How Leah Clapper Became an Entrepreneur Through NIL

10/19/22 • 56 min

This episode, we're joined by University of Florida gymnast Leah Clapper, who has definitely made the most of NIL so far. Not only had Leah done numerous brand deals, she's also consulted with companies on their NIL strategies, built her own boardgame and started her own NIL education company for student athletes. She's even the TA for our host Kristi Dosh's NIL classes at UF.
Leah is currently getting her second masters degree at Florida while competing in her final season of eligibility as a gymnast. She shares with us:

How creating content with athletes in other sports at gymnastics has been a win for everyone involved
How NIL has changed her academic and career path
Her entrepreneurial ambitions
Where she sees herself in 10 years
Why she wants to live overseas after graduation
How athletes can hone in on their passions as they create content
The idea for her boardgame and how she created, marketed and sold it
How she started NIL Island and how she plans to help other student athletes through it
...and so much more!

Athletes, check out these resources on Leah's NIL Island site:

You can follow Leah on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.

You can follow The Players' Platform podcast on Instagram: @playersplatformpod.
Kristi Dosh: @SportsBizMiss
Emily Cole: @EmilyCole

How creating content with athletes in other sports at gymnastics has been a win for everyone involved
How NIL has changed her academic and career path
Her entrepreneurial ambitions
Where she sees herself in 10 years
Why she wants to live overseas after graduation
How athletes can hone in on their passions as they create content
The idea for her boardgame and how she created, marketed and sold it
How she started NIL Island and how she plans to help other student athletes through it
...and so much more!

Athletes, check out these resources on Leah's NIL Island site:

You can follow Leah on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.

You can follow The Players' Platform podcast on Instagram: @playersplatformpod.
Kristi Dosh: @SportsBizMiss
Emily Cole: @EmilyCole

Previous Episode

How Rayquan Smith Became the King of NIL

In this episode, we're joined by Rayquan Smith, the "King of NIL." Rayquan is a decathlete at Norfolk State and previously was a dual-sport athlete who also played football for the Spartans.
Rayquan received the Hustle Award at the 2022 NIL Awards and closed 70 NIL deals in Year 1 of NIL. He joins us to share:

How he found his agent, including the questions he thinks other athletes should ask before signing with an agent
Advice for reaching out to companies to land NIL deals
How he's helped educate potential brand partners on NIL
His strategy for negotiating with brands
How his school has supported his NIL efforts
What he wants out of Year 2 of NIL
How he became the "King of NIL"
...and more!

Check out his website and merchandise at KingofNIL.com, and follow Rayquan on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.

You can follow The Players' Platform podcast on Instagram: @playersplatformpod.
Kristi Dosh: @SportsBizMiss
Emily Cole: @EmilyCole

Next Episode

Geo Baker: From #NotNCAAProperty to NIL Entrepreneur

We're joined this episode by Geo Baker, former Rutgers men's basketball athlete and co-founder of The Knight Society. We get into so many great topics with Geo, starting with how he advocated for student athlete rights before NIL rules were changed in 2021.
Geo shares with us:

What it was like being part of the #NotNCAAProperty movement in the spring of 2021
How coaches and administration reacted to his involvement in #NotNCAAProperty
His experience meeting with the NCAA
What he thinks his group did through the #NotNCAAProperty movement that was effective in creating change
How to use your platform to have a voice in issues that matter to you
Advice for leaning into being a creator, even if your following is small
How he's giving back to youth athletes and fans
How NIL changed his path
...and so much more!

You can follow Geo on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.

You can follow The Players' Platform podcast on Instagram: @playersplatformpod.
Kristi Dosh: @SportsBizMiss
Emily Cole: @EmilyCole