Ira Rainess

Background

About Ira Rainess

Founded and led a full-service sports and entertainment representation, marketing, and business advisory firm, delivering comprehensive services, including athlete management, media rights, venue agreements, talent representation, brand communications, and publicity. Develop and oversee business consulting services to support corporate development, investment due diligence, deal management, regulatory compliance, and partnership management. Direct high-stakes contract negotiations for local and international business transactions encompassing acquisitions, joint ventures, and equity partnerships. Conduct industry research and due diligence to identify and evaluate potential investment opportunities, formulating investment strategies that align with client's financial goals and risk profiles. Cultivate and sustain strong relationships with diverse clientele, leveraging interpersonal skills and communication acumen to secure long-term business commitments. Former President of a publicly traded media and promotional company on the Nasdaq stock exchange. Spearheaded all business development strategies, brand development, partnership building, and operational optimization efforts for a collective of 9 MMA promotional organizations and a fighter agency representing 50+ athletes. Directed strategic negotiations to secure venue agreements with some of the most prominent national casino hotels and identify new growth opportunities (such as acquisitions and reverse mergers). Created and managed the first joint licensing partnership with a professional sports league, a players' association with an individual athlete, and credited with creating Milestone Marketing, later used by other athletes to commemorate achievements. Spearheaded and developed a public-private partnership to develop a minor league stadium and acquired a baseball team. Negotiated and represented athletes in sports contracts with over 100 companies. Consultant on a major motion picture. Recruited as an expert in the sports business field, appeared on CNN, HBO, and ESPN' SportsCenter, and was quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Sports Business Journal, Sporting News, and USA Today. Named to the prestigious 40 Under 40 by a Business Journal and received the Mayor Citation as the licensing director of a City. Recently, guest speaker at the ABA Intellectual Property and Sports Lawyers conference in Las Vegas and IvyFon Investing in Sports Ventures and Private Equity in Miami.