Joey Brander

Joey Brander is the President and Managing Partner and a co-founder of First Serve Partners, a venture capital firm based in South Florida and New York that is built around a network of business leaders, pop-culture influencers, and current and former professional athletes — including NBA figure Metta World Peace, NFL Hall of Famer Warren Moon, and Super Bowl champion Roman Harper. Founded around 2016, the firm has backed more than 30 startups across gaming, media, web3, and consumer technology, positioning itself as a bridge between the worlds of professional sports/entertainment and early-stage investing.

Brander began his career in broadcast media rather than finance. He worked internationally for Disney Channel and Radio Disney, and in 2009, at age 23, he became what he describes as the youngest person to co-host a CBS-affiliate television show in the United States. He went on to host his own weekly show on ESPN Radio, "The Joey Brander Show," from 2012 to 2014, and has served as a U.S. Open host and commentator. He attended Fordham University, and previously Saint Andrew's School and Pine Crest School in Florida.

Since 2022, Brander has been a member of the founding team and Vice President of Corporate Development at TMRW Sports — the sports-and-tech venture created by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and former NBC Sports golf executive Mike McCarley in partnership with the PGA Tour. In that role he has led corporate strategy, new-venture analysis, team sales, and investor relations, helping build and capitalize the company's growing platform of leagues, including TGL (with the PGA Tour), WTGL (with the LPGA), and a pro flag football venture (with the NFL).

He was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Venture Capital in 2020. His civic and board involvement includes co-hosting "The Sports Blender" with David Meltzer, board membership at the International Jazz Hall of Fame, an advisory seat on Ideaboost (the Canadian Film Centre's accelerator), and founding The Joey Brander Foundation, a 501(c)(3) supporting literacy initiatives.

• Invests at seed and early stages in sports, media, entertainment, gaming/esports, web3, and consumer technology — sectors where he argues emerging-generation preferences and fan behavior are reshaping value.
• Leverages First Serve Partners' roster of athletes and entertainers (Metta World Peace, Warren Moon, Roman Harper, David Meltzer) as limited partners and strategic advisors, offering portfolio companies distribution, marketing, and celebrity reach — not just capital.
• Has been publicly "bullish on long-term esports" and the rise of venture-backed sports leagues, viewing franchise ownership, gaming organizations, and next-generation league formats as durable investment themes.
• The firm's broader portfolio also reaches into fintech and enterprise/B2B software, with an eye toward category-defining, high-growth companies (its book includes multiple unicorns and IPOs).
• Geographically concentrated in North America, with selective South American exposure.