Best Practices in Sports Investing: 2nd LA CorpGov Forum

CorpGov hosted the second LA CorpGov Forum on Sept. 18, 2026, at The Huntington Library in San Marino, California. This event brought together members of the financial community from both LA and beyond in panels focused on the finance of entertainment and media, sports, along with capital markets and shareholder activism.

  • Thomas W. Hulick, CEO, Managing Partner, Strategy Asset Managers ​

  • Baird Fogel, Head of Global Sports Practice, Partner, Eversheds-Sutherland  

  • Noah Francis, Banker, J.P. Morgan Private Bank ​

  • David Carter, Principal, The Sports Business Group  

  • Sports have become a major asset class: Rapidly rising franchise valuations and growing private-equity participation reflect expanding investor interest, not only in teams but also in media rights, venues, ticketing, data, athlete services and other parts of the sports ecosystem.

  • Investment is about more than financial returns: Panelists emphasized “return on objectives,” including brand building, access to decision-makers, relationships and strategic opportunities—particularly for athletes whose public brands can add value to investments.

  • Due diligence and risk remain critical: Minority and fractional ownership can mean limited control over governance, media rights and league performance. Emerging leagues may offer growth potential but carry substantially greater uncertainty than established major leagues.

  • Sports are increasingly tied to broader business ecosystems: Team ownership and venues are expanding into real estate, entertainment, sponsorships, gambling and community development, with the sports franchise becoming one component of a larger commercial ecosystem.

  • College athletics is becoming increasingly commercialized: Universities are investing heavily in facilities and surrounding real estate while using new revenue streams—including NIL and the transfer portal—to compete for talent.

  • Paul Haaga, Former Chairman, Capital Research and Management Company; Chair of the Board, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation; Board Director, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution​

  • Jason Alejandre, President, Founder and Creative Director, Game Mechanic Studios (GMS)​

  • Nicolle Brady, Managing Director, Protiviti ​

  • David Carter, Principal, The Sports Business Group  

  • Travis Cloyd, Director of Digital Research Entertainment Arts Media Storytelling, California Institute of the Arts​

  • Thomas Courtney, Jr., President and CEO, The Courtney Group ​​

  • Dick Drobnick, Former USC Vice Provost for Globalization and IBEAR MBA Program Director, Asia Society Southern California Chairman Emeritus ​

  • Daphna Edwards Ziman, Co-Chairman, Project Rise Partners ​

  • Jon Feldman, Partner and Business Law Group Head, Goodmans LLP ​

  • Joseph Fish, CEP, Managing Director, Stock Operations, Infinite Equity​

  • Baird Fogel, Head of Global Sports Practice, Partner, Eversheds-Sutherland  ​

  • Noah Francis, Banker, J.P. Morgan Private Bank ​

  • Brent Granado, Partner, Sweetwater Private Equity

  • Sagar Gupta, Portfolio Manager, Anson Funds 

  • Evan Hainey, Partner, Untitled Entertainment​​

  • Thomas W. Hulick, CEO, Managing Partner, Strategy Asset Managers ​

  • Rafique Jiwani, Head of GTM Value Creation, Operating Advisor, Goldman Sachs Private Equity ​

  • ElizBeth Jones, Founder and CEO, Atomic Venus Media​

  • Ryan Keating, Partner, Industry Leader, Venture Services, EisnerAmper 

  • Ramey Layne, Partner, Capital Markets and Mergers & Acquisitions, Vinson & Elkins

  • Jeff Meyer, Managing Director, Protiviti

  • Pete Michelsen, Leader, Activism and Shareholder Advisory Practice, Qatalyst

  • JL Pomeroy, Founder and CEO, BRIDGELINE Media

  • Josh Waldron, Interim CFO, Scale AI​​​

  • Jarrett Banks, Editor-at-Large, CorpGov (Moderator) ​

  • John Jannarone, Editor-in-Chief, CorpGov (Moderator)