New Voices Under 30: Abbie Giffin

Abbie Giffin

Vice President of Product, Opendorse

Abbie Giffin is the architect behind Opendorse’s products that allow college athletes to monetize their name, image and likeness. She also helped develop AMP to connect Olympic and Paralympic athletes with brands.

Age: 28

Born: Grand Island, Neb.

Education: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, College of Journalism and Mass Communications, B.A., advertising / public relations, concentrations in graphic design and sociology

More About You

Most important lesson of the past 18 months: How to maintain a healthy work/life balance and the importance of physical and mental wellness.

Go-to person when I need help: Tommy Vacek, Opendorse’s chief technology officer. He has a practical way of tackling issues and always brings a calm temperament to high-pressure situations.

My inspiration: The Opendorse leadership team. By dreaming big on how we can change the landscape of athlete endorsements and showing up every day with energy to do the work.

In the Industry

What drew me to a career in sports: The athlete-driven vision that the co-founders of my company were leading. The opportunity to participate in an industry with extremely passionate people.

Biggest surprise when I started my career: The amount of transparency and trust the leaders of my organization provided our employees. Everyone has the ability to make a difference — no matter their number of years’ experience.

Most exciting aspect of sports business: The athlete-driven movement. Their participation in influencing storytelling/media, brand building, the fan experience, endorsements and for-cause projects.

How my generation is changing sports: Pushing for an emphasis on talent over tenure and the importance and evolution of the digital fan experience.

Sports industry needs to do a better job of … : Diversity and inclusion.

In 10 years, I hope to be … : Using my creative skills to make an impact at a purpose-driven organization.