Name Matt Higgins | Role Businessman | |
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Matt Higgins is an American businessperson and the president and CEO of RSE Ventures, a sports, entertainment and technology firm. In 2012, Higgins co-founded RSE with Stephen M. Ross, the founder of Related Companies and owner of the Miami Dolphins. Higgins also serves as an executive for the Dolphins, and had been a high-level executive with the New York Jets.
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Career
Higgins is the CEO and co-founder of RSE Ventures, a company which has invested in various companies and technologies, including: FanVision, the handheld device that is the official in-venue content provider of NASCAR, Thuzio, the project of former NFL running back Tiki Barber and Mark Gerson of Gerson Lehrman Group in 2013, and in 2016, he negotiated a deal to have RSE Ventures become a minority stakeholder in Momofuku. Along with these investments, RSE has launched several companies, such as the International Champions Cup in 2013 - the annual summer soccer tournament that brings together the best soccer clubs in the world, and Insignia in 2012 (now Ascendent Sports Group). RSE Ventures also partnered with Gary Vaynerchuk in 2014 to form VaynerRSE. In 2015, Forbes listed RSE Ventures as one of the 10 best organizations to work for in sports. In February 2017, RSE Ventures portfolio companies Resy and Drone Racing League were named to Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies 2017 list.
Higgins is also the vice chairman of the Miami Dolphins, serving as an advisor to owner Stephen Ross on business and personnel decisions. Higgins helped hire Mike Tannenbaum, the Dolphins' executive vice president of football operations. Prior to the Dolphins, Higgins worked for the New York Jets from 2004 to 2012, serving as the executive vice president of business operations and close advisor to Jets owner Woody Johnson. Higgins was instrumental in helping the team build MetLife Stadium with the New York Giants, building a new training facility in Florham Park, and using Twitter, Facebook and a revamped website for fans to have better access to the team.
Before his career with the Jets, Higgins was COO of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the firm tasked with rebuilding the site of the World Trade Center. He also served as press secretary under Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, managing the global media response to the September 11 attacks in 2001 for New York City.
In 2007, Higgins was recognized by Crain’s New York as one of the top 40 executives under 40 in New York. Four years later, Sports Business Journal selected him in their "40 under 40" list as one of the most outstanding executives in sports.
Personal life
Higgins is a board member of Autism Speaks and an avid runner. In 2011, he ran the ING marathon to help raise money for autism. Higgins received a bachelor's degree from Queens College and a juris doctor from Fordham Law.
In 2016, he urged fellow Republicans to cast their vote for Hillary Clinton – arguing that the ″preservation of the republic″ is more important than ″taxation and anything else″.