Building Athletes Like Companies: Xavier Jackson and the Coinlete Model

For most athletes, the business side of a career has followed a familiar script: sign an endorsement, post the content, cash the check, wait for the next one. Xavier Jackson thinks that script leaves too much on the table. As co-founder and partner of Coinlete, a Utah-based firm that connects athletes with brands and businesses, he has spent the last several years working on a different question: what happens when an athlete is treated less like a spokesperson and more like a company?

Jackson and Brett Horrocks founded Coinlete in 2022 around that idea. Rather than chasing one-off endorsement deals, the firm focuses on partnerships that can give athletes a real stake in the businesses they help grow.

From VCU to Utah

Jackson's perspective starts on the court. A former Division I basketball player at VCU, he knows from experience how much of an athlete's time and energy the sport consumes, and how rarely outside opportunities are built with that reality in mind.

His path into athlete partnerships ran through a friendship. A Utah Business profile traces it to his relationship with Royce O'Neale and his move to Utah in 2020. Two years later, Coinlete was up and running. Today, according to the company, Jackson's work centers on operations, executing deals, and helping clients grow over the long term — the unglamorous part of the business that determines whether a good introduction ever turns into something real.

Equity Over Endorsements

Coinlete's pitch is easy to state and harder to execute. As Jackson puts it, the firm doesn't manage athletes like talent; it builds them like companies. That means evaluating every opportunity by whether it leaves the athlete with something that keeps growing: an audience, a network, industry knowledge, ownership, or a stronger position for the next deal.

It also means taking the athlete's own interests seriously. In Jackson's view, the common assumption that athletes simply want a paycheck or more exposure misses the point. They want to understand what they are getting into, have a real voice in it, and work with people who respect what they are trying to build.

The Businesses Behind the Case Studies

Coinlete's public case studies show how varied that work can be. Alongside Les BBQ, the firm identifies several businesses it has worked with. The scope differs from company to company, and being "partnered with" Coinlete does not necessarily mean the firm took an ownership stake.

• Gabb Wireless: Coinlete refined the company's sales funnels and helped develop an athlete partnership with Jordan Clarkson.
• Just Ingredients: The firm built online sales tools and facilitated athlete and influencer collaborations, including with Clarkson and boxer Curmel Moton.
• Tee Box: Coinlete developed an athlete-partnership model for the indoor golf business and helped connect it with investors and prospective franchise partners.
• The McHenry Group: The firm helped organize athlete-linked events at the restaurant group's venues and connect its expansion plans with an investor.

Coinlete also names Upstart Fund as a partner and client. It was Upstart Fund that introduced Coinlete to Tee Box, and the firm's own case study notes that Upstart Fund, not Coinlete, was providing that business's funding.

One Athlete, Two Different Paths

Jordan Clarkson's involvement with two of those companies shows that there is no single template. Coinlete was the connection in both cases, but the routes looked very different.

At Gabb Wireless, the athlete angle came second. Gabb hired Coinlete on its advertising company's recommendation to improve its sales funnels. Coinlete then proposed athlete partnerships, worked with Clarkson on pitches and initial marketing campaigns, and met with him and his team to assemble the partnership. Coinlete has not given a date for Clarkson's introduction or described his compensation or ownership terms.

At Tee Box, the relationship grew in stages. A family-office partner brought Coinlete in after investing in the company. Coinlete first introduced Royce O'Neale, and once that partnership proved successful, it brought in Clarkson and other athletes. The firm says it designed a model for athletes to become equity partners in select franchise locations, though the available accounts do not establish that Clarkson personally took equity or tie him to a specific location.

Jackson points to the Tee Box relationship as proof that the introduction is only the beginning. The golf company fit something Clarkson genuinely loves, and the work that followed — including marketing initiatives and introductions that led to investments — is what kept creating value.

Execution Is the Product

If there is a through line in how Jackson talks about Coinlete, it is follow-through. Every opportunity needs an owner, a timeline, agreed deliverables, and steady communication. Before a deal moves forward, the firm gets specific about goals, responsibilities, and what success looks like, and someone at Coinlete stays accountable for keeping the athlete, the company, and any creative teams aligned.

That discipline also shapes how fast the firm moves. Jackson favors acting quickly when the fit is right, but often starts with a focused first phase, proves the relationship works, and expands from there. The measure of success is not a single campaign but whether the athlete ends up with more options and a stronger foundation than when they started.

His long-term ambition is unapologetically big: for Coinlete to be known as the company that helped athletes build businesses and turn their names into billion-dollar brands.

Q&A: Xavier Jackson with LandonBuford.com

The following conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.

LandonBuford.com: How did playing Division I basketball at VCU shape the way you work with athletes?

Playing at VCU gave me a firsthand understanding of how much an athlete's time and energy go into their sport. A business opportunity can sound great, but it has to fit the athlete's life and goals. I also know athletes want to be seen as more than their stats. At Coinlete, we take time to learn what each person cares about and what they want to build beyond the game, then put a plan around that vision. — Xavier Jackson

LandonBuford.com: What does "deal execution" mean after an opportunity is identified?

An introduction is only the beginning. We have to make sure the opportunity makes sense for both sides, define responsibilities, agree on terms, and turn the idea into work that gets done. That means coordinating meetings, timelines, content, deliverables, and follow-up. Execution is taking a promising conversation through to a result everyone can see. — Xavier Jackson

LandonBuford.com: How do you build long-term client growth instead of a one-time win?

We look at every athlete as someone who can build a business around their name, interests, and influence. So with every deal, we ask whether it helps them build something they can keep growing: an audience, a network, industry knowledge, ownership, or a stronger position for the next opportunity.

Our work goes beyond finding partnerships. We help athletes develop their story, build their presence, form relationships with founders and brands, and put a team around execution. When you build an athlete like a business, each opportunity can add to something bigger instead of ending when the campaign ends. — Xavier Jackson

LandonBuford.com: What operational systems does Coinlete need to manage athletes, founders, and brands at the same time?

We need to understand each athlete's goals, interests, availability, and active opportunities. We also need a clear picture of what each founder or brand wants to accomplish. Then every opportunity needs an owner, a timeline, agreed deliverables, and consistent communication.

That structure lets us serve athletes personally while giving them the kind of marketing and business operation a growing company would have. — Xavier Jackson

LandonBuford.com: What do consultants often misunderstand about what athletes want?

People sometimes assume athletes just want a check or more exposure. Those things can matter, but athletes also want to understand what they're getting involved in, have a real voice, and work with people who respect what they're trying to build. I look for partnerships that make sense for the individual athlete and can create value beyond a single post or appearance. — Xavier Jackson

LandonBuford.com: How do you manage the handoff from landing an opportunity to delivering results?

Before we move forward, we get specific about the goal, each side's responsibilities, the timeline, and what success looks like. Then someone at Coinlete stays responsible for moving the work forward and keeping the athlete, company, and any creative or marketing teams aligned. The client should see a clear plan and steady progress after the introduction. — Xavier Jackson

LandonBuford.com: What's an example of a deal that needed operational work to become valuable long-term?

>I can give three examples. First, we aligned Jordan Clarkson's team with TeeBox, a golf company that fit something he genuinely loves. The relationship created opportunities for marketing initiatives and introductions that led to investments. But bringing Jordan in was only the start. His team and the company had to keep working together, follow through on those relationships, and turn them into growth. TeeBox has grown significantly, and that relationship continues to create value today.

Second, we helped NFL player Carl Davis secure a business development role with a tech company. His relationships could open doors, but he also needed to become part of the company's operations so he could help move opportunities forward and contribute to its growth.

Third, there's Dietrich Wise's work with Elite Transition. They put a real estate team around him to help him evaluate opportunities, execute deals, and own property while he's still playing. In each case, the athlete brought something valuable to the table, but the people and systems around the relationship are what helped turn the opportunity into something lasting. — Xavier Jackson

LandonBuford.com: How do you balance moving fast with having the infrastructure to support an opportunity?

I believe in moving quickly when something is a good fit, while being realistic about what it takes to deliver. We identify who owns the relationship, what the athlete is being asked to do, and what support the team needs to provide. Often, the right move is to start with a focused first phase, do it well, and expand once we've proved the relationship works. — Xavier Jackson

LandonBuford.com: What does trust-building look like with a new athlete or founder?

It starts with listening. With an athlete, I want to understand who they are outside their sport and what they want for their future. With a founder, I want to understand the business and why they believe an athlete should be involved.

After that, trust comes from follow-through: making useful introductions, being clear about expectations and terms, communicating consistently, and doing what we said we would do. — Xavier Jackson

LandonBuford.com: What tells you a client relationship is compounding over time?

I look at whether the athlete has more options and a stronger foundation than when we started. Are better opportunities coming in? Are they building relationships in industries they care about? Are people beginning to recognize them for their interests and work beyond sports?

For a founder or brand, I look at whether the first project leads to deeper collaboration and measurable value. That's when you know the relationship is growing, rather than repeating one-off deals. — Xavier Jackson

LandonBuford.com: What does Coinlete look like in five years?

In five years, I want Coinlete to be known as the company that helped athletes build companies and become billion-dollar brands. Our belief is simple: we don't manage athletes like talent; we build them like companies.

That means giving athletes the marketing, relationships, strategy, and operations to turn their influence into businesses they can own and grow. I want to look back and see a lot more athletes whose names became billion-dollar brands, with Coinlete helping build the foundation behind them. — Xavier Jackson