Sign In

Bobby Sharma

Founder & Managing Partner, Bluestone Equity Partners | Private Equity | Sports, Media & Entertainment

Bobby Sharma is a prominent figure in the private equity and sports, media, and entertainment industries. He currently serves as a Member of the Board of Directors at Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey, a position he has held since June 2023.3

Professional Background

Bobby Sharma is the Founder and Managing Partner of Bluestone Equity Partners, a private equity firm headquartered in New York City.13 He established this institutionally-backed firm to build strategic capital partnerships with established Sports, Media & Entertainment businesses seeking global growth and scale.2

Career Highlights

Throughout his career, Sharma has held several notable positions:

  • Senior Vice President and Global Head of Basketball & Strategic Initiatives at IMG13
  • Vice President and General Counsel of the NBA Development League (now G-League) at the National Basketball Association13
  • Partner at GACP Sports and Vice Chairman & CEO of Soccerex13

Board Memberships

In addition to his role at Goodwill Industries, Sharma serves on various boards:

  • United States Tennis Association (USTA)23
  • USA Archery13
  • USA Table Tennis (as Chair of the Nominating & Governance Committee)3

Education

Sharma's educational background includes:

  • Bachelor's and law degrees from Duke University13
  • Completion of the Harvard Business School executive program on the Business of Entertainment, Media & Sports1

Recognition

Bobby Sharma has received several accolades for his contributions to the industry:

  • Named one of the 25 Most Influential South Asian Executives in the Media & Entertainment Industry by Korn Ferry13
  • Recognized as a Sports & Entertainment Industry Power Player by the Sports Business Journal13
  • Recipient of the Rising Star Executive Award from Media Partners Global13

Bobby Sharma's LinkedIn username is indeed bobbysharma, as mentioned in the query.3

Highlights

Sep 9 · linkedin

One of my best decisions has been getting involved in the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee movement, currently lead by my Duke University schoolmate Sarah Hirshland.

On that journey with several National Governing Bodies (NGB’s) of sport in the United States, I’ve been fortunate to become Chair of the Nominating Committee for USA Table Tennis, and a Member of the Board of Directors at both USA Archery and the (USTA) United States Tennis Association.

Lead by another fellow Duke alumnus Lewis Sherr, the USTA has advanced its mission like few other organizations in the world in recent years, having grown the sport of tennis to nearly 25 million players in the U.S. with a goal of reaching 35 million by 2035 (i.e., “35 by 35”).

On the back of respected studies published by the Mayo Clinic and British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM) highlighting its health benefits (e.g., concluding it’s arguably the healthiest sport in the world, adding nearly a decade to its players lives), and the growth of the US Open as not just a sporting event, but a major global cultural touchpoint… #tennis is having a moment.

Over the last three weeks, the U.S. Open drew over 1 million fans to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for the first time — making it the second most attended sporting event in the world — where American tennis was able to cheer 5 women in the top 15, and 5 men in the top 20, to half the Women's & Men's Singles Semifinal spots, including great runs by Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz to the Finals. Other successes included a runner-up finish in Mixed Doubles by the team of Taylor Townsend & Donald Young, and — near and dear to my heart — a win for Charlie Cooper in the Boys’ Wheelchair Singles championship, and a runner-up finish for Charlie with his countryman Tomas Majetic in Boys’ Wheelchair Doubles (an award I was fortunate enough to present). (Noting: if you haven’t yet seen wheelchair tennis, you are missing out on some of the greatest tennis played by heroes among us.)

As we say with our new mission statement (which I had the privilege of helping develop), the USTA is truly “growing tennis to inspire healthier people and communities everywhere.”

Very proud to give back through my work on all the NGB’s I’ve been involved with, and particularly the USTA — given its impact on not just sports, but society, and the world.

#USTA #USAA #USATT #USOPC #IOC

Sep 4 · linkedin

Looking forward to my keynote at the upcoming Pension Bridge Annual #APAC Chief Investment Officer conference in Hong Kong on Monday, 16 September, unpacking risks and opportunities in #Sports, #Media & #Entertainment as an emerging institutional asset class.

Hope you can join us!

#CIO #privateequity

Related Questions

What are Bobby Sharma's main responsibilities at Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey?
How did Bobby Sharma's experience at the NBA influence his career in private equity?
What are some of Bobby Sharma's notable achievements at Bluestone Equity Partners?
How has Bobby Sharma contributed to the growth of sports leagues in emerging markets?
What other organizations does Bobby Sharma serve on the board of directors for?
Bobby Sharma
Bobby Sharma, photo 1
Bobby Sharma, photo 2
Add to my network

Location

New York, New York, United States