Over the past few years I have spent most of my time building.

But the foundation for what exists today started much earlier.

Early Signals

Around 2010 I experimented with small digital and business ideas.

None of those early projects became lasting ventures, but they introduced me to something important.

• How technology connects with real businesses
• How physical environments shape opportunity
• How systems form around people and activity

The curiosity started there.

A Turning Point: Tennis Returns

Another major turning point came in 2016.

After not playing tennis during my college years as a West Chester University Ram, I returned to the sport. At the time I needed a change. I had very little social life and wanted something that would move my life forward.

Tennis delivered exactly that.

It brought:

• Community
• Discipline
• A renewed sense of direction

Around that time a thought stayed with me.

One day I wanted to build my own sports company.

At the time I imagined something simple. Maybe one day I would operate a tennis facility or a small club environment.

Looking back now, the idea was pointing toward something much bigger.

Corporate Experience

For several years after that I worked inside corporate America.

That experience taught me valuable lessons about:

• How organizations operate
• How systems scale
• How institutions make decisions

Those years built a foundation that later became extremely useful.

Preparing the Transition

During 2024 I began preparing for a major shift.

Much of that year was spent:

• Studying markets
• Developing ideas
• Quietly building the foundation for the next phase

About a month before leaving corporate America, I formally created Onward Upward Digital.

The Day Everything Shifted

The day I stepped away from corporate life was memorable in a simple way.

By that point I had already been working remotely for a few years since the pandemic, but that was the moment I formally closed that chapter.

A couple of hours later I picked up a Subaru Crosstrek that I still enjoy driving today.

A small moment.
But a meaningful one.

It represented a clear transition into building independently.

The Opportunity That Emerged

Around that same time, work began revealing a broader opportunity tied to high-traffic venues and the systems that support them.

Over time one environment stood out.

Sports.

That is where Onward Upward Sports began to emerge.

Today the platform focuses on organized sports activities and community-driven competition across club and facility environments.

Programs currently include structured formats such as:

• Ladders
• Team competition formats
• Structured playing opportunities
• Community-driven participation

While many of the early programs began within racquet sports environments, the broader focus of the platform is on sports communities in general and the facilities that support them.

The goal is simple.

Create organized environments where people can compete, connect, and stay active through consistent participation in sports.

Respect for Clubs and Facilities

One thing I have come to appreciate deeply is the role that sports clubs and facilities play in communities across the country.

Many of these environments have served players for decades.

They are the backbone of recreational and competitive sports.

Our goal is to support them and work alongside them as sports communities continue to grow.

Industry Recognition

Earlier this year the architecture connected to Onward Upward Sports was featured nationally by Racket Business.

The article introduced the framework to sports facility operators and industry leaders across the country.

https://racketbusiness.com/p/facilities-supplies-people-83c9#carrier-grade-indoor-connectivity-t

Recognition like that reinforces something important.

When you build something new, the early stages often bring hesitation and questions.

That process is normal.

Over time the work begins to speak for itself.

Lessons from Building

Building anything meaningful teaches you a lot about people.

You begin to see the difference between:

• Curiosity and commitment
• Attention and alignment
• Proximity and real partnership

Those lessons apply everywhere.

• Business
• Professional relationships
• Personal relationships

What Comes Next

Later this month I will attend my next RSPA conference on March 20. For context this is not the first RSPA conference I have attended.

This time I will be there representing Onward Upward Sports and continuing to learn from the professionals and facilities that make the sports ecosystem what it is today.

Our company will also invite one person to join so they can see firsthand how these environments operate and how the broader sports ecosystem works.

One Realization

One realization from the past two years stands out.

Building something new can feel solitary at times.

But it never truly is.

Over time the right people reveal themselves.

Many of the best people I have met along this journey have already shown themselves through their support, curiosity, and willingness to move forward together.

I am grateful for that.

As the next phase unfolds, I look forward to continuing to build alongside those people and the many others who will join the journey.

Onward.
Upward.