Latest news with #Pollack
Fast Company
6 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
Pinterest just signed its first sports deal ever with the New York Liberty
Your Ellie the Elephant Pinterest pinboard just became official. Pinterest has announced that its first-ever sports partnership will be with the WNBA champions New York Liberty. The social platform has made its name as a crucial resource for anyone planning a wedding or home renovation, but global head of consumer marketing Sara Pollack says the move into sports reflects a broader ambition. 'Pinterest is a really interesting place for fandom,' says Pollack. 'It's not where you're going to see highlights from last night's game. We have research that shows that Pinterest users are much more likely than non-Pinterest users to be looking for things like Game Day outfits, sports-themed recipes, and inspiration for hosting watch parties. So the unique role Pinterest plays is for those who have an immense fandom for something. It's a place where those fans come to weave their fandom into a variety of things. And for us, that's such an interesting opportunity.' Pinterest's revenue is up 17% year-over-year, according to its second quarter reporting earlier this month. Monthly active users surged 10% year-over-year to a record 570 million. The two-year deal is a boost for Pinterest, and will focus on the two brands collaborating through curated Pinterest boards, on-platform editorial content, and community outreach programs. A new content series called 'Away Game Fashion' will go deep on the connection between hoops and fashion inspiration. Pinterest is also investing in refurbishing basketball backboards in the New York area. Pinterest searches for 'WNBA tunnel outfits' were up over 2,000%, with terms like 'Sabrina Ionescu shoes pink' up 1,706%, NY Liberty WNBA up 306%, and Ellie the Elephant' spiking 168%. Pollack says fans are already using the platform to make the game part of their identity, and this new deal aims to give them more tools to do it. Brand beyond the court The New York Liberty are not only out to a winning record on the court early in this WNBA season, the club has signed 19 new brand partners. Three years ago, CEO Keia Clarke was in a strategy meeting. The team's head of sponsorship asked everyone to go around the room and tell everyone what brands and platforms everyone was using most. 'And I said Pinterest!' says Clarke. So this one is particularly personal. The WNBA overall has excelled at bringing in corporate sponsors like Bumble, Glossier, and over-the-counter contraception brand Opill, beyond the NBA's usual brand suspects. Here, the Liberty are making a similarly bespoke brand move. From the team's perspective, it's been building a cultural connection with its fans for years, a bond perhaps most consistently expressed through its marketing gold mascot Ellie the Elephant. But Clarke sees the Pinterest partnership as yet another way to strengthen those bonds far beyond the court. 'Whether you're in the arena at a game or watching on television from home, or you're on Pinterest or at a community event, we want to always have that touch point with our fans that feels authentic and real, but it feels continuous,' says Clarke. 'So this partnership in particular, it's about looking at the search data, and figuring out how we can provide more moments for people to showcase their pride in our team, and showcase who they are as fans. Those are the moments for us that create generational longevity. That's how you create real fandom that never goes away.'
Miami Herald
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
David Pollack Weighs in as Iconic College Football Rivalry Faces Uncertain Future
One of the reasons college football has gained popularity over the years is its historic rivalries. Whether it's Oklahoma vs. Texas, Ohio State vs. Michigan, USC vs. Notre Dame or Auburn vs. Alabama, fans eagerly gather around their televisions to watch these exciting games. However, as the sport evolves, some iconic matchups are disappearing. For instance, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State no longer compete against each other after Oklahoma moved to the SEC. Similarly, Texas and Texas A&M took a break from their rivalry when the Aggies joined the SEC, but they renewed their matchup when Texas joined the conference before last season. Another rivalry may be at risk of ending. According to the Los Angeles Times, the future of the USC vs. Notre Dame game is uncertain. Houston Mitchell reported that the contract between the Trojans and Fighting Irish is set to expire. USC officials have extended an offer to Notre Dame in hopes of continuing the historic series for at least one more season, through the fall of 2026. Mitchell believes the future of this rivalry, beyond that point, largely depends on the format of the College Football Playoff, specifically the number of automatic qualifiers guaranteed to the Big Ten in future playoff fields. Until these questions are resolved, USC leaders agree that the best approach for their century-old rivalry with Notre Dame is to continue their arrangement on a year-by-year basis. On the podcast "See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack," the former "College GameDay" analyst responded to the possibility of that rivalry ending. "This is what we continue to lose," Pollack said. "We continue to lose rivalries. We continue to lose things you grew up watching that you absolutely loved, that you want to see more of, because it doesn't make sense. How many rivalries have we lost along the way because of that?" Pollack noted that losing these iconic rivalries is, unfortunately, a "cost of doing business" in college football's current era. He explained that those in charge prioritize financial gains over traditional rivalries. He emphasized that the rivalry likely holds more significance for Notre Dame, as the team is not part of a conference and needs to schedule as many high-profile opponents as possible. Nonetheless, it's disappointing to lose this game. The Fighting Irish hold a 50-37-5 advantage in their all-time series. Aside from the cancellation during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, the last time the two teams did not play each other was in 1945, when they took a multi-year break due to World War II. They are scheduled to face off, possibly for the last time in the foreseeable future, on Oct. 18 in South Bend, Ind., at 5:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Related: David Pollack Names Major College Football Rivalry That Should be Renewed Copyright 2025 Athlon Sports. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Emails between Pennsylvania lawmakers and lobbyists will remain hidden from the public after court ruling
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Emails and other communications between Pennsylvania lawmakers and the lobbyists who try to influence them will remain hidden from the public, an appellate court has ruled. The decision last month by a panel of Commonwealth Court judges means the state legislature can continue to shield from public view written interactions they have with the lobbying industry, which spends tens of millions of dollars annually to shape public policy. Spotlight PA, a statewide nonprofit newsroom that seeks to hold powerful people and institutions accountable, brought the lawsuit. It will not appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court. Good-government advocates called the ruling a missed opportunity to create more transparency around the inner workings of the state legislature, which has exempted itself from having to disclose many records — including emails — that the executive branch routinely makes public. 'It's a huge missed opportunity because to pull back the curtain on emails between lobbyists and lawmakers would be like pulling back the curtain in The Wizard of Oz,' said Michael Pollack, executive director of March on Harrisburg, which advocates for gift bans and other reforms to make government more accountable. 'The public would see how laws are truly made, and how the system is truly operated,' said Pollack, adding: 'The cozy relationship between lobbyists and lawmakers is assumed by the public, but once you see the details of those relationships, it can be shocking.' In Pennsylvania, lobbying is a multimillion-dollar business. Lobbyists spent $147.1 million on lobbying in 2023, according to the latest available annual report. That total includes money for gifts, hospitality, transportation, and lodging for state officials or employees, as well as members of their immediate families. Health care policy topped the list of issues that lobbyists spent that money on, but millions of dollars were also targeted toward influencing energy, education, tax, and transportation policy. Despite the scale of their spending, lobbyists in Pennsylvania are only required to disclose basic information about their work. They don't, for instance, have to reveal which public officials they lobbied, or how much money they spent lobbying them. They also don't have to reveal which issues they lobbied those public officials for. The March court ruling caps a long-running public records dispute that began in July 2023, when Spotlight PA requested from the state Senate communications between senators or their staff and lobbyists for a small Pennsylvania municipality that was seeking state grants. The news organization requested the information as part of an investigation into political corruption allegations in the city of DuBois. State Senate officials swiftly denied Spotlight PA's request, asserting those emails and other communications do not fall under the definition of a legislative record under Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law. Spotlight PA ultimately appealed the denial to the state's Commonwealth Court. During oral arguments late last year before a panel of appellate judges, attorneys for the news organization argued that a clause in Pennsylvania's public records law allows public access to communications between lawmakers and lobbyists. That clause falls under a section of the law that lists records that are exempt from disclosure, including, 'Correspondence between a person and a member of the General Assembly and records accompanying the correspondence which would identify a person that requests assistance or constituent services. This paragraph shall not apply to correspondence between a member of the General Assembly and a principal or lobbyist under 65 Pa.C.S. Ch. 13A (relating to lobbying disclosure).' Spotlight PA argued that when writing that law, legislators wanted to shield communications between lawmakers and their constituents — but not communications between legislators and lobbyists. Jim Davy, founder of All Rise Trial & Appellate and one of two lawyers who represented Spotlight PA, cited a floor speech then-state Sen. Jim Ferlo (D., Allegheny) made in 2008 when the legislature passed sweeping upgrades to Pennsylvania's public records law. At the time, Ferlo said the upgrades would 'make correspondence between legislators and lobbyists public documents.' (Ferlo died in 2022). 'I think,' Ferlo told fellow senators during his floor speech, 'this is certainly a cornerstone piece of legislation in regard to the … organizations that have professional paid lobbyists, the significant role they play in the drafting, formulation, and passage of pieces of legislation in lobbying both Houses of the Capitol.' Karl S. Myers, a lawyer with Stevens & Lee hired by the state Senate, disagreed. He argued that Pennsylvania's public records law lists 19 specific categories that constitute a legislative record subject to disclosure. Those categories include financial records and legislative journals, among other documents. If the legislature intended to include emails and other communications between lawmakers and lobbyists within the definition of a legislative record, it would have expressly done so. Writing for the majority, Commonwealth Court Judge Stacy Wallace said 'the Senate is required to provide access to 'legislative records' … and 'communications' do not fall within the definition of 'legislative records.'' In a concurring opinion, Commonwealth Court Judge Patricia A. McCullough said she believed the state Senate should have directed Spotlight PA to seek those same records from other government agencies — in this case, the city of DuBois — which may have had access to some of those emails. In a statement, Spotlight PA CEO and President Chris Baxter said the ruling 'represents a significant setback for government transparency in Pennsylvania, allowing powerful special interests to continue operating in the shadows while spending millions to influence our laws.' 'At Spotlight PA, we're fighting for all 13 million Pennsylvanians who pay for the legislature and who have a right to know who has the ear of their lawmakers, who's actually writing the laws, and what campaign contributions really buy,' he said. 'We'll continue our investigative work to hold power accountable regardless of these barriers to transparency.' Legislatures across the country have a mixed record when it comes to providing access to emails of its elected members, according to a 2016 analysis by the Associated Press. Several, like Pennsylvania, do not require the legislature to release written communications — although some legislatures nevertheless made certain emails public, despite not being legally required to. That same discretion exists under Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law. It says an agency may 'exercise its discretion to make any otherwise exempt record accessible for inspection' under certain circumstances, including when an 'agency head determines that the public interest favoring access outweighs any individual, agency or public interest that may favor restriction of access.' If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press
01-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Jonathan Pollack Joins Starwood Capital Group as President
MIAMI, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Starwood Capital Group ('Starwood Capital'), a global private investment firm with a primary focus on real estate, today announced that Jonathan Pollack officially joined the firm as its President effective today, April 1st. Mr. Pollack brings more than 26 years' experience in real estate investing to his new role and will work with Chairman and CEO Barry Sternlicht and the rest of Starwood Capital's senior leadership team to guide the firm into the next stage of its growth. Starwood Capital, together with its affiliates, today employs almost 7,000 people in 17 offices in eight countries, investing on behalf of hundreds of limited partners around the globe. 'I am excited to officially welcome Jonathan to Starwood Capital,' said Barry Sternlicht, Chairman and CEO of Starwood Capital. 'The firm and our investors will benefit immensely from his global expertise and complementary skill set as we prepare Starwood Capital for continued growth and innovation into the future. For more than three decades, our firm has successfully navigated multiple economic cycles and invested in nearly every real estate asset class. Starwood Capital is one of the top firms of its kind in the world today. We have set a standard for excellence in real estate investing, for client partnership and for fiduciary duty. Jonathan will build on this successful legacy, helping expand our existing platforms, identifying new ones, and attracting and retaining key talent. He shares my passion for making Starwood a top place to work for aspiring, creative and caring people.' Mr. Pollack is joining all the firm's Committees, including the Executive, Investment, Disposition, Valuation and Operating Committees. Prior to joining Starwood Capital, he most recently worked at Blackstone Group, where he served as Global Head of the firm's Real Estate Credit business (BREDS) since 2016. He was also a member of Blackstone's Real Estate Executive Committee and Investment Committee, as well as the firm's Operating Committee. Under Mr. Pollack's leadership, AUM at BREDS grew to $84 billion from $10 billion, with capital sources including drawdown funds, insurance capital and an NYSE-listed mortgage REIT. 'I am thrilled to be joining Starwood Capital and its talented team of executives as we continue to seek out high-quality investment opportunities around the globe and grow the firm's footprint,' Mr. Pollack said. 'The firm's proven track record of investing thoughtfully across geographies and asset classes positions it perfectly for success in this market and I am looking forward to lending my expertise and hitting the ground running from day one.' Concurrent with Mr. Pollack beginning his role and as previously announced, Jeffrey G. Dishner has assumed the role of Vice Chairman and Head of Strategy and Business Development. Prior to joining Blackstone in 2015, Mr. Pollack was the global head of Commercial Real Estate at Deutsche Bank, and established DB as the top CMBS issuer and a leading special situations investor following the global financial crisis in 2008. Mr. Pollack also spent eight years in Deutsche Bank's London headquarters, helping to build the European CRE business as the head of Capital Markets. Mr. Pollack graduated from Northwestern University with a BA in Economics. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of East Harlem Tutorial Program, a leading charter school and after school program in New York City. About Starwood Capital Group Starwood Capital Group is a private investment firm with a core focus on real assets globally. Since its inception in 1991, Starwood Capital Group has raised over $80 billion of capital, and currently has ~$115 billion of assets under management. Through a series of comingled opportunity funds and Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (SREIT), a non-listed REIT, the Firm has invested in virtually every category of real estate on a global basis, opportunistically shifting asset classes, geographies and positions in the capital stack as it perceives risk/reward dynamics to be evolving. Starwood Capital also manages Starwood Property Trust (NYSE: STWD), the largest commercial mortgage real estate investment trust in the United States, which has successfully deployed over $102 billion of capital since inception and manages a portfolio of over $25 billion across debt and equity investments. Additionally, Starwood Capital manages approximately $4 billion in several private debt funds investing across the globe. Starwood's large owned portfolio and its active affiliates provide significant real-time information that can be acted on, across asset classes and geographies. These affiliates include: Starwood's in-house property management company with over 2,000 people, Starwood Digital Ventures – Starwood's in-house data center platform with over 60 people fully dedicated to Starwood's data center investment strategy, Starwood Hotels – Starwood's affiliated hotel brand management team with almost 4,000 professionals, Essex Title – which acts as a title agent for one or more underwriters in issuing title policies and/or providing support services, and Starwood Oil & Gas – which leverages Starwood's industry knowledge and extensive transactional experience to capitalize on conventional and unconventional assets in North America. Over the past 33 years, Starwood Capital Group and its affiliates have successfully executed an investment strategy that involves building enterprises in both the private and public markets. Additional information can be found at , , and . Media Contacts:
Fox News
11-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Former NFL player David Pollack asks for prayers after revealing wife will undergo surgery for brain cancer
Former Georgia standout and ex-ESPN college football analyst David Pollack took to social media this week to ask for prayers as his wife prepares to undergo surgery after being diagnosed with brain cancer. Pollack, 42, shared the news in a post on X, asking that the community rally behind his family as his wife, Lindsey, is due to undergo surgery on Wednesday. "I do not share much of my personal life on social media but today is gonna be different," his post read. "If you are the praying type please lift up my wife Lindsey. She has brain cancer and surgery is Wednesday at Duke. So thankful to serve a loving God that meets us in our struggles!" Former NFL player and current ESPN sports analyst Pat McAfee responded to the post saying, "All my positive vibes and prayers brother." The NFL Network's Scott Hanson added, "Praying for her, you, your family and the health care team. I hope you are heartened by the thousands of responses here. And more so by the character of our great God." Pollack earned First Team All-America accolades in three seasons at Georgia and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as one of the most dominant defensive ends in SEC history. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft, but his promising NFL career was cut short after he suffered a serious neck injury in his second season. Pollack served as a college football analyst for ESPN from 2009 to 2023. He and his wife founded The Pollack Family Foundation, which aims to empower families "by providing for basic needs and fundamental care as we invest in opportunities to encourage 'Faith. Family. Community.'" Pollack also hosts the "Family Goals" podcast with pastor Jonathan Howes, where they discuss faith, family and sports. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
