Mentors

    The mentors who built second careers — for the athletes building theirs.

    You played at the highest level. You built something after. Now you can shorten the runway for the next generation of athlete founders.

    Apply to mentor

    5 minutes. We read every application personally.

    Why mentor with Open Athletes

    The room you wish existed when you were 26 and figuring it out.

    Pay it forward, on your terms.

    You remember the conversations that changed your trajectory. Be that voice for an athlete who's one introduction away from their next chapter.

    Stay close to the game without coaching it.

    Most mentors meet 2-3 founders a quarter. It's the kind of room you used to wish existed when you were figuring it out alone.

    Build with operators, not amateurs.

    Every founder you'll meet has been vetted, accepted, and is actively building. Your time is treated like the asset it is.

    What we expect

    A clear bar — for you and for us.

    What we ask of you

    • Real experience as a professional, Olympic, or college athlete.
    • Real operating or building experience in business after sport.
    • 2-4 hours per month for founder conversations and intros.
    • Honesty over flattery. Founders need the truth, kindly delivered.
    • Discretion. Everything shared in mentor rooms stays there.

    What we don’t expect

    • Free labor on someone else's roadmap.
    • Open-ended commitments. You set the cadence.
    • Public posts, social proof, or content obligations.
    • Capital. We don't ask mentors to invest.

    Mentors must have experience in professional, Olympic, or college sports and demonstrable experience building or operating a business. Both are non-negotiable.

    Mentor application

    Tell us your story.

    Five minutes. We read every word.

    We respond within a week.