Ownership Over Income: NIL Equity, Athlete Branding & the Business of Sports with Malcolm Lemmons

The next generation of athletes will not just ask for a check. They will ask for a stake. But most families have no idea what equity means, how to negotiate it, or what it is worth over time, and that gap is exactly where opportunity gets left on the table.

In this episode of BABES BALLS & BRANDS™, host Janet Moreira sits down with Malcolm Lemmons, founder of Vetted Sports, the leading media and research platform covering sports as an asset class. Malcolm played collegiate basketball at Niagara University, then played professionally in Japan and the G League before moving into entrepreneurship. He is a two-time published author, a LinkedIn Top Voice in Sports Business, and has spent years helping athletes, founders, and investors understand where smart money is moving in sports. Together, Janet and Malcolm break down what it actually looks like when athletes operate as strategic business owners and what parents and student athletes need to know before a single deal gets signed.

What You'll Learn:

• Why the next generation of athletes will demand equity, not just cash, and how to start that conversation

• What equity actually is and how it builds wealth differently than upfront brand deals

• The difference between building an audience and building a brand, and why one fades while the other compounds

• How smart athletes are staying informed about the business of their own sport

• The NIL contract clause most families miss that can hand over an athlete's likeness in perpetuity

• How to evaluate brand partnerships beyond the dollar amount and why alignment matters more than urgency

• What team infrastructure a young athlete needs before NIL money starts arriving

• Why having too many people in your corner can create just as many problems as having none

• How AI and sports tech are about to change what NIL is actually worth for the average college athlete

If you are a sports parent, athlete, or brand trying to understand where real value in sports is being built right now, this conversation reframes the playbook. Subscribe to BABES BALLS & BRANDS™ for more real-world insight on NIL, recruiting, athlete branding, and building sports careers that last.

Follow BABES BALLS & BRANDS™ and Janet Moreira:

Website: BABESBALLSBRANDS.com | Twitter/X: BABEBALLBRAND | Instagram: BABES.BALLS.BRANDS

Follow Janet Moreira:

LinkedIn: JanetMoreira | Instagram: TheNILAttorney | Instagram: TheJanetMoreira | YouTube: @TheNILAttorney | Caldera Law: Janet-Moreira | Book Free NIL Consultation: Janet Moreira

Follow Malcolm Lemmons:

LinkedIn: Malcolm Lemmons | Vetted Sports: VettedSports.com | Twitter/X: @VettedSports | Instagram: @VettedSports | Email: malcolm@vettedsports.com