Carrie Gamper (BSBA 2011)
Q&A with Carrie Gamper, co-founder of Base Sports Group
Carrie Gamper (BSBA 2011) was a Division I athlete on the University of Denver’s lacrosse team. Post-graduation, Gamper worked various jobs in the sports industry, as well as completing a master’s degree at Durham University in the UK. In May 2021, Gamper co-founded BASE Sports Group with Mark Dvoroznak, who was a Division I baseball player at West Virginia University. The group currently represents the sponsorship and media rights for a national network of youth sports facilities and events rightsholders, serving more than 12 million individuals across the U.S.
The E@DU team sat down with Gamper to discuss her time at DU, her unorthodox journey into entrepreneurship and the youth sports industry.
Q: Could you tell me about your time as a DU undergraduate and how it has shaped your path?
A: I was active on campus—I played Division I lacrosse all four years, and I was a captain my senior year. I was an orientation leader for two years, and a tour guide for two or three years. My senior year, I was a student senator.
My time at DU was formative to parts of my professional journey. I think anyone playing a Division I sport will develop skills in time management, competitive spirit, teamwork—things that just come with playing a sport. But I would say the most impactful part of my journey was my time getting to DU. Trying to get recruited to be a college athlete, in any division, is a difficult process and is becoming increasingly challenging. There are so many people on that path alongside the athletes, including parents, coaches and others. That was essential for my passion and my pivot into an entrepreneurial career with BASE, rather than a traditional corporate career.
Q: What separates BASE in the youth sports market?
A: The youth sports has traditionally been fragmented, which is why it has been difficult for blue-chip brands to sponsor youth sports at scale. It is worth noting that there are over 60 million U.S. youth athletes. It is a $19 billion industry. In all 50 states, there are young people playing sports. With the involvement of siblings, parents, grandparents and so on, that community grows. We are consolidating that fragmented marketplace.
BASE has created a national framework of large, strategic sports rightsholders that offer sponsorship partners youth sports community engagement experiences, at scale. BASE is committed to making those experiences authentic and valuable for the athlete, the brand and the rightsholder. BASE is regularly receiving outreach from youth sports organizations seeking to join our network, a testament to the need in the market, and the value our team delivers.
Q: Do you have prior experience as an entrepreneur? Growing up, did you ever think you would own your own company?
A: I believe that research shows that children of entrepreneurs are more likely to grow up and be entrepreneurs themselves… but in my family, no one has ever done this. When I was at DU, I did not think I would do something like this. I was looking at companies like Nike or Southwest —big brands where I would be part of a corporate team. And, I did initially pursue that path.
After a few years with STX Lacrosse, I had the opportunity to pursue my master’s degree in England. The prestigious Durham University, in northeast England, offers former NCAA athletes scholarship opportunities to play, while pursuing a master’s degree. The scholarship program for which I enrolled, included only a limited number of degrees. While I played lacrosse, I chose to study entrepreneurship because it covered a breadth of business disciplines that I believed could be applied similar to an MBA. After winning a number of university-wide entrepreneurship competitions, I began considering a future as an entrepreneur.
Q: What does the word “entrepreneurship” mean to you in your work?
A: My pursuit of entrepreneurship is channeling a passion that fills a void in the market. Supporting the amateur sports market is personal for me, and my co-founder.
With that being said, Mark and I agree that Teddy Roosevelt best defined the spirit of an entrepreneur in his “The Man in the Arena.”
Q: What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs just starting out?
A: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. One thing I learned early on was just how kind people in the entrepreneurial community are, and how willing they are to give of their time and expertise.
I would also encourage any entrepreneur to think like an athlete. Be coachable. Hustle after every opportunity. Lean on your teammates to set up and execute plays. Remember that the game is not always going to go your way; sometimes you are going to lose, whether it is a partner, an investor, a supplier, etc.—but you have to rally. The game plan may change at halftime, so be dynamic and ready to pivot. And just like playing for a top D-I sports program like Denver, starting a business is not easy, so find the joy in the grind.