Knowing who should be in the room.

Tim Hayden is an entrepreneur, investor, mentor and connector who has spent more than three decades building businesses, developing people and creating relationships across the sports industry. His career has been guided by a simple belief: the right people, brought together at the right time, can change what is possible.

As a Partner at XVP, Tim helps organizations navigate complex challenges and opportunities by bringing the right experience into the room. His role often begins with understanding what a client is really trying to accomplish, recognizing the perspectives that could make a difference and assembling the people best positioned to help. His relationships span teams, leagues, federations, brands, agencies, investors and leaders across the global sports ecosystem.

Tim is also Co-Founder and CEO of Xvisory, a highly selective, invitation-only community of senior sports leaders from teams, leagues and federations. Xvisory brings leaders together across disciplines, organizations and markets to share perspective, collaborate on challenges and create opportunities for one another. Through that community, Tim has facilitated more than 7,000 introductions among members and their wider networks.

As a co-founder of Stadia Ventures, Tim has worked alongside founders and senior leaders across sports, technology, media, venues and performance. The firm’s portfolio has grown to more than 80 sports technology companies and produced almost 20 exits, giving Tim a sustained view of how new technologies, business models and partnerships move through the sports industry.

Tim’s entrepreneurial career includes Vivid Sky, an early mobile platform created to enhance the in-stadium fan experience, and helping launch nine sports organizations, including Saint Louis Athletica, AC St. Louis and the North American Soccer League. Those experiences gave him firsthand exposure to the realities of building sports businesses, navigating complex partnerships and turning ambitious ideas into operating organizations.

His commitment to developing people extends beyond business. Tim spent 18 years as a Senior Adjunct Professor at Saint Louis University and seven years leading its Center for Entrepreneurship. He also created SLU’s Sports Business Program, connecting students with entrepreneurs, executives and investors across the industry. Across those roles, he taught and mentored thousands of students, founders and entrepreneurs.

At the center of it all is the conviction that good people who should know each other should know each other. For Tim, building those connections and knowing when the right person can change the trajectory of a challenge is both the work and the reward.