Baseball Great Alex Rodriguez and Entrepreneurs Marc Lore '93, Jordy Leiser '06 to Appear in Bucknell Forum Special Event

Three highly accomplished entrepreneurs — former Major League Baseball star Alex Rodriguez, Wonder Group founder Marc Lore '93 and Bucknell Trustee Jordy Leiser '06 — will participate in a newly announced 2024-25 Bucknell Forum special event. The three speakers are the co-founders of Jump Platforms, a unified fan experience platform that includes ticketing and a mobile app. They will join Kenneth W. Freeman Professor and Dean of the Freeman College of ManagementMichelle Roehm in a moderated discussion around this year's Forum theme, "World in Transition," on Sunday, Feb. 23, at 10:30 a.m. in Hislop Auditorium, Holmes Hall.

The event is free and open to the public, although tickets are required and seating is limited (see event information below for details).

Since its inception in 2007, the Bucknell Forum has brought national leaders, scholars and commentators to campus, examining pressing issues through multidisciplinary and diverse viewpoints. The addition of Rodriguez, Lore and Leiser — all accomplished innovators in business, sports and technology — further underscores the Forum's commitment to thought-provoking dialogue on transformative global change.

About Alex Rodriguez
Rodriguez is the chairman and CEO of A-Rod Corp, an investment firm that backs startups and partners with leading global companies across the real estate, sports and entertainment sectors. A 14-time MLB All-Star and 2009 World Series champion, Rodriguez has leveraged his athletic success into a prolific business career. Since founding A-Rod Corp in 1995, he has built an extensive portfolio spanning real estate, hospitality and venture capital.

In 2021, Rodriguez joined his friend, business partner and Bucknell graduate Lore on the ownership group of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves and WNBA's Minnesota Lynx. He is also CEO of Slam Corp, a special purpose acquisition company, and serves as a strategic adviser to the Professional Fighters League.

Rodriguez is an Emmy Award-winning MLB analyst for Fox Sports. He has been a judge and investor on ABC's Shark Tank, mentored financially distressed ex-athletes on CNBC's Back in the Game, and co-hosts the video series The Deal with Bloomberg Originals' chief correspondent Jason Kelly, interviewing CEOs, entrepreneurs and sports legends. Committed to creating opportunities for young people to succeed, he serves on the board of the Boys and Girls Club of America and was inducted into the organization's National Alumni Hall of Fame, as well as on the Board of Trustees of the University of Miami. His gifts to the University of Miami and Florida International University have provided scholarships to dozens of students.

About Marc Lore '93
Lore is the founder and CEO of Wonder Group, a company that is revolutionizing the food industry by creating a mealtime super app, operating a collection of delivery-first restaurants in collaboration with some of the world’s best chefs, and pioneering a new category of "Fast Fine" dining.

Lore joined the ownership group of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx in spring 2021 with Rodriguez.

Prior to this, Lore started and sold four companies, most recently Jet.com, which was acquired by Walmart in 2016 for $3.3 billion. Until 2021, Lore served as the president and CEO of Walmart U.S. eCommerce. Lore was also the co-founder and CEO of Quidsi, the parent company of e-commerce websites Diapers.com, Soap.com, Wag.com and others.

About Jordy Leiser '06
Leiser is the co-founder and CEO of Jump Platforms, the first end-to-end fan experience and ticketing platform for live sports and entertainment. With Lore and Rodriguez, Leiser started Jump in October 2021. The company has nearly 50 employees and has raised $35 million in funding from top-tier Silicon Valley investors. Used by Bucknell basketball, Jump is launching with its first pro sports team clients and venues in 2025.

Prior to Jump, Leiser was co-founder and CEO of Stella Connect until its acquisition by Medallia in late 2020. Stella Connect, which has been renamed Medallia Agent Connect, is enterprise software that drives the engagement and performance of customer service teams. Its clients include Walmart, Mercedes-Benz and Warby Parker, among others.

Prior to Stella Connect, Leiser worked in investment banking at J.P. Morgan, where he focused on credit analysis, leveraged buyouts and other transactions for private equity-backed consumer brands.

Leiser has served on the Bucknell University Board of Trustees since 2019.

Event Information:
Tickets are free and will be made available to Bucknell faculty, staff, students and retirees on Thursday, Feb. 20, at any Campus Box Office location, or online, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Only one ticket will be distributed per person and a valid Bucknell University ID is required. Using multiple Bucknell IDs to pick up additional sets of tickets is prohibited.

Any remaining tickets will be available for the general public on Friday, Feb. 21, at the Campus Box Office. Doors to Hislop Auditorium will open at 10 a.m. There will be an overflow location within Holmes Hall and tickets will be required for admission to that room.

Questions regarding this event may be directed to the Division of Marketing & Communications at 570-577-3260 or theforum@bucknell.edu.

Remaining Bucknell Forum Speaker
In addition to this special event, the 2024-25 Bucknell Forum will feature entrepreneur, investor and Shark Tank panelist Kevin O'Leary on Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the Weis Center for the Performing Arts.