Hudy, the director of sports performance for the University of Connecticut (UCONN)’s women basketball team, a top NCAA team.* Drew Lukes, Senior PT at Duke University and the head of sports science for Duke university’s women soccer team, a top NCAA team.* Michael Messer, the head of rehabilitation for Nashville SC, a top MLS team.You can read the full transcript of the podcast interview with Andrea, Drew

24:46

🎙️ Upside Chat with Tony Verutti, CEO of Betterguards...

The Upside Newsletter ·

2024/12/17

Today we have the honor of interviewing Tony Verutti, CEO of Betterguards Technology, a leading injury prevention and recovery technology company.Betterguards Technology was born from the idea of giving athletes all of their performance and mobility while also offering them protection. Traditional braces have been the same for decades—rigid, uncomfortable, and often weakening the ankle over time. They reverse-engineered the concept to create a product that protects against split-second injuries but

62:23

🔥Upside Chat with Pierre Barrieu (Canada Soccer),...

The Upside Newsletter ·

2024/12/12

This week we had the honor to interview again a group of sports performance experts.* Pierre Barrieu, the director of performance for the Canadian men national soccer team. * Alexi Pianosi, the head S&C coach for the Colorado avalanche (NHL team).* Adam Quigley, an experienced athletic trainer in the MLS (LA Galaxy), NFL (Saints) & US Soccer national teams.You can read the full transcript of the podcast interview with Pierre, Alexi and Adam located at the top of this blog post.Here are some of the

40:36

🎙️ Upside Chat with Stefan van der Fluit, CEO of...

The Upside Newsletter ·

2024/12/11

Today we have the honor of interviewing Stefan van der Fluit, CEO of FLOWBIO, a leading company that deletes dehydration for athletes.FLOWBIO’s product, the S1, uses cutting-edge technology like microfluidics to isolate sweat in a clean environment off the skin surface. This allows them to measure sodium concentration in sweat far more accurately than existing methods. The FLOWBIO system also includes a companion app and machine learning algorithms that help athletes predict and manage their

21:24

⚾ Upside Chat with Jacob Buffa, Senior Director of...

The Upside Newsletter ·

2024/12/05

Today we have the honor of interviewing Jacob Buffa, the senior director of player development and performance science for the Houston Astros, a top MLB team.📝Show Notes: Through this interview, we touched on his background, his role for the Houston Astros. And then we discussed his approach towards innovation, injury reduction, as well as his favorite technologies. Lastly we touched on what what he would build if he had unlimited resources and funding. You can read the full transcript of the

44:26

🔥Upside Chat with Mike Messer (Nashville SC / MLS),...

The Upside Newsletter ·

2024/12/02

This week we have the honor to interview again a group of sports performance executives to talk about the latest trends in the world of sports performance and rehabilitation. * Jason Han, the former head of rehabilitation at LAFC (MLS). Jason is also the head of business development in North America at OneBase health. * Michael Messer, the head of rehabilitation, Nashville SC (MLS).* Rick Cost, the High Performance Director at the US Soccer Federation. 📝Show Notes: Through this interview, we

27:50

🔥Upside Chat: Dr Ron Dick, Duquesne University, Ex...

The Upside Newsletter ·

2024/11/26

This week we had the honor to interview again Dr. Ron Dick, associate professor of sports marketing at Duquesne University in the school of business. Ron also worked for 20 years in sports, including 15 years in the NBA with the Sixers and the Nets, and then five years in the NCAA.You can read the full transcript of the podcast interview with Ron located at the top of this blog post.Here are some of the best quotes of our conversation with Ron:Q1. What is your take on the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul

22:40

🎙️ Upside Chat with Jennifer Brisman CEO of VOW, a...

The Upside Newsletter ·

2024/11/25

Today we have the honor of interviewing Jennifer Brisman CEO of VOW, a leading edge event management technology company for sports, media and entertainment.Over the past 20 years, she has proudly orchestrated over 600 live events, managing about $60 million in contracts. Her events have been featured in CNN, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NBC, BizBash and Forbes, just to name a few. Now, she is turning that life long passion - planning life's greatest moments - into leading-edge technology

43:19

🏈 Upside Chat with Jack Marucci, Director of...

The Upside Newsletter ·

2024/11/22

Today we have the honor of interviewing Jack Marucci, the director of performance and innovation at LSU football (NCAA). Jack has been with LSU for 25 years and uses his expertise in sports science to develop new ways for all of LSU’s student-athletes to prosper in competition. His position is believed to be the first of its kind in college athletics.In Marucci’s 25 years leading LSU’s athletic training staff, his work was instrumental in helping the Tigers win three national championships and five

56:04

🔥Upside Chat with Dr Marco Nunez (ex LA Lakers/NBA),...

The Upside Newsletter ·

2024/11/21

This week we have the honor to interview again a group of NBA/WNBA sports performance executives to talk about the team behind the team and what it is like to work with athletes privately. * Dr Bill Burgos, a former NBA head strength coach (ex Timberwolves / NY Knicks / Orlando Magic) who is now founder of his own nutrition app. * Dr. Marco Nunez, the Former Head Athletic Trainer at the LA Lakers (NBA).* Joelle Muro, the physical therapist of the NY Liberty, the 2024 WNBA Champions.📝Show Notes:

20:32

⚽ Upside Chat with Martin Jaglin, Digital Growth...

The Upside Newsletter ·

2024/11/19

Today we have the honor of interviewing Martin Jaglin, the Digital Growth Director at the LFP (Ligue de Football Professionnel). Martin is also the co-founder of MPG - MonPetitGazon, one of Europe's largest fantasy games, recently acquired by LFP, where he’s now in charge of Digital Growth, solidifying Martin's reputation as an influential figure in the French Tech industry. Martin is a Tech expert with over 20 years of experience. He holds degrees from Dauphine and Sorbonne Universities in Paris

30:42

🏒 Upside Chat with Allain Roy, NHL agent and...

The Upside Newsletter ·

2024/11/12

Today we have the honor of interviewing Allain Roy, NHL agent and President of NRX RSG Hockey.A member of the 1994 silver medal Canadian Olympic team and NRX RSG Hockey’s president, Allain Roy serves as the personal representative of clients, responsible for enhancing their professional careers as well as their life after professional sports. NRX RSG Hockey currently manages 75 NHL players’ contracts and has managed 86 draft picks since 2015. A graduate of Harvard University, Allain was the goalie

22:47

🔥Upside Chat: Dr Ron Dick, Duquesne University, Ex...

The Upside Newsletter ·

2024/11/01

This week we had the honor to interview again Dr. Ron Dick, associate professor of sports marketing at Duquesne University in the school of business. Ron also worked for 20 years in sports, including 15 years in the NBA with the Sixers and the Nets, and then five years in the NCAA.You can read the full transcript of the podcast interview with Ron located at the top of this blog post.📝Show Notes: Through this interview, we touched on the following topics:* The State of higher education in the US:

32:37

⭐Upside Chat with Kim Brouzes, CEO of Kinmetrix, a...

The Upside Newsletter ·

2024/10/16

Today we have the honor of interviewing Kim Brouzes, CEO of Kinmetrix, a company that built a neck strengthening machine called the Kinmetrix Arc which collects data. As illustrated below, Kinmetrix Arc is revolutionizing athletic performance with cutting-edge technology designed to enhance training and recovery. Their innovative equipment offers comprehensive monitoring and precise analytics, empowering athletes to achieve peak performance. With options for outright purchase or flexible leasing

29:32

⭐Upside VC Profile: APEX & Chat with Koen Bosma,...

The Upside Newsletter ·

2024/10/03

Upside VC profile of the month:VC name: APEXHeadquartered: Caxias, Lisbon (Portugal)Founded: 2020Managing Partners: Antonio Cacorino & Koen BosmaWebsite: https://apex-cp.com/Sectors: Sports, Entertainment & Fitness VC type: Venture CapitalTypical investment range: early stage: $250k. Seed/A: $500-$1.5MTotal number of investments: 7 investments from their Elite Performance FundTotal number of exits: None to date.Source: APEXAPEX is an investment company that invests together with elite athletes in

31:54

🔥Upside Chat: Dr Ron Dick, Duquesne University, Ex...

The Upside Newsletter ·

2024/09/05

This week we had the honor to interview again Dr. Ron Dick, associate professor of sports marketing at Duquesne University in the school of business. Ron also worked for 20 years in sports, including 15 years in the NBA with the Sixers and the Nets, and then five years in the NCAA.You can read the full transcript of the podcast interview with Ron located at the top of this blog post.📝Show Notes: Through this interview, we touched on the following topics:* NCAA: Realignment of conferences and 12

15:02

⭐Upside Chat with Pawel Osterreicher, the CEO of...

The Upside Newsletter ·

2024/08/06

Today we have the honor of interviewing Pawel Osterreicher, the CEO of Respo.Vision, a leading 3D optical tracking provider.ReSpo.Vision is revolutionizing sports with the help of AI & Computer Vision. Their state-of-the-art single camera 3D tracking system enables them to create immersive 3D experiences for fans and provide data & insights to sports organizations.As illustrated below, Respo.Vision’s solution can capture detailed 3D skeletal tracking data of players and the ball. It also allows its

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