Ryan Mundy On Investing, Sports Technology, And Giving Back To The Community
Ex NFL-Athlete, Ryan Mundy Sits Down with Athlete Intelligence to Discuss the Importance of Sports Tech and Giving Back to the Community.
In response to a recent Forbes.com article on former NFL safety Ryan Mundy, Athlete Intelligence wanted to follow up with Mundy. We dug deeper into his current investing role as the Chief Strategist with Techlete Ventures, his views on the current sports technology environment, and how he gives back to the community.
WHY INVESTING?
After 8 years of playing professional football with the Pittsburg Steelers, New York Giants and Chicago Bears, Ryan Mundy wanted to start the next phase of his life. “I wanted to walk away from the game on my own terms,” said Mundy.
With a little stint in real estate before the official retirement Mundy realized he wanted to explore something that he was more passionate about. A close friend introduced him to angel investing and he discovered a love of business transactions, strategy and investing.
“Techlete was developed by combining technology and athlete into one word. I feel it’s an accurate representation of me,” said Mundy.
Not only does Mundy hope to succeed in his investing opportunities, but he also hopes to represent what it means to become a corporate athlete. He wants to represent how a professional athlete can transition from the love of the game to become a business man with passion.
He also wants to change the narrative by involving more minorities in the investing industry. Mundy sees that, “The tide is rising on minority entrepreneurs and founders, but I still think there is a disproportionate balance and I hope to inspire the change. I want to build an environment where minorities get an opportunity to thrive.”
VIEWS ON THE SPORTS TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY
While Mundy’s investing firm looks for opportunities in every industry, not just limited to sports technology, he sees huge growth in the sports technology industry.
“While I was with the Giants in 2013, they had GPS trackers that measured steps, how fast you were running, heart rate, but it was still very new at the time. A lot of things that are available right now weren’t available when I was an athlete. Things have really taken off in the last two years and it’s really exciting.”
He continued to say that the sports technology industry is seeing a lot of wearable technology and protective equipment. He sees a lot of opportunity to also use data and analytics in measuring things like nutritional habits.
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
In our conversation with Ryan Mundy, it became obvious early on that he had a passion for inspiring and uplifting the community.
As a way for Mundy to help give back, he and his long-time friend and colleague Steven Breaston host an annual Breaston/Mundy Youth Football Clinic. Held at Mundy’s old stomping grounds, Woodland Hills High School, the clinic is open to boys and girls, ages 8-13 and is completely free.
Every year Mundy and Breaston work with over 200 youth to develop fundamental skills on the football field while teaching life skills like teamwork, communication, sportsmanship and the importance of education.
“We both just wanted to give back to the community that gave so much to us.”
