MSVG

EVP & GM at Fanatics College - a global leader in sports licensed merchandise. Derek has extensive experience on the licensing & partnership side of the industry having served as Senior Vice President at IMG College and founding and exiting Fermata Partners to CAA in 2015.

Experienced investor in SasS businesses on both the founder and venture side in his current role at Fulcrum Equity. Junior scaled Experience LLC before its subsequent acquisition by COX Enterprises in a deal valued at over $200 million. He currently serves as a Board Member for Logitix.

Current partner at Maven Capital Advisors & Daniel Island Capital Partners. Lawton is a multi-time SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree and a 2024 SBJ Forty Under 40 Hall of Fame inductee. Previously, he served as SVP at IMG where he was responsible for business development strategies across North America. Lawton is an experienced and tested investor, partner, operator, and builder.

Founder of Out2Win, a sports betting analytics platform. Former professional poker player. Expert in sports analytics and probability-based decision making.

Principal at Next Ventures, focusing on investments in sports, fitness, and wellness technology. Previously at KB Partners and Silicon Valley Bank. Experienced in venture capital and sports tech investments.

Co-founder and President of Zoomph, a leading social media analytics platform for sports and entertainment. Pioneer in social media valuation and sponsorship measurement technology.

Partner at Verance Capital, specializing in sports, media, and entertainment investments. Previously at Providence Equity Partners. Extensive experience in private equity and sports media investments.

Created and led the Film Finance Group at CAA, financing over 125 feature films. Founded Evolution Media Capital in 2008, an investment bank in partnership with CAA. Launched Evolution Media, a late venture investment fund with TPG Growth.

Partner at Courtside Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on sports, gaming, and lifestyle brands. Previously worked at Interplay Ventures and Vocap Investment Partners. Board member of multiple sports and gaming companies.

Founded Valiant Management Group, responsible for over $15m in NIL opportunities. Created Champions Circle, empowering U of M's student-athletes through NIL. Former Michigan football player (2014-2018) and 4x Academic All Big Ten.

Co-Founder at MSBC and Forbes 30 Under 30 - Sports (2021). Second business hire at digital sports network Overtime, where he launched an internal boxing promotion from scratch. Brokered deals with Gatorade, Nike and McDonald's.

Founder of Oceans, a strategic advisory and investment firm. Former President of Foursquare and CRO of Trulia. Extensive experience in mobile technology, location intelligence, and digital advertising.