John Peters

John is a results-focused business development executive and connector, driven by a true give-first mindset. John enjoys problem solving and has several years of experience advising and providing value to entrepreneurs in the following areas: youth sports, venture capital, private equity, sporting goods, fitness and sports technology companies, and retail.

He is currently the Vice President of Business Development for the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) – The trade association home to 1,000+ sports brands, governing bodies, retailers, leagues and more. He has had the fortune of working across a broad spectrum of companies with exposure to management teams. A snapshot of companies he works with include: Amazon, New Balance, Rawlings, Nike, Under Armour, Dick’s, Adidas, Wilson, Brooks, RW Baird, Life Fitness, , UBS Bank, Susquehanna and more.

John has been immersed in innovations driving the fitness, sports and athletic industries forward, largely due to launching the Sports Technology marketplace for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2014. Currently, John is an advisor to several sports technology accelerators, venture capital funds and startups. John also created the SFIA Startup Challenge in 2016 – an international pitch contest that has attracted 400+ companies to apply. During his time at SFIA, John oversaw the highest revenue growth period in the history of the organization (‘15-‘18) and was responsible for signing key accounts like Walmart, Gildan, Amazon, Brooks Running to SFIA Board of Directors.

John recently launched the Sport Lifestyle Podcast with a focus on the industry, featuring influencers driving the sports, footwear, fashion, retail and sports tech markets forward.

In 2016, John was named a 40 Under 40 by Sporting Goods Business, an annual award that has featured industry leaders such as Kevin Plank, Sarah Robb O’Hagan, Josh Luber and other industry executives.

John is currently a Board Member for Women in Sports Tech, a non-profit to drive growth opportunities for women through the industry.

John is the proud father of a golden-corgi rescue, a retired 3rd degree black belt in Taekwondo turned fitness junkie, and can be found showing his southern roots by cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels while living in Washington, DC.

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