Ryan Nece
InvestorManaging Partner at Next Legacy Partners · Managing Partner at NEXT PLAY CAPITAL · Advisory Board at DocuSign
San Francisco, California, United States
Find your path to Ryan
694 people in our graph share verified history with Ryan — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Nick WashburnunlockedRyan: together at National Venture Capital Association (2024–2025)
×3Ryan: together at Harvard Business School
×4Ryan: together at DocuSign
Ryan: together at UCLA
About
Ryan Nece is Managing Partner at Next Legacy, having founded Next Play Capital in 2015 before it combined with Legacy Venture. A former NFL player who won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he began his investing career as a Principal at DeBartolo Development and co-founded StraightCast Media, a mobile app for athlete content that was acquired by FOX Sports in 2014. He holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from UCLA and is a member of the Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellow Program.
Experience
- National Venture Capital AssociationBoard Membercurrent2024 — presentWashington DC-Baltimore Area
- Next Legacy PartnersManaging Partnercurrent2023 — presentPalo Alto, California, United States
- The Aspen InstituteHenry Crown Fellowcurrent2018 — present
- DocuSignAdvisory Boardcurrent2018 — presentSan Francisco Bay Area
- Ryan Nece FoundationFounder & Chairmancurrent2005 — presentTampa/St. Petersburg, Florida Area
- Tampa Bay Sports CommissionMember Board Of Directorscurrent2008 — presentTampa/St. Petersburg, Florida Area
- Next Play CapitalManaging Partner2015 — 2023San Francisco Bay Area
- Orangetheory FitnessFranchise Owner2014 — 2019Brandon, FL
- Provident Investment AdvisorPartner2012 — 2015Greater Los Angeles Area
- FOX SportsFootball analyst2013 — 2015Greater Los Angeles Area
- Gridiron Ventures, LLC (DBA Straightcast Media Acquired by FOX SportsCo-founder2010 — 2015
- Arenda Capital ManagementPrincipal2009 — 2013Greater Los Angeles Area
- Pac-12 ConferenceFootball Analyst2012 — 2013San Francisco Bay Area
- Tampa's Lowry Park ZooMember Board Of Directors2009 — 2013
- 640 WADE TampaRadio host2011 — 2012Tampa
- Bright House Sports NetworkColor Commintary2011 — 2012Tampa
- VersusSideline reporter2010 — 2012
- WEDUMember Board Of Directors2010 — 2012
- 1040 ESPN RadioRadio Host2010 — 2011
- Detroit LionsAthlete2008 — 2009
- Tampa Bay BuccaneersAthlete2002 — 2008
Skills & more
Sports MarketingPublic SpeakingEntrepreneurshipSportsPublic RelationsPromotionsSports ManagementEvent ManagementAdvertisingSocial NetworkingNew Business DevelopmentSocial Media
+12 more
LeadershipDigital MediaMarketing StrategyManagementSponsorshipRadioMarketingSocial Media MarketingDigital MarketingEmail MarketingBroadcastFundraisingFrom Ryan's professional profile.
Deals · 6
NextPlayUBoard seat
via NEXT PLAY CAPITAL · filed Apr 2023
ByteDanceLed round
FlexportLed round
Impossible FoodsLed round
PelotonLed round
RubrikLed round
Attribution from SEC filings, press coverage, and firm rosters.
Other disclosed investments
Sources: the firm's website · SEC Form D filings · curated public sources.
Colleagues at Next Legacy Partners
Alan Marty
Investor at Next Legacy Partners
Amber Puebla
Sr. Experience Manager at Next Legacy Partners
Ben Choi
Managing Partner at Next Legacy Partners
Bradley Fishman
Managing Partner & General Partner at Manhattan Venture Partners
Brendon Ayanbadejo
Investor at Next Legacy Partners
Caleagh Creech
Principal at Next Legacy Partners
Caleagh Creech
Investor at NEXT PLAY CAPITAL
Chris Cassidy
NASA Astronaut and former Navy SEAL at NEW VISTA CAPITAL
Network2
Investors connected to Ryan in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Ryan Nece?
- Ryan Nece is Managing Partner at Next Legacy, having founded Next Play Capital in 2015 before it combined with Legacy Venture. A former NFL player who won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he began his investing career as a Principal at DeBartolo Development and co-founded StraightCast Media, a mobile app for athlete content that was acquired by FOX Sports in 2014. He holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from UCLA and is a member of the Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellow Program.
- Where does Ryan Nece work?
- Ryan Nece is Managing Partner at Next Legacy Partners.
- What boards does Ryan Nece sit on?
- Ryan Nece holds tracked board seats at Docusign, Most Days, NextPlayU, Tonal.
- What companies has Ryan Nece invested in?
- Investments tracked here include ByteDance, Flexport, Hims, Impossible Foods, Peloton, Rubrik, Highlight, ONEHOPE wines, Pure Storage, StemCentrix.
- Where did Ryan Nece go to school?
- Ryan Nece studied at UCLA (Bachelor's degree, Economics and Political Science); Harvard Business School (NFL Executive Business Course Program); Stanford University Graduate School of Business (NFL Entrepreneur Executive Program).
- Does Ryan Nece lead rounds?
- Yes — Ryan Nece has led 6 tracked investments.
Same school
Also attended UCLA1,020
Ben HorowitzCo-founder & General Partner at Andreessen HorowitzKirsten GreenFounder and Managing Partner at Forerunner VenturesVlad TenevCo-founder & CEO of RobinhoodRyan KingCo-founder of ChimePaul FieldingFinance & Operations at General CatalystMelody MaExecutive Assistant and Lead Receptionist at Trinity Ventures
+ 1,014 more
Also attended Harvard Business School2,000
Aileen LeeFounder & Managing Partner of Cowboy VenturesJim BreyerFounder & CEO of Breyer CapitalMike Maples JrCo-founding Partner at FloodgateNeeraj AgrawalGeneral Partner at Battery VenturesHristo BorisovCo-founder & CEO of PayhawkVictoria TreygerGeneral Partner at Felicis Ventures
+ 1,994 more
Also attended Stanford University Graduate School of Business2,000
Roelof BothaAdvisor & former Steward at Sequoia Capital; SpaceX board memberPeter FentonGeneral Partner at BenchmarkDavid SzeAdvisory Partner at GreylockKatherine BoyleGeneral Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (American Dynamism)Hunter WalkCo-founder & Partner at HomebrewScott SandellExecutive Chairman & Chief Investment Officer at NEA
+ 1,994 more
Also attended MIT xPRO28
Bradford WilkinsSenior Partner at BravenBertrand NepveuGeneral Partner at Triptyq CapitalAllen LawPrincipal at Seveno CapitalJan RiethmayerVP Engineering at Earlybird DWES Management GmbH & Co. KGAlex FraserManager, Talent Acquisition at KlueAlexandra AmicoFounder at Avocademy
+ 22 more
Shared employers
Also worked at National Venture Capital Association71
Jeremy LiewPartner at Lightspeed Venture PartnersNick WashburnSenior Managing Director, Intel Capital (North America)Tiffany SpencerHead of Marketing at Menlo VenturesAdam D'AugelliInvestor at True VenturesWill PriceInvestor at Next Frontier CapitalAziz GilaniAssociate at Mercury Fund
+ 65 more
Also worked at The Aspen Institute166
Toby CoppelCo-founder and Partner at Mosaic VenturesChandar LalPartner at Mosaic VenturesDavid Rosenthal, MDVenture Partner at AlleyCorpGary LauderFounder at Lauder PartnersJoshua BaerFounder & CEO at Capital FactorySamara Mejia HernandezFounding Partner at Chingona Ventures
+ 160 more
