Full Name: Kerry Ocei Carter

Alma Mater: Stanford University ‘03

Job Title: Chief Operating Officer

How long have you been with Atavus?

It will be 5 years this June since I joined the company.

How would you describe your role at Atavus?

My role at Atavus is to lead from the front and prepare the team for the milestones, initiatives, campaigns, product launches, and other challenges that help our business grow so that we can better serve coaches.

In your own words, describe what Atavus does:

We combine data analytics and world-class coaching philosophy to measure and improve the performance of players, coaches, and teams.

What distinguishes Atavus from the competition?

Our ability to serve clients at all levels of the game from youth to professional leagues, along with the ability to translate relevant data into actionable insights that educate coaches and empowers athletes.

What is the best part about working for Atavus?

The people. Every single team member is committed to making a difference using the platform of football.

What qualifies you to teach tackling to coaches?

I played 9 years of professional football and had to re-learn how to tackle as a Pro when I started playing on special teams. The concepts and the process of teaching and evaluating tackling developed here at Atavus make teaching tackling clear and consistent.

What is your business superpower?

I can remain patient, poised, and focused while encouraging an environment of innovation and challenging ideas in a fast-moving industry. This was cultivated during my playing career and has been an invaluable transferable skill.

Describe a story or instance that influenced your decision to join Atavus:

I have a very personal connection to the mission of making the game of football safer. While playing college football, I was involved in a collision with a defensive back from the University of Washington, Curtis Williams. As a result of the collision, Curtis was left paralyzed and passed away one year later. Not a day goes by that I do not think about that moment and what could have been done to avoid that tragedy. I held on to that throughout my 9-year professional football career and when I came across Atavus and what they were doing to affect the behavior of athletes in tackling, the decision was easy. No piece of equipment, helmet, or wearable could have prevented what happened. However, if I could help just one athlete and family avoid the pain of such a tragedy by teaching them to tackle safely, I would consider it a success.