Turning NIL Deals into MIL Deals
MENTORSHIP INFLUENCING LIVES
Rather than purely money-driven NIL Deals, MIL™ (Mentorship Influencing Lives) turns traditional alumni donations and brand scoreboard signage deals into that, PLUS meaningful mentorship relationships and mini-internships that benefit the athlete, the sponsor/donor, and the community in truly beneficial ways.
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Prep and College Athletes shouldn’t be wasting the golden opportunity to develop lifelong relationships with the business elite of their community, and curated educational opportunities to learn about the top companies in the community from the inside.
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Similarly, Companies now have a turn-key marketing campaign to teach their customers about their company and to give back to the community, Prep and University Donors now have something tangible to impact from their donations, and Sports Leagues have platforms to bring together brands and athletes while owning all of the content.
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All MIL™ Deals, are sourced and managed by THE VENN GROUP, a collection of sports industry experts in programming, events, investment, media, and sponsorships who create bespoke solutions that drive growth for businesses, athletes, and leagues. TVG currently works with leagues and conferences including the BIG 12, ACC, USL, and more, and includes the Founder of THE DESTINATION CHANNEL, the former head of Digital for the PGA TOUR, and the Managing Partner for ELEVENTEN HOLDINGS.
What are the basics of MIL Deals?
DDAP and TVG work with Major and Emerging Sports Leagues, Elite Universities and Prep Schools, and Elite QB’s, Basketball Players, and Olympic Sport Stars to turn their existing NIL deals into MIL Deals, where the players earn the money, get education, and are exposed to the business elite of their community during this unique time - in a program that provides…
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(1) Mentorship Events matching Athletes with Alumni/Company for life guidance and extended network purposes;
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(2) Curated (mini) Internships with a company in their off-field area of interest;
(3) A Business And Life Literacy Course (BALL), including NIL and social media training to go with business, networking and life fundamentals taught by content creation companies and guest speakers focusing on mental health if/when the lights go out.
(4) Charitable Cause and Mentorship Events with Youth, where the Athletes and Alumni/Companies give back the lessons learned so mentorship truly does influence lives.
When the Supreme Court allowed College Athletes to benefit from their “Name, Image, and Likeness” (NIL) in 2021, it did more than allow for social media posts and alumni pay-for-play deals to attend their school - it broke down the barrier between the athlete and the business elite of the community, allowing for paid internships and meaningful mentorship-based relationships.
It was with this “lifetime value-add” mindset that DD Advisory Partners created the first MIL™ Deal in 2022, bringing together Heisman Winner CALEB WILLIAMS and Real Estate Private Equity fund HAWKINS WAY CAPITAL. In what was described by SPORTS ILLUSTRATED and the LA TIMES as a “jaw-dropping NIL deal” and "the most unique in the star QB’s growing portfolio”, this mentorship-based deal has already resulted in, among other things, an equity piece in the sports-focused fund that owns ANGEL CITY FC, and the formation of Caleb's own investment fund 888 MIDAS, backed by Mentors Ross Walker and Lew Wolff (former owner of the Oakland A's and St. Louis Blues).
How was the concept of MIL born?
What was the first MIL Program with a Prep School / University?
DD Advisory then applied these principles for one the perennially premiere prep basketball program in the country, PROLIFIC PREP - who has finished in National Top 5 and had a player ranked in the Top 5 of the class rankings each of the last 4 years (including AJ DYBANTSA and DARRYN PETERSON, most recently).
DD Advisory curated and taught the initial Business and Life Literacy Course to the star high school players, with the final project hosted by BANK OF AMERICA (Private Bank) in the executive conference room overlooking downtown San Francisco, and the use of a Cayenne provided by a local PORSCHE dealership in California.
Also included within the BALL course are mock and real NIL negotiations, social media content creation, alumni and brand correspondence, and the facilitation of mentorship up and down, for players such as current New Orleans Pelican center YVES MISSI and current #1 ranked senior TYRAN STOKES.
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Pro Sports Leagues looking to spearhead brand sponsorship deals by providing the turn-key MIL™ marketing approach and content bringing the young athletes money, education and lifelong networking benefits. mentorship. brand deals to the young players…
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DDAP works with/for the leagues to create an MIL marketplace for brands to find and enter into MIL deals with players, and DDAP then organizes and manages all MIL deals - with all content owned by the sports league
Traditional Brands in Sports Marketing (e.g., hospitals, energy drinks, fitness, apparel) looking to get more out of ordinary NIL sponsorship deals and scoreboard signage with…
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DDAP matches Sponsors with Athletes to create MIL programs, with ready-made social media and other marketing content from the internships and mentorship.
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Alumni Donors from Top Prep Schools & Universities looking for their donation dollars to do something more long-lasting than a one-year cash grab….
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DDAP works with the institution to turn that donation into the MIL framework meant specifically for the highly-specialized Athletes, niche sports, and prep institutions
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Elite QB's, PG's, Drivers & Olympic Stars looking to capitalize on the unique time in their lives where alumni and company management want to help them learn and develop…
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DDAP utilizes its network, the Athlete's alumni network, and local brands to find partners interested in the enhanced values of MIL deals with the athletes.
What entities are turning NIL
into MIL now?
What charities and preferred charities work with MIL?
An absolutely integral part of an MIL™ Deal is the charitable component, where the Athlete (and mentor) gives back the lessons learned by mentoring the youth in their community.
DD Advisory Partners can work with ANY Youth-focused charity to facilitate special experiences for the kids together with the Athlete and the Alumni/Company Mentor, but it’s prefers to work with local Children's Hospitals (such as the Youth Sports Center at VANDERBILT'S MONROE CARELL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL), in addition to national youth recidivism charities such as the ANTI-RECIDIVISM COALITION.
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https://www.childrenshospitalvanderbilt.org/program/youth-sports-health-center
Created by longtime Vanderbilt team physician Dr. Alex Diamond, the YSHC gives young prep athletes access to the same caliber of care that college and professional athletes in the community receive. The YSCH has already treated hundreds of young athletes the last two years, and Vanderbilt is now expanding its fundraising efforts to enhance these services to the greater community of youth athletes in Tennessee – positioning it as a national model for youth sports health around the country.
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Founded by SCOTT BUDNICK, long-time colleague and friend of DD Advisory, and Producer of THE HANGOVER and OLD SCHOOL, ARC is a mentorship network for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated juveniles, and has become a national leader in criminal justice reform using the power of celebrity and new media. ARC serves over 6,000 young men and women still inside prisons, over 1,400 active formerly incarcerated members, and holds regular support network meetings and social outings - including frequent collaboration with NBA players and coaches to teach life through the game. Notable contributors and Board Members include STEVE BALLMER, WES EDENS, KIM KARDASHIAN, COMMON, and JONAH HILL.​
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MIL Deals
Mentorship Influencing Lives
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Are you an Athlete looking for support with Mentorship, Networking, and Educational Opportunities?
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Are you a Company looking to enhance traditional brand deals with value-add components resulting in a turn-key marketing program?
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Are you a Prep School or Alumni of a Prep School that wants to figure out how to get something more out of your donation towards something that helps kids directly?
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Complete the form below, we would love to hear from you.