Danny Cortenraede: Building Athlete Ownership Beyond the Hype — Featuring Athletes like Jameis Winston

The partnership didn’t start with a pitch deck. It started at a family dinner.

Serial entrepreneur & investor Danny Cortenraede says he and NFL quarterback Jameis Winston first connected during Harvard Business School Executive Education, then brought their spouses and kids together at home to talk values before they talked business.

“It wasn’t about slides,” Danny tells Market Realist. “It was about breaking bread, listening, and realizing shared purpose is the best foundation.”

InStudio Ventures, founded by Danny Cortenraede, brings leading athletes from the NBA, NFL, and top European clubs together with high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and a global team of entrepreneurs, operators, and investors. The firm gives athletes structured opportunities to learn and take part in diligence around the sports, media, and technology ecosystem - moving beyond traditional endorsements.

The goal: structured diligence and disciplined strategy — not just headlines. “Trust over transactions,” Danny says. “Community over ego.”

Winston is drawn to the long game. “Endorsements come and go,” he says. “Ownership lasts. I want to help build things that outlive the spotlight.” The two talk like teammates—reading the field, managing the clock, and sticking to a plan when the pressure rises.

That spirit now fuels InStudio Ventures. The Athlete Council model is an integral element of the firm, focused on education and involvement. Athletes join deal flow discussions, sit in on diligence calls, and engage directly with founders - giving them the chance to learn from world-class entrepreneurs, understand how businesses are built, develop the right vocabulary, and gain the confidence to participate in boardroom conversations. Final investment decisions are made by InStudio's professional operators, ensuring rigor while creating real learning opportunities for athletes.

Why this matters: athlete–investment headlines are everywhere, but most funds still operate in a traditional lane — capital in, quarterly updates out, limited ongoing say for the athletes themselves. InStudio is pitching something different: a council where athlete-LPs co-invest, join diligence, vote on follow-ons, and work alongside seasoned operators. It’s a model that blends athlete influence with institutional rigor.

The portfolio reflects this broader approach. At leAD, the Adidas family's venture arm, where Cortenraede is a General Partner, athlete-built platforms such as TMRW Sports and TOGETHXR have received backing. InStudio Ventures itself has invested directly in companies like Springbok Analytics alongside the NBA's equity team - a proof point for pairing athlete insight with league-level validation.

The timing is no accident. With women’s sports surging and fan behavior shifting to always-on digital, Danny is backing founders who live at the intersection of sports, media, and technology. “Athletes are culture,” he says. “When they own the platform—not just the post—the impact multiplies.”

It’s not only about returns. In Los Angeles, Cortenraede recently joined the LA Sports Council board, pushing initiatives that tie athlete equity to community outcomes—think youth programs, micro-grants, and innovation hubs that keep dollars cycling locally. “Ownership should lift a city,” he says. “Winning off the field matters just as much.”

Back at the dinner table, Winston remembers the moment it clicked. “We talked about family, faith, and doing things the right way,” he says. “That’s how you build something that lasts.”

For Cortenraede, the thesis is bigger than any single deal. “Sports isn’t just evolving,” he tells us. “It’s being rewritten. And when athletes move from endorsers to equity partners — with real stakes and real responsibility — they don’t just change their careers. They reshape the business of sports itself.