The Next Mark Cuban? A BYU Campus Entrepreneur

Today’s WaPo (free reg required) has a great piece by Les Carpenter on Brandt Andersen, an up and comping sports owner in the NBA’s Developmental League (or D-League). He is the owner of the Utah Flash. According to the article,

As a student at Brigham Young University, Andersen charged $5,000 on a credit card to start his company, uSight, even though he knew nothing about writing computer code. When uSight began to thrive, he pushed it hard, building it until Inc. Magazine ranked it the second-fastest growing private company in 2004 with $27.6 million in sales the previous year. Not long after he sold uSight and became richer than he could have ever imagined.

Andersen sold his company and began to set his sites on new endeavors; eventually deciding that he wanted to own an NBA franchise. He cold called the NBA a few years back to inquire about purchasing a team; they weren’t too impressed. Over time, he got their attention and was eventually awarded the D-League franchise for Orem, Utah. In the two years since the team’s inception he has made a name for himself and done things that few other D-League franchisees have done.

He is now working with world-renowned architect Frank Gehry to build a new stadium and 100 acre development (including condos, etc.) surrounding the stadium. The development is called The Point and you can read about it at Andersen’s Blog. Andersen is only 31 years old, but he exhibits all the drive and confidence that most successful campus entrepreneurs (including Mark Cuban) have and the mettle to reach out and try to work with the world’s most successful people, regardless of field and regardless of the outcome. (COLD CALLING WORKS IF DONE RIGHT)

Andersen’s aggressiveness and vision (he launched USight during the tech crash!) has changed the way NBA management now views the D-League. In the past they positioned the league as a way to groom players and coaches. Now the NBA sees it as a way to build a generation of owners as well. Nice work Brandt.

Remember the name Brandt Andersen as he may bring your favorite NBA team a title one day.