Christopher Mumford

Christopher Mumford is an entrepreneur and professor of practice who teaches sports entrepreneurship and innovation at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Sports Entrepreneurship brings his classroom work and experience founding businesses into a guide for people seeking opportunities beyond major professional leagues. Columbia Business School Publishing issued it in September 2023 with the subtitle Beyond the Big Leagues. Its chapters survey analytics, sports betting, esports, youth sports, fitness, and fan experience before presenting a four-stage framework: discover, ideate, validate, and accelerate. Interviews with founders and specialists connect those methods to operating businesses, while Mumford also draws on ventures he has helped build over more than two decades. His current projects include work on a professional soccer team intended to anchor a larger entertainment district and performance programs with college and professional athletes. The book is written for students and practitioners, combining sector analysis with practical tests for whether an idea solves a real problem and can support sustainable growth.