Three Notable Entrepreneurs from World of Sports and Entertainment to Speak at Iona College

Written By: Talk of the Sound News

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Three notable entrepreneurs from the world of sports and entertainment will be the featured speakers at a special Careers in Sports and Entertainment Series program to be hosted by Iona College’s Hagan School of Business at 5 PM, Thursday, December 8. It will be held in the Hegarty Room at the Hynes Athletic Center on the Iona campus, 715 North Avenue, New Rochelle.

The speakers are all founders of their companies as well as award-winners in their respective fields:

Doug Perlman, founder and chief executive officer, Sports Media Advisors (SMA): Mr. Perlman in 2009 founded SMA, a boutique advisory firm focused on the sports television and digital media industries. Current SMA partners include the NFL, IMG, USTA, NASCAR, PGA Tour, HBO Sports, and Goldman Sachs. Previously, Mr. Perlman served as president of IMG Media and executive vice president of NHL and (title?) at Proskauer Rose. A veteran sports media executive, Mr. Perlman has received many accolades throughout his career, including being named to the ‘Sports Business Journal’s Forty Under 40’ three times. He was also recognized by The Sporting News as one of the 100 Most Powerful People in Sports.

Matthew Rego, co-founder and chief executive officer, The Araca Group:
The Araca Group is a Tony Award-winning live entertainment production and merchandise company which was founded in 1997 by Mr. Rego, his brother, Michael, and Hank Unger – “three guys with a dream”- to produce theatre in New York City. The company has grown into a renowned global theatrical production and merchandising company. Its production credits include Wicked, Urinetown, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, Match, Rock of Ages, and A View from the Bridge. In addition, Araca provides a vertically integrated, full-service merchandising operation for such touring shows as Jersey Boys, Book of Mormon, Alvin Ailey, and Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular.

David Sass, founder & president, Apel, Inc.: As founder and president of Apel, Mr. Sass combined his experience as a traditional packaged goods marketer and entrepreneur to successfully procure hundreds of millions of dollars (and many times that in marketing support) in sponsorships from companies such as American Express, JP Morgan Chase, Coca-Cola, Visa, Gillette, Unilever,and General Motors. He has provided strategic revenue development and consulting services to sports properties such as the USTA, NBA Store, New York Jets, New York Mets, NASCAR, SNY, Major League Soccer and Broadway shows including The Color Purple, A Chorus Line and Chicago.

Glenn J. Horine, Executive Director of the Hagan’s Center for Sports and Entertainment Studies, said: “Our all-star guests will share their insights on what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur, which will surely be of interest to all students, whether they are majoring in the arts and sciences or business.”

The formal program will begin promptly at 5:30 PM and last until 6:45 PM, followed by a Q&A. It is open to graduate and undergraduate students who have expressed an interest in this field, as well as Iona College faculty, alumni and administrators.

RSVPs are required for this exclusive event. For more information, contact Kalie Albrecht at kalbrecht@iona.edu.