Key Takeaways
- GameChanger created two new executive roles and hired Cynthia Kleinbaum Milner as Chief Commercial Officer and Brandon Rhodes as General Manager, Emerging Sports
- Kleinbaum Milner previously served as CMO at MoneyLion and led the design and launch of Walmart+ as VP of Marketing for Digital Acceleration
- Rhodes spent seven years at Overtime, most recently as GM of OTX, the company’s boxing division he helped launch
- GameChanger currently covers over 9 million games annually across more than 1 million teams on its platform
- The DICK’S Sporting Goods-owned company has active searches underway for a Chief Technology Officer and General Manager of Diamond Sports
Veteran Consumer and Fintech Leader Takes Commercial Reins
GameChanger, the youth sports app owned by DICK’S Sporting Goods, announced Cynthia Kleinbaum Milner will join as Chief Commercial Officer. In this newly created role, she will oversee the platform’s commercial strategy with a focus on expanding reach and deepening engagement with families, coaches, and athletes.
Kleinbaum Milner joins from MoneyLion, where she served as Chief Marketing Officer. Prior to that, she spent four years at Walmart in marketing and management roles, culminating in her position as Vice President of Marketing for Digital Acceleration. In that role, she spearheaded the design and launch of Walmart+, the retailer’s membership program.
Earlier in her career, Kleinbaum Milner held leadership roles at Bonobos and Gilt Groupe. She began her career in brand management at Nestlé in Mexico before moving into strategy consulting at Boston Consulting Group. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a degree in Business Administration from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City.
“GameChanger sits at the intersection of technology, community, and a mission that matters,” Kleinbaum Milner said. “This is a product families love and rely on to stay connected to youth sports, and it’s built by a team that moves fast while thinking long term.”
Sports Media Executive to Drive Basketball and Soccer Expansion
Brandon Rhodes will join as General Manager, Emerging Sports, another newly created position. He will oversee GameChanger’s continued growth in basketball and soccer.
Rhodes brings more than a decade of experience building sports, media, and consumer brands. He spent seven years at Overtime in leadership roles across business development and new ventures. Most recently, he served as GM of OTX, Overtime’s boxing division, which he helped launch from the ground up.
Before Overtime, Rhodes worked for five years at PepsiCo across Gatorade’s global business. He is also co-founder of Awkward Games, a party game company that grew into national retail distribution at Target and Walmart and was featured on Shark Tank. Rhodes was recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and co-founded the Michigan Sport Business Conference.
“Youth sports are evolving quickly, and there’s a tremendous opportunity to raise the bar for families, coaches, and players,” Rhodes said.
Building Out the C-Suite for Scale
The two appointments are part of a broader leadership expansion at GameChanger. The company has active searches underway for a Chief Technology Officer and a General Manager of Diamond Sports. In June, Briana Larkin joined as Chief People Officer from ABInBev, where she spent eight years in various leadership roles, most recently as Global Vice President of People & Business Strategy.
“Bringing in leaders of Cynthia and Brandon’s caliber positions us to deliver an even better experience for those who rely on us,” said Sameer Ahuja, president of GameChanger and senior vice president of DICK’S Sporting Goods. “Cynthia has an incredible track record at some of the world’s most recognizable brands, and Brandon has built new sports properties from the ground up.”
GameChanger’s platform is available on iOS, Android, and web. Live streaming and scheduling technology is available for all youth sports, with deep statistics and scorekeeping capability for baseball, softball, and basketball. The company is based in New York City.
What the Moves Signal for GameChanger’s Roadmap
The creation of both a Chief Commercial Officer role and a dedicated leader for emerging sports reflects GameChanger’s intent to expand beyond its baseball and softball roots. The platform already covers over 9 million games annually across more than 1 million teams, but basketball and soccer represent significant growth opportunities given their participation rates nationwide.
The addition of executives with retail, fintech, and consumer brand experience suggests GameChanger may be exploring new commercial models or partnerships. With DICK’S Sporting Goods as its parent company, the platform sits at the intersection of sports retail, technology, and family engagement throughout the youth sports journey.
via: GameChanger
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