From Tuck Bridge to the MLB: Meet Three Bridge Alumni Making Their Mark in Sports
Bridge alumni reflect on how the program's classes, collaborative environment, and interview preparation propelled them into successful careers in the sports industry.
Donte Mullins, Bridge’24
Sports Agent, AMR Agency LLC
Former Player Development Assistant—Tennessee Football
Why was it important to you to attend the Tuck Business Bridge Program? What skills were you trying to round out?
The words “Ivy League” are something that everyone wants to add to their name, or resume. Dartmouth provided me the key to unlocking this world of prestige through its esteemed Tuck Business Bridge Program. I’m always looking for ways to improve myself and enhance my resume, so this opportunity to further my education piqued my curiosity. It was important for me to attend the Tuck Business Bridge Program because I wanted to leverage my background in sports, while also recognizing the transferable skills the program gives you such as negotiation, corporate finance, and financial accounting. I knew these tools could fortify my candidacy across diverse professional landscapes. As an alum, I am grateful not only for the honor of attending but also for the lasting connections I made that will guide and enrich my journey.
What was the highlight of your Tuck Bridge experience?
Among the many memorable experiences in the program, the late-night group sessions stand out as a highlight of camaraderie and shared purpose. The feeling of working for something greater than yourself never wavers, amplified by the exceptional synergy within my team during our capstone project. These late-night collaborations not only set the stage for a great group dynamic but also left a mark on our collective influence. Reflecting on the challenges we encountered as a group, I am reminded of the countless instances where our collective skills came together, guiding us to innovative solutions and reinforcing our cohesion.
Tell us about your role today. What have you been up to since Bridge?
Since completing the Tuck Business Bridge Program, I’ve immersed myself in the dynamic realm of sports business, navigating diverse roles spanning from collegiate athletics to professional representation. At AMR Agency LLC, my tenure as a player agent has been marked by adept negotiation strategies, doing deals that propel professional athletes toward their career goals. Having signed multiple athletes for professional representation I utilize different skills to advocate ardently for my clients to be the best pros they can be while trying to reach the NBA or the highest level of overseas basketball. Within collegiate athletics, my commitment extended to the University of Tennessee Football team, where I contributed to player development initiatives aimed at helping our student-athletes for life beyond the gridiron. I look forward to continuing to grow within the sports industry as I pursue opportunities for graduate school and beyond.
What impact do you want to make with your work?
In 2019, I had the privilege of appearing on PBS Charlotte, where I articulated my enduring aspiration within the sports industry: to extend my impact beyond a court or field. Today, as then, my mission remains steadfast: to empower athletes through comprehensive life skill development and heightened awareness. Within the sports business landscape, I am driven by a profound sense of purpose, recognizing the holistic needs of athletes often overshadowed by their athletic prowess alone. By prioritizing topics such as financial literacy, strategic investments, and fostering meaningful relationships within the industry, I focus on the well-being of athletes, ensuring that their personal growth remains at the forefront of our collective focus.
Is there a specific lesson or skill you learned in Bridge that you utilize in your role today?
The negotiation classes stood out as undeniable highlights of the lectures. Each day, I find myself immersed in negotiations of varying complexity and nuance, a testament to the program and the enduring impact of these courses. My gratitude for being part of the Tuck Bridge family is endless; this esteemed program gathers the brightest minds from across the globe, each bringing a unique perspective and skill set to the table. Among the many lessons learned, the biggest one lies in discovering how to leverage one's strengths to benefit the collective, while also knowing how to apply the diverse skill sets of others to bridge any gaps that may arise.
Meredith Ferneau, Bridge’18
Senior Analyst, Strategy
Major League Baseball
Why was it important to you to attend the Tuck Business Bridge Program? What skills were you trying to round out?
I chose to attend Tuck Bridge for several reasons. Firstly, because I went to college in the UK, I was keen to develop my US network and build a connection with a US college. At school I was a history major, but I knew I wanted to go in a different direction in my career. However, I wasn’t entirely sure what that would look like and thought that Bridge could help expose me to new topics, ways of thinking, and potential career paths. My primary learning goals were to round out my strategic thinking and analytical skills.
What was the highlight of your Tuck Bridge experience?
I think the faculty makes Bridge what it is. Being able to learn from such experienced and tenured professors as an undergrad is an incredibly rare experience. Even though there is so much content to cover during a short period, the professors’ passion and love of the material comes through clearly and makes it digestible. Hanover is also just an incredible place to spend time (I am not biased as someone who grew up there!), and the whole experience of being on campus with like-minded students left a lasting impression!
Tell us about your role today.
I recently joined the League Strategy team at Major League Baseball, where we conduct internal strategic projects across various business units. In the month I’ve been here, I have been lucky enough to work with the Sponsorship, International, and MLB Product teams. Each one comes with its considerations, challenges, and goals and the variety of work is incredibly interesting. I am enjoying working with so many people across business units and learning how such a large global brand operates. Before this, I was a strategy consultant in the life science and healthcare space.
What impact do you want to make with your work?
My goal is to support the continued growth and appreciation of baseball domestically and internationally. Through working with different departments within the MLB, I have already learned so much about the business of professional sports. As a sports fan and former athlete, I can appreciate how sports bring people together, so it is incredibly special to be one of the people working to help ensure clubs operate to the best of their ability and can reach as many people globally as possible. I would love to engage more young people in baseball, either as a fan or player, to make sure everyone can experience it in the future. Additionally, I want to encourage and support young women going into the sports business, as it is still a quite male-dominated industry, especially at more senior levels.
Is there a specific lesson or skill you learned in Bridge that you utilize in your role today?
There are many skills I picked up at Bridge that I still use today, the majority coming from the valuation final project. Learning how to work in a team where everyone came from very different backgrounds and had a wide variety of relevant experiences has made me a better team member and taught me how to be patient. It also helped me learn when it is better to divide and conquer, versus when a team approach is the most effective way forward. The team setup was very similar to how I was staffed during my time consulting and having the Bridge experience helped ease me into the working style. While I was not leading the analysis on the final project, I still learned many useful tips, tricks, and best practices for completing different types of analysis that I have used in all my roles since! Lastly, I have heavily relied on all the interview prep and presentation tips in every recruitment process and client meeting. Knowing I had the tools to nail a case interview helped remove the nerves and allowed me to just focus on being myself and coming across genuinely!
Geoff Kalan, Bridge’11
Chief Strategy Officer, Playfly Sports
Why was it important to you to attend the Tuck Business Bridge Program? What skills were you trying to round out?
Attending the Tuck Business Bridge Program exposed me to a new way of thinking. Coming from a liberal arts undergraduate program, I hadn’t been previously exposed to hard business fundamentals. Bridge opened my eyes to new experiences and demonstrated that there was a whole side of the business world I didn’t know about. I also had the great opportunity to meet interesting classmates from other backgrounds which helped propel my professional development.
Tell us about your role today.
After starting my career in advisory services—first in management consulting and then in investment banking—I was fortunate to become a founding member of the Playfly Sports management team. At Playfly I serve as Chief Strategy Officer, leading three main divisions: Corporate Development/M&A, Internal Consulting, and Investor Relations. I helped found Playfly and have contributed to our growth, which includes over 16 M&A deals, the establishment of an international office in the UK, and expanding our team to over 1,100 members. I focus on growth—both organic and inorganic—strategic market expansion, process improvement, and capital raise. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience where I get to apply all facets of my business training into practice.
What impact do you want to make with your work?
I am most proud of the fact that I have helped contribute to the creation of over 1,100 new jobs in the sports industry. It is rewarding to see employees passionate about a brand that didn’t exist four years ago. At Playfly, we live by our PIPER values (People, Innovation, Partnership, Empathy, Results), and it’s been incredible to see how the work I lead positively impacts both our employees and our partners. In the sports industry, on-the-field performance garners all of the attention, but it has been great to see all of the hard work that goes into the business side of sports.
Is there a specific lesson or skill you learned in Bridge that you utilize in your role today?
The importance of communication is the key skill I honed at Bridge. Business is all about convincing others of your ideas, and at Bridge, I learned that clear communication is essential. I apply this lesson to my role every day.
