ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

A builder’s lens.
Not a celebrity list.

The Athlete Entrepreneur Index™ is presented by The Lonely Entrepreneur. It was created to distinguish genuine company-building, ownership and investment judgment from endorsement activity—and to study how exceptional athletes build credible second identities as entrepreneurs and advisors.

THE LONELY ENTREPRENEUR

Entrepreneurial knowledge, support and perspective when the stakes are real.

  • Builder-first perspective: TLE works with founders and CEOs on the real operating, capital and leadership issues behind durable companies.
  • Global founder mission: The organization exists because every entrepreneur experiences pressure, isolation and uncertainty—but no entrepreneur should have to learn alone.
  • Institutional experience: TLE has worked with companies, communities and professional sports organizations to expand entrepreneurial capability and economic mobility.
  • Independent editorial standard: Fame, wealth and endorsement income do not determine AEI inclusion. Public evidence of entrepreneurial substance does.

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THE FOUNDER’S PERSPECTIVE

Michael Dermer brings transaction training, operating scar tissue and experience with more than 600 CEOs.

The Index is informed by the belief that real entrepreneurial credibility comes from decisions made under pressure: allocating capital, hiring operators, protecting cash, developing products, building distribution and creating enterprise value that can survive the founder’s spotlight.

01

TRANSACTIONS

M&A foundation

Michael began his career as a mergers and acquisitions lawyer at Willkie Farr & Gallagher, including work connected to the firm’s historic Major League Baseball practice.

Relevant lens: ownership, capital structure, governance and the difference between visibility and enterprise value.
02

OPERATING PROOF

Built, survived, exited

He left law to build IncentOne to approximately 800 employees, navigated the 2008 financial crisis and ultimately completed an exit.

Relevant lens: the decisions and infrastructure required to build something that lasts.
03

FOUNDER PATTERN RECOGNITION

600+ CEOs and founders

Through The Lonely Entrepreneur, Michael has advised more than 600 CEOs and founders across growth, capital, strategy and leadership.

Relevant lens: separating a compelling story from a repeatable business system.

WHY THE INDEX EXISTS

Athletes are no longer merely endorsers. The best are becoming founders, capital allocators, owners and institution builders.

Conventional lists tend to reward fame or estimated wealth. AEI asks a harder question: whose entrepreneurial identity is supported by actual operating proof, ownership, investment discipline, exceptional partners and repeatable value creation?

RECOGNIZE

Give serious athlete-builders credit even when they lack the biggest public profile.

TEACH

Extract the decisions, partnerships and operating patterns other athletes and founders can use.

RAISE THE STANDARD

Make “athlete entrepreneur” mean more than receiving stock in exchange for attention.

“The question is not whether an athlete has business deals. It is whether the athlete has built a business identity that can stand without the uniform.”

Explore the AEI 100 →Review the methodologyMichael, TLE + sports