Our Team

DRVN team members have worked across major sports leagues, teams, venues, properties, and technology solutions — as well as with brands investing in sports and entertainment.

Jason Oberlander

After an early career in media at Showtime Sports & Events, MTV Networks and CBS-Viacom, Jason Oberlander joined the NBA League office in Global Marketing Partnerships where he was charged with driving partnerships across the NBA, WNBA, USA Basketball and NBA D-League (now G-League).

Oberlander then joined IMG as VP National Sales, IMG College where he secured over $50MM in partnerships with brands like Cadillac, Unilever, Delta Airlines, Corona, Rocket Mortgage and others. Oberlander was promoted to lead the National Sales team in 2017 where he oversaw a team of 25 sales and marketing executives with a $100MM+ annual book of partnerships.

In 2021, Oberlander joined AEG-backed ASM Global as the Chief Commercial Officer where he built their nascent commercial partnerships business into a thriving 50-person organization driving over 15 naming rights deals and multiple enterprise partnerships across ASM’s portfolio of 400 venues globally. After the $2.3 billion sale of ASM Global to Legends and the subsequent integration, Oberlander left the company to found DRVN Sports & Entertainment, leveraging his network and knowledge to power partnership development for sports, media and entertainment properties.

Founder & Chairman

Carl Thomas

With a career spanning several decades, Carl Thomas is a seasoned executive with a proven track record of securing over $400MM in verifiable business growth across sports, entertainment, media, and technology sectors on both domestic and international fronts. His prior experience includes significant leadership roles at Universal Studios, Association of Volleyball Professionals, CAT Sports, Inc., and Speedo Swimwear, showcasing his versatility and strategic acumen.

Most recently as Senior Vice President at ASM Global (now Legends Global), he played a critical role in assembling a formidable commercial partnerships team, achieving historic revenue growth from Naming Rights to multi-venue sponsorship agreements, and contributing to ASM's $2.3 billion acquisition. Prior to ASM Global, he held a dual role as Chief Revenue Officer and Global Head of Business Development at Hookit (now Two Circles).

Since 2020, Carl has helmed The Best Boss Ever LLC as Founder/CEO, where he hosts the acclaimed podcast “The Best Boss Ever,” featuring over 100 episodes available on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. His guests are leaders in their fields and cover a range of industries. Learn more at The Best Boss Ever website.

Chief Executive Officer
Marketing Strategy

Sarah Sheppeck

Sarah Sheppeck has worked in various aspects of creative marketing since 2017, including as the co-producer of The Best Boss Ever podcast.

Sheppeck, a native of New York, earned her BA in English from the University of Rochester, her M.Ed. from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, and her M.F.A. from the University of California, Riverside. She currently resides in the Capital Region of New York State.

Nelson Melara

Market Research Specialist

Nelson Melara has worked in the sports industry for over 10 years, managing partnerships for global, marquee brands. His expertise spans the entire partnership lifecycle, from initial go-to-market strategy development and prospect outreach to creative proposal design, contract execution, and meticulous partnership management.

Nelson has been instrumental in driving market growth, securing and executing venue naming rights, founding and title partnerships for stadiums, arenas, convention center and sports property ownership including Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), Legends Global (formerly ASM), Crypto.com Arena, and 2016 Rio Olympics.