The Conversations
That Matter

Panels

with Soccerex Miami 2025 Panel · Hosted by Kareem Rae

A conversation on how next-generation academies and sports districts are merging performance, education, entertainment, and real estate into powerful community ecosystems.

Panels

with Soccerex Miami 2025 Panel · Hosted by Kareem Rae

A deep dive into nurturing elite talent, modern academies, and cross-border player pathways.

Panels

with Soccerex Miami 2025 Panel · Hosted by Kareem Rae

A special session on innovative turf technology delivering safer, stronger, more sustainable natural grass pitches while using up to 85% less water.

Stadium & Infrastructure

with Matthias Tillmann & Keal Blache · Hosted by Kareem Rae

Keal Blache leads global partnerships and strategy at vivenu, the technology leader in global event ticketing. vivenu was built on a simple conviction: the organizations that create live experiences should own them, from the ticket to the data to the revenue. Its API-first, white-label platform gives clubs, colleges, and event organizers full control over how they sell, who their fans are, and where every dollar flows, instead of renting that relationship from a ticketing middleman. Trusted by brands like the Grammy Awards, HYROX, Stanford Athletics, and the Special Olympics, vivenu supports hundreds of premier event enterprises in more than 40 countries. That model brought Schalke to vivenu in 2021 and convinced the club to extend the partnership by six more years. It's also what's driving adoption across North America, where close to 70 clubs in the USL ecosystem and more than 150 colleges now run their ticketing on vivenu. For a club like Schalke, whose 220,000 members are its most valuable asset, the level of fan experience options vivenu offers fits 100% to the club's culture and strategic positioning.

Stadium & Infrastructure

with Steve Serfling · Hosted by Kareem Rae

Steve Serfling has spent 25 years wiring the fan experience inside US Bank Stadium, Little Caesars Arena, the LA Memorial Coliseum, and venues across the NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA, and NCAA. Now the founder of Delta Sports Consulting, Steve breaks down how USL and MLS NEXT Pro ownership groups can deliver a premium matchday without a premium budget: sharing systems instead of building silos, getting infrastructure right before breaking ground, and treating the stadium as the cornerstone of a revenue-generating district. The conversation covers the 2026 World Cup effect, mixed-use development, LED and video board investment, and what institutional capital means for venue expectations.

Stadium & Infrastructure

with Matt Valentine · Hosted by Kareem Rae

Atletico Dallas chairman Matt Valentine reveals the signing of Javier Hernandez and explains why he now owns two professional clubs sharing the Cotton Bowl.

Industry

with Laurel Springs School · Hosted by Kareem Rae

Elite soccer careers can break down long before the first pro contract - not on the field, but in the classroom. Laurel Springs School explains how serious athletes can keep training, travel, and still stay fully on track for college, NCAA eligibility, and life after sports.

Investment & Ownership

with Mark O'Neill · Hosted by Kareem Rae

Football governance sounds dry until you realize it decides whether your club survives. In this episode, Kareem Rae sits down with Mark O'Neill, a PhD researcher at the University of Westminster studying whether football's ownership regulations actually protect the people who matter most: the fans.

Stadium & Infrastructure

with Andrew Swanson · Hosted by Kareem Rae

Edgewater Castle FC founder Andrew Swanson shares his remarkable journey from a soccer fan inspired by Champions League to a community-driven club climbing the ranks of U.S. professional soccer.