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Sports December 6, 2022
Randall Williams
Randall Williams

Emmanuel Acho Among Owners for New SimWin Sports Houston Team

Last Updated: July 5, 2023
The ownership group for the newly formed Houston Hyenas will also include Sara Hood and Edward Madongorere. Other owners in the league include Magic Johnson, Jerry Rice, and LaMelo Ball.

SimWin Sports, a virtual reality sports league that plays football and basketball, is adding a new team and ownership group to its already stacked investor roster. The trio of Emmanuel Acho, Sara “Lovestyle” Hood, and Edward Madongorere have joined together to form the Houston Hyenas.

SimWin was founded by David J. Ortiz, who is a former senior producer at EA Sports, creative director at Sony’s sports studio, and executive producer for Warner Bros.

“Our new ownership group’s outstanding professional accolades in the tech and media industries and newfound commitment to our vision speak volumes about SimWin’s long-term vision in the metaverse,” Ortiz said in a release. “The addition of the Houston Hyenas also highlights our efforts to promote an inclusive, diverse, and equitable ownership base.”

Courtesy of SimWin Sports

The new league is powered by blockchain technology through Horizen Labs. SimWin’s games run on a player performance model, where each player can grow and have hot and cold streaks just like in real life.

The players within the games are NFT athletes. Users can buy, sell, trade, and train their selections. Owners within the league include Magic Johnson, Jerry Rice, Marshall Faulk, Mike Singletary, Tracy McGrady, Jen Welter, Penny Hardaway, and LaMelo Ball. Some of the many investors within the league are Animoca Brands, Bron Studios, Kingsway Capital, YOLO Investments, and 1UP Ventures.

“I’m a big fan of David Ortiz’s leadership and his team’s innovative approach to emerging technologies in gaming and sports betting. He has played a pivotal role in ensuring that ownership opportunities have been accessible to black and brown investors, which I’m deeply passionate about increasing representation for black women in sports,” Hood said in a statement. “It’s especially meaningful to me to be a partner in the Houston Hyenas alongside Ed and Emmanuel, one of our first investments as a group.” 

Hood also invested with Malcolm Jenkins’ Broad Street Ventures earlier this year. Acho, a former NFLer turned analyst, is a Dallas native and University of Texas graduate, so buying into a Houston team matches up perfectly. Madongorere is the CEO of Moon Ultra and the inventor of Moon UltraLight, a clip-on attachment that casts light on things like laptops or phones. Madongorere built his career working for media and tech companies like Comcast, Affectiva, and Cisco.

“We are thrilled to be an inaugural partner in SimWin Sports, as they are the premier digital sports league to debut online sports franchising at an unprecedented level. As a Texas-based tech founder and investor, it’s an honor to join Emmanuel and Sara as owners of the Houston team,” said Madongorere in a statement.

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Randall Williams

Randall Williams is a former Staff Writer at Boardroom specializing in sports business and music. He previously worked for Sportico, Andscape and Bloomberg. His byline has also been syndicated in the Boston Globe and Time Magazine. Williams' notable profile features include NFL Executive VP Troy Vincent, Dreamville co-founder Ibrahim Hamad, BMX biker Nigel Sylvester, and both Shedeur and Shilo Sanders. Randall, a graduate of "The Real HU" -- Hampton University — is most proud of scooping Howard University joining Jordan Brand nearly three months before the official announcement.

NFTBlockchainvirtual realityEmmanuel AchoEmerging Tech in EntertainmentEmerging Tech in Sports
About The Author
Randall Williams
Randall Williams
Randall Williams
Randall Williams is a former Staff Writer at Boardroom specializing in sports business and music. He previously worked for Sportico, Andscape and Bloomberg. His byline has also been syndicated in the Boston Globe and Time Magazine. Williams' notable profile features include NFL Executive VP Troy Vincent, Dreamville co-founder Ibrahim Hamad, BMX biker Nigel Sylvester, and both Shedeur and Shilo Sanders. Randall, a graduate of "The Real HU" -- Hampton University — is most proud of scooping Howard University joining Jordan Brand nearly three months before the official announcement.