Hi, we’re Next 3—
we invest where sports & the status quo collide.

Carolyn Tisch Blodgett is the CEO and Founder of Next 3, overseeing a portfolio of assets at the intersection of sports, technology and community. She is the Governor and lead owner of Gotham FC in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Under Carolyn’s leadership, the team has seen tremendous growth across attendance, league record-breaking sponsorship, and the first ever NWSL Championship. Carolyn serves on the NWSL Board as Chair of the Executive Committee. She also acts as a strategic advisor to the Tisch Ownership Group at the New York Football Giants, where she supports ownerships' interests across the business.

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Prior to Next 3, Carolyn served as Peloton’s Head of Global Marketing, building its first brand and marketing teams, launching record-breaking fitness products, overseeing international expansion, and the transition into a global public company.

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A graduate of Harvard Business School and Yale University, Carolyn has received numerous awards including the Cynopsis Sports Navigator Luminary Award, Sports Business Journal's Game Changers Award, Business Insider’s 25 Most Innovative CMOs in the World, Crain’s 40 under 40, AdWeek Brand Genius Award, and AdAge 40 under 40. Carolyn also serves on the Leadership Council of The LMT Illumination Fund. Carolyn's love for all things sports, contagious energy, family and creativity is perhaps best on display in her roles as wife to Will Blodgett and proud mom to Penelope, Theo and Alexander.

Lauren Baum is the Chief Operating Officer at Next 3, where she supports key portfolio companies and plays a pivotal role in building and scaling the fund. She leads strategic initiatives, driving growth for marquee investments while ensuring operational excellence across the organization.

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Prior to Next 3, Lauren was COO of an artist incubator in the Web3 space, navigating the intersection of technology, creativity, and innovation. Before that, she spent four years at Apartment List, a Series D real estate tech company, and six years at Google, where she led Marketing for Google.org and built Google’s Made with Code program, a $50M initiative inspiring girls to learn to code. Under her leadership, the program partnered with the White House and created the first ever coded dress to walk at New York Fashion Week. 

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Lauren’s passion for entrepreneurship and community-building began at The Idea Village, where she was a founding member of New Orleans Entrepreneur Week. She holds a BA and MA in Business and Organizational Sociology from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

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A proud New Orleans native, Lauren now lives in Austin. She's an athlete at heart, enjoying running, tennis, skiing, and outdoor adventures.

Shira Averbuch is the Chief of Staff at Next 3, supporting the CEO and team across the portfolio of sports, media, and entertainment assets. In her role, Shira focuses on strategic projects, operational efficiencity, and maximizing impact across the Next 3 ecosystem.

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Previously, Shira was VP of Innovation and Partnerships at the corporate innovation advisory firm VentureFuel, where she designed and implemented programs connecting startups with industry-leading organizations. Over five years, she scaled the team from 2 to 15+, oversaw all Fortune 500 clients, drive 5x revenue growth and maintained an 80% client renewal rate. 

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Earlier in her career, Shira managed and renewed corporate partnerships at Major League Soccer, working with top brands like Wells Fargo, Heineken, adidas, and EA Sports across U.S. Soccer, the Mexican National Team, and MLS. Her work in sports and business reflects a deep commitment to fostering meaningful partnerships and delivering results.

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A former D1 soccer player at Stanford, Shira grew up in a family of athletes, with a professional soccer-playing sister and marathon-running parents. She earned her undergraduate degree from Stanford and an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University. Now based in Brooklyn with her husband, she enjoys running in Prospect Park, playing pickup soccer, traveling and exploring NYC's food scene.

Will Sands is an investor at Next 3, sourcing and evaluating new opportunities across the firm’s portfolio of sports, media, and entertainment investments. He focuses on early to growth-stage businesses, as well as professional teams, leagues, and sports-adjacent assets.

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Prior to joining Next 3, Will was a Senior Investment Associate at Caremi Partners, advising on the launch of Next 3 and its investment strategy. He previously worked at Viking Maccabee Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on sports-tech, healthcare, fintech, and consumer businesses. Will began his career in Fixed Income at Jefferies, while simultaneously pursuing a professional lacrosse career after being drafted by the Boston Cannons in 2018.

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A lifelong athlete and sports fan, Will captained the Men's Lacross Team at Bucknell University, whre he earned D1 All-American honors and a BA. He later earned his MBA from Columbia Business School.

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Now based in NYC with his wife, Will stays active, enjoys traveling, and watches plenty of sports.

Sarah Madnick is the Executive Assistant at Next 3, playing a key role in operational efficiency and supporting executive leadership. She ensures smooth day-to-day operations while providing administrative support to the leadership team.

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Sarah earned a BFA in Dance from the University of Michigan, graduating with honors. Her dance background has shaped her creativity, leadership, and problem-solving approach. 

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She began her career at Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), where she worked on the social media team to expand the organization’s digital presence. She has also worked as a dance instructor, camp counselor, and in retail roles at Aritzia and Wyld Blue. These experiences have equipped Sarah with a diverse skill set that spans across strategic planning, operations, and client relations.

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Outside of work, Sarah stays connected to the dance community while exploring creative outlets like pottery, painting, golf, tennis, and travel.