OUR STORY
2019
In January 2019, John Balkam began writing his first book, 3-Win Sponsorship: The Next Generation of Sports and Entertainment Marketing.
The book explored the evolution of sports marketing, and the rise of “the conscious consumer” who wanted to see brands, athletes, teams, and leagues integrate important social causes into their marketing and operations.
In the middle of the year, Balkam felt so strongly about the thesis of his book that he resigned from his job at EVERFI and incorporated Third Win Group LLC on July 8th, 2019.
3-Win Sponsorship was published on December 2, 2019 and Balkam began recruiting his first clients to TWG.
2020
The COVID-19 pandemic shocked the world. Promotion of 3-Win Sponsorship and TWG went entirely online. Uncertainty and volatility throughout the year often had Balkam questioning if TWG would survive. He pressed on.
During the summer of 2020, a professional beach volleyball player named Jeremy Casebeer discovered 3-Win Sponsorship on an episode of The Sustainability Report podcast that Balkam had appeared on promoting the book.
Casebeer and Balkam connected around shared values and a common mission to leverage the power of sports and entertainment as a positive force for good.
Casebeer became TWG’s first professional athlete client.
2021
Now focused on serving talent with a meaningful mission like Jeremy Casebeer, TWG started to grow. The platinum-selling indie pop band, SHAED, signed on as a client focused on mental health and LGBTQ advocacy. Forbes 30 Under 30 social entrepreneur Darius Baxter joined as well, seeking support in his mission to alleviate poverty in DC and around the world.
Connecting through the Georgetown University community, Balkam started collaborating with Eric Dorsey as Dorsey explored career opportunities in sports, entertainment, and impact.
Dorsey signed on as a Partner in October 2021, fully committed to building TWG as one of the most impactful businesses in sports and entertainment.
2022
The mission and the message of TWG continued to resonate with athletes, entertainers, and entrepreneurs who want to make a positive difference through their lives and careers.
TWG’s client roster grew from 3 to 10, and a handful of meaningful partnerships were brokered by TWG between its clients and purpose-driven brands like Fair Harbor, MiiR, Garden of Life, New Belgium Brewing, and more.
Our community continued to grow through the introduction of a TWG Board of Advisors and a team of TWG Associates, who work hand-in-hand with partners Balkam and Dorsey to improve the quality of service delivered to our clients and communities.
TWG pledged in July 2022 to give 10% of our net profits to organizations in the Baltimore and DC area that can most effectively use it to improve the lives of others, now and in the years to come.
2023
Throughout 2023, TWG continued to grow and evolve.
Our client roster now boasts over 20 mission-driven athletes, entrepreneurs, and organizations.
Our Advisory Board consists of 12 sports and entertainment professionals with years of experience in partnerships and media.
Our Associate team is made up of young, passionate individuals who are motivated to contribute to TWG’s long-term vision and mission.
2023 was the year we truly defined our mission: to become the most trusted business partners for mission-driven individuals and brands.
2024
In 2024, TWG is ready for liftoff.
We've established our business verticals Adventure, Impact, and Sports. We continue to build our reputation and our skill sets to better serve our clients and partners.
John Balkam has accepted a role as Director of Hoyas Rising, Georgetown University's name, image, and likeness (NIL) collective, returning to his alma mater. Eric Dorsey was named as a 2023 Sports Business Journal (SBJ) Rising Young Leader.
TWG rolled out its official tagline - Win The Right Way. Our marathon continues to build one of the most meaningful companies in sports and entertainment.