Playing Up Team
Chris Kneeland
Founding Partner
Chris moved to Canada in 2010 from Dallas, Texas, where he was intimately familiar with high school football recruiting sites designed to help athletes win scholarships to Tier 1 NCAA schools. In addition to running PlayingUp, Chris runs a Calgary advertising agency called Watermark and uses those resources to make sure the site appeals to players, coaches and scouts. Chris has a Master's degree in Marketing from Northwestern University and has worked with such notable companies as John Deere, The Home Depot, Best Buy, Macy's and Mark's Work Wearhouse.
Glenn N. Huber
Founding Partner, Director and Chief Financial Officer
Glenn N. Huber is President of Chrysalis Capital Advisors Inc. (www.Chrysaliscapital.ca) and has over 25 years of extensive investment banking, capital markets and business advisory experience across a broad spectrum of North American industry sectors. In addition, Mr. Huber has owned and managed a privately held investment company since 1992 that has funded and actively nurtured a number of successful start-up and early stage businesses, primarily located in Western Canada.
Glenn graduated from Princeton University where he played hockey for the Princeton Tigers and remains a member of the Princeton Hockey Alumni Association, Princeton Alumni Schools (Recruiting) Committee and University Cottage Club of Princeton. Glenn also continues his life-long passion for sports as a marathon runner and an active player for the Chiefs Hockey Club in Calgary Heritage Hockey League and Playing Member of Calgary Golf and Country Club.
Simon Reynolds
Founding Partner
Simon is a serial entrepreneur and angel investor based in Calgary, Canada and Orange County, California. He is the founder and CEO of the start-up incubator company, Beauseant Capital Partners Inc., one of the largest dedicated seed organizations in Canada.
Currently, Simon is the President and Principal of the Curwen Group, a Calgary based technology and business services company. Curwen Group serves the technology needs of over 250 major clients around the world. Among these are some of Canada's best companies, institutions and government agencies.
Simon attended California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and graduated with an MIS designation from the University of Calgary.
Phil Esposito
Hockey Legend
Phil is a former Canadian professional hockey player who played 18 seasons in the NHL for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have ever played the game.
After retiring as a player, Phil was coach and general manager of the New York Rangers before co-founding the Tampa Bay Lightning. He now serves as Tampa Bay's radio colour commentator as well as being A Strategic Advisor and spokesperson for PlayingUpHockey.com
Nano Hawa
Playing Up Hockey Project Manager
Nano Hawa is Program Manager at PlayingUpHockey.com. He leads the marketing and community manager efforts - covering advertising, partnerships, social and online media and customer service.
If there is a connection to be made, an athlete to approach, a coach who needs advice or a scout who wants to learn more, Nano's is the hand to shake. As well as being responsible for coach and scout acquisition, he leads the on-site event teams and handles the day-to-day dynamics of the site.
From the BC startup MASEV, to Rare Method Sports and Events and now, PlayingUpHockey.com, technology and sports have played a central role in Nano's career.
He is big in Japan.
