Date: 2015 - 2017
client: Self
Agency: Self
Role: Founder / Creator
Project: "Who's Got Game?" — From UCLA Concept to Google Trusted Agency
Situation: While I was a graduate student at UCLA, I identified a fundamental disconnect in the world of local sports and recreation. Vibrant, real-world communities existed around basketball courts, skate parks, and playing fields, but they were digitally fragmented. There was no single, trusted platform to see the condition of a court, feel its unique culture, or connect with the players who made it their home. The digital and physical worlds of grassroots sports were completely separate.
Task: My mission, born from this observation, was to create a brand and a platform from the ground up that could bridge this gap. My goal was to conceive an original IP that was more than just an app—it had to be a lifestyle, sports, and gaming agency that could authentically celebrate and connect these disparate communities.
Action: I conceived and created the intellectual property for "Who's Got Game?" during my time at UCLA. The initial concept was built around a mobile app and a lifestyle brand celebrating the culture of local sports. However, as I developed the business model, I realized a critical component was missing: the ability to virtually transport users to these locations. Static photos couldn't capture the energy or the full picture.
Strategic Pivot: I identified an opportunity to integrate our mission with a world-class technology platform. I made the strategic decision to pivot the business model and pursued official certification from Google.
Achieving Certification: I successfully went through the rigorous process to become a Google Street View Trusted Agency. This move was transformative. It gave "Who's Got Game?" a powerful, revenue-generating service and a unique tool to fulfill its core mission—creating high-fidelity, 360-degree virtual tours that allowed users to step inside and explore a location before ever leaving their home.
Result: "Who's Got Game?" successfully evolved from an academic concept into a unique, certified digital agency. By becoming a Google Street View Trusted partner, we established a distinct position in the market, bridging the physical and digital worlds for sports venues, lifestyle businesses, and local communities. The brand I created at UCLA became a vehicle for bringing real-world places to life online, providing tangible value to businesses while fulfilling the original vision of connecting people to the places where they play.
