WYCKOFF, N.J., Aug. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Accelerate Sports Ventures is pleased to announce the first members of its Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) faculty. The Accelerate faculty will teach brand building, marketing, entrepreneurship, business structure, social media, and financial literacy to athletes. Accelerate’s curriculum and content is built specifically to engage athletes in NIL.
“We have recruited an incredible first group of brand builders and storytellers who will provide firsthand, real-world knowledge to educate athletes,” said Accelerate Sports Ventures Founder Doug Fillis. “Giving young athletes the opportunity to be taught by professional athletes and influencers who have created, built, leveraged and monetized their brands is the best way that we can deliver unique value in our educational programming. We are excited to work with this impressive group of individuals and we look forward to growing this program to be as all-encompassing as possible.”
The first members of the Accelerate Sports Ventures Name, Image and Likeness Faculty includes:
- Rachel Balkovec – Hitting Instructor; New York Yankees
- Brittany Collens – Professional Tennis Player
- Aubrey Fisher – Dancer/Creator/Choreographer/Social Media Influencer
- Anisha Tee Gibbs – Actress/Influencer
- Adrianna Hahn – Entrepreneur, Social Media Influencer
- Devon Kennard – Linebacker; Arizona Cardinals
- Jami Lobpries – Executive Director; The Alliance FastPitch
- Amanda Scarborough – ESPN Analyst, Entrepreneur
- Justin Simmons – Safety; Denver Broncos
Devon Kennard said, “I’m excited to share my experiences in branding, entrepreneurship and financial literacy with the next generation.”
ESPN Analyst and entrepreneur, Amanda Scarborough said, “The education Accelerate will provide athletes will not only help them while they’re in college trying to navigate the ins and outs of NIL, but post college when the time comes for their next chapter in life. I personally am excited to share lesson that I’ve learned over the past 10 years to grow a brand and businesses, in hopes to ignite a fire within athletes to follow their passion.”
Rachel Balkovec – Balkovec is in her second year as a minor league hitting coach with the New York Yankees. She is the first woman (alongside Rachel Folden of the Chicago Cubs) to hold that title in the history of professional baseball. Before crossing over to being a hitting coach, she spent seven seasons in professional baseball as a strength and conditioning coach in various roles with the Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals. In addition to her more recent groundbreaking role with the New York Yankees, she was also the first woman to be hired full time as a strength and conditioning coach in MLB and the second woman to be hired as a strength coach by any men’s professional sports team in history. She is also a highly sought-after speaker and mentor.
Brittany Collens – Collens is a former college tennis player at University Massachusetts and a current member of the World Tennis Association. During her college career she worked as a writer for the athletic department’s media relations as well as a host for UVC-TV’s UMass Sports Weekly. She has held internships at North Shore’s 104.9 radio station and Major League Lacrosse.
Aubrey Fisher – Fisher is a choreographer, dancer, innovator, influencer, and video editor. He’s currently an ambassador to two large clothing companies, “PacSun” & “BoohooMAN.” Aubrey performed at N’Groove, WOD, Collaboration, Carnival, and many more. Aubrey’s social media has since grown tremendously due to his creative content and a dance challenge he created called “The Box Lean,” which went viral in the beginning of 2020 with the song “The Box,” by Roddy Rich. Aubrey has also expanded his career and was cast in an original Netflix movie as the main dancer. Aubrey had worked with a few big-name artists such as DaBaby, YG, Maghan Trainor and more. He has been featured by Adidas and Walmart.
Anisha Tee Gibbs – Anisha Gibbs is a stunt performer, dancer, and influencer from Providence, Rhode Island. She began her career as a professional dancer, choreographing, and dancing for T-Pain, Drake, Wiz Kid, and performed at awards shows for MTV and BET. Transitioning to stunt work, her resume includes such films as Terminator: Dark Fate, Birds of Prey, and John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. Outside of her stunt work, she has amassed a devoted social following through her high-quality dance videos and her comedic skits on TikTok.
Adrianna Hahn – Hahn attended Villanova University, receiving the 6th Woman of the Year and All-Big East freshman team at the end of her first season, 2015-16. Graduating early with a completed bachelor’s degree, Hahn moved on to graduate school for Digital Media Studies her senior year, finishing her career as a top 10 scorer in school history, Villanova’s all-time 3-point record holder, and Big East All-time 3-point record holder. Adrianna has built a large social media presence and works with different companies as an ambassador and influencer to help build and market their products. She also created Hahn Hoops offering year-round basketball training.
Devon Kennard – Kennard is a linebacker with the Arizona Cardinals as well as an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and investor. He played football at USC where he was an All-Pac 12. The New York Giants selected Kennard in the fifth round (174th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft. Kennard was voted the NFL Players Association representative by his teammates (New York Giants, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals) consecutively from 2016 – 2020. Kennard began real estate investing early in his career. His real estate business is invested in over 35 real estate properties in the U.S., including single-family homes, apartment complexes, senior living spaces, and medical facilities. He mentors youth and works with athletes and young professionals to develop financial literacy and success through real estate investment and other financial strategies.
Jami Lobpries – Lobpries is the Executive Director of The Alliance FastPitch. During her career at Texas A&M from 2005 to 2008, the Aggies won two Big 12 Championships, one Big 12 Championship Tournament, three NCAA Regionals, and two Super Regionals. Lobpries was a three-time Academic Big 12 performer and a First Team Big 12 Outfielder in 2008. She graduated as the Distinguished Honor Graduate in the School of Education for Sport Management and went on to get her master’s degree the following year. Lobpries played four professional seasons in the National Pro Fastpitch League and coached collegiately for two seasons at Monmouth University.
Amanda Scarborough – Scarborough headlines Accelerate Sports Ventures’ female branding and marketing education efforts. She brings a wealth of experience as a very successful entrepreneur and television analyst for ESPN’s softball broadcasts. A former All-American at Texas A&M, leading the Aggies to the Women’s College World Series in 2007 and 2008, Scarborough has built an incredible instructional business and brand with her “Softball Pitching Angel” online training and is one of the founders of “The Package Deal.”
Justin Simmons – Simmons attended Boston College where he played both safety and cornerback. He was named 2nd Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference by the, Associate Press, ACC Media Association and ACC head coaches after his senior season in 2015. The Denver Broncos selected Simmons in the third round (98th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.
About Accelerate Sports Ventures
Accelerate Sports Ventures provides comprehensive Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) education and support. Accelerate delivers innovative and dynamic NIL guidance from world-class experts to a variety of stakeholders including college, high school athletes, individual athletes, coaches, corporate clients, schools, agencies, and event attendees. Accelerate is unmatched in its dedication to making NIL education more accessible and understandable for anyone seeking to profit from their own brand. For more information, go to http://www.AccelerateSportsVentures.com or email [email protected].
Media Contact
Lisa Goldberg, Coast 2 Coast Public Relations, +1 4402256696, [email protected]
SOURCE Accelerate Sports Ventures
