Considered one of the most creative and strategic leaders in sports and entertainment, Ryan Kurek has elevated LVRG Marketing & Media from a one person consulting gig into the most innovative branding agency in the industry.

From his professional start at Rockwell Automation, Kurek developed an innovative B2B sponsorship and vendor-supplier platform that subsidized 80% of their activation costs for ten years. In addition, Kurek directed the sponsorship and marketing efforts for Bayer, Closetmaid and General Electric with unique cross channel success.

Advancing LVRG's position in sports and entertainment, Kurek secured Phunware, the market leader in iPhone / iTouch applications, as its agency of record. Responsible for brand extension, LVRG is leading the branded utility and tutorial applications within sports, lifestyle and entertainment.

Kurek launched into media with long-time friend and business advisor Steve Pruett. Developing the creative and marketing models for their motorsports show 3 Wide Life, Kurek and Pruett filled a void in syndicated programming that is now being replicated throughout sports programming. As Executive Producer, Kurek has led the show to the #1 aired motorsports show in the country, airing on 198 platforms in more than 65 million homes in just two years.

This success in media and marketing landed LVRG as the marketing creative and revenue consultant to media giant Communications Corporation of America (CCA). A $70 million business operating FOX, NBC and CBS stations in three states, LVRG developed marketing monetization platforms for station's events, promotions and programming which substantially increased CCA's nontraditional revenue across its business platform.

Kurek then developed CCA's multimedia platform and revenue models to help position the organization for future growth within the ever changing media industry. Additionally, he helped create localized affinity programming utilizing his monetization model.

Kurek graduated Clemson University with a Bachelors of Science in Marketing from the College of Business and Behavioral Science, with a minor in Political Science. He is currently a Board of Advisor member of the Clemson University Marketing Department, Center for the Advancement of Marketing and Social Science and the St. Jude Children's Hospital Sports Advisory Board.

Featured in the textbook Business Marketing Management, Kurek has also been sourced in Sports Business Journal, Sports Business Daily, Brandweek, Promo Magazine, Charlotte Business Journal, North Carolina Motorsports Association, ESPN, Speed Channel, NASCAR.com and Fox Sports. With more than 65 published papers on marketing and media, and the creator of the Motorsports Marketing Report and Marketing and Media Report which are circulated to more than 1,350 sports and brand leaders, Kurek is also a member of more than 15 professional organizations in sports, marketing and media.

A native of Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, Kurek resides just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina.

After consulting with LVRG on a number of projects Tom formally joined the agency as Vice President in July, 2008 and operates from LVRG’s North Office in Columbus, Ohio. Tom focuses his efforts in sponsorship and marketing sales and consulting primarily in open wheel motorsports but also assists LVRG in the entertainment area. He assists in the development of client activation programs and in the production of 3 Wide Life programming. Within motorsports he has represented Team Green, Paul Tracy, Cosworth and CART and Champ Car. He currently works with several Indy Car and Indy Lights teams, drivers, and professional racing personnel.

      In addition to his role with LVRG, Tom is with the national law firm of Baker Hostetler where he represents major clients in complex litigation matters ranging from antitrust to securities fraud cases. He is listed in the Best Lawyers in America and Ohio’s Superlawyers. Within the firm Tom plays a major role in marketing initiatives and proposal presentations. It was in his role as a litigator that Tom first began representing motorsports clients.

      Tom is an honors graduate of the University of Notre Dame and The Ohio State College of Law. His wife Peggy Bryant is an Ohio Appellate Judge. Their son Matt recently graduated from Vanderbilt University and is now a professional triathlete attempting to qualify to represent the United States in the 2012 Olympic games in London. Outside of his professional career, Tom coached swimming for over forty years at the age group and high school level. In 1996 he was recognized as a community hero and was honored to run a leg of the Olympic Torch Relay leading to the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Parker brings a vibrant energy to LVRG as the Vice President of Media Management. After graduating from the University of North Carolina in Wilmington with a degree in political science, he began a successful career in the financial industry and then decided he wanted to follow his dream in sports and media entertainment.

Parker helped in the early stage of Nationwide ever growing motorsports presence. He then was a integral part of the legandary GM Goodwrench sponsorship and also worked closley with Dayton 500 winner Kevin Harvick and four-time champion Ron Hornaday.

While working with LVRG Parker headed up the mobile marketing campaign for GE Silicone II. He helped align Mark Martin's DEI car with the Steak-Umm brand. Parker has developed 3 Wide Life into a television show and nationally recognized brand. He is constantly innovating the motorsports television world with his hands in every part of production and media entertainment. He has assisted USAC in developing new ways to deliver motorsports media to the entire world. Williams is currently working on several spin off shows rooted from 3 Wide Life as well.

Parker's resourcefulness, attention to detail and understanding of sports and business provides our clients a seamless experience.

Parker is a native of North Carolina and has lived in the Old North State his entire life.

A former all-academic ACC volleyball player at Clemson University, Meghan Stanton came on board with LVRG in 2007 and has quickly climbed the ranks as the go to professional to make anything and everything happen.  She is passionate about sports and its strong connection to business and marketing and brings this enthusiasm to the company.

Stanton has managed the mobile marketing and entertainment programs for GE and Steak-Umms, as well as the entire St. Jude Children’s Hospital event including program entertainment.  In addition, Stanton serves as the creative and logistics director of 3 Wide Life and is on-air talent for certain segments.  A vibrant personality and extremely resourceful, Stanton serves and represents LVRG’s clients with 100% satisfaction.

Prior to joining LVRG, Meghan was an intern for Crown Golf Management working at Kemper Lakes Golf Club in Long Grove, IL. As site of the 1989 PGA Championship Tournament, Kemper is recognized as one of the top golf courses in the nation. Throughout the internship she shadowed every manager at the facility where she gained experience in sports facility management and corporate outing management. Each year at Clemson, Meghan also worked at the University's summer volleyball camps where she coached young athletes and assisted in developing the daily schedules for the attendees.

With over 20 years in the promotional products industry and seven years in the graphics field, Dale brings his expertise in the apparel and ad specialty industry to LVRG.

In working with such clients as Miller Brewing, Rockwell, Kleenex and ESPN, Dale has showcased his knowledge of sourcing and importing products with unique decoration capability. His involvement in apparel branding with Miller and ESPN generated one of the most successful co-branding campaigns in the NFL. Dale is also credited with transforming Rockwell Automation's printed fulfillment catalog to a one-of-a-kind e-store and has apparel programs for the Olympics, NFL, NASCAR and MLB. In addition to this work, Dale has also collaborated on numerous corporate fulfillment programs, hospitality packages and custom headgear designs for the clients of LVRG.

Dale graduated from UW-Oshkosh with a Bachelors Degree in Marketing and has been a top producer in his field for many years. Dale is proud to call Grafon, Wisconsin his home.

Jon is a seasoned sports marketing and advertising executive with a focus on creating custom publishing solutions for national and local advertisers. Seeing corporate media plans as a giant puzzle with several key pieces, Jon believes that the strategic utilization of customized content can compliment a sponsorship investment. Most recently he has worked with Unilever, Nikon, Staples, Brown-Forman, ImpreMedia and Haas CNC Racing.

Jon graduated from Keene State College with a bachelor's degree in Public Relations. He now resides in Norwalk, Connecticut with his wife and two sons.

As the CEO of Communications Corporation of America, Steve Pruett is considered as one of the most innovative multimedia pioneers in the television industry. In addition to his partnership with Ryan Kurek on 3 Wide Life, Mr. Pruett advises LVRG and its clients on the media industry, including rights, partnership, distribution and content.

Mr. Pruett began his career as a specialist in sports television at Petry and MMT National Sales. He transitioned this experience into media ownership with the purchase of a number of television and radio stations over the course of his career.  Responsible for personally negotiating many rights deals in the broadcast industry, Mr. Pruett came to understand the intrinsic value of sports and lifestyle properties to both the broadcaster and sponsor.

As one of the earliest affiliates of the FOX network, Mr. Pruett discovered firsthand the impact branded sports content had on building the FOX network into a powerhouse. Mr. Pruett is also a renown advisor in the media industry, consulting corporations on media property development including, DirecTV, Thomson Consumer Electronics (RCA), NBC, GE, FOX and Warner Bros.

Mr. Pruett has taken CCA to the pinnacle of the mid-market television industry in America, consisting of 26 stations in 10 markets throughout Texas, Louisiana and Indiana.  He has successfully grown the organization into a $70 million organization and is poised to increase its footprint and revenue amazingly in this down economy.  In addition to many innovative processes, Mr. Pruett is transforming CCA into a full service local multi-media organization.  

A FOX Television Board Governors Member, a MBA graduate from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and undergraduate at SIU-Edwardsville studying radio and television, Mr. Pruett resides in both Lafayette, Louisiana and Carefree, Arizona with his wife Paula.

With over 40 years experience in sales, marketing and advertising, Art Kurek has earned the reputation as one of the most savvy consultants in the sports and media industries.   His primary advising role at LVRG is to ensure its clients are armed with proven and successful strategies that generate maximum return as part of the marketing and media programs implemented by LVRG.

Mr. Kurek’s professional experience includes leading Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation advertising and classified departments for The New York Post and the Daily Racing Form. Additionally, he revolutionized the classified department for Forbes Newspaper, generating new product development significantly increasing department revenue.  Mr. Kurek then made the leap into the automotive industry for Mercedes, Chevrolet and Honda in which he spearheaded both sales and finance departments. His most recent advisory project for LVRG includes sales training and consulting for the 80 sales account executives at Communications Corporation of America.

Mr. Kurek attended New York University majoring in Business and was a standout varsity athlete in baseball, basketball and football. A native of Linden, New Jersey, Mr. Kurek now resides at the Jersey Shore enjoying time with his wife Carol, their three children and two grandchildren.

Prior to entering the academic arena, Dr. Greg Pickett worked as a sales associate for a manufacturing concern.  Born and raised in Arkansas, Dr. Pickett attended Oklahoma State University on a track scholarship where he completed his undergraduate, MBA and Ph.D. degrees.  He has consulted for a variety of economic concerns including private businesses, regional economic centers and educational concerns.  His research has been widely published and cited in numerous marketing/business journals and national proceedings.  Dr. Pickett’s research has been noted for its excellence on several occasions, including best paper recognition in the Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, European Journal of Marketing and several “Top Paper in Track” awards at national conferences.

Since assuming the responsibility as Chair of the Marketing Department in 2001, Dr. Pickett has been instrumental in developing a variety of innovative programs.  These programs in part, have led to departmental recognition by Clemson students three times as “best major on campus.”  The Marketing Department has developed a unique leadership program for its students and several challenging undergraduate research experiences funded by external sources.  Currently, the department is leading a college-wide effort in sustainability.

A substantial portion of Dr. Pickett’s professional interest has been devoted to developing an expertise in the services and sport marketing areas.  He is a member of Clemson University’s Brooks Sport Science Institute, serves on the editorial review board for Sport Marketing Quarterly, is immediate past chair of the American Marketing Association’s Sport Special Interest Group, developed Clemson’s Sport Marketing Concentration area in business and advises several relatively new sport related enterprises.  Dr. Pickett’s consulting has included sponsorship assessment studies examining the general impact of a sponsor’s commitment on sales as well as research examining the broader impact on the sponsor’s brand.  

Dr. Pickett has been a long time advisor and client consultant to LVRG and its clients on various marketing and valuation metric programs since 2002.