At Pro Athlete Community (PAC), we’ve always built with intention—and this month, we expanded our impact in a major way.
The first-ever Pro Athlete Business Summit welcomed 30+ elite professional basketball players to Las Vegas for three days of energy, education, and empowerment. This wasn’t just another event. Spearheaded by our VP of Basketball, Cory Higgins, this was the official launch of PAC’s expansion into basketball and a bold new chapter in our mission to serve pro athletes across all sports and leagues.
From the opening fireside chat with NBA legend Russell Westbrook and Publicis Media CEO David Penski, the tone was set: exposure breeds expansion. The conversation explored how platforms, brand, and intentional visibility can unlock capital, opportunity, and long-term impact.
But what made this summit truly special was more than the playbooks and panels – it was the feeling in the room. As NBA veteran Hassan Whiteside put it, “We’re superheroes in our families and our communities but I always say, when Superman needs saving, who’s going to save him? Coming here… it’s like meeting the Avengers.” That energy of connection, vulnerability, and shared purpose carried through every session.
We’re superheroes in our families and our communities but I always say, when Superman needs saving, who’s going to save him? Coming here… it’s like meeting the Avengers.
Fellow NBA vet Anthony Tolliver echoed that sentiment: “These last few days have been amazing. I’m really learning and diving into things I’ve been interested in for a long time. It’s all become so much more real through this organization.”
These last few days have been amazing. I’m really learning and diving into things I’ve been interested in for a long time. It’s all become so much more real through this organization.
Over the course of the summit, athletes explored entrepreneurship, media, personal brand, financial strategy, and real estate—all through hands-on, real-world conversations with leaders who’ve done it at the highest level. From Terrence Murphy’s blueprint on building scalable businesses, to Pam El’s masterclass on brand identity, to candid insights from Candace Parker, Sam Acho, Avery Johnson, and more. Every session was designed to equip athletes with tools they can use immediately and relationships that will last for years.
Through it all, PAC Leadership—Kaleb Thornhill, Chip Paucek, and Travis Key—alongside our partners at the University of Miami, kept the mission front and center: to build the most impactful and trusted athlete network in the world, designed for athletes and powered by athletes.
What we witnessed in Vegas was nothing short of transformational. Players showed up ready to own their next chapter. They asked tough questions. They made big moves. And they walked away with the knowledge, confidence, and connections to build beyond the game.
Just as powerful as the strategy was the sense of community. This experience reminded every athlete they’re not alone in the transition. Reconnection, vulnerability, and belonging were at the core of it all—and that’s where the real power lives.
This expansion isn’t an experiment. It’s the next evolution of PAC—and the start of something massive.