Future of Sport Lab Cohort 5

Future of Sport Lab Cohort 5 - Spring 2025

The 2025 Future of Sport Lab cohort includes:

  • CoachThem (Toronto, ON): A digital coaching platform created by former NHL players Mike Weaver and Robb Tallas. Trusted by NHL teams, Hockey Canada, and thousands of coaches worldwide, CoachThem streamlines practice planning with intuitive tools that drive player development and coaching efficiency.

  • Coordle (Baltimore, MD): Transforming group travel and sports tourism, Coordle offers a centralized platform that connects teams and participants with local businesses while simplifying logistics.

  • Elev8 & Perform (Markham, ON): Wearable technology that boosts cardiovascular health, accelerates recovery, and enhances performance using quantum nano biomaterials and AI-powered smart imaging and analytics.

  • HooperIQ (Calgary, AB): The first AI-powered basketball IQ training platform, helping athletes master decision-making through personalized quizzes, film analysis, and automated game breakdowns.

  • Iron Lady Golf (Toronto, ON): Founded by PGA professional Lindsay Knowlton, Iron Lady Golf fosters an empowering community for women, having engaged over 30,000 participants through inclusive, confidence-building golf experiences.

  • iVirtual (Vancouver, BC): A fan loyalty and rewards platform helping teams engage the untapped 90% of fans not in stadiums, creating new revenue streams for sponsors and organizations.

  • Lubu Technologies (Los Angeles, CA): AI-powered smart insoles that transform any shoe into a gait lab, helping athletes prevent injuries, optimize performance, and refine technique.

  • MOMentum (Ottawa, ON): Founded by Olympians and Paralympians, MOMentum supports elite athlete mothers with financial grants, advocacy, and community resources to ensure family planning is never a barrier to success in sport.

  • Shake (Washington, DC): A free-to-play platform delivering real rewards and simple, fun fan experiences through sports and entertainment event aggregation, built for friends to enjoy together.

  • The Playbook (Minneapolis, MN): An award-winning mental health platform for athletes and teams, The Playbook tracks stress, well-being, and resilience, providing actionable plans to foster athlete wellness.

About us

The Future of Sport Lab (FSL) is a new ecosystem anchored in sport innovation, created through the shared vision of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE) and Ryerson University; with links to sport industry research and insights, and sport business education (including the new MBA Specialization in Sport Business), housed in the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson.

Operated under the direction of Dr. Cheri L. Bradish, Loretta Rogers Research Chair in Sport Marketing with the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University, the FSL will bring together students, faculty, entrepreneurs, mentors, industry partners and sport properties to shape the global future of sport.

With support from both organizations, the FSL will be at the forefront of sport innovation through: creative research and innovation partnerships, applied research and needs assessments to identify emerging opportunities and solve real world problems, support for startups including the potential opportunity to have MLSE pilot testing products/services, research forums to bring together experts to identify emerging trends and solve practical sector challenges, and the development of complementary sport business programming at both the MBA and undergraduate levels.