The Sports and Society Institute Student Club will host Niraj Shah, Co-Founder and Partner at Otro Capital, on Friday, April 17th from 12:00-1:30 pm in Journalism 106 for a conversation on breaking into sports finance, the rise of private equity in sports and what it takes to build a career at the intersection of business and athletics.
Shah brings a decade of experience investing in and operating sports, media and entertainment businesses. Prior to co-founding Otro Capital in 2023, he spent nine years at RedBird Capital Partners, where he was involved in 14 platform acquisitions across sports, media and entertainment. Earlier in his career, he worked at Apax Partners focusing on media and business services investments, and began his professional career in the investment banking division at Goldman Sachs. Shah was named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 in 2017 and Mergers and Acquisitions' Rising Stars of Private Equity in 2021.
Shah will reflect on his path from Ohio State — where he graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Finance and Marketing from the Fisher College of Business — to the top of sports private equity, offering students a candid look at how to position themselves coming out of undergrad for careers in finance and sports business. He will also share his perspective on what skills matter most in the industry, the key differences between investing in sports versus traditional private equity deals, and the broader trends driving the surge of private equity investment in professional sports.
The program is open to all students with an interest in sports management, business, and finance.