How NIL Is Changing College Sports Investments

Keaton has spent his career focused on high-level teamwork. A proud Wisconsin Basketball alumnus, he started his career playing professional basketball in Europe. He played for and led teams in competitions across Europe, including stops in Germany, Spain, Latvia and Italy. When he returned from overseas, his career focus shifted to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. He has worked with both institutional and corporate venture teams and completed and MBA with a focus on entrepreneurship. He holds a BS in kinesiology from UW-Madison and an MBA from the Nicholas Center for Corporate Finance and Investment Banking from the Wisconsin School of Business.

Greg has been a Managing Partner with Alumni Ventures since 2017. He is the Founder of Bascom Ventures and runs Towerview Ventures and has made more than 100 investments as a member of Alumni Ventures. These investments include: American Gene Technologies, SHINE Medical, Mission Bio, Axiom Space, Matchwell, and many others. Prior to joining AV, Greg was a highly accomplished executive with experience in corporate leadership, business development, startups, M&A, strategic planning, and more. He spent much of his career growing businesses in the electrical products, packaging, and chemical industries. Greg has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin (’86) and an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University (’91).

Keith Marshall is the CEO of The Players’ Lounge, an NIL media platform for student-athletes. Prior to co-founding The Players’ Lounge, Keith graduated with a finance degree from the University of Georgia. Following college, he was drafted by the Washington Commanders, where he spent three years before retiring. He then graduated from Emory’s Goizueta Business School with an MBA and spent time at McKinsey & Company and Accel-KKR.

Brian Mason, Director of Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) Strategy at Wisconsin Athletics since August 2022, leads UW’s NIL strategy and the YouDub program. With over 15 years of experience at Wisconsin, he manages partnerships with Opendorse and Altius Sports Partners, and collaborates on NIL-related educational programs for student-athletes. Previously, Mason was part of the Badgers’ communications team for 12 seasons, promoting the football program through multiple championships and major bowl games. He played a key role in launching YouDub in 2021 and has been instrumental in the Badgers’ NIL efforts since 2020. Before Wisconsin, Mason worked in athletics media relations at the University of Northern Iowa.

Jeremy Smith is the Director of Operations for Garnet Trust, an NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) collective that partners with the University of South Carolina. In this role, he facilitates partnerships and opportunities for student-athletes, ensuring they maximize their NIL potential. Jeremy is also a board member of The Collective Association (TCA), a coalition of over 40 NIL collectives, where he advocates for a fair and sustainable NIL infrastructure in Washington, D.C. With a rich background in marketing, sales, and executive headhunting, Jeremy leverages his diverse expertise to navigate the evolving NIL landscape. His efforts are pivotal in promoting the interests of student-athletes at both the collegiate and national levels.