Kayvon Thibodeaux is among a growing number of NFL players who are considering life beyond the field.
Sportico reported that the New York Giants defensive end has invested in real estate, beverage, hospitality, and restaurant industries. He also has a stake in Meatpacking District’s Meduza Mediterrania.
“It’s about alignment for me,” Thibodeaux told the outlet. “When you come into a business, you can get your money back, but you can’t get your reputation back… For me being an athlete and aligning with the [diverse] personnel that’s going to be involved in this is the exemplar of what more athletes can do and should do.”
Thibodeaux’s investment footprint is expected to grow as he is now listed as a venture partner with The Collectiv, a venture capital firm that focuses on early stage sports startups and intends to raise $20 million over the next six months, per Sportico. For the debut fund, he will focus on identifying valuable investment prospects and offering strategic advice on the expanding sports industry. He will also capitalize on his influence to support the fund and motivate other athletes to get involved.
“It’s one thing to just be an investor and write checks, but it’s another thing to actually be involved,” Thibodeaux mentioned, according to Sportico. “I’m at the point where I want to have a certain level of expertise in the field so now we’re here and culminating into the next business.”
Thibodeaux’s participation aligns with The Collectiv’s purpose of creating equitable access to deal flow for industry insiders and other key players as well as offering learning opportunities about venture investing.
“It’s about investing in what they know,” Ashley DeWalt, The Collectiv’s co-founder and managing partner, said, according to Sportico. “All the various folks that make up this ecosystem historically have been excluded. Our ‘why’ is being able to provide that opportunity, hence the name The Collectiv, and that’s the power of the fund.”
The Collectiv has already invested in the global sailing team U.S. Sail G, live video production startup Videon, micro-betting tech platform nVenue, and AI platform ON, per Sportico.
