🏆 Career Insights: Marketing in Sports Tech

From Siberia to SportsTech

Sonya’s journey into the world of sports started on an unlikely stage: a dusty wooden tennis court in her hometown, Kemerovo, Siberia. At age seven, she discovered tennis by chance, tagging along with a friend to practice at a chemical site where rats and rusty equipment were the norm. With unwavering support from her father, Sonya trained and competed in Russian and international tournaments, building her ranking and ultimately pursuing what seemed improbable: playing college tennis in the United States.

Her startup roots took hold early. At 14, she launched a US-to-Russia parcel-forwarding venture to bring tennis gear to Kemerovo for the first time. While mastering English and navigating the recruiting process with limited resources, she earned a full-ride scholarship to play Division I tennis at Sacramento State University. Majoring in Food and Nutrition, Sonya’s experiences as an athlete and her work with a local nutritionist inspired her passion for wellness and marketing.

After college, she joined the women’s wellness platform Wispence, which introduced her to the startup world in the US. “I realized that through SportsTech, HealthTech, and WellnessTech, I could merge my expertise in sports and wellness with my passion for entrepreneurship, tech, and marketing.” 2020, she discovered SwingVision on LinkedIn and cold-emailed the CEO with marketing ideas. Despite no job openings at the time, her enthusiasm and ideas created one, and she has since built the marketing department and team from scratch, helping grow the company from pre-seed to pre-Series B.

Insights from a SportsTech Executive

Reflecting on her career, Sonya notes the importance of genuine relationships, creativity, and self-driven opportunities. “Creating opportunities instead of waiting for them; being proactive in outreach, researching, and asking thoughtful questions.” She admires trendsetters who adapt quickly to new ideas and technologies. Beyond enthusiasm, she values professionals who genuinely understand why they want to work in sports, as authentic passion drives long-term motivation. Sonya also highlights a global perspective, believing exposure to diverse sports cultures builds valuable adaptability. “A global perspective brings an understanding of diverse sports cultures and market opportunities and helps adapt to various communication styles.” 

In building her team, Sonya looks for a hands-on mindset, adaptability, and alignment with SwingVision’s mission. In early-stage startups, success requires balancing strategy with action and diving into unknowns, especially in resource-limited environments. Passion for the product is non-negotiable for Sonya; she wants candidates who have done their homework and feel aligned with SwingVision’s goals. She’s adopted a “raise the bar” approach to hiring, where each new team member meets and elevates standards.

A Digital Nomad & Overcoming Challenges

Early in her career, Sonya struggled with burnout, her enthusiasm leading to long hours that took a toll on her well-being. Over time, she learned to prioritize self-care, emphasizing exercise, nutrition, and sleep. She studied neuroscience to understand stress management better and embraced mindfulness to stay grounded. Mentors also provided valuable advice on managing workloads, and today, she’s more vigilant about setting boundaries—though recognizing early signs of stress remains a work in progress.

Sonya has explored over 50 sports across five continents as a digital nomad, highlighting the sports industry’s need for innovation, especially in under-resourced areas. “After seeing how passion meets scarce resources, I realized the global sports industry is massively under-innovated. Technology has the potential to reshape the sports ecosystem, allowing talent to thrive free from economic barriers.” Her global perspective fuels her work at SwingVision, where she aims to level the playing field for athletes regardless of their background. Her own journey—from a Siberian tennis court to leading global marketing for an AI-driven sports app—reflects her belief in technology as an equalizer. “My ‘why’ is creating access to opportunities for others and helping athletes fulfill their potential to get discovered.”

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