Our Team
Sean Foley
Sean Foley is a Co-Founder of Austin Sports Ventures (ASV), where he focuses on building and investing in high-growth opportunities across sports, entertainment, and consumer brands.
Sean's current work includes Hellas Verona FC, Austin Surf Club, and Nine Banded Whiskey. Previously he worked with A.S. Roma, a leading European football club, and Raptor Group, a diversified investment company. Early in his career he was an executive for both Octagon (Michael Phelps) & Capital Sports & Entertainment (Lance Armstrong, C3 Presents). Sean is a 2-time graduate (B.A., M.B.A.) and 3-time national swimming champion for the University of Texas.
Gennaro Leo
Gennaro Leo is an experienced operator and investor with a strong track record across venture capital, private equity, professional sports, venue development, technology commercialization, and M&A.
He is the co-founder of Austin Sports Ventures (ASV), launched in 2023 in partnership with Next Coast Ventures. ASV collaborates with venture firms like Next Coast and private equity groups such as Presidio Investors and Cagliari 1920, LLC to invest in and manage assets across professional sports teams, leagues, and high-growth companies. On behalf of Presidio Investors and Cagliari 1920, LLC, ASV led the advisory efforts in the acquisitions of Hellas Verona FC and Cagliari Calcio, and continues to support the ownership groups by leading commercial strategy and venue development initiatives for the clubs.
Previously, Gennaro held senior leadership roles at Creative Artists Agency (CAA ICON) and A.S. Roma/Raptor Group. At CAA ICON, he worked directly with founder and CEO Tim Romani and was involved across the firm’s portfolio of venue development projects. During his tenure at A.S. Roma, Gennaro served as Chief of Staff, overseeing operations, financial planning, and government & media relations for the club’s €2 billion stadium and mixed-use development. He reported directly to Raptor Group ownership and StadCo CEO David Ginsberg, Vice Chairman of Fenway Sports Group.
Gennaro began his career at Accrue Sports & Entertainment Ventures, one of the pioneering venture funds focused on sports-tech, founded by the former COO of the NHL and President of ABC Sports, Steve Solomon. He later joined the Innovation Accelerator & National Innovation Fund, a joint effort between the National Science Foundation and a VC fund in Omaha, where he helped commercialize over 100 SBIR-funded startups - including investments in BitSight and acquisitions like TouchCo (acquired by Amazon).
He also held leadership roles at Umbel, a sports and media data platform, and founded L8 Advisory Group. At L8, Gennaro advises and invests in companies such as UPROXX (acquired by Warner Music Group), RayV (acquired by Yahoo!), Robust Links (founded by MIT AI researchers), Outside Interactive, Inc., and RoRos Global Enterprises, a minority, female-founded media company.
Gennaro holds a dual degree in Economics and Italian Studies from Trinity College and is a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy.