The former EVP of the Chicago White Sox turned entrepreneur joins Mach49 as an Executive in Residence
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Sept. 16, 2024 — Mach49, the global leader of venture-driven growth for Fortune 1000 companies, announced today the appointment of Kenny Williams, former Executive Vice President of the Chicago White Sox, as an Executive in Residence for its Brand Ventures division.
“In my 42 years in sports, I’ve not seen a greater opportunity for athletes and entertainers to collectively use their capital, harness their legacies, and create an entrepreneurial dynamic for their families and communities,” said Williams. “Mach49 can give them structure, guidance, tools, access, and entrepreneurial muscle to take their talents off the field and into the marketplace. Their athletic career is the start of something bigger. It’s the beginning of a journey that lasts a lifetime.”
Williams, who made history as the first African-American General Manager in Chicago sports, began as a player in Major League Baseball and built his post-playing-career by rising up through the ranks of the Chicago White Sox, holding positions including scout, Director of Minor Leagues, and leadership of the front office. As SVP and GM, he led the White Sox to its first World Series championship in over 88 years, before becoming EVP while still overseeing baseball operations. He brings over four decades of Major League Baseball experience to Mach49.
In addition to his sports career, Williams is the Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of The DEI Network and CLARA, a SaaS platform designed to eliminate bias in hiring and promote equitable talent acquisition. His strategic expertise and commitment to innovation will be instrumental in bringing Mach49’s venture-driven growth methodologies and skill sets to help drive new avenues of growth within sports and entertainment.
The strategic partnership marks Mach49’s expansion into helping prominent global brands and athletes leverage cultural relevance into new revenue opportunities. Mach49’s proven venture-driven growth methodologies will now extend to sports and entertainment, empowering athletes and their representatives to realize entrepreneurial and investing ambitions both on and off the field.
Williams initially partnered with Mach49 to develop and launch CLARA, setting the stage for further collaborations in sports and entertainment. Mach49’s portfolio includes partnerships with industry giants like Xerox Ventures, Pernod Ricard’s Convivialité Ventures, Néstle, JetBlue, Schneider Electric, Hitachi, and TDK.
Learn more about Mach49’s Brand Ventures division.
About Mach49
Inside large companies are billion-dollar ideas, hidden talent, and ready capital—a combination that any startup would envy. But most companies struggle to unlock this potential because it requires them to think and act differently, rekindling the entrepreneurial spirit that fueled their early success. That’s where Mach49 comes in.
Mach49 partners with global businesses to drive disruptive growth through venture building, venture investing, strategic partnerships, and targeted M&A. Mach49 was founded by Linda Yates, author of The Unicorn Within: How Companies Can Create Game-Changing Ventures at Startup Speed (HBR Press).
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