Global empires are not built overnight, and not all are suitable for entrepreneurship, a challenging and complex company that takes a large balance between courage, hard work and commitment to pursuing changes. While many are passionate about making a transformative impact, others are struggling to get to GRIT in a market where being competitive and strategic must be innate properties or risk being consumed by larger companies – but not Danny Cortenraede.
Danny is among those who break the borders in the company and the sports arena. Armed with its extensive knowledge in business and entertainment-which has completed its executive MBA (PLD) and an executive program in business, entertainment, media and sports at Harvard Business School-The Los Angeles-based experienced contractor and investor is a Stalwart for innovation and growth.
In his over 20 years of experience in the business area, Danny has succeeded in establishing connections and creating bonds with C-SUITE managers at Fortune 500 companies. His stint as co-star and judge at the popular TV series for business reality Unicorn Also contributed to his growing influence. These relationships helped turn his great vision to promote innovation into a reality – an achievement that received him awards, including coping with the Global Entrepreneur Award 2024 and 2025, and becoming an inspirational face in Forbes, Yahoo Finance, Entrepreneur Magazine, Sports Business Journal, Venture Cap, Venture Capital.
But connections are not everyone, ends in developing a successful career in the industry. As five times founder of global companies, Danny used his expertise to create solutions in a sector that is often overlooked by many-sports.
While other companies focused their efforts and resources on integrating advanced technology into critical industries, such as manufacturing, healthcare, financial services and transport, Danny was sufficiently brave to invest in sports innovation, an area that was often neglected even though it was a critical sector for the global economy.
Left: Jameis Winston – Quarterback for New York Giants, Right: Danny Cortenraede
Sport is one of the many sectors run by powerful individuals but lacks entrepreneurship to thrive. Through Instudio Ventures, an eminilable investment company, Danny managed to give athletes a platform to advocate for a revolution in the sports industry. As a founder and chief partner, he demonstrated the incredible dynamics of sports, media and technology, partly thanks to his experience as a general partner at Legacy of Adidas (Lead), a company founded by grandchildren of Adi Dassler, the man behind the famous brand with the three stripes, adidas.
His time at Lead shaped him into an entrepreneur who could help understand unspoken clues in the industry. This enabled Danny to expand its empire and invest in more than 60 companies all over the world, including companies run by influential leaders in the sports sector, such as the famous golfer Tiger Woods, which founded the independent agency network TMRW Sports Group, and Togethxr was founded by Alex Morgan.
Danny’s unmatched commitment to the industry has given significant recognition, which reflects the diligent efforts he has invested in his work, including being named one of the best global sports innovators 2022 and 2025 by Sportstech and become a reliable advisor in Global Sports and Tech Ecosystem.
Rediscover the real power of the athletes outside the court
Athletes are the face of the sports industry, which shows discipline, elasticity, leadership, adaptability and superhuman strength – characteristic that made them iconic faces of trademarks that meet the sector, from shoes, clothing, timepieces and energy drinks for objects that are not bound to sports, including commercial services.
With the sports industry that was projected to grow exponentially in the coming years, Danny knew that new technologies would play a critical role in this growth, not only the sector but also the athletes.
Given the belief that athletes should not be limited within courts and approval agreements, Danny invests in marketing and operating sports technology and advocating to use Big Data to improve fan engagement to create real connections and reshape the gaming industry with e-sports.
But above all, Danny is dedicated to giving athletes to gain control over their long -term stability and security and abolish the notion that these things are bound to approval agreements.
Brand agreement is not a lifetime company. For athletes, they are an easy way to make a quick money, but a remarkable limitation is that the individuals who support the trademark do not have the authority to decide whether a specific approval should be maintained as this responsibility lies with the trademark’s stakeholders.
Instudio Ventures stands as a solution to this and offers athletes access to a variety of investments to diversify their income current while learning about entrepreneurship from esteemed founders and business leaders, while expanding their professional networks with comrades who share similar interests.
Leaving an inheritance
Awards and approval agreements may be the ultimate measure of success for athletes throughout their sports career, but outside the field it is another game.
Instudio Ventures supports athletes in charting their journey outside the courts and when it’s time to hang up their clothes.
Instudio not only gives them a platform that provides a transparent and steady investment flow to support them in carrying their mission, but also helps them learn about the investment world – which is why the deal makes sense or not. Athletes are involved as far as possible in the process: Dealflow meetings, talking directly to start -ups etc.
While Instudio Ventures stands as a way of diversifying athletes’ wealth outside the field, Danny made sure this initiative would maintain his vision to help the sports sector grow by supporting clubs, law and leagues and promoting inclusion by strengthening women through the use of new techniques.
Instudio Ventures is made not only for professional athletes, but also for those who want to run the sports industry and submit a lasting impact that will surpass throughout the sector in the coming generations.
