Join Syracuse University alumni Mike Gursha ’10 (Whitman and Newhouse) and AJ Damiano ’18 (Whitman) for a Zoom chat Wednesday, June 10 at 3 p.m.. The founders of Rookie Road and PowerSpike will host an interactive session about “startup life” — from building a team and company culture, to finding smart partners and smart money. The event is part of a “Tea Talks” series in partnership with The Republic of Tea, and is open to the community. The Zoom link is here.
Gursha will be sharing his perspective as chairman and CEO of Portland based Rookie Road, Inc., a one of a kind digital destination that provides the rules, lingo, and gameplay for a variety of sports in an easy to understand way. He became CEO in 2016 after serving as a special advisor to the founder.
Previously, Gursha was the vice president of strategic initiatives at Curemark, LLC, a New York-based biotechnology company focused on the treatment of neurological disorders. Earlier in his career, Gursha’s interest in technology led him to Google, where, at age 18, he spent two summers working in the new business development group at the Mountain View, California headquarters. Gursha serves on the board of directors for America On Tech a non-profit focused on technology education. He is also an advisor to Damiano and sits on the PowerSpike board.
Damiano is a LaunchPad and Techstars alum, and co-founder of PowerSpike. The venture recently closed a round with The Sixers Innovation Lab Crafted by Kimball, Techstars Atlanta – in partnership with Cox Enterprises, Dorm Room Fund, and other outside investors. PowerSpike is the all-in-one influencer marketing platform to boost brand awareness, drive sales, and create authentic content with more than 20,000 Twitch & Mixer influencers, partnering with some of the best live streamers. The platform helps utilizes innovative marketplace and AI technology to help brands accelerate business growth through live streaming influencer marketing campaigns that fit any budget.
Both Gursha and Damiano actively mentor SU student startups. As friends and founders, they are both charismatic speakers on building and leading teams, and agile development.
