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Kristin Boggiano: Leveraging Organized Sports to Promote Youth Development

Kristin Boggiano: Leveraging Organized Sports to Promote Youth Development

Mar 12, 2024 Posted by: Sujit Kunte Kristin Boggiano,  NY,  SDG 10,  SDG 16,  SDG 3,  SDG 4,  SDG 5,  SDG 8,  USA

 

Ladderworks is a publishing platform of diverse picture books and online curriculum with the mission to empower over a million kids to become social entrepreneurs. Our current series features interviews by our interplanetary journalist Spiffy with inspiring Social Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Builders, and Changemakers who are advancing the UN SDGs.

Hi! It’s me, Spiffy, the interplanetary journalist reporting from Planet Earth with the latest scoop on entrepreneurs making a difference for all of us around the world! Today’s rockstar is Kristin Boggiano, co-founder and president of TurnKeyTix!

Spiffy: Welcome Kristin. Let’s jump right in. Can you tell me what challenge TurnKeyTix is addressing?

Kristin: Thanks for having me, Spiffy. TurnKeyTix supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #3, focusing on leveraging organized sports to combat pediatric obesity, enhance mental health, and promote social, cognitive, and emotional development among youth. TurnKeyTix uses its comprehensive sports management platform to increase access to and participation in youth sports, thereby contributing to better health outcomes and overall well-being. Youth sport improves teamwork, social skills, and social responsibility. It improves educational and occupational skills (e.g., determination, perseverance, grit, resilience, and critical thinking). It is also linked to higher levels of academic achievement. Finally, it leads to a stronger long-term labor market and economy.

Spiffy: What motivates you to do it?

Kristin: In the big picture, children are our future and sports have repeatedly proven to show significant benefits to children's growth. My motivation for starting my company was to streamline and scale the operations of youth sports organizations, making them more efficient and accessible so that sports organizations can grow and serve more children. TurnKeyTix helps sports organizations focus on what they do best—help kids in sports. Through our technology-driven solutions, we are helping create a stronger, healthier future for our society.

Spiffy: What would you say is the impact of your work?

Kristin: TurnKeyTix helps youth sports organizations scale so that they can help more children.  As an example, we started working with Brooklyn USA Basketball, a non-profit that provides free and low-cost basketball clinics, camps, and other programs. Brooklyn USA Basketball has placed 936 young athletes in colleges on basketball scholarships,18 have made it to the National Basketball Association (NBA), and 7 play in the league now. These kids say that this program has changed the course of their lives. Our mission is to help companies like Brooklyn USA Basketball, and many other similar sports organizations, grow by providing them a "business in a box."

Spiffy: Is there anything else you would love to tell our audience?

Kristin: I was a gymnast which I attribute to my professional goal-setting, drive, perseverance, and grit. As my kids became active in sports, I saw how underserved the youth sports organizations were. The benefits of youth sports are well-documented and extend far beyond the playing field. Active children are less likely to become obese, more likely to attend college, and show greater productivity as adults. Sports participation is critical for society at large, reducing healthcare costs and strengthening the labor market.  As we strive towards SDG #3, it's clear that investing in youth sports will play a pivotal role in fostering a healthier, more vibrant future for all children.

Spiffy: Thanks for speaking with me today, Kristin—it’s been an honor!

Kristin Boggiano is the co-founder and president of TurnKeyTix—a youth sports technology company. Before TurnKeyTix, she built CrossTower, a non-fungible token (NFT), blockchain, and digital asset technology company. Kristin also co-founded DARLA, a think tank to shape global policy regarding digital assets. She also founded and built the structured products and derivatives department at Schulte Roth, a global law firm. Kristin also founded and was the CEO of Women in Derivatives, a nonprofit with a mission to develop women leaders. She began her career as a gymnastics coach. Kristin frequently does public speaking and writes articles on youth sports, artificial intelligence, trading, and financial and regulatory topics. She is an advocate for, investor in, and mentor to entrepreneurs. She has a law degree and an MBA from Northeastern University. (First published on the Ladderworks website on March 12, 2024.)

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of Ladderworks LLC.

© 2024 Ladderworks LLC. Edited by Sujit Kunte. Spiffy’s illustration by Shreyas Navare. For the Ladderworks digital curriculum to help K-3 kids advance the UN SDGs, visit Spiffy's Launchpad: Creative Entrepreneurship Workshops for K-3 Kids and their caregivers here.