Carolyn Tisch Blodgett’s Post

THE NON-BLACK "ROOTS" FUND vs. JAY MORRISON TULSA REAL ESTATE FUND: THE DICHOTOMY OF THE BLACK AMERICAN INVESTOR -- When Jay Morrison launched the Tulsa Real Estate Fund, how excited were thousands of Black Americans to see a Black man become the first African American to qualify as a Regulation A+ Tier II, a pre-IPO. As I was contemplating investing, I noticed something in the securities offering which halted me giving money: buying old ass houses & apartments, and lending to others. As a visionary founder and entrepreneur, I knew there was a better way for our community to come together (or so I thought) to BUILD things instead of BUYING things. Therewith, I researched and started my own fund going through the rigors of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to become the second African American to qualify as a Regulation A+ Tier II in order to raise up to $50,000,000 in equity. Sadly, I was fundraising during Covid-19, which took a toll on my company and operations in 2020. Fast-forward to 2024, the Jay Morrison's Tulsa Real Estate fund has allegedly filed bankruptcy and is entangled in pending litigation and fraudulent inquiries about the fund and its owner. Boy, were we all excited about this fund as history was made raising over $11.7M with 15,000+- investors. As a former fund manager, I was also excited about reading a brief synopsis on the "Roots Fund," which I said, "O'h another Black fund; let me read more about the owners." The dichotomy of both funds is a contrast lesson in the Black American Investor. With Tulsa, the financial statements reveal $15,000 in assets. With Roots, the SEC financial statements note $0 in assets. Jay was criticize and crucified for buying old azz houses and apartments. Yet the NON-BLACK Roots fund and owners buy old azz houses, fix them up and rent them out; the same Jay's fund was doing. Jay's fund raised over $11.7M and the Roots' fund raised over $33M and counting. Both funds served the same demographics (the unsophisticated non-accredited investor; the general public) juxtaposed being based in Atlanta, Georgia. What this dichotomy is showing me that the Black/African American community will never come together to BUILD & OWN. I take my fund as an example. Our goal was to design, develop, build, own & manage single family homes, multifamily apartments, condominiums, hotels, retail stores, restaurants, banks/lending institutions, mixed use developments, high-rises, etc., all from the ground-up. The Roots fund had landed NBA & NFL players as investors whereas Jay's previous attempt was deemed criminal & the "White powers that be," told its professional, rich players to stay away from this Black owned fund. YET, the Roots fund is majority NON-Black owned and there were no warnings issued to invest. I am so mad & furious with Jay because you had $11.7M; now bankrupt, which you could have turned that leverage into a $40M portfolio. Now we have Roots with $33M raised serving the same Black demographic.

Pro soccer in “new markets”! It’s fantastic to see how #soccer, #football is growing world wide! There are countries without promotion and relagation owners/investors can just “found” /invest in a “club” (company), “buy” a franchise in a “pro league” and participate in this growth. For us in countries with a 100+ years history in the game with promotion and relagation and the possibility to start in tier /division 13 and work your way up (theoretically) to tier /division 1 (top level) this brings very interesting situations. Sometimes talking to owners it’s so refreshing to see their enthusiasm but it’s still very often “interesting” or let’s be straight forward “unbelievable” what you sometimes hear and first you think they are joking. You then hear often words like “we hired a world class technical staff”, “our club has the best and most advanced scouting”, “we are different” etc etc. When you then asked what the other over 1000 pro clubs in the world did or do wrong or why they didn’t do it like this in the last decades you often hear “stereotype” answers. When you then let the clubs know what (mostlikely) will happen in year one to five you then often get to hear again this “we are different” and more stereotypes. Over the years I then told the owner precisely what will happen and I would be very glad to be wrong and my “I will follow up” if my predictions turned out to be right. In the next 1 to 5 years some clubs get a reality check, some need years to learn and some just seem not to learn anything and year by year end on the bottom of the table. Luckily they don’t have relegation so their investment is not in jeopardy. (In the real soccer world those clubs would be relegated to amateur level and their investment would go south.) All the owners/investors are top class entrepreneurs but the beauty of soccer is that everybody watching the game thinks they “know the game”, etc. until they realize being a fan, spectator, etc. is not enough to be successful in pro soccer and this “we are different” approach actually means all the new investors/owners think the top clubs in Europe, South America, etc. with 100+ years of history, experience, knowledge in pro soccer are not that smart if a new owner/investor can just “buy” this pro success. (Yes, I then often ask where those overlooked world class guys they just hired had success in pro soccer before and most of the time the answer you get is maximum “hopes and dreams”) After each season I then come back to the owner and often I hear the “we should have listen to you”, etc.. My response is always the same: don’t listen to me or anybody just diversify your decisions and don’t put all eggs in one basket as you would never hand over a multi million investment to the “new kids on the block” with zero experience or track record so why are you doing it in your soccer investment? One thing is really different! It’s usually not the club or owner it’s pro soccer! It’s kind of the “Dunning Kruger effect”…😉

NEW FORMATS ARE GAME CHANGERS: The Big 3 Brand followed in the footsteps of UFC, WWE to create sport format that are simpler, more spectacular, more entertaining and easier to implement. The Kings League 7v7 football is a more recent example and the Golbang 3v3 football is taking inspiration from such predecessors to make football playable by all fans, anywhere! BIG3 Kings League WWE Ultimate Fighting Championship TPS Conseil https://lnkd.in/e3mfQJmf

The recent trend of casino families acquiring stakes in professional sports teams is a notable development. This aligns seamlessly with the strategic direction of Sports Kitchen Entertainment Group, as we are actively establishing our own sports enterprises, media platforms, and a comprehensive representation network for multiple sports and athletes. The rationale behind our approach is grounded in economic realities. The acquisition of a sports team, often costing billions of dollars, inevitably leads to increased prices for tickets, broadcasting rights, branded merchandise, and overall fan engagement. Such high expenditures can seldom be recuperated without imposing financial burdens on the fan base. In contrast, our vision is to construct a future where fans are not merely spectators but stakeholders. We aim to democratize the ownership of sports entities, thereby returning sports to its rightful owners - the fans. While our strategy is more intricate than this brief overview, the essence is to foster a more inclusive and financially accessible sports environment. #sportsbusiness #GamblingIndusrty #SportsBetting #Casino #Mavericks #MarkCuban #Adelson #LasVegasSands #DallasMavericks #NBA #LasVegas

We wrote an article last year on the value of Major League Soccer. It is and will continue to grow. #sportsbiz #sportsbusiness #mlssoccer #sportsindustry #linkedinsports https://lnkd.in/eqGEHu7Y

⚾️💰 Ever wondered how every Major League Baseball (MLB) owner made their money? What catches your eye the most - pizza, stocks, or something else? 🤔 Many of us aspire to own a pro sports team one day. But do you need to be in a specific industry to amass the fortune required? 🌟 Gary Vaynerchuk often emphasizes that it's never too late to start. Take a look at the ages of these individuals. ⏳ What key insights do you draw from this detailed list? 💡 #MLB #Baseball #SportsTeamOwnership #GaryVaynerchuk #Entrepreneurship Grant Cardone Darren Rovell

The King's League, a new seven-a-side soccer league founded by Barcelona/Spain legend Gerard Pique, has just raised a $65 Million round of funding. The international league was established in 2022 and features new rules, celebrity team managers, and shorter/tighter content programming more geared towards a younger generation of sports fans. King's League is one out of many new sports leagues pioneering novel formats on traditional sports - like Baller League, Ice Cube's 3-on-3 Basketball League, and the Pro Volleyball Federation. My thinking is that this recent investment round for King's League will help spur even more investment for these "new sports," whether it's a variation on an old game or something newer like Power Slap or Major League Pickleball. Many sports assets are already perceived as a highly desirable investment and I expect to see more stories like this. Young fans have new preferences and there are plenty of entrepreneurs starting new leagues to build out the next generation of sports content formats. It's an exciting time for the global sports & entertainment business - new ideas, new funding, and new opportunities. ⚽️ https://lnkd.in/dAKg54bi #sports #kingsleague #football #soccer #sportsbusiness #media #entertainment #sportsrights #sport #investment

It's time to talk #Netball... As last week's breaking news about the Netball Super League settles down, it's worth examining the numbers behind one of the fastest growing sports in the UK. Reducing the number of franchises has caught the headlines, but is a smart move for the next step in the professionalisation journey. 📈 11% increase in crowd attendance across Super League clubs & record breaking crowds at top billing events. 📺 53% increase in viewing figures across SkySports with a surge in female audiences. 🏐 Anecdotally (take this from a netball Dad), participation is up, & standards across the England Netball club, regional & national game is unreal (the recent u14s club finals a huge highlight for my daughter taking to court again). 🥁 The investment opportunities are significant & commercially the game must be on the brink of something very special. If the strategy is right, watch the sport take off 🚀 . I've watched the commercials with a keen eye & can't wait to continue unpicking the data, examining the financial statements, & hopefully seeing the national game, & franchise system, go from strength to strength. There are plenty of challenges ahead, but the sport is in a strong place. 🏆 Big congratulations to the team at Onside Law (especially Harriet Leach) for guiding the #NSL through the legal aspects of the new competition, its #governance, #regulation, #finance, #data, #mediarights & more - I feel a guest speaker invitation heading your way soon! 🚀 Activate the next step in your senior leadership journey with VSI Executive Education & support the game go from strength to strength. 📩 admin@vsiee.com #VSI; Pioneering tomorrow's leaders in sport. Amy Tilley Mark Foster Claire Nelson Eboni Beckford - Chambers Jane Abbey https://lnkd.in/ej6c5wxA

Ever wondered what it takes to become a sports team owner? 🏈 I recently had the privilege of sitting down with Jason Robinson, Owner of the Barcelona Dragons in the European League of Football, and we delved into his incredible journey from the gridiron to the boardroom. Check out my latest article to learn more about Jason, Elite Sports Equity, and how athletes can leverage their backgrounds to excel as team owners. #sportsbusiness #linkedinsports #sportsbiz #football #tourism

The 2026 World Cup finals are set to be a game-changer for pro soccer as we prepare to relaunch celebrated clubs into the National Soccer League™ as American soccer goes mainstream like never before! With matches gracing every channel and millions of passionate fans flocking to North America to attend international games, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for enthusiasts and investors alike. 🏆 Unlock Your Dream: Own a Celebrated Pro Soccer Club Have you ever dreamed of owning a celebrated professional soccer club? 🤩 This is your moment! With the 2026 World Cup fever taking the world by storm, the spotlight on soccer is brighter than ever. Don't miss your chance to be a part of this exhilarating journey with the NSL. 🤝 No Franchise Fee, No Worries Worried about the hefty franchise fees from US soccer? Fear not! We've designed an exclusive pathway for aspiring club owners like you. Say goodbye to franchise fees, and embrace a seamless entry into the world of professional soccer. 🛠️ Cost Control Made Easy Let's be honest, managing costs can be challenging. But with our league taking care of the heavy lifting, you can focus on what truly matters: the love of the game and fostering a vibrant soccer community. 🚀 Spreading Joy to Soccer-Loving Communities Soccer has the unique power to unite communities, and we want you to be a part of this uplifting movement. By owning a professional soccer club, you'll not only bring joy but also leave a lasting impact on the lives of soccer aficionados. 🌐 Let's Make It Happen Ready to embark on this thrilling journey? Let's connect! Reach out to me, and I'll guide you through our expansion offering to the National Soccer League™ Together, we'll turn your dream of owning a celebrated pro soccer club into a reality. 🏟️ The Clock is Ticking! ⏰ Time is of the essence. Don't wait and seize this incredible opportunity and join the soccer revolution today