🏟️ 2025 Upside US Summit: New Speakers: Dr Marco Nunez (Ex Lakers/NBA), Evan Davis (RCCB LLC)
Dear colleague,
On October 23, 2025, as you know, we will host our annual 2025 Upside US Sports Tech Summit in Sunrise, FL, which will be hosted by a world’s class pro US team. We are excited about catching up with all of you there. We have a packed agenda for you guys with a great lineup of speakers, pro teams, vendors and investors. We would also like to give a big thank you to our sponsors namely Kinmetrix, Quantum Movement, ThermoHuman and DaVinci Wearables.
If you cannot attend our Upside US Summit in person, no worries. You can now sign up here, email us and we will send you for free the recorded videos of the panels and keynotes by clicking on the link below:
Participating Teams:
Location / Time:
Location: Sunrise, FL (USA) (Hosted by a Top US Pro team).
Date: October 23, 2025
Time: 7.30 am to 8.30 pm EST
Highlights:
Top Leagues: NBA, MLB, MLS, NHL, NFL, NCAA, etc
VCs (Sports tech VCs, Family offices, Team owners, Sports tech accelerators, angel investors..)
Media (TV, newswires..)
50 Top Speakers
30 exhibitors
10 Speaking Sessions
2 Keynotes
1 after party
1 hour speed dating session with teams
Featured Speakers
This week we are delighted to announced our new speakers at our 2025 Upside US Sports Tech Summit in Sunrise, FL We have a lot more speakers (teams, leagues, vendors, VCs, team owners, athletes) across various leagues (NBA, NFL, MLS, MLB, NCAA, pro tennis..) to be announced.
New speakers:
Dr. Marco Nuñez is a seasoned athletic trainer and sports medicine expert with over 20 years of experience, including serving as the head athletic trainer for the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) for 8 years where he worked with world’s class athletes such as Kobe Bryant and Lebron James. A Los Angeles native and Cal Poly Pomona graduate, he previously worked with the Los Angeles Sparks, the Los Angeles Avengers, and the South Bay Lakers. Known for integrating innovative sports science practices, such as individualized hydration programs in collaboration with the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, Nuñez has a reputation for enhancing athlete performance and recovery. After leaving the Lakers, Marco established a concierge rehabilitation service, providing personalized treatment to professional athletes. His expertise blends traditional athletic training with cutting-edge sports science, making him a leader in performance optimization and athlete care.
Here is an interview we conducted with Marco.
Evan Davis is the leader of the Gaming & Sports practice at Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC, where he advises on gaming and sports wagering law, including partnerships, market access, licensing, and regulatory compliance across U.S. jurisdictions. He has extensive experience in the industry, having previously served as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Penn Entertainment, Inc., and General Counsel for Rivers Casino Philadelphia, where he helped launch sports wagering. Evan also held roles at SeventySix Capital Sports Advisory and major law firms like Dechert LLP and Pepper Hamilton LLP, and currently serves as a Sports Industry Affiliate for the UNLV Sports Innovation Institute. Evan has been recognized as a 2019 "Influencer of Law" by the Philadelphia Inquirer and as a “40 Under 40” honoree by both the Philadelphia Business Journal and Emerging Leaders of Gaming. He holds a B.A. from Duke University and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Agenda:
At our 2025 Upside US Sports Tech Summit, we will have 2 keynotes and various panel discussions on timely topics. Here is the detailed agenda.
7.30 am: Registration
8.30: Opening remarks by Julien Blin, CEO, Upside Global
8.40 am - 9.10 am: Opening Keynote
9.10 am - 10 am: Panel discussion:
Title: NCAA / College Sports:
Summary:
– Why is the NCAA the next big opportunity for tech startups?
– What is the process to adopt new technologies, hot areas of tech interest, opportunities for tech startups in the NCAA?
Participants:
– Andrea Hudi, Director of sports performance, UCONN’s (NCAA) women basketball team
- Eric Renaghan, Director of Sports Medicine, University of Miami (NCAA)
Moderator: Julien Blin, CEO, Upside Global
10 am - 11 am: Speed dating session between pro teams and select vendors
11 am - 12 pm: Panel discussion:
Title: The Emergence of next gen biomarkers:
Summary:
– Are biomarkers (lactate, cortisol, glucose, hydration…) the new holy grail for teams?
– What types of new biomarkers are likely to emerge in the future?
Participants:
– Eric Renhaghan, Director of sports medicine, University of Miami (NCAA)
– Ismael Fernandez, CEO, ThermoHuman
Moderator: Julien Blin, CEO, Upside Global
12 pm - 1.30 pm: Lunch & Networking
1.40 pm - 2.20 pm: Panel discussion:
Title: Rehab and return to play:
Summary:
- What are the best modalities to help athletes return to play (e.g. force plates, cryochambers, biometrics..)?
– How can teams leverage data to make the best decisions?
Participants:
- Kim Brouzes, CEO, Kinmetrix
– Ismael Fernandez, CEO, ThermoHuman
– Dr Andy Barr, Founder, Quantum Movement
- Dr Marco Nunez, Former Head Athletic Trainer, LA Lakers (NBA)
Moderator: Julien Blin, CEO, Upside Global
2.20 pm - 3 pm: Panel discussion:
Title: The Future of Fan Engagement with AI and Personalization.
Summary:
– Tailoring content and experiences for individual fans.
– AI-powered fan feedback and interaction.
Participants:
–Stevland Wilson, VP, Postproduction, Design & Animation, Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE)
- Evan Davis, Gaming & Sports practice leader, Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC,
– Moderator: Chris Pfaff, CEO, Chris Pfaff Tech/Media LLC
3 pm - 3.40 pm: Panel discussion:
Title: The Risk of Over-Reliance on Technology in Injury Prevention.
Summary:
– Can excessive reliance on tech tools for injury prediction and recovery lead to complacency or even harm?
– Are tech solutions potentially hindering athletes from developing resilience or natural abilities?
Participants:
– Eric Renhaghan, Director of sports medicine, University of Miami (NCAA)
Moderator: Julien Blin, CEO, Upside Global
3.40 pm - 4.20 pm: Panel discussion:
Title: Sports tech investments:
Summary:
– Is AI the next gold rush in the sports tech investment world?
– What does the ideal exit strategy look like for a sports tech startup: IPO, acquisition by a larger tech company, or merger with a sports organization?
– How has the post-pandemic landscape shaped investment opportunities in sports technology?
Participants:
– Konrad von Moltke, Principal, WISE Ventures
– Andrew Hippert, Investment Principal, NY Techstars Sports Accelerator
- Myles Grote, Partner, Elevate Partners
- Hampus Frisen, Head of Investments, Sport Republic
- Wayne Kimmel, Managing Partner, SeventySix Capital
- Meredith McPherron, CEO & Managing Partner, Drive by DraftKings
Moderator: Jimmy Ku, Partner, 10X Capital
4.20 pm - 5 pm: Panel discussion:
Title: Technological Impact on the Integrity of the Game
Summary:
– How does the use of technology, like VAR (Video Assistant Referee) in soccer or Hawk-Eye in tennis, advanced wearables, change the nature of the game?
– Is technology in officiating making the sport more accurate or stripping it of its human essence?
Moderator: Julien Blin, CEO, Upside Global
5 pm - 5.40 pm: Panel discussion:
Title: Women in sports:
Summary:
– What types of emerging technologies for women teams and athletes will be see in the future? What are the main challenges faced by women teams today?
– What can we do to increate the number of research towards women teams?
Participants:
– Andrea Hudi, Director of sports performance, UCONN’s (NCAA) women basketball team.
– Dr. Christy Fernandez-Cull , PhD / CEO, DaVinci Wearables
Moderator: Julien Blin, CEO, Upside Global
5.40 pm - 6.20 pm: Closing keynote
6.20 pm - 8.30 pm: After Party
So why should you attend our Upside US Summit?
Our exclusive 2025 Upside US Summit will give you the opportunity to:
Meet practitioners (Athletic trainers, strengths coaches, sports scientists, head of performance, team doctors..) of top teams to present your product.
Meet innovative companies in areas (rehab tech, thermography, wearables, AI based injury reduction tools, hydration assessment tools, AMS, OTT/Web 3.0, etc.)
Meet top VCs, team owners, family offices, athletes and investors as part of your fund raising effort.
Speak on our panels and keynotes about the latest trends in sports and tech (Load management, injury reduction, OTT/Web 3.0, etc.)
If you are interested in sponsoring our event, exhibiting or speaking at our event, please reach out to us ASAP and click on the button below or email us at julien@upsideglobal.co
You want to know what it was like to attend our NY Summit at Citi Field, and hear what attendees loved about it?
Here are some video testimonials of some of the attendees (Vendors, sports organizations, VCs..) at our NY Summit:
At our 2025 Upside US Sport Tech Summit, we will have 50 top speakers. You can check our first speakers below. We will soon announce many more new speakers for our 2025 US Sports Tech Summit.
Our sponsors:
As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me.
Best,
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