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Fred Rivera: [MUSIC]
All in all, it became

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a very attractive position.

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Went through the interview
process and was lucky

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enough to work for a
professional baseball team.

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Not the job I wanted
when I was 10 years old,

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and I wanted to be the
next Fernando Valenzuela.

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But nevertheless,

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I worked for a Major League
Baseball Team. [MUSIC]

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Enrique Cerna: Welcome
again to Chino y Chicano.

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I'm Enrique Cerna.

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Thank you for joining me.

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Coming up, a conversation
about baseball,

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business, and Latinos
with Fred Rivera.

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Fred is the former
executive vice president

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and general counsel for
the Seattle Mariners.

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About a year or so ago,

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he decided to step away
from that role and

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create his own company
called the Rivera Group.

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It is a sports business
advisory firm.

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Now, Fred is not a business guy.

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He's also very active
in the community.

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Fred co-founded the Seattle
Hispanic Leadership Network.

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He's also a former
college pitcher,

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and he still has a passion
for the game, no doubt,

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since he was with the Mariners,

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and also for competition.

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He talks about how

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he uses that competitive
spirit in business.

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[MUSIC] Here now is my
conversation with Fred Rivera.

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I spent time reading about you

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and looking at your long
list of accomplishments.

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You got one hell
of a resume, dude.

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But the one thing that I
wondered in all of this,

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because I know that you love

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baseball and baseball was
a big part of your life.

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How did sports help you get
to where you are today?

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Fred Rivera: That's
a great question,

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and it could be a big
answer or a short answer.

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The short answer is that
it might be at the top of

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the list for the simple reason

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that I went to college
only to play baseball.

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But for that, I question

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whether I would have
went to college.

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But backing up even further,

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growing up as a kid, that's
all I did was play, watch,

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listen on the radio to

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baseball with my dad,
with my grandmother,

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who was very influential in

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my life and was a
huge baseball fan,

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Los Angeles Dodgers fan.

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I grew up in Los Angeles,

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and taught me to love the
personalities with the game.

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We talk players,
we talk coaches,

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we talk baseball all the time.

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It allowed me to
generate friends.

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That's where I generated 95% of

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my friends as I was growing
up was on the baseball field.

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It directed me to adult
mentors who believed in me.

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I think of my high school coach,

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Wally Hammond and who really
took me under his wing and

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was a significant mentor

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and really pushed me to go

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to college and play in college,

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and even though I was an
undersize right handed pitcher

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who couldn't break
a pane of glass.

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He said, you can go get guys out

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and go play for a
couple of years.

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All of that was really
instrumental to where I am today.

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Enrique Cerna: Was
it a motivator when

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you heard your coach
say things like that?

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Fred Rivera: He was
right, [LAUGHTER]

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but I had a pretty
deadly breaking ball.

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I could throw a curveball and

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a changeup that could
dance a little bit.

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I'm extremely competitive.

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I am a really
competitive person,

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and when I pitched,

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when I crossed the lines,

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you probably wouldn't
recognize me.

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I didn't have a great
relationship with

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umpires [LAUGHTER]
or opposing batters.

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At least starting my senior year

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in high school, I didn't hit,

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so I wasn't worried
about brushback

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pitches when I was up to bat.

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It was really a one-man show.

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I think I am naturally
competitive,

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and it didn't necessarily

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motivate me with those comments,

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but what it did was
instill in me a level of

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confidence that there is

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somebody else who believed
that I could succeed.

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It wasn't only on the field,

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but it was that I did have

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that competitive nature that

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I could go on and do
some other things.

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Enrique Cerna: That was the great
setup for you to become a lawyer.

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Because you have to have
that on the side of you,

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where you have to be a bit
of a bulldog at times,

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particularly if you're
either litigating in

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court or negotiating on
behalf of the Mariners.

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Fred Rivera: [inaudible]
The other part for me

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of being motivated and
competitive is being prepared.

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I think I also learned
that in baseball.

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I coached my sons in
baseball for several years,

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and I'd always try
to instill in them

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that they don't win
the game on game day.

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Game day is the result of

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the process and
all the hard work

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that you put in November
and December and January.

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That was something that
was instilled in me

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and transferred over
into my legal practice,

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particularly when I was

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trying cases or any
type of dispute.

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I always wanted to be more
prepared than my opponents,

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and I believe that's
how success is managed.

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Enrique Cerna: I want to
talk a little bit more about

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your growing up and your family,

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because basically,
you're a Chicano kid

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from Southern California.

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You talked a bit
about your grandma.

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Tell me about your
grandfather, your parents,

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and how they influenced

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you and the challenges you

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might have had to
face and overcome.

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Fred Rivera: Sure. My parents

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were very young when I was born.

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My mom dropped out of
high school to have me,

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went back and got her GED.

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But very young, my dad worked
for the telephone company,

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right out of high school,

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and helped provide
for us as a family.

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Moved around a lot, lived
around my grandparents,

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both sets of grandparents
lived close to each other in

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West LA and ended up spending
quite a bit of time,

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particularly with
my grandparents,

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particularly with my
maternal grandparents.

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My mom also worked;

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was secretary
administrative assistant

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for different companies.

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My maternal grandmother
was influential,

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and grandfather as well.

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In hindsight, he was really

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the first entrepreneur that

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I came across. He
was a gardener.

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Really interesting story that I

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came to learn after he passed,

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but he's from Guadalajara.

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Outside of Guadalajara, Mexico,

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and was naturally very
handy with his hands,

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became an amazing gardener,

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a landscaper in
today's vernacular,

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but he called
himself a gardener.

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Worked for a Japanese
gentleman before World War 2,

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as his assistant and learned
the business of gardening.

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This is in Beverly Hills and

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some very nice areas
in Los Angeles,

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and learned the business.

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Sadly, Jimmy Tanaka was his
name with the gardener,

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was interned in World War 2 and

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my grandfather took over
his business when he left.

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From then on, that's
what he did until his

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late 60's was a gardener
and had this business,

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and he kept his books on
the back of a paper napkin.

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He did that for 40 years,

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bought a house, provided for
my mom and her two brothers.

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Enrique Cerna: Wow.
That's a great example to

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have because you really

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understand the
value of hard work.

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Same thing with my father;

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he farmed, and then he worked

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for a tree nursery company,

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but I saw how hard he worked,

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and it really had a
big impression on me,

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as long as with my mother

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also had been a school
teacher in Mexico.

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Education was a big
factor in all of this.

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Did you speak Spanish at home?

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Fred Rivera: I
didn't know. Sadly,

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my parents don't
speak Spanish either,

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and it's a reality of that era.

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My grandparents were punished
for speaking Spanish.

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That translated to the house

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where they didn't speak
Spanish to their kids.

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I heard it. I heard both of

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my sets of grandparents
talk Spanish.

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They talked to each
other in Spanish,

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so I have an ear for it.

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I actually spent three
days in Queretaro, Mexico.

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I got back yesterday.

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Spent three days
around a group of

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people where 80% of the time
they were speaking Spanish,

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and I was pleasantly surprised
that I have the ear.

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My Spanish is minimal at best,

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but I could understand more

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than I thought because
in the household,

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I did hear it spoken regularly.

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Enrique Cerna:
Probably in your DNA,

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so it comes out there.

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From all of that, I know you

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played high school ball,
played college ball.

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How did you then make
the leap from being

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the ballplayer to head

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00:10:06,180 --> 00:10:08,805
to law school? You
went to Gonzaga.

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Fred Rivera: I did
law school. I was

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not a great student
in high school.

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My first year, I went
to a junior college,

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Santa Monica College,
played baseball there.

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Struggled my first year as well,

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but had some great
professors there

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and started to really

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understand what it
was to be a student.

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Transferred the
preparation that I had

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learned in athletics
into the classroom

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and slowly started to get

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my grades up and really
enjoyed going to school.

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I enjoyed going to
classes when I had

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some shoulder problems and

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hung up the cleats
after my second year,

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and transferred to
Cal State Northridge.

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Did well there and again,
really enjoyed it.

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I was a history major
American history focus.

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When I graduated from
Northridge, I wasn't done.

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00:11:00,420 --> 00:11:02,840
I knew I wanted to
go to school more.

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00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:06,545
My trajectory was a

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00:11:06,545 --> 00:11:10,460
master's in history so I could
teach and coach baseball.

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That's where I was heading.

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I think through a combination

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00:11:14,115 --> 00:11:19,350
of a pre-law club at
Cal State Northridge,

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00:11:19,350 --> 00:11:22,720
a family friend, Danny Baseta,

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who was a lawyer,

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00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:26,650
and I've told this story
before about LA Law.

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I grew up in the
LA Law generation

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and seeing Victor Sifuentes,

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Jimmy Smits, and

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seeing that as a world-
you've got to see to believe,

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00:11:36,560 --> 00:11:38,430
you've got to see
to do- and that

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was one of those factors
without a doubt.

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I applied to law schools.

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00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:43,480
Gonzaga Law School made

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00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:45,455
a generous scholarship
offer to me.

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00:11:45,455 --> 00:11:48,220
Spokane was less so now,

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00:11:48,220 --> 00:11:51,370
but was an extremely
cheap place to live.

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00:11:51,370 --> 00:11:54,580
Which was towards the top
of my list of criteria.

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I ended up at Gonzaga and
loved that experience,

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00:11:59,790 --> 00:12:02,655
and turned out I
actually liked the law.

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00:12:02,655 --> 00:12:04,820
Enrique Cerna: What
was the route to go

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00:12:04,820 --> 00:12:07,420
from Spokane to end
up at Perkins Coie,

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00:12:07,420 --> 00:12:10,230
which I know you
eventually landed at?

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00:12:10,230 --> 00:12:12,840
Fred Rivera: My first job was
at the Justice Department.

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00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:13,820
I was in something called

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00:12:13,820 --> 00:12:17,580
the Attorney General's
Honors Program.

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I moved back to Washington, DC.

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I was in the Civil
Rights Division.

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00:12:23,330 --> 00:12:26,060
The divisions there are
divided up in sections,

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00:12:26,060 --> 00:12:27,440
and I was assigned
to the Housing

257
00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:28,990
and Civil Enforcement Section.

258
00:12:28,990 --> 00:12:30,720
I spent six years.

259
00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:33,160
This is starting in 1993,

260
00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:35,280
so the Clinton administration,

261
00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:38,440
prosecuting housing
discrimination and

262
00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:41,475
lending discrimination
cases around the country.

263
00:12:41,475 --> 00:12:43,230
Ended up trying cases in

264
00:12:43,230 --> 00:12:46,405
Philadelphia and Los
Angeles and Florida,

265
00:12:46,405 --> 00:12:48,970
investigating banks
and mortgage companies

266
00:12:48,970 --> 00:12:50,990
for redlining and
other discrimination.

267
00:12:50,990 --> 00:12:54,490
That was a very
formative time for me,

268
00:12:54,490 --> 00:12:56,790
not because of the
professional experience,

269
00:12:56,790 --> 00:12:59,950
but I was able to travel to
places around the country

270
00:12:59,950 --> 00:13:02,070
that I didn't even know existed

271
00:13:02,070 --> 00:13:03,685
and see some of the hardship.

272
00:13:03,685 --> 00:13:06,010
Perkins Coie was a firm that

273
00:13:06,010 --> 00:13:09,180
I thought very highly
of, really respected.

274
00:13:09,180 --> 00:13:12,195
When I met the partners
there in my interviews,

275
00:13:12,195 --> 00:13:13,910
that only multiplied,

276
00:13:13,910 --> 00:13:17,695
and when they made an
offer to join them,

277
00:13:17,695 --> 00:13:19,850
I was honored, humbled,

278
00:13:19,850 --> 00:13:22,715
and accepted it and moved
to Seattle in 1998.

279
00:13:22,715 --> 00:13:25,420
Enrique Cerna: 2017, you
joined the Mariners,

280
00:13:25,420 --> 00:13:30,230
which probably was a
very cool thing for you,

281
00:13:30,230 --> 00:13:32,030
considering how much you love

282
00:13:32,030 --> 00:13:34,050
baseball and your
baseball background,

283
00:13:34,050 --> 00:13:36,530
although you were going to go
there as a general counsel.

284
00:13:36,530 --> 00:13:38,930
Fred Rivera: I got
very excited when it

285
00:13:38,930 --> 00:13:41,450
included a portfolio beyond

286
00:13:41,450 --> 00:13:43,570
a traditional general
counsel role.

287
00:13:43,570 --> 00:13:46,530
It included overseeing
the community engagement

288
00:13:46,530 --> 00:13:48,610
and investment, including
the foundation.

289
00:13:48,610 --> 00:13:51,030
It included government affairs.

290
00:13:51,030 --> 00:13:53,430
It included real
estate development

291
00:13:53,430 --> 00:13:54,730
around the neighborhood in

292
00:13:54,730 --> 00:13:58,945
addition to being the chief
lawyer for the business.

293
00:13:58,945 --> 00:14:03,900
All in all, it became a
very attractive position.

294
00:14:03,900 --> 00:14:07,240
Went through the interview
process and was lucky

295
00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:11,695
enough to work for a
professional baseball team.

296
00:14:11,695 --> 00:14:14,455
Not the job I wanted
when I was 10 years old,

297
00:14:14,455 --> 00:14:17,100
and I wanted to be the
next Fernando Valenzuela.

298
00:14:17,100 --> 00:14:21,195
But nevertheless, I worked
for a Major League Baseball.

299
00:14:21,195 --> 00:14:23,720
Enrique Cerna: You're the
Fernando Valenzuela with

300
00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:26,620
the legal ground. There you go.

301
00:14:26,620 --> 00:14:27,380
Fred Rivera: I'll take that.

302
00:14:27,380 --> 00:14:28,880
Enrique Cerna: There you go.

303
00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:31,940
You got to look at it that way.

304
00:14:31,940 --> 00:14:36,895
What did that position give you,

305
00:14:36,895 --> 00:14:39,360
personally, in your development,

306
00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:43,300
not only professionally,
but even as a person?

307
00:14:43,300 --> 00:14:44,900
What do you get out of that?

308
00:14:44,900 --> 00:14:48,665
There are not very many
Latinos in this position.

309
00:14:48,665 --> 00:14:50,060
You have that visibility,

310
00:14:50,060 --> 00:14:51,700
and I think that's
an important thing.

311
00:14:51,700 --> 00:14:54,760
But I wonder what did
it mean to Fred Rivera?

312
00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:59,690
Fred Rivera: I think it
was a couple of things.

313
00:14:59,690 --> 00:15:02,670
One, I think about growing up,

314
00:15:02,670 --> 00:15:08,510
and really worshipping
the professional sports,

315
00:15:08,510 --> 00:15:09,970
the players at the front office.

316
00:15:09,970 --> 00:15:11,570
I remember going
with my grandmother

317
00:15:11,570 --> 00:15:13,970
and behind home plate
at Dodger Stadium,

318
00:15:13,970 --> 00:15:16,530
and the club level was where
the general manager sat,

319
00:15:16,530 --> 00:15:19,290
and all the executives, and
we would peer into the box,

320
00:15:19,290 --> 00:15:21,300
like who was there that day?

321
00:15:21,300 --> 00:15:23,950
Being in that position, I think,

322
00:15:23,950 --> 00:15:26,430
was personally rewarding,

323
00:15:26,430 --> 00:15:30,060
and I was very personally
proud of that.

324
00:15:30,060 --> 00:15:33,930
But there are a few Latinos in

325
00:15:33,930 --> 00:15:35,830
Major League sports
and Major League

326
00:15:35,830 --> 00:15:37,670
baseball and the C Suite,

327
00:15:37,670 --> 00:15:40,205
and so I recognize that.

328
00:15:40,205 --> 00:15:43,500
Unfortunately, it's not
the first time I've been

329
00:15:43,500 --> 00:15:47,630
a first- managing
partner of Perkins Coie,

330
00:15:47,630 --> 00:15:48,910
the first person
of color to hold

331
00:15:48,910 --> 00:15:52,020
that position in
any of the offices.

332
00:15:52,810 --> 00:15:55,030
While I'm proud of that,

333
00:15:55,030 --> 00:15:56,745
I take that very seriously,

334
00:15:56,745 --> 00:15:58,580
and I make sure that

335
00:15:58,580 --> 00:16:02,710
I'm available for
the next generation.

336
00:16:02,710 --> 00:16:04,290
It can also take a toll.

337
00:16:04,290 --> 00:16:05,550
It can also be a little bit

338
00:16:05,550 --> 00:16:08,530
difficult when you get called on

339
00:16:08,530 --> 00:16:10,130
a regular basis with

340
00:16:10,130 --> 00:16:12,030
that label of being one

341
00:16:12,030 --> 00:16:14,645
of the few or the
first, et cetera.

342
00:16:14,645 --> 00:16:16,850
Overall, wonderful experience

343
00:16:16,850 --> 00:16:18,910
for me personally to
be able to give back,

344
00:16:18,910 --> 00:16:21,390
to be able to hold that role.

345
00:16:21,390 --> 00:16:24,025
It can also be a
little challenge.

346
00:16:24,025 --> 00:16:26,130
A quick diversion, as I say,

347
00:16:26,130 --> 00:16:29,700
that I taught myself: Drew Days

348
00:16:29,700 --> 00:16:31,670
was an exceptional attorney;

349
00:16:31,670 --> 00:16:34,100
he taught at Yale.

350
00:16:34,100 --> 00:16:37,250
He was the African American.

351
00:16:37,250 --> 00:16:39,400
Led the Civil Rights
Division under

352
00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:40,700
the Carter administration with

353
00:16:40,700 --> 00:16:43,160
Solicitor General under Clinton.

354
00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:45,740
I spoke with him at a panel

355
00:16:45,740 --> 00:16:49,420
15 years ago at Yale Law School,

356
00:16:49,420 --> 00:16:51,420
and actually I said
that same thing.

357
00:16:51,420 --> 00:16:53,260
I said that can
be difficult when

358
00:16:53,260 --> 00:16:55,250
you get called on because
you're one of the few,

359
00:16:55,250 --> 00:16:59,675
and he very politely,

360
00:16:59,675 --> 00:17:01,920
when he gave his remarks saying,

361
00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:03,780
it's not about you;

362
00:17:03,780 --> 00:17:05,400
it's about the next person.

363
00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:07,345
It's about the next generation.

364
00:17:07,345 --> 00:17:09,250
You don't have to say yes.

365
00:17:09,250 --> 00:17:13,710
You can say no, and
here is Enrique Cerna.

366
00:17:13,710 --> 00:17:15,760
Here you name it.

367
00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:19,670
I learned from that as
well over the years that

368
00:17:19,670 --> 00:17:24,650
one of my roles ought to
be to say no and say,

369
00:17:24,650 --> 00:17:27,910
here's somebody else who can
do what you're asking for.

370
00:17:27,910 --> 00:17:30,600
Enrique Cerna: I think
what's really important

371
00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:33,720
along with that is the fact
that you may be the first,

372
00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:36,300
but it's important
to see that first

373
00:17:36,300 --> 00:17:39,375
so that others will see
you in that same role.

374
00:17:39,375 --> 00:17:42,590
They say, Hey, Fred Rivera
can do that; why can't I?

375
00:17:42,590 --> 00:17:45,380
I look at it that way,

376
00:17:45,380 --> 00:17:48,100
but I admire where

377
00:17:48,100 --> 00:17:50,600
you've been and how
you've handled all that.

378
00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:53,730
What are the things
that you did?

379
00:17:53,730 --> 00:17:58,860
You negotiated the current
name at T-Mobile Park.

380
00:17:58,860 --> 00:18:06,840
Fred Rivera: We had a long and
successful relationship with Safeco.

381
00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:09,090
Safeco pulled out of

382
00:18:09,090 --> 00:18:11,090
that industry in the
Pacific Northwest.

383
00:18:11,090 --> 00:18:13,490
We had the ability to negotiate

384
00:18:13,490 --> 00:18:15,490
with some of the best
companies in the region,

385
00:18:15,490 --> 00:18:18,025
and T-Mobile came to the front,

386
00:18:18,025 --> 00:18:20,630
and we negotiated
a long-term deal

387
00:18:20,630 --> 00:18:24,425
with the local company
based in Bellevue.

388
00:18:24,425 --> 00:18:26,750
Did a long-term deal with them,

389
00:18:26,750 --> 00:18:31,035
so we put the Magenta out
front and all around.

390
00:18:31,035 --> 00:18:33,590
T-Mobile has great relationships

391
00:18:33,590 --> 00:18:34,930
across the sports industry,

392
00:18:34,930 --> 00:18:36,610
including with Major
League Baseball.

393
00:18:36,610 --> 00:18:38,590
They've been the
longtime sponsor

394
00:18:38,590 --> 00:18:40,900
of the All-Star
Game, for example.

395
00:18:40,900 --> 00:18:45,080
It was a great fit
for us in our region,

396
00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:47,970
and I'm very happy that we
were able to do that deal.

397
00:18:47,970 --> 00:18:50,800
Enrique Cerna: You also did
something else in that you

398
00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:54,180
helped set up really the history

399
00:18:54,180 --> 00:18:58,040
around past baseball
in the Seattle area

400
00:18:58,040 --> 00:18:59,560
through some of

401
00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:03,040
the real estate holdings
and restaurants,

402
00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:06,660
and so that people can
come and eat but also

403
00:19:06,660 --> 00:19:08,760
learn about Seattle's
history and

404
00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:12,080
connection with ***** leagues
and things like that.

405
00:19:12,180 --> 00:19:15,000
Fred Rivera: One of the
things I'm most proud of,

406
00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:16,660
if not most proud,

407
00:19:16,660 --> 00:19:18,560
is the real estate development

408
00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:20,715
we did to the west
of T-Mobile Park,

409
00:19:20,715 --> 00:19:23,140
and we acquired through

410
00:19:23,140 --> 00:19:24,870
long-term leases
the entire block

411
00:19:24,870 --> 00:19:26,720
that used to be a brewery.

412
00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:29,820
As we were looking
at ways to use that,

413
00:19:29,820 --> 00:19:31,975
we did want to engage
the community,

414
00:19:31,975 --> 00:19:33,340
and part of that development

415
00:19:33,340 --> 00:19:36,635
includes a brewery called
Steelheads Brewery.

416
00:19:36,635 --> 00:19:39,140
We first partnered with what was

417
00:19:39,140 --> 00:19:40,880
the first African
American brewer

418
00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:42,465
in the Pacific Northwest,

419
00:19:42,465 --> 00:19:45,660
Metier, led by Rodney Hines;

420
00:19:45,660 --> 00:19:46,840
we brought him in so that

421
00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:48,600
they could brew
beer in the space.

422
00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:50,735
We set up this brewery,

423
00:19:50,735 --> 00:19:53,205
this tap room called
Steelheads Alley,

424
00:19:53,205 --> 00:19:55,620
named after the *****
League team that

425
00:19:55,620 --> 00:19:58,480
played in Seattle
for about 15 games.

426
00:19:58,480 --> 00:19:59,600
It didn't last long.

427
00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:01,400
There's a good reason
for it, though.

428
00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:03,760
I didn't last long, but
it was Steelheads Alley,

429
00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:07,160
and we used that as a way
to showcase the history

430
00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:09,730
of baseball and softball in

431
00:20:09,730 --> 00:20:12,630
the Pacific Northwest going
back hundreds of years,

432
00:20:12,630 --> 00:20:16,410
highlighting the
accomplishments of

433
00:20:16,410 --> 00:20:18,710
minority players and women

434
00:20:18,710 --> 00:20:21,220
who played softball
and baseball.

435
00:20:21,220 --> 00:20:23,250
If anyone has a chance to go in

436
00:20:23,250 --> 00:20:25,355
there that's listening,
Steelheads Alley,

437
00:20:25,355 --> 00:20:29,735
it's amazing with pictures;

438
00:20:29,735 --> 00:20:33,665
we got bats and gloves,
beautiful mural.

439
00:20:33,665 --> 00:20:35,770
It's something I'm
really proud of,

440
00:20:35,770 --> 00:20:37,090
and I hope we'll live
on for generations.

441
00:20:37,090 --> 00:20:39,130
Enrique Cerna: I've been
there. It's really nice.

442
00:20:39,130 --> 00:20:41,590
What made you decide
that you want to branch

443
00:20:41,590 --> 00:20:44,755
out and do the Rivera Group?

444
00:20:44,755 --> 00:20:46,810
Fred Rivera: I felt that
the things I had come in to

445
00:20:46,810 --> 00:20:48,450
do had largely been

446
00:20:48,450 --> 00:20:50,490
accomplished: the real
estate development,

447
00:20:50,490 --> 00:20:55,070
the new community engagement
strategy and implementation.

448
00:20:55,070 --> 00:20:58,215
We hired a new director
of our foundation.

449
00:20:58,215 --> 00:21:00,700
I thought it was a
good time to take

450
00:21:00,700 --> 00:21:03,220
a chance and become an
entrepreneur myself,

451
00:21:03,220 --> 00:21:05,200
thinking about my
grandfather and

452
00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:08,180
start my own business and
really bring together

453
00:21:08,180 --> 00:21:11,360
the 30-plus years of
experience I have as

454
00:21:11,360 --> 00:21:14,180
a lawyer and some of
the other things I've

455
00:21:14,180 --> 00:21:17,260
done and apply it to

456
00:21:17,260 --> 00:21:20,620
sports business
operators and investors

457
00:21:20,620 --> 00:21:22,200
and try to support what

458
00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:24,380
they're trying to
accomplish in the industry.

459
00:21:24,380 --> 00:21:26,160
In general, the sports industry

460
00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:28,305
is hotter than it ever has been,

461
00:21:28,305 --> 00:21:31,460
with transactions
of existing teams

462
00:21:31,460 --> 00:21:33,700
and franchises, with the growth.

463
00:21:33,700 --> 00:21:38,085
For example, motorsport,
in F1 in the US.

464
00:21:38,085 --> 00:21:41,350
The long overdue growth
of women's sports,

465
00:21:41,350 --> 00:21:43,550
not only the WNBA,

466
00:21:43,550 --> 00:21:45,790
but there's a baseball league,

467
00:21:45,790 --> 00:21:47,030
there's a hockey league,

468
00:21:47,030 --> 00:21:49,890
there's a volleyball league,
there's a rugby league.

469
00:21:49,890 --> 00:21:51,870
Sports is growing.

470
00:21:51,870 --> 00:21:53,710
It's also one of the last,

471
00:21:53,710 --> 00:21:55,270
if not the last,

472
00:21:55,270 --> 00:21:57,110
pieces of live
content that people

473
00:21:57,110 --> 00:21:59,845
can consume on television
or their devices,

474
00:21:59,845 --> 00:22:02,970
and so that has led
to an explosion of

475
00:22:02,970 --> 00:22:07,830
negotiations for the rights
to broadcast those things.

476
00:22:07,830 --> 00:22:12,230
There's huge opportunities,
there's huge risk,

477
00:22:12,230 --> 00:22:15,050
and what I hope to do is

478
00:22:15,050 --> 00:22:18,170
support those who want
to invest in any of

479
00:22:18,170 --> 00:22:19,550
these opportunities to do

480
00:22:19,550 --> 00:22:21,710
due diligence to make
sure the investments are

481
00:22:21,710 --> 00:22:25,430
appropriate for what the
goals are of that investment,

482
00:22:25,430 --> 00:22:28,070
and that could be
family offices who are

483
00:22:28,070 --> 00:22:31,865
trying to diversify
their investment.

484
00:22:31,865 --> 00:22:37,190
The valuations of teams
are going up quite a bit,

485
00:22:37,190 --> 00:22:39,330
if for nothing
else, for scarcity.

486
00:22:39,330 --> 00:22:42,530
The S&P stock market
goes down one day,

487
00:22:42,530 --> 00:22:44,230
your team value has gone up,

488
00:22:44,230 --> 00:22:46,210
so it's very agnostic to

489
00:22:46,210 --> 00:22:49,190
what traditional
economic indicators are.

490
00:22:49,190 --> 00:22:50,790
Supporting those investment

491
00:22:50,790 --> 00:22:52,390
opportunities and
then supporting

492
00:22:52,390 --> 00:22:54,440
existing businesses who are

493
00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:57,600
trying to find new
investors as well.

494
00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:00,540
Then the third thing is
helping with operations,

495
00:23:00,540 --> 00:23:01,820
whether or not it's looking

496
00:23:01,820 --> 00:23:04,280
for additional revenue
opportunities,

497
00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:06,220
looking to engage with

498
00:23:06,220 --> 00:23:08,580
the community as part

499
00:23:08,580 --> 00:23:10,780
of the mission of
the organization,

500
00:23:10,780 --> 00:23:12,780
and to get the brand
out in the way

501
00:23:12,780 --> 00:23:16,015
that the organization wants
to have it portrayed.

502
00:23:16,015 --> 00:23:19,520
Enrique Cerna: How
has your background

503
00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:23,280
and your days as a pitcher
and your love for sports,

504
00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:25,340
as I asked you off the top here,

505
00:23:25,340 --> 00:23:26,630
how it helped your career?

506
00:23:26,630 --> 00:23:29,715
How is that now helping you
in what you want to do?

507
00:23:29,715 --> 00:23:35,480
Fred Rivera: I think number
one is it's grounded.

508
00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:37,730
As I look at the sports industry

509
00:23:37,730 --> 00:23:39,690
and I look at the
sports business,

510
00:23:39,690 --> 00:23:43,545
at the end of the day, it's
about that 10-year-old kid.

511
00:23:43,545 --> 00:23:46,840
Who is going to the game
with his or her mom,

512
00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:50,820
dad, grandparents, family,
who's watching it on TV,

513
00:23:50,820 --> 00:23:52,800
who's listening on the radio,

514
00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:55,820
who is getting excited a week

515
00:23:55,820 --> 00:23:57,160
before that they're going to go

516
00:23:57,160 --> 00:23:59,340
to a Sunday afternoon game.

517
00:23:59,340 --> 00:24:02,340
That's what it's about.
I think that no matter

518
00:24:02,340 --> 00:24:05,820
how much money is
flowing in the industry,

519
00:24:05,820 --> 00:24:08,815
how it's used, the
strategy that's needed.

520
00:24:08,815 --> 00:24:10,580
I think if it's grounded in

521
00:24:10,580 --> 00:24:12,260
the experience of those who are

522
00:24:12,260 --> 00:24:16,240
watching and how it binds
and connects people,

523
00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:20,040
families, individuals,
communities, states, countries,

524
00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:21,460
nations when you think about

525
00:24:21,460 --> 00:24:25,000
the Olympics, that's
how I grew up.

526
00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:26,440
That's how I was grounded.

527
00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:29,300
That's how I connected
with family and community.

528
00:24:29,300 --> 00:24:32,160
I think that
experience growing up,

529
00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:34,260
I can bring that insight

530
00:24:34,260 --> 00:24:36,905
into the clients that
I help going forward.

531
00:24:36,905 --> 00:24:38,920
Enrique Cerna: We need
that so much right now,

532
00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:41,080
let's face it; we
need that bonding,

533
00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:43,780
and I know that it means
so much for relationships,

534
00:24:43,780 --> 00:24:47,240
for families and all
of those things.

535
00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:50,060
Are you going to be
doing pro sports?

536
00:24:50,250 --> 00:24:54,790
Fred Rivera: No, college
sports is interesting.

537
00:24:54,790 --> 00:24:56,865
Enrique Cerna: Tell me about it.

538
00:24:56,865 --> 00:24:59,270
Fred Rivera: I'm
trying to stay out of

539
00:24:59,270 --> 00:25:03,850
the NIL area because I
think it's going to change.

540
00:25:03,850 --> 00:25:07,645
I think that's going to
be an ever-evolving area,

541
00:25:07,645 --> 00:25:09,650
and I don't want to invest too

542
00:25:09,650 --> 00:25:11,450
much in something that I think,

543
00:25:11,450 --> 00:25:12,650
really frankly, has to change.

544
00:25:12,650 --> 00:25:15,350
I don't think the current
system works at all.

545
00:25:15,350 --> 00:25:17,210
That said, if you think

546
00:25:17,210 --> 00:25:20,310
of whether it's professional
or amateur sports,

547
00:25:20,310 --> 00:25:22,490
they are revenue generators,

548
00:25:22,490 --> 00:25:24,450
and colleges need to

549
00:25:24,450 --> 00:25:27,495
take advantage of
that in a good way.

550
00:25:27,495 --> 00:25:29,600
On behalf of the university to

551
00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:31,720
use that revenue the right way,

552
00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:35,905
whether or not it's to
advance Title 9 requirements,

553
00:25:35,905 --> 00:25:38,420
to advance educational
requirements,

554
00:25:38,420 --> 00:25:40,420
to invest back into the school.

555
00:25:40,420 --> 00:25:42,980
I think they have an
obligation to do that.

556
00:25:42,980 --> 00:25:45,600
I have talked to
some colleges about,

557
00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:47,700
for example, real
estate development

558
00:25:47,700 --> 00:25:49,220
or stadium development,

559
00:25:49,220 --> 00:25:51,060
and how to use that to

560
00:25:51,060 --> 00:25:53,440
maximize visibility
for the university,

561
00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:55,740
which is good for the
brand, but also how to

562
00:25:55,740 --> 00:25:59,085
maximize revenue to invest
back into the college.

563
00:25:59,085 --> 00:26:01,020
Enrique Cerna: That's
an important thing for

564
00:26:01,020 --> 00:26:02,500
every university now,

565
00:26:02,500 --> 00:26:06,715
especially with the
demands that NIL and

566
00:26:06,715 --> 00:26:10,260
the house agreement and how

567
00:26:10,260 --> 00:26:14,560
that has affected college
football and sports altogether.

568
00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:17,760
Is there anything I haven't
asked that you'd like to

569
00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:20,790
weigh in on my good looks,

570
00:26:20,790 --> 00:26:25,310
or my shirt, I don't know?

571
00:26:25,310 --> 00:26:28,640
Fred Rivera: I want to
thank you for inviting me.

572
00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:29,675
Enrique Cerna: Of course.

573
00:26:29,675 --> 00:26:30,750
Fred Rivera: We've
known each other

574
00:26:30,750 --> 00:26:32,130
for a number of years.

575
00:26:32,130 --> 00:26:35,070
I think highly of you;
I think high podcast.

576
00:26:35,070 --> 00:26:37,490
I've heard them over

577
00:26:37,490 --> 00:26:40,430
time and appreciate what
you do for the community.

578
00:26:40,430 --> 00:26:44,375
I'm really humbled to be
asked to participate.

579
00:26:44,375 --> 00:26:48,510
I think you've covered
what I have to give.

580
00:26:48,510 --> 00:26:50,610
Enrique Cerna: One
last thing here

581
00:26:50,610 --> 00:26:53,215
for those young Latinos that,

582
00:26:53,215 --> 00:26:54,850
thinking about their life and

583
00:26:54,850 --> 00:26:56,725
careers and what
they might want to

584
00:26:56,725 --> 00:26:58,410
do: what advice

585
00:26:58,410 --> 00:27:01,285
would you give or what would
you like to say to them?

586
00:27:01,285 --> 00:27:05,420
Fred Rivera: Don't be shy
about asking for help,

587
00:27:05,420 --> 00:27:07,305
for information,

588
00:27:07,305 --> 00:27:12,740
for expanding what you think
you can do or want to do.

589
00:27:12,740 --> 00:27:15,580
I think what I have been most

590
00:27:15,580 --> 00:27:18,960
surprised about over the
years, over the decades,

591
00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:22,500
is how often people
say yes to a coffee,

592
00:27:22,500 --> 00:27:23,680
to a phone call, to

593
00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:27,565
a lunch where I can ask
questions and learn.

594
00:27:27,565 --> 00:27:31,640
That was hard for me. I'm
an introvert by nature.

595
00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:34,980
It's really hard to
get out and do that.

596
00:27:34,980 --> 00:27:38,020
But force yourself
to go out and do

597
00:27:38,020 --> 00:27:40,520
that because you will find kind,

598
00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:42,340
willing people to do that,

599
00:27:42,340 --> 00:27:45,140
whether they're
Latino, Latino or not.

600
00:27:45,140 --> 00:27:47,260
I think that's the
number one thing.

601
00:27:47,260 --> 00:27:49,460
The second thing I
would say is that

602
00:27:49,460 --> 00:27:54,940
the Hispanic community across
the country is growing.

603
00:27:54,940 --> 00:27:57,260
It's economic power;

604
00:27:57,260 --> 00:27:59,700
I think we're 90
million in the country.

605
00:27:59,700 --> 00:28:04,380
The GDP and the spend of
Latino community would be,

606
00:28:04,380 --> 00:28:05,540
I think, the fifth or sixth

607
00:28:05,540 --> 00:28:08,300
highest in the world
if it was a country.

608
00:28:08,300 --> 00:28:13,020
There is power there, and
using the term minority is

609
00:28:13,020 --> 00:28:15,720
probably not
appropriate anymore for

610
00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:18,540
many persons of color,

611
00:28:18,540 --> 00:28:20,545
including the
Hispanic community.

612
00:28:20,545 --> 00:28:23,600
There's an opportunity to
be proud of that and to

613
00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:26,560
understand where the
Hispanic community

614
00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:29,020
fits within our country,

615
00:28:29,020 --> 00:28:31,200
not culturally, historically,

616
00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:33,345
but from an economic
perspective,

617
00:28:33,345 --> 00:28:37,100
and don't be shy about
understanding that.

618
00:28:37,100 --> 00:28:38,800
Enrique Cerna: Good
words. I think

619
00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:40,160
your grandmother would be proud

620
00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:41,750
and your grandfather, too.

621
00:28:41,750 --> 00:28:42,920
Fred Rivera: Thank you.

622
00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:44,840
Enrique Cerna: Fred
Rivera, thanks so much,

623
00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:46,360
and let's stay in touch.

624
00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:47,880
Best of luck with all of this,

625
00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:49,420
and be interesting to

626
00:28:49,420 --> 00:28:52,300
see where it all takes
you down the road here.

627
00:28:52,300 --> 00:28:53,980
Fred Rivera: Appreciate
that. It's going to

628
00:28:53,980 --> 00:28:55,765
be a fun ride, no matter
where it ends up.

629
00:28:55,765 --> 00:28:58,380
Enrique Cerna: Fred,
thank you. [MUSIC]