Time Out: Quick Q&A With Sports Tech Leaders - Ami Galani

Ami Galani, Venture Partner, Elysian Park Ventures

About Ami: Ami Galani is a Venture Partner at Elysian Park Ventures and a board member of OnePlan, a technology for large scale events including Paris 2024, and Canopy, a women-led venue design firm. Ami is also active with PRO Sports Assembly, a not-for-profit association for people who work in professional sports. Ami comes from the retail industry as a solutions-oriented executive experienced in corporate development, strategy, governance and communications. Throughout her career, Ami has been involved in transactions representing over $11B in value, spanning opportunities with early stage to mature companies.

Prior to joining Elysian Park, Ami served as Vice President of Business Development at DICK’S Sporting Goods, where she led M&A, investment and other strategic or non-traditional transactions to enhance the DICK’S athlete experience and drive DICK’S long-term strategy. Ami also served as Chief of Staff to the Chairman and CEO during a time of immense retail disruption. As Chief of Staff, Ami worked hand-in-hand with the Chairman & CEO and executive team to develop DICK’S transformation strategy, positioning DICK’S for significant multi-year growth as a leading US omni-channel retailer.

1. What’s your favorite part of your job?

I love working closely with teams on focused problem solving. When there is a real problem to solve, teams challenge and stretch each other- everyone grows from the experience. The reward is often much more than the solution to the focused problem. The true rewards are unlocked value for the business and discovery of the team's hidden strengths.

2. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what do you think it would be? 

I wish I could come back as a fast tall strong athlete (no preference on sex). As someone who is 4'9", uncoordinated and "afraid of the ball," I hope I can come back as someone who can run, jump, catch, throw, kick, swing, tackle.

3. If you could be a professional athlete in any sport, what would it be?

A rock climber. It is a sport of juxtapositions- individual, yet team; strength driven, yet intellectually driven; scary, yet confidence building. Actually, I would love to be a professional climber and a trapeze artist. Is that a thing?!

4. What is your favorite sports tech wearable, for your own personal use? OURA, Whoop, Garmin, Apple Watch, etc.

I unplugged! So much of our day is measured. So I want a space to not be measured and assessed. I am trusting my intuition!

5. Which talent would you most like to have? 

Play an instrument or sing. Unfortunately I am wildly off tune. Fortunately, it does not stop me from singing at the top of my lungs...in private.
6. What is your favorite live sports memory? 

My first live sports event was in college- I went to a Cincinnati Reds game and witnessed the Seventh Inning Stretch, with an entire stadium singing in unison. It was a moment of culture shock...and culture awe.

7. What do you consider your greatest achievement? 

This is not an achievement, but the greatest thing that has happened to me is I got to be my father's daughter. He was an incredible soul and that I crossed paths with him is a gift.

8. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? 

I'm a bit embarrassed to say, but I often say "totally."

9. If you could wear only one jersey for the rest of your life, what jersey would you wear? 

Not a jersey, but a sweatshirt. Black with one small white line of text: "Women's sports"

10. What are your go-to game/match foods and beverages, in-stadium and at home? 

Nachos and an Icee!

11. What motto are you known for? 

"You got this!"

12. What is your favorite sports tech partnership or sports tech integration? 

It is critical for leagues, teams and players to think as partners in audience engagement. We are invested in Greenfly, which empowers this partnership by providing tools to manage and deploy short form content. The market continues to innovate tools to empower athletes to engage directly with their audiences, which is a particular strength for female athletes and women's sports.