T. Derrick Heggans

Derrick Heggans is the founder and CEO of Global Sports an Entertainment Business Academies, a private education provider for those interested in pursuing careers in the sports and entertainment industries. GSEBA currently has programs at Stanford University, Northwestern University, the University of Toronto and Loyola Marymount University. He also serves as the faculty champion of the Sports Management Fellows Program at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland at College Park. Additionally, Heggans is the founder and CEO of Team Turnaround, a part of President Obama’s “My Brother’s Keeper Initiative” focused on improving life outcomes for boys and young men of color.

Prior to starting Team Turnaround, Heggans was managing director of the Wharton Sports Business Initiative, a research and education-focused think tank based at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania from 2010-2013. While at Wharton, Heggans co-founded the Wharton Sports Business Academy, which he also led as director.

His experience also includes serving as general manager of AOL’s Sports Channel, where he oversaw all business and programming operations and was recognized by the Sports Business Journal as one of the “20 Most Influential in Sports Digital Media” (2008) and recognized as a recipient of SBJ's annual "Forty Under 40" award (2009).

From 1998 through 2004, Heggans worked for the National Football League (NFL) in various legal roles, including as assistant counsel for broadcast operations and policy in the Office of the Commissioner. There he assisted the Media Department, NFL Films and NFL Productions in negotiating, structuring and administering various NFL media contracts, advised clubs on broadcast issues, served as chief business affairs counsel for implementation of Super Bowl, Pro Bowl and other NFL run special events, served on the Super Bowl Policy Committee and negotiated league sponsorship agreements.

A native of Washington, D.C., Heggans is an alumni of Duke University and George Washington University’s School of Law. He is a member of the New York State Bar.