\n For generations, the career paths most visible to young people with talent in sports or entertainment ended when the spotlight dimmed. But today\u2019s athletes and influencers are challenging that narrative\u2014using their platforms, networks, and firsthand lessons from competition to build businesses that create jobs, expand opportunity, and strengthen communities.\n<\/p>\n
\n At the Chamber, we’re taking a closer look at some of the sports and entertainment entrepreneurs that have visited with us. We spoke with four entrepreneurs who shared how they\u2019ve translated success on the court, field, and screen into purpose\u2011driven ventures. Their stories span nonprofits, technology, hospitality, agriculture, and media, but together they underscore a powerful truth: entrepreneurship is not a side project. It\u2019s serious business.\n<\/p>\n
Jeron Smith: Bridging Sports, Media, and Technology<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n Jeron Smith\u2019s career sits at the intersection of brand, culture, and innovation. From early work at Nike to helping shape the Obama White House\u2019s digital strategy, Smith has consistently worked where storytelling meets scale.\n<\/p>\n
\n That experience carried into sports and media, where he became Chief Marketing Officer for Stephen Curry and co\u2011founded Unanimous Media<\/a>, a production company partnering with Sony Studios to create film and television content. Smith has also co\u2011founded Heir<\/a>, a technology company designed to help athletes scale their brands and likenesses for the future, and launched Incubation Lab<\/a>, which applies Hollywood\u2011level cinematic storytelling to fields like politics and healthcare.\n<\/p>\n\n Smith sees the U.S. Chamber\u2019s sports and entertainment work as a critical bridge\u2014bringing together athlete entrepreneurs and the nation\u2019s largest business advocacy organization, filling a long\u2011standing gap between sports, enterprise, and long\u2011term economic thinking.\n<\/p>\n
Josh Norman: Reinventing the Customer Experience<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n Former NFL player and Chairman & CEO of Arknet Global Josh Norman has taken a hands\u2011on approach to entrepreneurship, founding Omni Coffee<\/a> in Atlanta. The concept blends caf\u00e9 efficiency with fine\u2011dining hospitality\u2014customers order at a counter, then are served at their tables by hosts dressed in 1700s royal attire, complete with fine china and silver platters.\n<\/p>\n\n The result is a one\u2011of\u2011one experience designed to be memorable, immersive, and intentional. Along the way, Norman has faced the realities of entrepreneurship head\u2011on\u2014navigating setbacks, refining his vision, and sharpening his resilience as a business leader.\n<\/p>\n<\/span>Former NFL player Josh Norman [left] shares his journey from athlete to business owner at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Sports and Entertainment Summit.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n For Norman, Omni Coffee is also about changing perceptions. His journey reflects a broader point echoed throughout the event: athletes are not just competitors. They are capable builders, operators, and leaders inside and outside the spotlight.\n<\/p>\n
CJ McCollum: Investing in Legacy and Long\u2011Term Impact<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n CJ McCollum, a professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks and longtime entrepreneur, is building what he describes as a legacy of opportunity. His portfolio spans education, agriculture, wine, and community investment, anchored by a commitment to long\u2011term impact.\n<\/p>\n
\n McCollum founded the McCollum Scholars program to support students from New Orleans through college, launched McCollum Heritage 91<\/a>, a wine brand rooted in Oregon agriculture, and operates Ruby Nursery<\/a>, supplying specialty plants and fruit to other wineries. His investments reflect a values\u2011driven approach that blends business sustainability with community benefit.\n<\/p>\n\n Across each venture, McCollum\u2019s goal is consistent: to leverage success in sports to leave the world better than he found it\u2014especially for kids and communities that historically lack access to opportunity.\n<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/uschamber.imgix.net\/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.uschamber.com%2Fassets%2Fimages%2FJR250925102.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=clip&fm=jpg&q=10&w=100&s=f80ff4155a7ca2c51972b04670a6f354\")
<\/span>NBA player CJ McCollum displays his McCollum Heritage 91 wine brand at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s “An Economic Engine: Sports, Entertainment, and Policy-Driven Growth” summit.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIan Brock: Building Pathways Beyond the Spotlight<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n Smith sees the U.S. Chamber\u2019s sports and entertainment work as a critical bridge\u2014bringing together athlete entrepreneurs and the nation\u2019s largest business advocacy organization, filling a long\u2011standing gap between sports, enterprise, and long\u2011term economic thinking.\n<\/p>\n
Josh Norman: Reinventing the Customer Experience<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n Former NFL player and Chairman & CEO of Arknet Global Josh Norman has taken a hands\u2011on approach to entrepreneurship, founding Omni Coffee<\/a> in Atlanta. The concept blends caf\u00e9 efficiency with fine\u2011dining hospitality\u2014customers order at a counter, then are served at their tables by hosts dressed in 1700s royal attire, complete with fine china and silver platters.\n<\/p>\n\n The result is a one\u2011of\u2011one experience designed to be memorable, immersive, and intentional. Along the way, Norman has faced the realities of entrepreneurship head\u2011on\u2014navigating setbacks, refining his vision, and sharpening his resilience as a business leader.\n<\/p>\n<\/span>Former NFL player Josh Norman [left] shares his journey from athlete to business owner at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Sports and Entertainment Summit.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n For Norman, Omni Coffee is also about changing perceptions. His journey reflects a broader point echoed throughout the event: athletes are not just competitors. They are capable builders, operators, and leaders inside and outside the spotlight.\n<\/p>\n
CJ McCollum: Investing in Legacy and Long\u2011Term Impact<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n CJ McCollum, a professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks and longtime entrepreneur, is building what he describes as a legacy of opportunity. His portfolio spans education, agriculture, wine, and community investment, anchored by a commitment to long\u2011term impact.\n<\/p>\n
\n McCollum founded the McCollum Scholars program to support students from New Orleans through college, launched McCollum Heritage 91<\/a>, a wine brand rooted in Oregon agriculture, and operates Ruby Nursery<\/a>, supplying specialty plants and fruit to other wineries. His investments reflect a values\u2011driven approach that blends business sustainability with community benefit.\n<\/p>\n\n Across each venture, McCollum\u2019s goal is consistent: to leverage success in sports to leave the world better than he found it\u2014especially for kids and communities that historically lack access to opportunity.\n<\/p>\n<\/span>NBA player CJ McCollum displays his McCollum Heritage 91 wine brand at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s “An Economic Engine: Sports, Entertainment, and Policy-Driven Growth” summit.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIan Brock: Building Pathways Beyond the Spotlight<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n The result is a one\u2011of\u2011one experience designed to be memorable, immersive, and intentional. Along the way, Norman has faced the realities of entrepreneurship head\u2011on\u2014navigating setbacks, refining his vision, and sharpening his resilience as a business leader.\n<\/p>\n \n For Norman, Omni Coffee is also about changing perceptions. His journey reflects a broader point echoed throughout the event: athletes are not just competitors. They are capable builders, operators, and leaders inside and outside the spotlight.\n<\/p>\n \n CJ McCollum, a professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks and longtime entrepreneur, is building what he describes as a legacy of opportunity. His portfolio spans education, agriculture, wine, and community investment, anchored by a commitment to long\u2011term impact.\n<\/p>\n \n McCollum founded the McCollum Scholars program to support students from New Orleans through college, launched McCollum Heritage 91<\/a>, a wine brand rooted in Oregon agriculture, and operates Ruby Nursery<\/a>, supplying specialty plants and fruit to other wineries. His investments reflect a values\u2011driven approach that blends business sustainability with community benefit.\n<\/p>\n \n Across each venture, McCollum\u2019s goal is consistent: to leverage success in sports to leave the world better than he found it\u2014especially for kids and communities that historically lack access to opportunity.\n<\/p>\nCJ McCollum: Investing in Legacy and Long\u2011Term Impact<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/span>Ian Brock: Building Pathways Beyond the Spotlight<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/uschamber.imgix.net\/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.uschamber.com%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fheadshots%2FCatesLindsay_USC1011288_304_1.JPG?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.4252&fp-y=0.3818&h=100&q=80&ratio=1&w=100&s=1282291c4217b598b89e0f5e08fd10a3\")
<\/span><\/p>\n