Isaiah Kacyvenski was a four-year starter at Harvard University, winning the Ivy League Rookie of the Year Award and being named to the conference’s first team three times. He was drafted No. 119 by the Seattle Seahawks in 2000, making him the highest pick from Harvard in NFL history. Kacyvenski went on to play six seasons with the Seahawks, and one with the St. Louis Rams. After moving to the Oakland Raiders in 2007, he was sidelined with a knee injury, and decided to retire the following year.
Growing up, Kacyvenski saw both sports and school as a way to build a better life. He had a difficult childhood. His family was homeless at times, his father struggled with alcoholism, and his mother was killed by a truck the day of his biggest high school football game.
While in the league, Kacyvenski began learning about both investing in and running companies, and after retiring he returned to Harvard for business school. He became the global head of business development for MC10, a company specializing in wearable healthcare analytics. Then in 2016, he founded the Sports Innovation Lab, a market research firm dedicated to the world of sports technology. Last year, he launched Will Ventures with co-founder Brian Reilly to invest in emerging technologies that while connected to sports, show promise to open up bigger markets.