Meet Blake Lawrence
Leader. Builder. Speaker.
The Leader
Blake Lawrence is a pioneering leader in sports marketing and technology, co-founder and President of Opendorse, a company that has transformed the athlete endorsement industry. Opendorse empowers over 150,000 athletes, 3,000 brands, 2,000 teams, and 1,000 agents to maximize their name, image, and likeness (NIL) value. TIME named Opendorse one of the 100 Most Influential Companies in 2023.
Blake’s success as an entrepreneur has made him the face of the NIL industry. He is a frequent guest on ESPN’s Outside the Lines and SportsCenter, and has made appearances on the Today Show, Yahoo! Finance, Cheddar TV, Forbes Sports Money, Bloomberg QuickTake, and was featured in documentaries by Vice and the Financial Times.
The Builder
His journey from a top football prospect to an entrepreneur is a testament to his resilience and vision. In 2007, he was one of the top high school football prospects in the country, featured in Sports Illustrated, and honored as the Gatorade Player of the Year in Kansas. At the University of Nebraska, he was a starting linebacker on the nation’s top defense, playing alongside future NFL stars like Ndamukong Suh and Prince Amukamara. His football career was cut short by concussions, leading him to pivot to business.
In 2010, Blake co-founded Hurrdat, a social media agency that grew rapidly and was acquired in 2014. In 2012, he launched Opendorse, which has since secured partnerships with major sports organizations like the NFLPA, MLBPA, NHLPA, PGA Tour, and Team USA. Blake has successfully raised $40 million in venture capital to build Opendorse, and under his leadership, the company has developed patent-pending technology to assess athlete endorsement values. Opendorse works with leading brands like EA Sports, Amazon, Degree, Dunkin’, Cheez-It, Pringles, and top college teams like Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma, Oregon, Ohio State, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Washington, and UConn.
The Speaker
A seasoned sports media personality, Blake co-hosted a football show on PBS for eight years, reported for Big Ten Network, and provided color commentary for Nebraska High School state championships for many years. He has provided dozens of keynote speeches and travels the country providing on-campus education to rooms of hundreds of student-athletes and collegiate administrators, demonstrating his expertise on camera, on stage, and in the spotlight.
Blake lives in New York City with his wife, Ibby. The couple met at the University of Nebraska, where they both earned their undergraduate and MBA degrees. Together, they enjoy international travel, walking along the Hudson River, and spending time with their cat, Rio. Originally from Kansas City, Blake is a proud graduate of Shawnee Mission West High School—an alma mater he shares with Paul Rudd and Jason Sudeikis. When he’s not working, you can find Blake at a 6 AM OrangeTheory class, solving Killer Su Doku puzzles on flights, or scouting out the best dive bars and local IPAs.
