Thuzio
 | |
| Founded | 2012 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Tiki Barber Mark Gerson |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Products | Online marketplace for talent booking |
| Website | Thuzio.com |
Thuzio is a New York City based company that helps connect athletes and other talent to businesses and consumers.[1]
Founded in 2012 by former NFL running back Tiki Barber and Gerson Lehrman Group Co-Founder Mark Gerson, the pair sought to transform the athlete marketplace by implementing a trusted platform with easy access to talent listings and transparent prices.[2]
The company gradually has shifted to a B2B model and now has three different services: Thuzio 360, Thuzio Executive Club, and booking.
Background
Leadership
Mark Gerson is co-founder and chairman of Gerson Lehrman Group, United Hatzalah and the African Mission Healthcare Foundation.[3][4][5] Tiki Barber is an author, sports analyst, businessman and corporate spokesman who played for the New York Giants from 1997 to 2006, and was named Pro Bowl Running Back three times. [6][7] Jared Augustine is Thuzio’s CEO. Jarrod Jordan is the company’s executive vice president.
Advisors
Thuzio’s Board of Advisors includes Matthew Higgins, CEO of RSE Ventures; Michael Weisman, Emmy Award-winning producer and executive in charge of production for “Football Night in America”;[8] Thomas J. Laffont, Senior Analyst at Coatue Management and Partner at Coatue Management;[9] Jordan Bazant, principal at The Legacy Agency;[10] Casey Coffman, advisor at Carpere Group; Billy Nash, Senior Vice President at UBS; Jason Freier, chairman and CEO of Hardball Capital.
Services
In addition to traditional booking services, Thuzio now has two additional service platforms.
In 2015, the company launched Thuzio 360 which is a Software as a Service platform with profiles of 20,000 athletes and other talent.[11] It is considered the world’s largest and most comprehensive database of sports talent and is meant to save time and effort when gathering information for businesses interested in securing talent.[11]
In 2014, the company developed the Thuzio Executive Club which gives members and their guests access to athletes and other sports talent through regional events.[12] The events give the talent a chance to tell their stories and members a chance to interact with the sports personality [13]
Investors
Thuzio received $1.5 million in venture capital in July, 2012. RSE Ventures invested $2.56 million in January, 2013.[14] In 2014, the company raised another $6 million in Series A funding [15]
References
- ^ http://cynopsis.com/story/thuzio-starts-brand-new-game/
- ^ http://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2013/11/14/what-led-tiki-barber-to-found-thuzio/
- ^ "Gerson Lehrman Group Board of Directors". Gerson Lehrman Group. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
- ^ "International Committee". Israel Rescue. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
- ^ "Board of Directors". African Mission Healthcare Foundation. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
- ^ "Tiki Barber". NFL. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
- ^ "CBS SPORTS RADIO TO LAUNCH WITH TIKI BARBER, DANA JACOBSON, DOUG GOTTLIEB AMONG OTHERS". Awful Announcing. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
- ^ "Women In Sports Media-Michael Weisman, TV producer". BlogTalkRadio. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
- ^ "Top hedge fund Coatue launches $300M Valley-based growth fund". PandoDaily. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
- ^ "Legacy Agency CEO Mike Principe Building New Firm Around Baseball". Forbes. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
- ^ a b http://www.sporttechie.com/2015/03/23/a-look-inside-thuzio-360-a-sports-talent-platform-that-empowers-corporate-buyers/
- ^ http://www.49erswebzone.com/news/81213-terrell-owens-making-much-anticipated-return-san-francisco-april/
- ^ http://www.49erswebzone.com/news/81213-terrell-owens-making-much-anticipated-return-san-francisco-april/.
- ^ "Archives". Xconomy. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
- ^ http://www.bizjournals.com/prnewswire/press_releases/2014/08/07/MN85345