Angela Ruggiero: CEO at Sports Innovation Lab and USA Hockey Hall of Famer

A must-listen for athletes and founders, this week's podcast delves into the sports and professional career of Angela Ruggiero. SIL is part research organization, part branding agency, and part software company, helping companies and sports properties to better understand their fans. Angela sits at the helm of SIL, a company she created after seeing a gap in the market during her tenure in various leadership roles for the International Olympic Committee. Prior to her business career, Angela played hockey for four Olympic teams and received just about every accolade you could decorate a US-born female hockey player with. Her conversation with Next Play partner Hunter Hillenmeyer includes insights into why so many athletes struggle after their sports careers end and what can be done to change this dynamic. Angela believes it starts with cultivating passions outside of sports long before retirement. She also compares and contrasts how the sports world and the corporate world stack up in terms of knowing their customers and evaluating talent. Let's just say both industries could learn plenty from the other.