Spartan Ventures Board of Directors Created

A seven-member Board of Directors for Spartan Ventures has been seated. The Board will provide strategic oversight, ensure fiduciary responsibility and direct key hires.

Serving on the Board will be Phil Hickey (Chair), J Batt, April Clobes, Kevin Guskiewicz, Rick Lasch, Brianna Scott, and Aaron Zeigler.

"Establishing the Board of Directors is an important step as we work towards launching Spartan Ventures this summer," said Hickey. "The Board is comprised of dedicated Spartans working in the best interests of Michigan State as we implement an innovative approach to best position Spartan Athletics in an evolving landscape. Working in alignment with the University's institutional values and mission, we're excited to get to work."

In October 2025, MSU's Board of Trustees authorized President Guskiewicz to enter into an Affiliation Agreement with Spartan Ventures. With a targeted launch of July 1, 2026, Spartan Ventures will focus on maximizing revenue generating opportunities, supporting NIL opportunities for student-athletes, and establishes a more focused approach to fundraising, enhancing a first-class experience for student-athletes, donors and external partners.

The Board will work to name a CEO as one of the next steps towards full activation.

Board Member Bios
Phil Hickey – Chair
Phil Hickey is a 50-year veteran of the restaurant industry with extensive leadership experience across the country. He currently serves as Chairman of Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q restaurants with 60 locations and Chairman of Miller's Ale House Restaurants, a high volume sports grill concept with 110 locations. The 2013 Chairman of the National Restaurant Association, representing 1 million foodservice operations and 14 million employees, Hickey has held leadership positions at many restaurant brands, ranging from start-ups to being CEO of a $1 billion company, directing strong growth in a competitive industry. Hickey earned his bachelor's degree from Michigan State and has been honored with induction into the Hall of Fame by the School of Hospitality Business. He has served on several boards over the years at MSU, is a founding board member of the YMCA Community Action Project, a member of the World President's Organization, and served as Chairman of the Board of Councilors of the Jimmy Carter Center in Atlanta.

J Batt
J Batt was named Michigan State Vice President and Director of Athletics in June 2025. Prior to his arrival in East Lansing, Batt served as Vice President and Director of Athletics at Georgia Tech for nearly three years. Widely regarded as one of college athletics' top fundraisers, Michigan State Athletics announced For Sparta, a $1 billion dollar capital initiative in December. Batt has also provided national leadership in college athletics, having served on the House Settlement Implementation Committee while at Georgia Tech. He currently serves as chair of the College Football Hall of Fame.

April Clobes
April Clobes is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Michigan State University Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) and the Reseda Group, MSUFCU's wholly-owned Credit Union Service Organization (CUSO). Serving as President and CEO since 2015, she leads a financial institution with more than $8.4 billion in assets and over 1,400 employees across all entities. Clobes serves on several MSU and community boards including the MSU College of Music National Leadership Council, Wharton Center Advisory Board, Broad Art Museum, and the President's Campaign Cabinet. In addition, she serves as Board Chair for McLaren Greater Lansing and on the executive committee of LEAP. She is also on the executive committee for three credit union industry boards. Clobes holds a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing and a Master of Arts in Advertising from Michigan State, as well as a Master of Business Administration from Western Michigan. In recognition of her leadership and contributions, she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Business degree by Michigan State in 2024.

Kevin Guskiewicz
Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist and higher education leader who has served as President of Michigan State University since March 2024. Guskiewicz holds a professorship in the MSU College of Education's Department of Kinesiology and was awarded a John A. Hannah Distinguished Professorship in October 2025. In 2011, he received the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship for his innovative work on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of sport-related concussions, and in 2013, Time magazine named him a Game Changer. Guskiewicz came to Michigan State from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which he led as a chancellor from 2019-24. He was the executive director of the Center for the Study of Retired Athletes at UNC and the founding director of the Matthew Gfeller Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center. In 2020, Guskiewicz was inducted into the National Athletic Trainers' Association Hall of Fame.

Rick Lasch
Rick Lasch is a technology entrepreneur and private investor with an extensive background providing strategic direction, business process engineering, operations management, and formulating technology strategies and direction. Lasch co-founded healthcare analytics company Medical Reliance Group in 1998 and oversaw its nationwide expansion as CEO until 2007. He served on its board until 2013 and remained a significant shareholder until the company's initial public offering in 2015. He is involved in many philanthropic activities and has been a longtime board member of the Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson's. Lasch currently serves on the MSU Research Foundation Board of Directors. He holds a bachelor's degree in Marketing from the MSU Broad College of Business.

Brianna Scott
Brianna Scott serves as Chair of the Michigan State University Board of Trustees. A graduate of Michigan State's Eli Broad College of Business, Scott eared her Juris Doctorate from Wayne State University Law School. After graduation, she was hired as the first African American assistant prosecutor in the Muskegon County Prosecutor's office. In 2005, she opened her own law firm, Brianna T. Scott & Associates, PLLC. Scott has been honored as the 2019 Athena of the Lakeshore Award Recipient and the 2021 Greater Muskegon Woman's Club Woman of Accomplishment. In 2014, she became the first person of color to serve as president of the Muskegon Rotary Club and served as Rotary International District 6290 Governor for 2024-25. A member of MSU's Board of Trustees since 2019, she has extensive leadership experience in the community. She currently also serves on the Boards for the Boys & Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore and Panel One of the Michigan Attorney Disciplinary Commission.

Aaron Zeigler
Aaron J. Zeigler is President of the Zeigler Auto Group, a top 1% U.S. automotive organization he has led since 2003. Headquartered in Kalamazoo, the company has grown into a diversified enterprise spanning 40 automotive and motorsports dealerships, 84 franchises, and complementary businesses across four states. Today, Zeigler Auto Group employs more than 2,500 people and generated over $2.4 billion in sales in 2024, growth driven by a relentless focus on people, culture, and long-term vision. Zeigler is an active member and former Chairman of the Young Presidents Organization and has served in key leadership roles supporting economic development and entrepreneurship throughout Michigan. Named the 2015 Michigan EY Entrepreneur of the Year, Zeigler is equally passionate about giving back, leadership development, and pushing personal limits through endurance athletics. A proud Michigan State University alumnus, Zeigler believes great leadership is measured by the lives you impact and the future you help build.

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