Henry Organ, Co-founder of Disruptive Sports Agency
White sports agents dominate the sports industry, accounting for 68.6% of all sports agents. In comparison, there are 13.6% hispanic agents and only 10.4% Black sports agents.
Henry Organ, cofounder of the NFLPA-certified sports agency Disruptive Sports, is working to level the playing field for athletes and agents of color who want to pursue careers in sports. He's making sure equity is a major part of the agenda in order to create balance in the sports industry.
With its innovative approach to player management, the up-and-coming minority-owned full-service sports agency is changing the business. The main goal of the agency is to use the remarkable performance of its athletes both on and off the field to enable them to generate wealth.
To reflect the number of minorities who are active players, Organ wants to boost the number of minority agents as well. Currently, minorities in sports have a higher risk of going bankrupt due to overspending as well as a lack of planning and awareness about money. With the help of his agency, Organ hopes to show athlete's how to reduce the current wealth gap in America.
He elaborates on the steps taken since the inception of Disruptive Sports and how he intends to keep the ball rolling in such a fiercely competitive market with the aim of differentiating his agency from others in the sector.
“One of the things we've been doing is examining a lot of deals that take advantage of players' influence to obtain shares in companies and marketing them. Recently, the conversation around it has grown significantly. The narrative of Magic Johnson, who turned down Nike shares now valued at $5.2 Billion, is not unique; it has been happening to athletes for years and hasn't been resolved. Along with optimizing athletes' contracts and public perception, my agency will seek to improve that situation,” explains Organ.
Organ, a sports enthusiast with a wealth of experience—from playing college football to working for Nike— partnered with Hector Rivas, a seasoned business executive and former founder and CEO of Thriftbooks and EcoGoodz, to help the company run as efficiently as possible. Co-founder Rivas joined the team and helped Organ finish developing the brand's overall concept.
They sought to develop a business that values all people and encourages athletes to pursue their passions, regardless of their background or skin color.
“The goal was to inspire agents of color in addition to athletes, as well. We aimed to establish an agency for minority agents who are driven to excel, bring about change, and cause disruption,” adds Organ.
According to Organ, the word "disruptive" isn't meant to imply anything negative, instead it refers to the methods required to shake up the sports industry.
Henry Organ, Co-founder of Disruptive Sports Agency
Within five years, the agency's founders anticipate it will surpass all others of its kind. The agency aims to make sure that anyone who has ever dreamed about being a sports superstar and is ready to put in the effort, gets a chance to see that dream come true.
Athletes from underrepresented communities are the focus of the company. It seeks to secure equity deals for its players in addition to assisting them in securing consistent cash compensation so they can focus on building long-term financial stability.
In relation to some of the steps Organ and his co-founder Rivas have taken to guarantee that their athletes receive the equity they are entitled to, he tells For(bes) The Culture that Disruptive Sports has reached agreements for its athletes Kendrick Bourne and Brennan Scarlett with several companies in the tech space that will be announced later this year.
“The deal includes cash compensation and an equity stake in the business. As part of the contract, Bourne and Scarlett will become brand ambassadors and sponsored athletes of the companies,” states Organ.
The agency is open to everyone who embodies the core values of the brand and doesn’t solely represent athletes of color. They seek out players who are in good physical, mental, spiritual, and financial health. According to Organ, although most agencies choose players based on one factor — general popularity— his agency is looking for players that are genuinely disruptive both on and off the field.
"We are looking for athletes that have an impact and can inspire change. Athletes who are leaders and think independently are our ideal clients. Nowadays, football players are regarded as superheroes. We want our athletes to be locker room leaders and exude positive energy,” expresses Organ.
Disruptive Sports' primary distinction from competing sports agencies is the assistance it provides to its athletes with monetizing their personal brands. By securing sizable contracts, establishing equity partnerships, and capitalizing on the athlete's brand, Organ believes it considerably increases players' earnings and helps athletes handle their finances wisely.
Organ plans to grow by recruiting ten in-house agents for the fields of baseball, basketball, football, boxing, and entertainment. In general, they hope to expand Disruptive Sports to the point that it would provide a level playing field for all types of players who want to pursue a career in any sports avenue.
"We're on schedule to begin representing NBA players. We're also looking to sign underrepresented minority coaches. One of my mentors, Ray Anderson, instilled in me the importance of representing minority coaches,” states Organ.
Find out more about Disruptive Sports Agency here
