What is k-nected?
K-nected is a private social network created exclusively for current and former professional athletes.
Facts:
- There are common interests between people who have played professional sports but no structured forum for them to connect
- A pro athlete’s notoriety makes it difficult to use ‘open’ networking forums
- In-sport athletes are on the road half the season
- Active athletes often play for many teams and lose track of their former teammates
- An active athlete’s focus is only on the game while they are in the game
- On average, 1100 athletes leave the four major sports leagues each year
- There is little structure or assistance in preparing for life after sports
- After the average pro career ends, there are 30+ earning years left
K-nected is the medium for pro athletes to build their networks early across leagues and with former pro athletes that have successfully transitioned into their second careers. Networking is not something you do when you need something; it is something you do all the time so that when you do need something you can reach out to your network. Leverage what you've got to get where you are not.
Beyond networking, k-nected is a secure environment for pro athletes to share information, connect with people with like interests, promote or connect to charitable opportunities, stay in touch with friends and family, provide conveniences and opportunities when they are on the road, get and give help when needed, facilitate business/career opportunities and get assistance when they are transitioning out of the game.
How is k-nected focused?
For k-nected, it is all about the current and former athletes. We are a subscription-based service supported by our members. We are not funded by advertising or businesses. This allows us to design and develop the site in the best interests of the athletes we serve.
Another unique aspect of k-nected is the pre-built network. We have pre-loaded the site with every current and former pro athlete in the four major U.S. leagues. For any league, team and year combination we can pull up the player roster. When an athlete joins the site, their profile will be captured and activated on the site. Instantly they will be ‘inherently’ connected to all of the people they have played with in their pro career.
Who is behind k-nected?
k-nected was founded in 2007 and is privately funded. k-nected’s main office is in Seattle, WA with a satellite office in Ann Arbor, MI. The management team is made of a cross section of expertise in pro sports, career management, marketing, high tech start-ups and business.
Jason Woolley, Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer – Jason had a 15 year career in the NHL. In addition to his duties with k-nected, he is also President and founder of Woolley-Martin Sports & Entertainment, a high-end sports event production company.
Dennis Sarafa, Co-Founder, Chief Marketing Officer – Dennis is the VP of Business Development for a professional recruiting firm and has specific expertise in executive recruitment and career development.
David Sarafa, Chief Operating Officer – David is the VP of Operations at a professional recruiting firm and has specific expertise in process and infrastructure development. David worked as a consultant in change strategy and has repeatedly built new groups and functions in previous roles.
Andrew Everett, President – Andrew has a myriad of high tech and start up experience. He led the Seattle editorial staff of NFL.com, which became the third-most visited sports site on the Internet. He was also the first technology hire at Esurg.com, where he oversaw all Internet development and helped grow the company to $15M in sales. Most recently, Andrew played multiple roles to help Expedia, Inc. launch Expedia Corporate Travel (ECT), now rebranded Egencia. He first led the Program Mamagement group, and then took a strategic sales position, and finished in Product Management. During his tenure, ECT grew from $0 to over $1B in gross bookings.
Michael Nelson, Board Member – Michael is currently a Managing Director at Wind Point Partners, a $3B private equity firm. Prior to joining Wind Point, Michael was a co-founder and CFO of a venture backed healthcare company. Michael began his career as an investment banker.
Erik Whiteford, Board Member – Erik has distinguished himself as a specialist in strategic marketing and brand branding. He has lead marketing divisions at companies like Electronic Arts and 2K Sports. At Electronic Arts he was a key member of the team that established the EA Sports brand and grew annual revenues to over $1 billion. Erik is currently Managing Director at Odyssey LP, a premier strategic consulting and market research firm, that focuses solely on the complex and changing relationship between consumers and technology.