Arete Sports Group is a founder, investor and/or advisor with several sports ventures including The Picklr, as an investor and franchise owner for the industry leading premier indoor pickleball brand, Ipswich Town FC of the English Premier League, the LA Mad Drops of Major League Pickleball, a family office sports fund, and several early stage sports tech startups.

At Make it Count Enterprises, our consulting, advisory and investment services help start-up and maturing companies drive growth and scale. We have particular experience in sports, financial services, technology, innovation and the intersection where these spaces meet. We are difference makers that help organizations implement and optimize strategies that are growth and results oriented. Some clients we've worked with are Major League Soccer / MLS Next Pro, KKR global investment firm, Four Rings Sports Solutions, ChowCall and TDS Gift Cards.

Investor in the parent company PIcklr, Inc. Founder and Owner of a pickleball company that is a multi-unit franchisee of The Picklr for the greater Long Island, Brooklyn and Queens areas, as well as select parts of NJ. The Picklr is the industry leading pickleball company in the US that is effectively harnessing and monetizing the explosive growth of the sport and is recognized as a ‘best in class’ brand in rapidly growing industry. The Picklr has over 410 contracted locations currently with plans to open hundreds of locations in the next few years to include international growth.

Ipswich Town FC is a professional football club in the English Premier League. The club is rich in history and has a great recent story. Founded in 1878, it won the top flight league title in 1961-9162. ITFC has earned back to back promotions the last two seasons rising from League One to the Championship to the Premier League. Ipswich Town has a high-profile minority owner in Ed Sheeran.

The LA Mad Drops is a club in Major League Pickleball. The Mad Drops are led by venture capital firm Good Alpha Industries along with Super Bowl Champion Drew Brees, Josh Allen, Jayson Tatum, Haley Jones, Ryan Serhant, among other high-profile owners.

Serve as a consultant on Major League Soccer's important MLS Next Pro initiative. Primary responsibilities are to help further commercialize the league, help acquire and integrate new ownership groups for MLS Next Pro expansion and work closely with designated independent expansion clubs as a league resource to help commercialize and operationally structure clubs to deliver against team and league objectives.

Served as a consultant for KKR, a global investment firm, to analyze, evaluate and determine strategic potential and value for business opportunities in the financials services and payments industry.

As a key member of the management team, spearheaded the Growth, Strategy, and Business Development for a digital retail start-up company delivering much needed and in demand retail innovation that integrates the digital and physical consumer engagement experience. Currently serve as an Advisor.

Head of Global Brands, 2018 - 2020Led specially created team to drive the revenue Growth, Strategy, Business Development and Revenue Generation for Blackhawk’s top Global Brands. Blackhawk is an industry leading fintech, payments and marketing company.• Top brands include Amazon, Google, Apple, Microsoft, Sony, Starbucks, Electronic Arts, Netflix and others• Led team responsible for Brand Partners that accounted for $6.7 billion of company’s top line sales (approximately one-quarter of its total sales)• Led Global Brands team optimized sales and performance for 30 brands in 27 countries Vice President Business and Strategic Development, Blackhawk Network, 2011 - 2018Primary company lead for Business Development, Strategic Sales for most important US accounts.• Successfully led, negotiated and closed $15 billion plus in top line sales• Successfully led, negotiated and closed the single biggest distribution deal in Blackhawk company history -- a multi-billion, long-term deal with Target• Designed, co-developed, negotiated and closed an unprecedented and unique charitable and eco-friendly program with Whole Foods representing over $250 million in top line sales Vice President of Sports, Blackhawk Network, 2005 - 2010Authored white paper and business model for a new business within broader Blackhawk business.• Designed and helped build company’s $100M plus Sports business in two (2) years • New business model created 5x margin on Blackhawk’s standard business margin• Led a team that successfully negotiated and closed over 100 sports property contracts across the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, professional sports teams and college sports properties

As a key member of the management team, led the day-to-day business operations of a major league professional sports team including all Business Operations and Administration, Team Operations, Finance, Operations, Human Resources, and Social Responsibility.• Slashed expenses by over 15% while the company increased revenues by double digits• Drove instrumental involvement in the $200 million stadium development and operational project (currently Red Bull Arena)• Successfully designed and launched MLS’s first in-house Player Development Academy

Successfully led and transformed organization into a championship culture as the chief executive responsible for all business and team operations for a professional sports franchise.• Led MLS’s best historical turnaround, leading last place team to a championship in a single season turn around between for San Jose’s first MLS Cup as MLS’s youngest GM• Under leadership, led 20% overall improvement in business• Successfully recruited and struck deal with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment Group (owner of NHL San Jose Sharks) to help operate the Earthquakes in market

Selected by Commissioner of the A-League (Division II status at the time) to serve as General Manager of New York franchise. Responsible for all business and technical, on and off the field aspects of the organization.

Responsible for the Marketing department and driving sponsorship revenue, marketing the league brand and working with A-League teams’ Marketing and Sales departments to drive their respective businesses.

Recruiting Executive specializing in placing military officers into Fortune 500 Companies to transition from being military leaders to being corporate leadership positions.

US Army Officer and Ranger who served in the 82nd Airborne Division as Company Executive Officer, Battalion S-3 Air Officer, Specialty Platoon Leader and Infantry Platoon Leader. Ranger, Airborne and Senior Jumpmaster qualified.