Louisville, Kentucky (WDRB) With the entrance of new basketball coach Pat Kelsey, the 502Circle, the official collective of University of Louisville athletics, received a significant boost.
Not only have memberships soared, but giving has surged, owing in large part to GLOW Brands founder and CEO Rick Kueber’s $1 million matching pledge.
The collective has been active for a while, formed by Marc Spiegel, an alumnus with two degrees from the institution who co-founded Rubicon Global, a waste management company with prominent investors including actor Leonardo DiCaprio. After selling the company, Spiegel established Innovatio Capital, an investment firm that makes control investments in global sports properties.
Spiegel launched 502Circle primarily to assist revive Louisville athletics, particularly basketball, as a means of regenerating his hometown.
Last year, the collective signed an agreement with Learfield Sports to become the University of Louisville’s official collective, allowing it to better interact with Louisville athletic department branding.
Dan Furman, who became 502Circle president in April 2023, previously served as Louisville’s associate sports director for large donations.
He sat down with Eric Crawford of WDRB for a wide-ranging talk about the collective, its efforts in basketball (and other sports), and the group’s future plans. He also provided an update on the group’s work following the hiring of Pat Kelsey as Louisville’s men’s basketball coach.
