Co-Founder & CEO @ Ruley, the E-Referee | Start Up Business Expert | Entrepreneur

After 25 years building successful companies I found myself at a crossroads. I had built companies that helped people and families. I was proud of that legacy, I knew it was time for a new chapter.

In my early 50s, I sold my third company just a year behind schedule from a personal goal I set at 34. 

During COVID, I had the space to explore ideas that truly energized me. I enrolled in a six-month coding bootcamp to learn Python and deepen my understanding of the technologies shaping our future.

Now I’m the Co-Founder of Ruley, an AI powered smart sports E-Referee API  designed to help federations, sports media and consumer brands gain fans, players and spectators by being the go to venues for sports rules and insights.

My personal mission is to fuse decades of my experience and strategic thinking with modern tech to bring people together through playing sports and watching sports.  By working with these existing sports entities we can grow sports and all the good that comes with them.

At the heart of my work is this belief: we all deserve unbiased, instant information, and we all deserve to enjoy life like we did as kids. 

These ideas aren’t mutually exclusive. With the right tools, we can help provide knowledge in unique ways and inject more joy into everyday life.

Explore Ruley and our API rollout (and more) for sports:
🌐 ruley.ai

📸 Instagram: @ruley_ereferee
🎥 YouTube: @ruleythee-referee
📘 Facebook: @ruleytheereferee

🎾 Just Ruley it!

Cassandra Toroian

Luxury fashion solved resale a long time ago.

Platforms like Vinted proved that worn items can still hold value,
as long as there’s trust, authentication, and a clear marketplace.

What’s odd is how little of that exists in sport.

Sports gear is expensive. Often lightly used.
Sometimes used at elite level. And often tied to real performance history.

And yet once it’s outgrown or replaced, it usually
disappears into general resale platforms
or gets written off entirely.

There are places to sell second-hand gear,
but none that treat it as a category in its own right.

That includes high-value items. Match-worn kits.
Celebrity-used equipment. Limited runs with real demand behind them.

And it also includes everyday players too.
People upgrading clubs. Parents replacing boots.
Athletes moving on.

Fashion resale works because it’s specialised.
Sport resale hasn’t done the same.

Which is strange, given how much value is sitting
unused in garages, lockers, and kit bags.

That looks less like a behaviour problem
and more like an unbuilt market.

Does anyone out there know of a sport-gear focused resale upsale platform?

A conference company offered me the opportunity to meet with potential partners they viewed as very important to the racket sport industry.

But here's the catch:
And they wanted me to pay them a $10,000 fee.
For arranging those 20-minute meeting.

This isn't just bad form. It's bad business.

Alex Hormozi puts it best: "Give information away for free. Sell the implementation."

Business requires graciousness to be highly successful.
A willingness to help others succeed.
Because a rising tide raises all ships.

Short-sighted greed closes doors, whereas graciousness and generosity opens them.

Talking sustainability helps everyone.
How can you demand a price tag on that?
The company requesting that fee has lost my respect forever.

What do you think?

#BusinessStrategy #Leadership #Networking #Graciousness #Entrepreneurship

With the FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States coming to the U.S., soccer is entering a very different phase here.

Interest is rising.
International ticket sales are strong.
The reception has been broadly positive.

But amongst many Americans there's a whisper under their breaths…

Only around 12% of Americans say they know the rules of soccer well,
despite the scale of the audience now being built around it.

Soccer is already one of the most nuanced sports to officiate and interpret.
Add a newer audience, unfamiliar terminology, and high-stakes moments,
and confusion scales quickly.

You see it reflected in viewing habits too.
Globally, women’s World Cup viewership exceeds 60%.
In the U.S., it’s closer to 16%.

That gap isn’t about accessibility. It’s about interest.
How can you be interested in something you don’t know much about?

If soccer is to grow in the U.S., rule of the sport
must become part of the infrastructure,
not an afterthought.

Ruley’s API is trained on soccer rules and edge cases with that in mind.
Not as a front-facing product, but as something leagues,
platforms, and media can rely on behind the scenes.

When interest grows faster than understanding,
That gap is where friction appears.

If you work in U.S. soccer leagues or soccer media
and want to explore how Ruley could fit into that
ecosystem, message me.

#FIFA #soccer #USSoccerLeague #USSoccerTeam

Trying a new sport usually doesn’t fail because of interest.
It fails because of uncertainty.

What equipment do you actually need?
Is it worth buying everything upfront?
Will you even use it long enough to justify the spend?

Subscription models can remove that hesitation.

They let people explore new sports without committing to full sets of gear immediately.

That’s the thinking behind Volleybird Athletic Lifestyle’s “mystery box” concept.

Not a novelty purchase, but as a structured introduction.
A way to discover equipment, apparel, and smaller essentials
without overcommitting on day one.

Alongside that, the products themselves are being designed with responsibility in mind.

Materials, fabrics, and suppliers are being chosen with longevity and
environmental impact considered from the start.

The goal is that every item included moves toward
sustainable production as the range grows.

When people can try something new without a large financial
or material commitment, participation becomes easier
and decisions become more intentional.

Discovery works best when responsibility is built into the box.

We went to the PGA Golf Shows expecting to cover a lot of turf. 
And we sure did.

But we also found a massive surprise.

There’s a new wave of golf tech.

My Co-Founder Tracy Thomas and I made incredible contacts with young companies iterating on this historic game.

The "established" sport of gold is actually the very hungry for innovation.

The entrepreneurs understand that to modernize the playing experience, you need modern infrastructure.

Players want real integration between the player, the club, and the rules of the game.

So how do you manage that? How do you merge the tradition of Golf with the speed of innovation?

You need new foundations.
And that includes the Ruley proprietary API.

Ruley is now a new layer of the golf tech stack.

Imagine a golfer getting clarity right there on the course!
About penalty strokes or options to move their ball legally.
No searching through your golf bag for a handbook.
Just playing.

The "old" sports are moving faster than we thought.

The industry is ready.

Whether it's a tech training aid, golf course reservation app, or on course tech, there's something more you can do to help your customer shave points off their game.

DM me if your golf product is interested in learning more. 


#PGAShow2026 #SportsTech #GolfInnovation #RuleyAPI #FutureOfSport #golf

Volleybird Athletic Lifestyle was featured in the New York Post last week.
 
The piece focuses on something tennis rarely questions:
how often balls are replaced,
and how little attention is paid
to their full lifecycle.
 
Renewaball approaches that problem differently.
 
Used balls are collected, broken down, and remade into balls that meet performance standards again.
 
Same role in the game. A more responsible production loop.
 
This approach was built to work within the sport, not around it.
It fits into the sport as it already operates.
The experience stays familiar.
Performance stays consistent.
 
Progress in sport often comes from revisiting everyday equipment,
rather than launching something entirely new.
 
If you’re curious how this works in practice
and why it’s gaining attention now,
The full piece is worth a read here:
 
👉 https://lnkd.in/gT39qKX5

A broken tooth shined a light on what sports (and life) is all about.

Think about it. 

The U.S. Olympic ice hockey team showed unbelievable grit and determination….and sportsmanship.

The young player who had his tooth broken wasn’t upset.

He didn’t blame anyone. 

He was not upset.

It was part of the game. It is just a battle scar.

That’s the different between champions and everyone else.

Broken ribs, torn ligaments. It’s all part of the game. 

Scars show you are battle tested. You are fearless. You can’t be scared into submission.

The Olympians’ scars are a lesson for us all.

Get up everyday. Put on your big girl pants. And fight with no fear for your win.🥇

It's official! Ruley.ai is heading to PEAK 2026 in Las Vegas. 🎉 If you’re working in SportsTech, innovation, or sport operations, this is where the industry comes together. Let’s connect. April 20–22, 2026 | Fontainebleau Las Vegas. See you there. 🏔️

Elite 7 Sports Medicine

Founding member of a national event medicine company that's revolutionizing the industry.  Elite 7 Sports Medicine was founded by a diverse team of multidisciplinary medical professionals with over 100 years of combined experience.  Our innovative, personalized, and expanding services provide athletes with continuity of care that follows them from event to event and even once they return home.  Elite 7's highly trained professionals provide comprehensive, sport-specific care for high school, collegiate, amateur, and professional athletes across a wide range of traditional and non-traditional sports.

Development and execution of business plans to support company objectives and drive growth. Creation and implementation of effective policies and procedures to enhance company operations. Coordinate multidisciplinary teams across multiple states to ensure seamless collaboration. Serve as a liaison between physicians, insurance companies, and event organizers regarding athlete injuries and emergency situations. Create and adhere to budgets, manage payments and invoicing, and oversee financial documentation. Organize and execute complex plans, manage multiple projects, and ensure timely completion of tasks. Collaborate with executive leadership on long-term strategic planning. Develop and design engaging social media content and marketing materials to enhance brand visibility and support promotional campaigns. Responsible for daily operations, including management of social media profiles, creating content strategies, and designing visuals to drive engagement and brand awareness; business and financial tasks, documentation, and communication; website development and maintenance.

Chief Operating Officer and Certified Athletic Trainer

Kelly Morgan Consulting

Assist in the organization and execution of complex plans, including grant writing and project administration, with timely data reporting and budget tracking. Manage multiple projects and ensure timely completion of tasks. Handle scheduling, documentation, and overall administrative responsibilities. Responsible for presentation creation, managing project documentation, and assisting in report writing.

Assistant Director of Operations

Las Vegas HEALS

Craft visually appealing marketing materials including brochures, flyers, and advertisements, ensuring alignment with brand guidelines and marketing objectives.  Facilitate clear and effective communication between teams, stakeholders, and clients, including drafting internal and external communication, and managing correspondence.  Utilize CRM platforms to manage customer interactions, committee development and expansion.

Vice President of Operations

Vegas Healthcare

Contribute to brand development through the creation of distinctive logos and graphic elements, reinforcing brand identity and consistency. Create social media content strategies and design visuals to drive engagement and brand awareness. Manage and maintain the company website, ensuring it is up-to-date, functional, and optimized for performance. Coordinate with website developers to troubleshoot and resolve any problems promptly.

Director of Operations

Profluence+ Community

Exclusive membership for sports founders, leaders, & operators.

Founding Member

Baylor Scott & White Health

Providing PRN athletic training coverage for local schools and sporting events.

Certified Athletic Trainer

Ascension

CHRISTUS Health

Memorial Hermann Health System

Humble ISD

Jennifer Barrett MS, LAT, ATC

Teaching CPR to the next generation is more than skill building — it’s about empowering young people with the confidence to step forward when it matters most.

At Elite 7 Sports Medicine, we believe access to lifesaving education should start early. When youth learn CPR, they don’t just learn technique — they learn leadership, responsibility, and how to be part of the safety net that protects their teammates, families, and communities.

We are especially excited to deliver this training through a gamified learning experience, helping increase engagement, confidence, and skill retention for our youth. By meeting them where they are and making learning interactive, we create an environment where lifesaving skills feel approachable, memorable, and empowering.

We are incredibly honored to partner with the Quiet Storm Foundation (C.J. Watson) to help bring this education to our youth in Las Vegas. Organizations like theirs are changing lives by creating opportunities, mentorship, and resources that strengthen communities from the inside out.

Moments like these remind us why we do what we do — building systems of care, investing in prevention, and preparing the next generation to be ready when someone needs them most.

#CPRWars 

Thanks to Cardiac Star for the devices.
Lorrel Toft, MD FACC

Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer, and Certified Athletic Trainer Elite 7 Sports Medicine

taplio

The Battle

Cassandra Toroian

Jennifer Barrett MS, LAT, ATC

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreCassandra Toroian's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreJennifer Barrett MS, LAT, ATC's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Cassandra Toroian

Jennifer Barrett MS, LAT, ATC

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Cassandra Toroian's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreJennifer Barrett MS, LAT, ATC's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreCassandra Toroian's LinkedIn Performance