Virtually every company has a motto, slogan, or mission statement that outlines their “why”. However, it’s not always common to find a group where these promised values transcend idealization and make it to implementation. Our team strives to be Heroic, Ingenious, Contagious, and Extraordinary in all of our pursuits.

It’s thrilling to watch how these core principles permeate every aspect of the work our team produces, as well as the relationships they create. From working with clients to guide major decisions in sports and entertainment, to welcoming our largest class of interns to date, these guiding principles are not simply the goal, but the standard.

Attempting to break into sports can certainly be daunting; the allure of working for professional sports teams or big-name agencies attracts huge candidate pools, making it all the more challenging to stand out amongst the crowd. We’re confident that our interns leave Navigate equipped with the skills necessary to successfully navigate a professional career in the sport industry. Our team of managers put an extensive amount of time and effort into our intern program and we’re proud of the experience they have and the additional value they add for our clients.

As the summer comes to a close and our students head back to their respective campuses, we wanted to take this opportunity to check-in with our intern class to see what projects they’ve worked on, and to get their perspective. We think you’ll enjoy hearing from this special group of interns, whether you’re someone looking to build your own internship program (let us know how we can be of help), or someone looking to break into the sports industry yourself. The timeline for success in this industry is different for everyone, and there’s certainly not just one pathway to get there.

Intern Class Introductions

Education: DeVos Sport Business Management Program, University of Central Florida
Position with Navigate: Sales & Marketing Intern
Book/Podcast Recommendation: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Favorite TV Show to Binge: Breaking Bad
Long-Term Intern Project Topic: Overview of how sponsorship works in the running space, including both road racing and track & field

 

Education: University of Massachusetts Amherst-McCormack Department of Sport Management
Position with Navigate: Research & Consulting Intern
Book/Podcast Recommendation: Range by David Epstein
Favorite TV Show to Binge: The Nanny (old school masterpiece)
Long-Term Intern Project Topic: Impact of CSR in sport sponsorship opportunities

Education: Louisiana State University, BA Sports Administration
Position with Navigate: Sales & Marketing Intern
Book/Podcast Recommendation: Lore
Favorite TV Show to Binge: Good Girls
Long-Term Intern Project Topic: Breakdown on the recent rise in the fitness industry and how sponsorships operate in that space

Education: University of Michigan Industrial and Operations Engineering
Position with Navigate: Research & Consulting Intern
Book/Podcast Recommendation: Quantum Prophecy: A teen version of a children’s superhero story by Michael Carroll
Favorite TV Show to Binge: Psych
Long-Term Intern Project Topic: Future of Stadium Concessions & Ghost kitchen implementation

Education: Incoming Ohio University (OU) MBA/MSA
Position with Navigate: Consumer Insights & Strategy Intern
Book/Podcast Recommendation: Dr. Death, Miracle Man
Favorite TV Show to Binge: The Bear (on Hulu)
Long-Term Intern Project Topic: Why the 2026 World Cup should be a part of a brand’s sponsorship strategy

 

Education: Ohio University MBA/MSA Dual Degree Program
Position with Navigate: Fellowship Recipient
Book/Podcast Recommendation: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Favorite TV Show to Binge: Schitt’s Creek
Long-Term Intern Project Topic: Pickleball ecosystem overview and sponsorship opportunities

 

Education: Ohio University, MBA/MSA dual-degree program
Position with Navigate: Research & Consulting Intern (Graduate Assistantship Recipient)
Book/Podcast Recommendation: Burn it All Down
Favorite TV Show to Binge: The Bachelor
Long-Term Intern Project Topic: Impact of media coverage on the growth of women’s sports

 

Education: Syracuse University, Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamic, Sport Management
Position with Navigate: Consumer Insights & Strategy Intern
Book/Podcast Recommendation: Captain’s Class by Sam Walker, The Leadership Moment by Michael Useem
Favorite TV Show to Binge: Friends
Long-Term Intern Project Topic: MLB’s opportunity to increase fandom

 

Education: Columbia University / MS in Sports Management
Position with Navigate: Research & Consulting Intern
Book/Podcast Recommendation: The Alchemist by Paul Coelho
Favorite TV Show to Binge: Shark Tank
Long-Term Intern Project Topic: Navigate’s Japan strategy

Insight into the Intern Experience

How were you introduced to Navigate? To what extent were you familiar with the company before you applied?

Diana: I knew I wanted to intern for a research and consulting agency and Navigate was a company that came highly recommended from my grad director and from a couple of my mentors.

Eli: I was referred to Navigate by a contact at LSU who had done work with them in the past. I didn’t initially know much about it, but I applied anyway.

Drew: I found Navigate through my senior capstone professor at OU, Jim Kahler. He had AJ as a graduate student at Arizona State and talked highly of the company. Before applying to this internship, I had seen a couple of posts on LinkedIn, but didn’t know about the range of projects they completed until I applied.

Joy: I was introduced to Navigate through Matt Cacciato, Ohio University Sports Administration’s program director when looking at what opportunities to pursue for my graduate assistantship. I didn’t know anything about Navigate prior to applying to the internship, but as soon as I started looking into its work and capabilities, I immediately found its work fascinating because of its application of data-driven strategies at the intersection between brands and properties.

Bri: I found Navigate through Front Office Sports “Best Employers in Sports” list. I knew a bit about Navigate because the website is in-depth and provides a lot of background on what they do and who they work with. I first met Ron Li, and he expanded my knowledge on the sport industry. Then I spoke with Kevin Kane, who provided me with more background information.

Tomo: I received an introduction to Navigate from a Japanese agency located in the U.S.

Can you speak on what makes Navigate unique from other groups in the sports space? It’s something we talk a lot about internally, and definitely plays a huge role in shaping the company culture.

Diana: Company culture is amazing at Navigate. I felt embraced and welcomed throughout my time here. I also felt like people were genuinely interested in helping me grow.

Eli: The company culture and intracompany relationships are special. Everyone shares similar qualities of determination, strong work ethic, love of sports, and open-mindedness.

Drew: There are a couple of factors that make Navigate stand out from other groups in the sports space. Navigate can take on a wide variety of projects, where some companies specialize in certain categories of consulting. The people that work at Navigate are all knowledgeable within the sport landscape and humble enough to help fellow employees and interns.

Sabrinna: Navigate is unique in that they are a smaller company that attracts some huge clients. They attract these clients because their work output is top tier. The company culture is positive and invites collaboration. Everyone is willing to learn from one another; staying informed and ahead of trends seem to be key features in their success.

Joy: One thing I’ve found most unique about Navigate is how the work is project-based as opposed to account-based. You often see many sports agencies operating based on accounts, but I love how everyone at Navigate gets to wear so many different hats and have a hand in a variety of clients rather than one or two accounts. I think naturally, this made the internship experience super valuable because instead of just working on one property, I was able to be exposed to everything from an NFL team, an MLB team, a Power 5 college, and a brand.

What has your experience with Navigate been like so far? How has your role challenged you?

Diana: I have learned a lot from my experience this summer. I have been encouraged to think outside of the box, view things from different perspectives, and have been given and taught about numerous resources.

Eli: I have really enjoyed getting experience working in the sales and marketing department. I am learning valuable information and skills that will be helpful in my future career. I had never worked in a role like this prior to Navigate so learning about how companies are run from a marketing standpoint was slightly challenging.

Vineet: My experience has been phenomenal so far. I have been challenged by having to figure out how to pull specific data or come to a conclusion within a field I had very little prior knowledge in. This has taught me to be a quick learner.

Drew: I have loved my experience at Navigate so far! Everyone that I have had projects and meetings with are so knowledgeable within the sport consulting space. One way that I have been challenged is by working on multiple projects simultaneously. While it may be difficult at times, I think that is what makes Navigate so unique and it will never make work monotonous.

Sabrinna: It has been a great learning experience so far. I have been able to apply some of my knowledge from the MBA courses I took. I have also been challenged to learn about new databases and take on new types of projects. Working fully remote has been a great opportunity for me to improve my communication skills.

Joy: One of my favorite things about my experience thus far has been how much I’ve been challenged to explore topics and research areas that I’m unfamiliar with. As someone who had no previous sponsorship, consulting, or data background, Navigate has done an unbelievable job by both pushing me beyond my comfort zone while also being patient by making the opportunity a valuable learning experience as well.

Bri: It’s been awesome! I’ve really enjoyed the content and type of work that I’m doing, it’s been very fun, and I’ve definitely learned a lot. It’s been challenging in two main ways: making sure that I have a healthy work-life balance, and learning when I need to finish for the day, and also self-administration and making sure I don’t over schedule or overlap schedules.

Do you have any advice for those who are potentially looking to pursue an internship with Navigate in the future?

Sabrinna: It is a great opportunity to get hands-on experience. Data collection, organization, visualization, and storytelling are all powerful skills that I have been able to learn more about. The team at Navigate are all incredibly knowledgeable and willing to help. Come into the position being curious and with an open mind. The best way to get the most out of your time with the company is to ask questions and be fully involved.

Drew: A piece of advice that I would suggest is to be self-motivated. It can be hard at times to be completely remote, and the ability to stay focused and motivated is vital.

Eli: I think Navigate is a great place to intern for someone who wants to further their knowledge of the industry while also making some important connections.

Vineet: Do it! For the secondary research side, learn to be comfortable with collecting, analyzing, and making definitive conclusions from data.

Joy: Don’t be afraid to be curious. Whether it’s during the application process or during the course of the internship, inquiring about details of a project or asking questions on a specific task is how I feel like I’ve learned and absorbed the most during my time at Navigate so far.

Tomo: ​​If you want to learn consulting skills with a good balance of qualitative and quantitative perspectives, and if you excel in your network in the sports industry, I highly recommend you intern at Navigate.

Time to brag: Is there anything that you’re really proud to have had the chance to contribute to during your time here so far?

Diana: I’m definitely interested to see if some of the naming rights sponsorship projects that I worked on will shake out in the next year or so.

Vineet: I learned so much about not only how crypto and blockchain can be applied to sports but how the technology itself works. Also, I was given responsibility of researching a specific section of our client’s sponsorship strategy dealing with utility and governance tokens and being able to present it directly to our client.

Drew: I enjoyed working on a project with a large player in the hotel and hospitality space, helping with one of their key sponsorships. It was a great introduction to learn about a project related to how a sponsorship related to fans of a sport vs. non-fans.

Joy: My favorite project so far was definitely one of our recent blockchain projects. We just finished delivering all three phases and it was one of the most challenging but fulfilling projects I’ve worked on. The project exposed me to the world of Web3, which was complete foreign territory for me prior to joining Navigate, and I loved how it forced me to broaden my horizon.

Bri: The amount of work and detail I’ve put into my long-term activation presentation & spreadsheet, Gurus of Activation Strategy.

Tomo: I had a chance to present a part of a proposal to one of our clients. It was an excellent opportunity to conduct a quantitative analysis of their revenue streams.

Any final words of advice or closing remarks?

Diana: Growth happens just beyond the edge of your comfort zone. Be willing to grow and learn by taking calculated risks. Also be willing to speak up if you disagree with something or if you have a different approach.

Bri: I don’t know what I’m doing with the future and that’s okay – it’s okay to not know what’s coming.

Tomo: It is worth interning at Navigate, even for a person in the mid-career like me.

If you’re interested in learning more about our internship program, please email Kevin Kane at KEVIN@NVGT.COM.