Full Name
Darren Rovell
Job Title
Founder
Company
cllct
Speaker Bio
Darren Rovell is media visionary and serial entrepreneur.
In 2000, weeks after graduating Northwestern University, Rovell founded national mainstream coverage of sports business reporting by joining ESPN. Over two stints, he worked at ESPN for 13 years, writing for ESPN.com, frequently appearing on ESPNEWS and SportsCenter and reporting for the brand's investigative journalism show, "Outside the Lines."
From 2006-2012, Rovell brought sports business reporting to CNBC. He co-anchored the network's coverage of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, while anchoring five primetime documentaries, including "Swoosh: Inside Nike," which was nominated for an Emmy.
While at CNBC, Rovell also anchored "CNBC SportsBiz," a show on the the NBC Sports Network and worked for NBC News, appearing on The Today Show and World News Tonight. His appearance on the 2008 Election coverage with Brian Williams won him an Emmy.
In 2018, Rovell left ESPN to become the first mainstream media name to go to the gambling world, as he became the senior executive producer and face of the Action Network, a deal which gave him ownership in the company. Rovell worked for the gambling network for five years, seeing through the company's sale for $240 million in 2021.
In February 2022, Rovell founded Kickstand Cocktails, the only canned cocktail whose chief differentiator is spice. That same yeaer, it was named among the Best New Spirits Products at the BevNet Awards. The brand is currently distributed in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Florida, Ohio, Alabama, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Kentucky.
In 2024, Rovell — a lifelong memorabilia collector with an extensive multi-million dollar collection — founded cllct, a media and collectible consultancy firm that counsels leagues, teams and brands on the collecting world and helps them stand up projects on their own through cllct's white label partnerships. Clients include teams in the NHL, NFL and MLB and multi-billion dollar brands.
Rovell's entrepreneurial mind goes beyond journalism.
In 2014, Rovell invested in BodyArmor with Kobe Bryant, which yielded one of the most historic returns in beverage history when it was sold for $8 billion to Coca-Cola in 2021.
In 2017, Rovell, with his brother Brian and lifelong friend Ben Tanen, formed Tastemaker Capital, an early-stage private equity firm that sought to invest in food and beverage brands. Over the last eight years, the company has become substantive investors in Biena roasted chickpeas, Athletic Brewing and PopUp Bagels, among others, bringing in an investment group of more than 75.
Rovell is the author of two books, including "First In Thirst: How Gatorade Turned The Science of Sweat Into A Cultural Phenomenon," which was named by Soundview Summaries as one of the best 30 business books in 2005. In 2025, 20 years later, Rovell optioned the book to A/Vantage Pictures and Mandalay Pictures to be turned into a full-length feature film.
Rovell has nearly two million followers on Twitter and more than 55,000 followers on Instagram.
Outside of work, Rovell devotes his time to his family, his wife Cortney and his three children. He is the co-founder of the influencer network to Same Here Global Mental Health Alliance, a mental health organization that destigmatizes mental health by normalizing conversations through in-person presentations and its app.
In 2000, weeks after graduating Northwestern University, Rovell founded national mainstream coverage of sports business reporting by joining ESPN. Over two stints, he worked at ESPN for 13 years, writing for ESPN.com, frequently appearing on ESPNEWS and SportsCenter and reporting for the brand's investigative journalism show, "Outside the Lines."
From 2006-2012, Rovell brought sports business reporting to CNBC. He co-anchored the network's coverage of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, while anchoring five primetime documentaries, including "Swoosh: Inside Nike," which was nominated for an Emmy.
While at CNBC, Rovell also anchored "CNBC SportsBiz," a show on the the NBC Sports Network and worked for NBC News, appearing on The Today Show and World News Tonight. His appearance on the 2008 Election coverage with Brian Williams won him an Emmy.
In 2018, Rovell left ESPN to become the first mainstream media name to go to the gambling world, as he became the senior executive producer and face of the Action Network, a deal which gave him ownership in the company. Rovell worked for the gambling network for five years, seeing through the company's sale for $240 million in 2021.
In February 2022, Rovell founded Kickstand Cocktails, the only canned cocktail whose chief differentiator is spice. That same yeaer, it was named among the Best New Spirits Products at the BevNet Awards. The brand is currently distributed in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Florida, Ohio, Alabama, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Kentucky.
In 2024, Rovell — a lifelong memorabilia collector with an extensive multi-million dollar collection — founded cllct, a media and collectible consultancy firm that counsels leagues, teams and brands on the collecting world and helps them stand up projects on their own through cllct's white label partnerships. Clients include teams in the NHL, NFL and MLB and multi-billion dollar brands.
Rovell's entrepreneurial mind goes beyond journalism.
In 2014, Rovell invested in BodyArmor with Kobe Bryant, which yielded one of the most historic returns in beverage history when it was sold for $8 billion to Coca-Cola in 2021.
In 2017, Rovell, with his brother Brian and lifelong friend Ben Tanen, formed Tastemaker Capital, an early-stage private equity firm that sought to invest in food and beverage brands. Over the last eight years, the company has become substantive investors in Biena roasted chickpeas, Athletic Brewing and PopUp Bagels, among others, bringing in an investment group of more than 75.
Rovell is the author of two books, including "First In Thirst: How Gatorade Turned The Science of Sweat Into A Cultural Phenomenon," which was named by Soundview Summaries as one of the best 30 business books in 2005. In 2025, 20 years later, Rovell optioned the book to A/Vantage Pictures and Mandalay Pictures to be turned into a full-length feature film.
Rovell has nearly two million followers on Twitter and more than 55,000 followers on Instagram.
Outside of work, Rovell devotes his time to his family, his wife Cortney and his three children. He is the co-founder of the influencer network to Same Here Global Mental Health Alliance, a mental health organization that destigmatizes mental health by normalizing conversations through in-person presentations and its app.
Speaking At