WHAT IS MSBA?
Manhattan Sports Business Academy (MSBA) is a premier leadership & development platform designed for college students seeking career acceleration in the sports industry. With the incredible support of leading organizations from every industry sector, MSBA delivers a turnkey experience that includes tailored internship placements, membership to a carefully curated network, private teachings from today’s leading influencers, interactive development workshops, exclusive office visits, lifelong mentorship pairings and much more.
Based in New York City, MSBA provides aspiring young professionals an unparalleled opportunity to live, learn, work and play in the epicenter of global sports business.
MY ROLE
After participating in the inaugural MSBA Class of 2012, I was handpicked by MSBA Ownership to be the company’s first ever full-time employee.
As Program Director for the Manhattan Sports Business Academy (MSBA), I was primarily responsible for the strategic planning and overall management of MSBA’s annual summer program including, but not limited to: spearheading and executing strategies for MSBA's recruiting efforts, Internship Placement services, Mentorship curriculum and Speaker Series & Professional Development programming.
As a result, I’ve transformed the business from a pilot program to a premier and unprecedented platform for learning, goodwill and mentorship for all sports business professionals, ranging from interns to CEOs.
INDUSTRY IMPACT
162 Program Alumni hailing from 100 unique schools
59 Internship Partners
280 Speakers & Thought Leaders
165 Mentors
MSBA STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Check out the videos below to relive the MSBA experience through two roommates from the 2018 class - Natalie Sams and Jessica Schafer-Thomas - who quickly became life-long friends and are now industry colleagues (with Wasserman and the Arizona Coyotes, respectively).
SUCCESS STORIES
the highlight of my career has been impacting the lives and careers of 162 aspiring sports business leaders who, over the process, have become close friends and industry peers. Here are just a few examples - CLICK THROUGH TO SEE WHERE THEY ARE NOW!
MSBA OVERVIEW & pORTFOLIO
As Program Director, one of my main roles was to spearhead the overall strategy and execution of the “MSBA Curriculum” - comprised of four main pillars: Internship Placement, Mentorship, Speaker Series & Field Trips, Professional Development.
In addition to building out the overarching and personalized aspects (Internship Placement and Mentorship Pairing) of the curriculum, I also lead our recruitment and onboarding efforts - ensuring that from first point of contact to graduation, the MSBA participant experience is thoughtful, enjoyable and impactful.
See below for a holistic overview of our program deliverables, along with a variety of content and collateral examples.
*All graphic work credit goes to Bailey Weigel, former MSBA Marketing Manager. All video work credit goes to John Regula, former MSBA Brand Marketing & Creative Intern.
MSBA CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
INTERNSHIP PLACEMENT
Jakob Gutierrez (MSBA ‘15) at his internship with Major League Baseball
Objective
Accelerate skill and career development by providing tailored internship experiences with best-in-class organizations that align with participants’ short and long term career goals.
ResultS & Highlights
162 placements @ 59 different companies.
Longest Partnership - Foot Locker (6 years)
Most placements:
Mission Athletecare (8)
Madison Square Garden (7)
Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment and Foot Locker (6)
Ryan Daniel (MSBA ‘16) at her internship with Mission Athletecare
Success Story
Ryan Daniel joined MSBA as a varsity athlete with no prior professional experience. With an insatiable appetite for marketing and events, and a perfectly aligned internship pairing with Mission Athletecare, Ryan affirmed her passion for the sports industry - launching her to other amazing internships with the Golden State Warriors, San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders.
MENTORSHIP
Mentorship pairing made in heaven for Olympics fanatics David Giglio (Left, Mentor, Director @ USOC) and Sofia Bonilla (Right, MSBA ‘17)
OBJECTIVE
Give students the practical support they need via unprecedented access to a network of established professionals who know what it’s like to enter and thrive in the sports industry.
Aspiring football agent, Joe Buonadonna (2nd from right, MSBA ‘18), mentored by other prominent agents & marketers with football expertise
RESULT
Creation of the MSBA Mentorship Collective where each student is strategically paired with three industry mentors from diverse roles and seniority levels across the sports industry.
See example below on how their relationships are brought to life.
Leaders from Engine Shop, The Players’ Tribune, Octagon, AMEX and LeadDog Marketing hooping it up at the exclusive Jordan Terminal 23 court
relationship Building
Outside of MSBA responsibilities, we’d host Mentor-only events to foster community and more meaningful networking opportunities amongst prominent industry decision makers.
SPEAKER SERIES & FIELD TRIPS
MSBA ‘16 on the set of Sunday Night Football at NBC Studios
Objective
Broaden participants’ exposure and understanding of different career paths and influential companies within the sports industry.
MSBA ‘13 visits Monument Park @ Yankee Stadium prior to Opening Pitch
RESULT
Development of the Speaker Series & Field Trip pillar - where students learn from some of the biggest names in sports business during intimate weekly sessions and Office Field Trips to leading organizations for a behind-the-scenes look at how top executives are shaping the industry landscape.
Justin Davies (right, MSBA ‘15) networking after MLS Field Trip
VIDEO RECAPS
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
MSBA ‘16 gets into heated, yet playful, mock contract negotiation
oBJECTIVES
Develop, accelerate and sharpen participants’ core business and teamwork skills.
Create more structured touch points and team-building opportunities to foster unity amongst participants and staff.
“Personal Branding” workshop led by MSBA staff for MSBA ‘17
RESULTs
Creation of:
MSBA Career Workshop Series (Interactive workshops led by MSBA Staff and industry specialists)
Active Networking and Group Outings (Athletic competitions, workouts and outings across NYC’s coolest venues, parks and fitness venues)
Kaitlin Gascoyne (2nd from left) and MSBA Staff at MSBA Commencement
VIDEO RECAPS
STUDENT & PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
MSBA ‘18 gets to know each other and MSBA Alumni better at Week 1 Alumni Mixer @ Yankee Stadium
Recruiting
See below for collateral used to recruit on college campuses and an example of our brand footprint at career fairs:
MSBA ‘17 focusing intensely during “Resume Bootcamp” workshop
Onboarding
See below for materials utilized to ensure that each incoming member of MSBA were well-equipped with the proper professional skills, industry knowledge and intangibles needed to shine above non-MSBA participants:
MSBA Staff providing 1-on-1 coaching during “Personal Branding” workshop
“Career WORKSHOP Series” - Professional Development Pillar
See below for examples of workshop materials used during MSBA Career Workshops:
MOVING ON FROM MSBA
After seven memorable years with the organization (one as a participant and six as an operator), I’ve decided to move on to pursue new career opportunities.
As the leader of this amazing cohort, I wanted to ensure that my exit celebrated our community’s positive impact on the future of our industry.
LinkedIn post: “Leaving on Top - My MSBA Goodbye”
Our amazing intern (John Regula) made this video to commemorate the impact of the 2016-2018 MSBA Operating team as we all went our own directions in our next career moves.