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WHAT WE DO

Blue Star Innovation Partners (“BSIP”) is an investment capital fund run by hand-selected serial entrepreneurs and experts in innovation and disruption who co-manage and invest alongside the Jones Family. Our fund focuses on investment opportunities within the fields of technology, sports, entertainment, and health and wellness.

BSIP’s investment thesis is to invest in highly creative entrepreneurs and operators who are in-market selling a product or service with $3,000,000 to $50,000,000 in annual revenue. This allows BSIP to maximize our experience, access to distribution and capital networks, as well as provide exceptional guidance and value to innovative leaders.

FEATURED INVESTMENTS

WHERE WE CALL HOME

We operate out of the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

WHO WE ARE

BSIP provides a unique formula of fast acting, direct funding and mentorship from both the Jones Family and top executives on a variety of topics including operational guidance, strategic intent, access to capital, expert mode-marketing, branding, and go-to-market strategies.

Jerry Jones

Dallas Cowboys Owner / Chief Executive Officer / President / General Manager

Stephen Jones

Dallas Cowboys Chief Operating Officer / Executive Vice President / Director of Player Personnel

CharlotteJonesAnderson

Dallas Cowboys Executive Vice President / Chief Brand Officer

Jerry Jones, Jr.

Dallas Cowboys Executive Vice President / Chief Sales and Marketing Officer

Rob Wechsler

Blue Star Innovation Partners Managing Director

Chad Estis

Dallas Cowboys Executive Vice President of Business Operations / Legends Executive Vice President

Tom Walker

Blue Star Innovation Partner

Jason Cohen

Blue Star Innovation Partner

Stuart Lodge

Blue Star Innovation Partner & CFO

Molly Slusher

Blue Star Innovation Partner & General Counsel

Matt Steffe

Blue Star Innovation Partner

Randy McGraw

Operations, Product, and Strategy Leader

Corey Woods

Operational and Business Leader

Jessica Jones

Blue Star Innovation Associate

Lisa Forman

VP, Payments

WORK WITH US

Companies interested in applying must meet the following criteria:

  • Operating in fintech, sports, fitness, healthcare, technology, entertainment, or health and wellness
  • Be currently in-market selling a product or service
  • Serving large markets with the potential to be global-reaching

Uploaded application documents must contain:

  • Contact Information (name, email, phone number)
  • 1-2 page(s) of a comprehensive overview of your product or service
  • Revenue to date
  • EBITDA

.pdf, .doc or .docx files only

© 2020 Blue Star Commercial Real Estate, LLC All Rights Reserved.

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Rocksolid

Blue Star Innovation Partner

RockSolid was founded by former NFL player Joey LaRocque, who made it his mission to not only fill a void in protection of the game at the youth and high school level, but also add to the experience for young players by creating the first ever soft-shell head protection specifically designed for football.

Government Brands

Blue Star Innovation Partner

Government Brands is the preferred partner for government software solutions and integrated payments. Supporting thousands of government customers in 50 states, Government Brands offers solutions for all sizes of governments – municipalities, counties, states, and Federal agencies. Since closing the deal, BSIP and PSG have worked alongside the Government Brands team with an aggressive approach to M&A.

Stack Sports

Blue Star Innovation Partner

Stack Sports was launched by Rob Wechsler in partnership with the Jones family to create resources for youth sports management. Within just 16 months, Stack Sports acquired over 18 companies, grew to over 600 employees and over $150MM in revenue with operations in multiple countries. This success of Stack Sports inspired the the concept of Blue Star Innovation Partners.

Storable

Blue Star Innovation Partner

Stack Sports

Blue Star Innovation Partner

LegitScript is a leading provider of monitoring and verification compliance solutions for internet platforms, payment providers, and regulators operating in high-risk business and e-commerce verticals. Legitscript helps its customers identify legitimate merchants, providing credibility for them to advertise and use payment platforms freely. BSIP and PSG partnered on the deal and continue to work alongside the LegitScript team as it grows.

Payrix

Blue Star Innovation Partner

Payrix is a first-of-its-kind technology platform for flexible payment facilitation, allowing marketplaces, SaaS businesses and ISOs to unlock more revenue potential. Payrix provides white-label solutions that afford the flexibility to customize precisely and strategically. By empowering other platforms to grow through payment facilitation, Payrix aims to lead the charge within the technology industry to reimagine the digital economy. BSIP and PSG closed the deal in 2019 and have provided continued support as Payrix enters the next stage of growth.

Neon One

Blue Star Innovation Partner

Neon One is a leading, comprehensive technology ecosystem for nonprofits, which is dedicated to helping nonprofits solve their end-to-end technology needs. Since it's launch in 2018, Neon One has acquired Rallybound, Civicore and Arts People and continues to grow. To date, the company has facilitated over $9 billion in fundraising efforts for nonprofits around the world.

JERRY JONES

Dallas Cowboys Owner / President / General Manager

In one of the most dramatic eras of ownership in professional sports, Jerry Jones’ stewardship of the Dallas Cowboys has brought unprecedented results and success to the world’s most popular sports entity. In 1989, he bought the Dallas Cowboys for $150 million–Forbes reports the team is now worth $4.8 billion. Jones originally made a name for himself as an oil and gas investor, and continues today with current ventures in lucrative retail and residential real estate development.

STEPHEN JONES

Dallas Cowboys Chief Operating Officer / Executive Vice President / Director of Player Personnel

With 28 years of NFL experience, Stephen Jones has established himself as one of the brightest and most versatile executives in professional sports. He oversees the management operations for all aspects of the Dallas Cowboys and AT&T Stadium, while also supervising the team’s scouting and player personnel department. His work involves managing the organization’s 400-plus employees, while also handling all of the club’s salary cap and all major player contract concerns. He is also active in the recruitment - and management - of all major events that come to AT&T Stadium and The Star in Frisco. Jones’ experience as a major college football player, and his years as one of the NFL’s top executives, were instrumental in his appointment to the League’s prestigious Competition Committee. His active involvement in stadium management, design and development has also landed him a spot on the NFL’s New Stadium Committee.

CHARLOTTE JONES ANDERSON

Dallas Cowboys Executive Vice President / Chief Brand Officer

Charlotte Jones Anderson oversees all business operations, strategies and applications surrounding the team’s brand as it is presented to fans worldwide. Anderson’s vision and direction leads the Cowboys in brand marketing, fan engagement, stadium design, entertainment, licensed apparel, cause marketing and community relations. Recently, Anderson played an instrumental role in the design and development of The Star in Frisco. In 2012, Anderson was named Chairman of the NFL Foundation where she is responsible for spearheading the NFL efforts in youth football participation, health and safety, and community outreach. She is the first woman to serve in this position, and is the first female executive in history to lead a major professional sports league charitable foundation. In 2014, she was appointed to the first NFL Conduct Committee, which endorses and enhances the new personal conduct policy for all NFL players and employees. Furthermore, Anderson is the President of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and is responsible for supervising what is considered to be the most prominent organization of its kind in the world.

JERRY JONES, JR.

Dallas Cowboys Executive Vice President / Chief Sales and Marketing Officer

Jerry Jones, Jr. is a key member of the Dallas Cowboys front office, overseeing the club’s entire sales and marketing efforts. Furthermore, Jones also leads a team that is responsible for the club’s vast merchandising business as well as all digital and broadcast media. He played an integral role in the development of the Dallas Cowboys headquarters at The Star in Frisco and has spearheaded the health and wellness projects located at the Cowboys new home, including the Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research Facility at The Star. In addition, he was instrumental in developing Cowboys Club, a first-of-its-kind private members club, and Cowboys Fit, the three-story premier health and fitness center that allows members to exercise to a Cowboys centric workout routine. Jones has also overseen sponsorships and naming rights deals for various portions of The Star.

ROB WECHSLER

Blue Star Innovation Partners Managing Director

Rob Wechsler, Founder and CEO of Blue Star Innovation Partners, is a serial entrepreneur with a track record that includes 4 exits totaling more than $1.5B in proceeds of his own companies, a successful IPO and running the largest payments business in the world, Chase Merchant Services. Most recently Rob was the founder and CEO of Blue Star Sports, the largest and preeminent provider of sports technology globally. In less than a year, Rob completed 20 acquisitions and returned over 3x to all shareholders in a transaction valued in excess of $300M. Prior to Blue Star Sports, Rob founded, built and exited 2 payments businesses - Century Payment Advisors and Century Payments to Bain Capital and Worldpay. In order to develop his skills, Rob began his career practicing law for Morgan, Lewis & Bockius before starting his first company, Link2Gov. After exiting Link2Gov, Rob was EVP, Global Sales for Convergent Group through its IPO and subsequent sale to Schlumberger and then he was recruited to run the payments business for JP Morgan Chase. Rob is an avid investor and works with several Private Equity funds as an advisor.

CHAD ESTIS

Dallas Cowboys Executive Vice President of Business Operations / Legends Executive Vice President

As Executive Vice President of Business Operations for the Dallas Cowboys, Estis works as part of the business leadership team with his areas of expertise being corporate partnerships, stadium suites and ticket sales, media and branding, and third party events. His contributions have been numerous and industry defying as they include the most successful stadium suite and seat license sales campaign and a newly developed tour and catered event business. He has also helped local organizing committees bring the NBA All-Star game, Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four, Academy of Country Music, NCAA National Championship Football Playoff Games and WrestleMania to North Texas. With deep-rooted industry relationships, Estis focuses on the development of large-scale projects, while remaining involved on a day-to-day basis with existing partnerships for Legends. Most notably his contributions as Executive Vice President for Legends include spearheading the creation and growth of Global Sales and leading the division to become one of the most influential in its industry.

TOM WALKER

Blue Star Innovation Partner

After graduating from Oklahoma State with a Bachelors in Finance and a Masters in Accounting (Tax Emphasis), Tom joined KPMG's high net worth individual tax practice in Dallas and Amsterdam. During this time, his focus was on building a global network of practitioners to service KPMG’s ultra high net worth clients and on assisting the global risk group in conducting due diligence reviews on KPMG’s offices worldwide.

Shortly after returning to the United States in late 2003, Tom joined the Jones family organization as the Tax Director for the Jones family and their business interests. He now serves as the Chief Financial Officer for the Dallas Cowboys and all of the other Jones family businesses. This role includes strategic acquisitions or dispositions, investment analysis and general oversight for all day to day financial matters.

JASON COHEN

Blue Star Innovation Partner

Jason Cohen is the General Counsel of the Dallas Cowboys. He also serves as General Counsel for the Jones Family and its businesses including Real Estate, Oil & Gas, and other Investments.

Jason manages litigation and Intellectual Property and also serves as a primary liaison to the NFL on governance and other Club matters.

He helps oversee the risk management and insurance departments as well as security.

Jason has previously served as in-house counsel to NASCAR, Women’s Pro Soccer, the Minnesota Vikings and the Oakland Raiders.

Jason graduated from Brandeis University and Rutgers Law School. While in law school Jason clerked for Justice Virginia Long of the NJ Supreme Court.

Following law school Jason spent a year living in Zambia, Africa volunteering with Right To Play working with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

Jason is licensed to practice law in Texas, New York and New Jersey.

STUART LODGE

Blue Star Innovation Partner & CFO

Stuart Lodge, Partner & CFO of Blue Star Innovation Partners, has over 20 years’ experience building and selling private equity and venture backed technology companies. Prior to joining BSIP, Stuart spent a year as the CFO of Blue Star Sports, the leading youth sports ecosystem, where he led the sale of the company to Genstar Capital in April 2017 and played a key leadership role as the company integrated 25 acquisitions and quadrupled in size in just under two years.

Prior to joining Blue Star Sports, Stuart spent three years as the CFO of Optimal Blue where he played a key role in the company's growth as revenues and profits nearly tripled. He led the highly successful sale of Optimal Blue to GTCR in July 2016. Prior to joining Optimal Blue, Stuart spent nearly four years as the CFO of Optimal Solutions where he played a key role in increasing revenues and cash flow by 120% and 170%, respectively, and in selling the company to NTT DATA in December 2013. Stuart has been the CFO of a number of other private equity and venture backed technology companies over the last two decades.

Stuart holds a Master of Business Administration degree from The University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a licensed CPA in Texas. Stuart was named a Dallas Business Journal CFO of the Year in 2016.

MOLLY SLUSHER

Blue Star Innovation Partner & General Counsel

Molly Slusher, Partner and General Counsel at BSIP, is responsible for all governance, regulatory and legal affairs for the firm, including acting as a legal and operational adviser to many of the firm’s portfolio companies. Molly also assists in the firm’s corporate development and administrative functions. Molly’s mandate as General Counsel is to close deals. Her track record speaks for itself. During her first 15 months at BSIP, Molly has coordinated, performed, and overseen the consummation of 12 transactions. Those transactions include venture deals, loan transactions, roll-up strategies and growth acquisitions across a broad spectrum of industries.

Prior to joining BSIP, Molly was an attorney at the Dallas-based law firm, Jackson Walker, where she specialized in mergers & acquisitions and corporate law. During her years in private practice, Molly advised clients in a variety of business transactions involving both public and private entities, including but not limited to investment in early stage companies, franchising, entity formation, and corporate governance.

Molly earned her Juris Doctor from The University of Texas School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington.

MATT STEFFE

Blue Star Innovation Partner

Matt Steffe, Partner at BSIP, is responsible for all M&A and business development for the firm’s portfolio companies. Since the firm started, Matt has been responsible for 20+ M&A deals.

Prior to joining BSIP, Matt ran M&A and business development for Blue Star Sports, now Stack Sports. Matt was employee #2 at Blue Star Sports and sourced all of the 15+ deals before the sale to Genstar Private Equity. Post sale, he finished off nine more M&A acquisitions.

Prior to Blue Star Sports, Matt worked with ReachLocal in a National business development role, as well as with multiple start ups. He was the youngest ever named Managing Director at Kaye Bassman International, the top retained search firm in the country. Prior to Kaye Bassman, he was the youngest Division-I basketball coach in America at Portland State University.

Matt earned his Communications Degree from the Quincy University, while also becoming an All-American in basketball and Hall of Fame member of the school.

Randy McGraw

Operations, Product, and Strategy Leader

Randy McGraw is a product, technology, and strategy leader with over 20 years experience leading organizations ranging from start-up to global service provider. He has previously served as executive team member growing a SaaS organization from $1M to nearly $50M annually just prior to a successful exit, subsequently leading that business into becoming a $200M+ global market leader. Most recently Randy was the President of Global Product, Engineering, and Enablement at Intrado, a $1B unified communications as a service organization.

CoreyWoods

Operational and Business Leader

Corey Wood is an operational and business leader with over 15 years experience focussing on client experience and account growth spanning multiple facets of the client lifecycle from sale through implementation to retention. Most recently Corey served as Senior Vice President of Client Engagement at Intrado, having served through an IPO and the $5.2B privatization event led by Apollo.

Jessica Jones

Blue Star Innovation Associate

Jessica started off her career working in PR & marketing for a major fashion corporation. After four years she transitioned to a more business centric role with BSIP, and has since focused on customer success and marketing with multiple BSIP portfolio companies. She is currently focusing her time on Customer Success for TSG North America.

Lisa Forman

VP, Payments

Lisa Forman has 20+ years of experience in Sales, Partnership management, Operations and Project Management within the Payment industry. Lisa began her career in Financial Sales for Gartner Group. She later worked for various acquirers gaining knowledge in POS, eCom, Mobile, ISVs and International payments. Lisa was on the original Payment Facilitator team at Vantiv and most recently she was a Payment Facilitator specialist at Fiserv.