🏟️ 2025 Upside US Summit: New Speakers: Abdul Sillah (World's Class High Performance Coach), CiCi Bellis (Cartan Capital), André Antonelli (Machina Sports). New Sponsors: VALD, Machina Sports
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. Speaking slots are filling up quickly. We already have 32 top speakers confirmed for only 50 speaking slots. We are also talking to nearly 40 vendors for only 30 booths so they will go quickly. So if you want to exhibit, sponsor or speak at our summit, please reach out to us ASAP at julien@upsideglobal.co. We would also like to give a big thank you to our 13 sponsors namely Kinmetrix, VALD, Quantum Movement, ActivBody, OxiWear, Prism Neuro, Machina Sports, Summus Medical Laser, Box Altitude, ThermoHuman, Valor, Precision Sports Technology, 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:
300 Sports tech executives
50+ Top Teams & Leagues: NBA, MLB, MLS, NHL, NFL, NCAA, Premier League, etc
50 Top Speakers
15+ VCs (Sports tech VCs, Family offices, Team owners, Sports tech accelerators, angel investors..)
Media (TV, newswires..)
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:
Abdul Sillah is a world's class high performance coach who has worked with top athletes such as top tennis players, like Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Sloane Stephens, Bianca Andreescu. He also worked with MLB/NFL players. Prior to becoming a high performance coach, he was a competitive athlete for over twenty years. Unfortunately, his career ended sooner than planned after a harrowing injury. As a result, he now devotes the rest of his life to helping others achieve what he was unable to do. Abdul worked for 10 years with Serena Williams, an American former professional tennis player. Widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time she was ranked world No. 1 in singles by the WTA for 319 weeks, including a joint-record 186 consecutive weeks, and finished as the year-end No. 1 five times. Serena won 23 Grand Slam women's singles titles, the most in the Open Era, and the second-most of all time.
CiCi Bellis has an accomplished and diverse background in business, sports, and entrepreneurship. Recently, she completed her MBA degree at the University of Miami with a focus on Management and Finance. Before her MBA, CiCi earned a BA degree with an emphasis on Finance and Entrepreneurship from Indiana University. Alongside her academic achievements, she had a successful background as a professional athlete, competing at the highest level in pro tennis, reaching #35 in the world on the WTA tour at 17 before having to retire from an elbow injury. Playing pro tennis instilled in her a strong work ethic, steely determination, and a deep understanding of the sports industry.
Following her tennis career, CiCi started in the VC industry at a firm focusing on early stage sports startups. After several years working there, Cici made the bold decision to embark on her entrepreneurial journey, founding Cartan Capital in July 2023—a venture capital firm centered around seed and series a stage companies focusing on advances in human performance, sports tech and health tech. Since then Cartan Capital has been actively investing in top performing startups in those focus areas. The company has leveraged its relationship network and made a number of successful investments so far. On top of her career in venture capital, Cici also works as a Sports Broadcaster for the Tennis Channel, leveraging her sports expertise to provide insightful commentary and analysis.
André Antonelli is founder and CEO of Machina Sports, empowering sports organizations to develop generative AI without complex infrastructure. Lifelong Corinthians fan, he merges his passion for sports with a mission to accelerate generative AI adoption, delivering advanced AI capabilities that enhance fan experiences and drive innovation across the industry
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 Hudy, Director of sports performance, UCONN’s (NCAA) women basketball team
- Dr. Reuben F. Burch V, Ph.D., Associate VP for Research, Mississippi State University (NCAA)
- Eric Renaghan, Executive Director of Sport Performance, University of Miami (NCAA)
- Evan Magnusson, COO, VALOR
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, Executive Director of Sport Performance, University of Miami (NCAA)
– Ismael Fernandez, CEO, ThermoHuman
- Dr Bill Burgos, LONU CEO, Former NBA S&C coach
Moderator: Julien Blin, CEO, Upside Global
12 pm - 1.30 pm: Lunch & Networking
1.40 pm - 2.20 pm: Panel discussion:
Title: Training and Rehab for the Future: What Will Performance Training and Return-to-Play Look Like in 2030?
Summary:
A forward-looking discussion on how AI, biomechanics, genetics, and wearable tech will transform the rehabilitation and performance training process.
Participants:
- Dr Marco Nunez, Former Head Athletic Trainer, LA Lakers (NBA)
- Rico Rogers, CEO, Box Altitude
- Richard Albright, CEO, Summus Medical Laser
- Abdul Silah, World’s Class High Performance Coach
- Emma Meehan, Founder, CEO & CTO, Precision Sports Technology
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)
- André Antonelli, CEO, Machina Sports
- Evan Davis, Gaming & Sports practice leader, Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC
- Pete DeNagy, President, Acommence Advisors LLC
– Moderator: Chris Pfaff, CEO, Chris Pfaff Tech/Media LLC
3 pm - 3.40 pm: Panel discussion:
Title: Rehab panel: Key metrics, The Science of Comebacks
Summary:
Highlighting new technologies like AI-driven rehab programs, regenerative medicine, and advanced wearables for tracking recovery.
Are we measuring the right things (Cognitive, motor skills)?
Challenging traditional return-to-play benchmarks and exploring new data-driven approaches to assessing readiness.
Participants:
– Eric Renhaghan, Executive Director of Sport Performance, University of Miami (NCAA)
- Kim Brouzes, CEO, Kinmetrix
– Ismael Fernandez, CEO, ThermoHuman
– Dr Andy Barr, Founder, Quantum Movement
- Joe Rogowski, Athletic Heart CEO, Former NBPA Chief Medical Officer
- Gordon Waddington, Australian Institute of Sport/University of Canberra Professor of Sports Medicine Research, Co-founder, Prism Neuro
Moderator: Len Zaichkowsky, PhD, Retired Professor, World-class’ sports biofeedback expert, Boston University
3.40 pm - 4.20 pm: Panel discussion:
Title: Sports tech investments: Is AI the next gold rush?
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
Moderator: Jimmy Ku, Partner, 10X Capital
4.20 pm - 5 pm: Panel discussion:
Title: Winning Plays: Unlocking ROI in Sports Tech Investments
Summary:
- Beyond the hype, what are the real opportunities for return on investment in sports tech? This panel of experienced VCs will dissect the key metrics that drive successful sports tech investments. They'll discuss due diligence, valuation, exit strategies, and the long-term potential of various sports tech sectors, offering valuable insights for both seasoned investors and those looking to break into the market.
Participants:
- Wayne Kimmel, Managing Partner, SeventySix Capital
- Meredith McPherron, CEO & Managing Partner, Drive by DraftKings
- Matt Howard, Principal, KB Partners
- CiCi Bellis, Founder & General Partner, Cartan Capital
- Joshua A. Bonhotal, Director, Sequence Equity
- Simon Sokol, VP, Relay Ventures
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 Hudy, Director of sports performance, UCONN’s (NCAA) women basketball team.
– Dr. Christy Fernandez-Cull , PhD / CEO, DaVinci Wearables
- Shavini Fernando, CEO, OxiWear
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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