🏟️🎙️ Why Athletes Dominate Business: Michael Moe, Founder & CEO of GSV | S2 E20

It’s simple, but it’s not easy.

Jan 12, 2026

Sports are serious business.
On Under the Number, Brent Peus goes deep with the innovators driving the Sports Economy, from elite athletes and investors to visionary founders and executives.

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I know it’s Monday, but this week’s episode is dropping early in honor of the ‘Future of Sports & Media’ event I’m helping to host tomorrow in Dallas.

I’ll be moderating a panel discussion featuring Chip Paucek (CEO of Pro Athlete Community), Randall Lane (Chief Content Officer of Forbes), and today’s guest, Michael Moe (CEO of GSV).

🏟️ Know someone trying to break into the Sports Economy? Do them a favor—share this episode and help them stay ahead of the game.

The Connection:

I worked for Michael at GSV for three years as VP of Growth Research & Strategy.

Quote of the Episode:

“The investment business actually is not that complicated. You just find these exceptional people—not just ‘pretty good’, but exceptional—and then you ride them. You ride that horse.”

Bet You Didn’t Know:

Michael was the first person on Wall Street to write research on Starbucks Coffee.

Michael Moe is the Founder and CEO of GSV, a growth-focused investment platform. GSV has invested in game-changing businesses such as Facebook, Twitter, Snap, Palantir and Spotify. GSV has several funds focused on the digital learning sector and has invested in Coursera, Chegg, Course Hero, Masterclass, and Guild Education. GSV stands for “Global Silicon Valley,” inspired by the entrepreneurial mindset of Silicon Valley spreading throughout the world.

Michael is also the co-founder of the ASU+GSV Summit, which Forbes called “the Davos of Education.” Additionally, Michael is on the Board of the National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame, Center for Education Reform, ClassDojo, Bookclub, Hi Solutions, and is an advisor to Arizona State University.

Before GSV, Michael was the Founder and CEO of ThinkEquity Partners, Head of Global Growth Research at Merrill Lynch, and was voted to be on the Institutional All American Research Team and named “Best on the Street” by the Wall Street Journal.

Michael is the author of three books, “Finding the Next Starbucks”, “the Global Silicon Valley Handbook” and his most recent, “The Mission Corporation.”

Michael holds a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from the University of Minnesota and is a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst). He and his wife Bonnie live in Dallas, Texas where they moved to in 2021 after living in Silicon Valley for twenty-five years.

Bio via ASU+GSV Summit