Key Takeaways
- Former UVA D1 athletes Hailey and Myla Barnett launched Staxx™ App on October 2, 2025, a financial platform built specifically for athletes navigating NIL compensation and under-30 earners
- The platform features Ace, an AI-driven voice-enabled coach providing real-time guidance on tax compliance, savings, investments, and brand strategy for athletes and early-career professionals
- Staxx integrates NIL tracking with professional-grade financial tools, including pre-tax planning, crypto and real estate goal tracking, and reports compatible with accountant workflows
- The founding team includes Goldman Sachs analyst Myla Barnett, Ford model Hailey Barnett, and their mother Jacqueline Jeffries Barnett, who developed the platform after navigating youth sports financial challenges with their NFL-legend father Fred Barnett
- The platform positions itself as a compliance assurance tool at a time when Congress is actively debating NIL regulations, targeting both individual athletes and institutional compliance needs
From Youth Sports to Financial Platform
The Barnett family’s path to launching a fintech platform started with lacrosse and rowing. Hailey and Myla Barnett, daughters of former NFL player Fred Barnett, both competed at the Division I level at the University of Virginia. That experience, combined with their mother’s oversight of the financial demands of youth athletics, revealed a gap in the market.
“After navigating our own family’s financial journey through youth sports and beyond, we were inspired to create a tool that educates and empowers other families to manage the complexities, especially the financial challenges, that come with supporting their children’s athletic dreams,” Jacqueline Jeffries Barnett said in the announcement.
The twins have since moved into different professional tracks. Myla works as an analyst at Goldman Sachs, while Hailey models for Ford. Together with their mother, who serves as founder and developer, they built Staxx with a working MVP already in market.
The team emphasizes the platform’s female-led development. “We are proud that this platform is both founded and developed by women,” Jacqueline Jeffries Barnett noted. “Our lived experiences bring a unique and diverse perspective to the development process.”
Addressing the NIL Financial Complexity
The introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness compensation has created new financial management challenges for college athletes. Student-athletes can now earn money through endorsements, social media partnerships, and brand deals, but many lack the financial infrastructure to manage these income streams effectively.
Staxx positions itself as more than a budgeting app. The platform describes itself as a compliance assurance tool designed for athletes living through the NIL experience. With Congress currently debating NIL regulations, the timing reflects the evolving landscape of college athletics compensation.
The platform targets a dual market. Individual athletes and families seek on-demand financial guidance for managing NIL earnings. At the same time, colleges and institutions need turnkey compliance tools to meet regulatory requirements. Staxx aims to serve both needs simultaneously.
The platform extends beyond college athletes to reach under-30 earners more broadly, including creators and early-stage professionals who face similar financial organization challenges.
Product Features and User Experience
Staxx centers on Ace, an AI-driven coach that provides voice-enabled financial guidance. Users can interact with Ace to receive real-time advice on tax issues, savings strategies, investment options, and brand management decisions.
The platform’s dashboard includes several tracking tools. A Quarterly Progress Tower visualizes financial milestones. Budget KPIs help users monitor spending patterns. Income and Contract Calculators allow athletes to model earnings scenarios. Receipt Capture streamlines record-keeping for tax purposes.
Ace delivers what the platform calls “tax snacks,” bite-sized financial education content designed for quick consumption. The AI coach also sends smart nudges and personalized reminders to keep users engaged with their financial goals.
Voice command functionality allows users to interact with the platform hands-free, a design choice that acknowledges the on-the-go lifestyle of athletes and young professionals.
Market Differentiation in Financial Tools
Staxx distinguishes itself through several specific features. The platform builds pre-tax planning into its core functionality rather than treating it as an add-on feature. This reflects the reality that many young earners, particularly those with variable NIL income, need proactive tax guidance.
The platform includes crypto and real estate goal tracking, recognizing that early-stage investors often explore these asset classes. This functionality targets users building diversified portfolios beyond traditional savings accounts.
Staxx generates professional-grade reports designed to integrate with workflows used by accountants, financial advisors, and agents. This addresses a practical pain point where athletes and young earners often struggle to provide organized financial data to their professional advisors.
“Talent can open doors, but financial literacy keeps them open long after the cheering fades,” Myla Barnett said in the announcement.
Hailey Barnett added context to the platform’s educational mission: “Financial literacy is as important to a young athlete’s career as training and nutrition. Without it, even the most promising talent can struggle to sustain long-term success.”
The platform describes itself as the first SaaS platform to fully integrate professional financial tools with NIL tracking, claiming a unique position for athletes, creators, and early-stage earners.
Strategic Positioning in a Changing Landscape
Staxx enters the market as a purpose-built solution for a specific demographic facing distinct financial challenges. The platform’s focus on NIL compliance positions it at the intersection of education policy, athletic administration, and personal finance.
The founding team’s background brings different perspectives to the product. Myla Barnett’s Wall Street experience informs the financial planning tools. Hailey Barnett’s work in fashion and modeling provides insight into brand management and creator economy dynamics. Jacqueline Jeffries Barnett’s description as a “policy expert who has shaped national education and fiscal strategies” suggests experience with regulatory frameworks.
The platform’s emphasis on institutional compliance tools alongside consumer features indicates a business model that could serve both B2C and B2B markets. Universities seeking to demonstrate NIL compliance could represent a significant revenue opportunity as regulatory oversight increases.
For the youth sports market, the platform extends the conversation about financial literacy beyond college athletes to families investing in youth athletic development. The Barnetts’ personal experience with the costs and complexity of youth sports informed this broader market approach.
The platform’s success will likely depend on adoption rates among college athletes and institutions, user retention as athletes transition from college to professional careers or other pursuits, and the platform’s ability to adapt as NIL regulations evolve at both the federal and state levels.
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via: PR Newswire
photo: Qub Studio
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