🏟️ 2025 Upside US Summit: New Speakers: Dr Reuben Burch (Mississippi State/NCAA), Matt Howard (KB Partners), Evan Magnusson (VALOR)
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, Valor 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:
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. Due to the high demand from investors (VCs/FOs) to speak at our Summit we added a second panel on sports tech investments called “Unlocking the ROI in sports tech investment”.
New speakers:
Dr. Reuben F. Burch V, Ph.D., is the Associate Vice President for Research at Mississippi State University and the Executive Director of the Athlete Engineering Institute. He leads the AiM UP workforce training program and holds the Jack Hatcher Endowed Chair for Engineering Entrepreneurship. A fellow to the U.S. Air Force and Space Force, he is also an Associate Professor in Industrial & Systems Engineering. Before academia, Dr. Burch spent 14 years working with Fortune 500 companies in areas like virtual reality, autonomous systems, wearables, and human performance. He currently advises elite wearable tech companies and major venture capital firms, shaping the future of industrial and sports technology solutions.
Evan Magnusson is the co-founder and COO of Valor, a sports tech company producing measurably better athletes with its iPad-based biomechanical analysis platform—purpose-built for athletes and the sports medicine and performance staff who support them. He leads customer growth and success, spending the past five years building relationships with pro teams, NCAA programs, and athletes since founding Valor in college alongside his co-founders, William Kodama and Dhyey Parikh. A University of Virginia alum, Evan was first exposed to sports science and the impact of proper mechanics firsthand as a varsity rower. That experience, combined with his degree in Computer Engineering and coursework in Entrepreneurship at the Darden School of Business—where he met William and Dhyey—inspired them to develop an innovative, patented system designed to help athletes move better, reduce injury risk, and perform at their peak.
Matt Howard joined KB Partners in the Summer of 2022 and is a Principal on the investment team. Matt currently supports each of the partners in performing initial deal due diligence, sourcing new deals, fundraising and investment analysis. Prior to KB Partners, Matt worked at Capital One as an underwriter in their Regional Commercial Bank where he underwrote new deals and managed a portfolio spanning across multiple industries. Before Capital One, Matt was a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch where he managed the assets of private investors and refined his selling skills. Early in his career, he interned at Mt. Vernon Investments and Red Mile. Matt received a BS in Economics from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. During his time as a student-athlete, he was a 3-year starter, Team Captain and All-Ivy League player. In 2017, he was presented with a South Carolina State Senate Resolution “To honor and recognize Matthew Aaron Howard for his accomplishments on the University of Pennsylvania Men’s Basketball Team.” Matt enjoys reading, making music, working out and playing basketball.
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
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, Executive Director of Sport Performance, University of Miami (NCAA)
Moderator: Julien Blin, CEO, Upside Global
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
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
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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