Chris Gonzales’ Post

Samyr Laine and his wife, Ayanna Alexander-Laine, started Freedom Trail Capital in 2023 and are working their way toward a $50 million fund. Both are former Olympians who competed for Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago, respectively, in the triple jump. Now they put their grit and determination to work for founders wanting to launch and scale consumer brands. “I love people and connecting with people,” Alexander-Laine told TechCrunch. “We know how to merge talent and business, and found that athletes are good in these spaces. We also have the stamina to conquer other things and other entities outside of sports.” They, along with a third general partner, Ivan Lopez, have invested in seven startups so far with a small first fund close. These include a hair care company by Issa Rae called Sienna Naturals; a pet product company started by Kaley Cuoco called Oh Norman!; Ciara’s Ten to One Rum; and Kudos, a diaper company backed by Mark Cuban and Gwyneth Paltrow. #vc #funds #funding #money #investment #investing #startups #businesses #entrepreneurs #business

From Tennis Star to VC legend, Serena Williams has found herself a second career after retiring from Tennis. After crushing her competition at the courts, she needed something new to dominate after leaving the game that she loved. Thats when she began diverting her attention to venture capital. How It Started. The seeds for the start of her venture capital career were planted close to a decade before she even retired with the establishment of Serena Ventures, a venture capital fund that is designed to support and champion underrepresented founders. For Serena, it was always important to have a Plan B set up after she retired from Tennis (her Plan A), investing while she was still training and playing in tournaments. Just like Serena was able to find her own unique playing style, she was also able to discover her avenue of differentiation from other VCs. The tennis champion discovered an evident absence of venture capital directed toward certain underrepresented demographics such as woman founders, black founders, and Latino founders. Once she figured out the demographic she wanted to invest in, well, the rest is history. Present Day. Since starting her VC firm, Serena has invested in more than 85 companies. Some of her biggest winners so far include HUED, Parfait, Impossible Foods, Noom, Karat, and MasterClass. In total, Serena estimates that around 14 of her 85 investments have gone on to reach unicorn status, an important distinction very few companies are able to reach. With Serena’s investment, these companies will have the chance to expand their reach and accomplish more long-term goals with their startups. #venturecapital #serenawilliams

I first heard about Athletic Ventures back in 2020 and I wasn’t happy! My mate Charlie was building Eucalyptus—a scrappy telehealth startup making waves. They were raising capital, and I briefly thought, “Man, I’d love to be in on this,” but our newborn quickly drowned that out with his thoughts! A few months later, I opened up the The Australian Financial Review and saw they’d closed the round. VC powerhouse Blackbird had led the raise—no surprises there. But then I spotted something odd: Athletic Ventures? A group of Aussie athletes investing in startups was in too? I did a double-take. Wait, what… I am an athlete who invests. How did I not know about this!? Anyway, the investment is humming and Charlie and I no longer speak. Ok, we do. And he eventually (a few days later) put me in touch with AV founder, AFL 200-gamer and the peoples champion Matt de Boer. Since then, I’ve been actively investing. We’ve done deals in 13 generational companies like Canva, Guzman y Gomez Mexican Kitchen and Hnry. Fast forward to today, I’m joining as a Venture Partner as we raise our first fund, grow the community, and build our education platform. What is Athletic Ventures? It’s not just a VC fund—it’s an ecosystem built by athletes, for athletes. Our mission? Generate top decile returns globally, while levelling up athletes’ business and investing skills. As AV grows, so does our impact—in both the sports world and business landscape. We’ve got over 400 athletes across 25+ sports, including some of Australia’s most recognizable faces... and me. We partner with top VC funds, co-investing in high-growth opportunities alongside the best. And yep, we’ve been delivering top quartile returns so far. The fund is open to both former and current athletes, as well as high performers in industry. Our first close is coming up, so if you’re an athlete, advisor, or high performer who: a) wants to learn more, or b) needs a bit of convincing Then get in touch. Don’t be like me with Eucalyptus—I’m clearly, totally over it. AV Club and College Water Polo is many things, but two things it definitely isn’t: 1) anything horse-related… and 2) at the pointy end of the lucrative pro sports world. For me, that turned out to be a stroke of (until recently, undiagnosed) luck. Without a big league paycheck, I had to figure out how to stay afloat (yes) financially. At 22, I stumbled into starting a business and got a crash course in business, investing, and—to a debatable degree—financial literacy. We know not every athlete gets this exposure. That’s why we built AV Club and College—an education platform offering mentorship, finance, and business development resources from industry titans. We’ve got 50+ micro-courses (and counting) to support athletes at every stage. So, if you’re an athlete (former or current), investor, or founder and any of this piqued your interest—reach out at [email protected] Our all ⭐ team and new website in the comments

Exciting News from The Collectiv! We're thrilled to share some recent press coverage by Sportico that perfectly captures our mission and vision at The Collectiv. We're honored to have New York Football Giants star Kayvon Thibodeaux join as one of our venture partners. His involvement exemplifies our commitment to bridging the gap between athletes and the business of sports and venture capital. Our mission to democratize investing in sportstech startups, professional sports franchises, and leagues is gaining momentum. We couldn't be more excited about the future impact we plan to make in the industry while educating our sports community. 🚀 Here's what sets us apart: 🔹 Community-Powered: We're bringing together athletes, sports executives, and industry leaders to create a diverse and knowledgeable investor base. 🔹 Focus on Innovation: Our fund targets early-to-growth stage sports tech startups, professional sports franchises & leagues. 🔹 Democratizing Access: We're opening doors for industry professionals who've historically been excluded from these investment opportunities. 🔹 Beyond Investment: We're not just writing checks – we're actively involved in identifying opportunities, providing strategic insights and unparalleled value creation. We're always looking to connect with strategic partners who share our vision. ✍🏾 Eric Jackson Winston Gilpin Heath Butler Taylor Anne Adams Blair Garrou Mercury Paul Cherukuri Julian Duncan Gretchen Sheirr Janis Burke Chris Massey Reginald DesRoches Brad Burke Micah Kamla Malcolm Lemmons Javier Altamirano Mike Buckley Alysse Soll Dan Mannix Nik Kumar Jessica O'Neill Jay Verrill Jason Kohll Trevor Purvis Tim Hayden Shawn Garrity Eric George, CPA Brian Davison JohnWallStreet Andrew Petcash Adam White Russell Wilde Jr. #SportsInvesting #VentureCapital #SportsTech #Innovation

🏅 Sport is a breeding ground for great founders... 🏅 So, on May 22nd, I'm launching Sport First—a venture studio built to foster great ideas by, with, or for the sports ecosystem. Sport First Ventures 🥁 This is a big one for me, a drum I've been banging for a while. Based on a core belief I've built over the last ten years—that not just athletes, but all those from the wider sports ecosystem have the skills, resilience, and bravery to thrive as entrepreneurs. Why? There's the obvious stuff... Teamwork, discipline, etc. But I think it's more than that. Something about repeatedly and voluntarily subjecting yourself to physical and psychological trauma in order to win—unsurprisingly, translates to being a great founder. (Hopefully without the physical trauma bit, although it can feel that way.) There's also a kind of useful delusion that comes with thinking you can be the best in the world at something—a necessary madness for building great businesses. Business is intimidating for sportspeople, even if you've performed at the highest level. In my case, I met a great co-founder who mentored me, and I was able to learn on the job. When I left sport and started real life, I didn't know: ✉️ What CC or even the mysterious BCC meant in emails. 💰 People often give money to a business in return for equity, rather than just a bank loan. 👨🏻💼 You don’t need to wear a suit to ‘do’ business. So here's what we're doing at Sport First Ventures: 📈 Our services for launch will cover ideation, venture planning, fundraising, and operations. 🍯 In the future, we'll be raising a fund to invest in and incubate the best sports-first founders. ⚽️ We'll be honing in on ideas and individuals that contribute to the future growth of the sports ecosystem overall. Sound good? Our launch event, in partnership with Sheridans and hosted at EY, takes place on May 22nd. If you're interested in joining alongside some great founders, athletes, and the rest of the Sport First team (James Harper, Martyn Boden, James Savage) drop me a message. 🔗 Link to the invite in the comments below. 📅 May 22nd 🏢 EY, 1 More London Place, SE1 2AF 🕗 Arrivals from 08:30, agenda 09:00 - 11:30 (P.s. Tried to find a photo that most accurately represented being VERY business, this is the best I could do)

In 2018, I lost everything. My automotive business, once the largest styling centre in the North, collapsed. I worked with Triple Olympic Champion Adam Peaty, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Floyd Mayweather and other Premier League stars. I started with nothing and bootstrapped it into a thriving company. We never spent on ads. Had a huge social profile and media presence. Every deal came from word of mouth and relentless hard work. We had a full order book and contracts with luxury brands like Rolls Royce, Porsche, Bentley, and Mercedes. Then came the VC deal. It promised growth but brought endless delays, legal traps, and debt. Within months, everything fell apart. I was broke, in a legal battle, lost my business and I wanted to go with it. I moved my family to Spain to start over. I took a job managing social media for an innovative care company. It gave me stability and introduced me to the world of crowdfunding. In 2019, I fell in love with crowdfunding. By 2020, I managed 13% of all successful campaigns in Europe, helping 68 founders secure funding. But I realized crowdfunding wasn’t solving the real problem: finding a lead investor to drive momentum. I shifted focus. I started working on full funding rounds, helping founders raise capital while avoiding the traps I fell into. Since then: 🚀 I’ve supported 300 founders, supporting 150+ funding rounds, raising over £100M for founders. 💼 I’ve worked with world-leading PhDs, A-list celebrities, and elite athletes. 🏆 In 2020, I managed 13% of all successful crowdfunding campaigns in Europe. 🤑 I bootstrapped a business to £1M+ revenue, with no ads or external funding. 🏋♂️ I launched a community of 270+ founders, from pre-seed to exit, sharing daily support and advice. 🕵 I run an OFFMARKT investment network with over 100+ HNW investors. Failure wasn’t the end of my story, it was the beginning of something greater. Today, I help founders navigate business and succeed on their terms. #Leadership #Entreprenuership #Business

What the F*ck Do Athletes Know About Raising a Venture Fund? 🤔 Turns out, we know enough to hit a first close target within weeks of a soft launch. 💪🏼 (I say 'we' veeerrryyy liberally.. all the heavy lifting has been done by Matt de Boer, Matthew Dellavedova and co. up until now) 💵 Athletic Ventures is levelling up. We’re taking the syndicate model that’s already topping VC performance charts and rolling it into our first fund. 🚀 Here’s what we’re about (with a healthy dose of sporting cliches for good measure): ✅ Investing in early-stage tech and consumer businesses – the kind that are changing the game, not just playing it. ✅ Collaborating with Gold Star VCs – because it’s not just about the money, it’s about who’s on your team. ✅ Bringing elite athletes into startups – they’re not just spectators; they’re reshaping the playbook. ✅ Giving investors insider access to growth companies that are setting the pace for the future. ✅ And yes—there will be merch, events and other cool things to come! (We’re not savages.) If you’re curious to know more or just want to see what all the fuss is about, check out the links below. 🏆 Check it out: The Australian Financial Review (thanks Emma Rapaport 👊🏼) : https://lnkd.in/gQ5iD59D 🏃♂️ 🏊♀️ Athletes sign up: https://lnkd.in/gYb-NMck Cathleen Santoso Aisling (Ash) McGettigan CA, GAICD Alexander Lenartowicz

I had an epiphany last week. While filming in Montana I came up with this idea of "Becoming the Brand" which will be a Story Video I will be releasing in the near future. I started to think about all of my endeavors and brands I have built over the past 15 years. ✅ Arctic Stick ✅ Crowdfunding: Keys to the Crowd Brand ✅ Young Entrepreneur Convention ✅ Live to Grind ✅ Ambitious Adventures ✅ Success in Your City ✅ Think and Grow Rich The Legacy ✅ Rise and Record ✅ Ignite and Elevate ✅ Accelerant Media Group To name a few. And most Importantly... BRANDON T. ADAMS.. These are all Companies/BRANDS that we have built over the years. But all of these companies have ONE Thing in Common. And that's Me. I, Brandon T. Adams was the personal brand that helped drive each of these companies' success forward. Because of my personal brand, and likeness and trust with my audience, my followers supported me and the endeavors I was standing behind. I started out as an Ice man and an Inventor of a product called Arctic Stick. I was delivering Ice and pitching my invention to crowds. Later on, through fundraising for Arctic Stick, I came across CROWDFUNDING and created a consulting agency around it. After having some success in this space and building brands through this expertise, I got into video production. My Crowdfunding experience combined with my desire to create video content led to the company Accelerant Media Group. AMG was the machine that grew the success for other brands and even my own brands such as Success in Your City, Rise and Record, Ignite and Elevate, and more. After making money, I started to invest in other Companies/Brands, and helped others push their ideas forward. This led to IPOs, ICOs, Acquisitions, Franchise Expansions, and seeing my own Wealth continue to Grow. So here I am today..At the Age of 34. I'm an Investor and Advisor that has an investment portfolio of dozens of companies across diverse industries, worth Millions of dollars. What's the point of the story here? It’s is Extremely Vital to Build a Personal Brand. Build YOUR Personal BRAND! #Branding #CEO #Investor #BrandonTAdams

For years we have been hearing that women’s sports is a tipping point.  - This groundswell could represent a tipping point for women’s sports. (May, 2020, Deloitte) - 2023 may well be remembered as the tipping point year for women's sport. (December, 2023, The Guardian) - Women’s Sports Hits Tipping Point: FIFA, NWSL, and Nebraska Lead the Way (March, 2024, Forbes) And if you know me or have been following on this platform, you know what I think. This market is not at a tipping point, it’s Tipt. Which is why I, alongside my incredible partner Ami Galani, am excited to finally unveil what we have been hard at work on. Introducing Tipt Ventures, a new venture capital fund dedicated to companies that are reimagining sports, starting with her. We are committed to investing in and supporting groundbreaking startups, disruptive technologies, and visionary entrepreneurs who are elevating the sports industry for women and to reshaping the sports venture ecosystem to invest in women as athletes, fans, and overall sports consumers. Want to learn more? Drop us a line. #womenssports #venturecapital #sportsventure #sportsbusiness #sportsinvesting #sports #women

Minneapolis-based sports tech startup Roy has raised $2 million in a seed funding round led by the Idea Fund of La Crosse and Groove Capital. Roy's platform allows fans to directly support college athletes through the emerging Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) market, fostering deeper connections between fans and their favorite teams. 'This investment validates our vision for creating a transparent, fan-powered marketplace that benefits both athletes and supporters alike,' said Cale Johnston, Roy's Founder & CEO. The funding will accelerate platform development and expand offerings in the fast-growing NIL sector. Jonathan Horne, Managing Director of Idea Fund, praised Roy's potential, stating, 'Cale has an exceptional eye for uncovering untapped opportunities and creating new markets.' Reed Robinson of Groove Capital added, 'We're ecstatic to have a seasoned leadership team...to provide a foundational tool to govern the exploding NIL industry.' With Roy, fans can directly impact their favorite athletes' success, creating a new model for athlete support and fan engagement in the NIL era. @joinroy @ideafundlax @groovecapital #NIL #sportsbiz #startupfunding