This project dives into the journey of our entrepreneurial startup with the Founders Lab Thesis Program. In the global sports business industry, we knew that there was something missing. While conducting market research, there was little data and information about sustainability initiatives that engaged sports fans, especially in college sports. Not to mention, there was no sustainability information provided on any existing platforms that sporting teams use for ticketing and advertising. So, for our startup, we decided to create a website called SustainSports which gives fans the opportunity to inform themselves about sustainability initiatives at sports events (https://sustainsports.webflow.io/). These fans can also earn points and rewards for practicing sustainability activities at home. In short, SustainSports serves as an educational, interactive, and informative website that connects users to sustainability initiatives, community activities, and exciting rewards, while encouraging users to continue such environmentally-friendly practices in their daily lives. In chronological order, this thesis paper will examine the process we took to create SustainSports and demonstrate our efforts that properly allowed us to defend it one academic year later. From meetings with renowned sports enthusiasts and professors to interviews with ASU students and sports fans, we have listened to and taken in diverse perspectives to understand the perceptions of sustainability in the global sports industry. When we realized that there was a significant gap between sports and sustainability - both important elements of American society and culture - we knew a change needed to be made. Hence, SustainSports came to life, offering users a fresh opportunity to be more aware of their sustainability surroundings, while simultaneously enjoying the sports they know and love.

The sports universe has been around for over a century and yet the at home sports viewing experience has seen little change. Even though our society has seen monumental innovative, technological advances, watching sports at home has not undergone any changes and may soon find itself a thing of the past unless something changes. When the COVID-19 pandemic arose, a problem surfaced of revenue loss and decreasing fan retention leaving teams and leagues stumbling for solutions. RYZE offers a never before seen product that can revolutionize how sports fans watch and engage in sporting events. By taking the lucrative concept of “battle passes” from the video game industry and placing it in the sports industry, RYZE hopes to increase overall fan revenue, retention, and engagement. A clear market size and wide range of potential customers, RYZE looks to help fans stay engaged while also earning prizes. With competition ranging from fantasy sports to virtual reality, RYZE has competitive advantages that give it potential to become a sports fan’s go to product when thinking about their favorite team. RYZE has gone from a propelling question to a bright idea and then to a prototype along with a full pitch deck and hopes to engrain itself in college athletics, MLB, and other professional sports leagues.

Students from the Founder’s Lab at ASU created Equalitree, a company whose main focus is bringing together fans, student-athletes, coaches, and executive staff. In developing the company, the founders looked at various data points from the NCAA about what is already being done to increase diversity and inclusion. After finding staggering statistics about the state of diversity, the founders began to create ‘Equalitree’. A consulting agency tackling diversity and inclusion. The goal is to increase diversity and inclusion within sports organizations through a series of educational events, social campaigns, and dialogues. In researching the effectiveness of this business model, the founders hosted a week of events. The first event was a dialogue, in which attendees were presented with statistics of diversity within college sports, what is being done on college campuses to bridge gaps and open dialogues, and even held a discussion. For the second event, the founders hosted Keynote Speaker, former NFL player L.J. Shelton, to speak on his experiences within college sports and the NFL. Overall, Equalitree received highly rated reviews and feedback from attendees about the events and the effectiveness.

Students from the Founder’s Lab at ASU created Equalitree, a company whose main focus is bringing together fans, student-athletes, coaches, and executive staff. In developing the company, the founders looked at various data points from the NCAA about what is already being done to increase diversity and inclusion. After finding staggering statistics about the state of diversity, the founders began to create ‘Equalitree’. A consulting agency tackling diversity and inclusion. The goal is to increase diversity and inclusion within sports organizations through a series of educational events, social campaigns, and dialogues. In researching the effectiveness of this business model, the founders hosted a week of events. The first event was a dialogue, in which attendees were presented with statistics of diversity within college sports, what is being done on college campuses to bridge gaps and open dialogues, and even held a discussion. For the second event, the founders hosted Keynote Speaker, former NFL player L.J. Shelton, to speak on his experiences within college sports and the NFL. Overall, Equalitree received highly rated reviews and feedback from attendees about the events and the effectiveness.