THE EXECUTIVE TEAM
FRANK LAMICELLA
Chief Executive Officer
Frank Lamicella is the Chief Executive Officer of Thrill Sports. Frank is responsible for setting the strategic vision, operational and commercial direction of the organization, overseeing Power Slap, Street League Skateboarding, Nitro Circus and Thrill Sports Productions, and a team of over forty exceptional employees.
Frank has over a decade of experience in sports and entertainment. Prior to leading Thrill Sports, Frank was the President of Power Slap since its inception in 2022, after spending four years with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the world leader in combat sports.
Frank started his career as a mergers and acquisitions associate with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP in New York with a focus on large public and private equity deals in the sports & entertainment industry.
BRETT CLARKE
Chief Revenue Officer
Brett Clarke is the Chief Revenue Officer and has an extensive background in the sports and entertainment industry after serving 9 years in Australia’s National Rugby League as the General Manager of Wests Tigers, one of the country’s largest sporting franchises.
Brett was inducted into the Ivy League’s inaugural 10 NEXT Class of 2011 for global sports leaders 30 or under and was also inducted into the Leaders Under 40 Class of 2016 at the Leaders Sports Business awards event in London.
Currently driving the commercial elements of the business, Brett is overseeing the rapid growth of sponsorship, as well as heading up the global licensing, consumer products and media distribution departments of the business.
TAL COOPERMAN
Chief Marketing Officer
Tal Cooperman is the Chief Marketing Officer of Thrill Sports, where he leads all creative, brand, and marketing strategy across the company’s global event properties including the development of new formats, storytelling initiatives, and large-scale cultural activations. Prior to joining Thrill Sports, Tal served as Creative Director for Red Rock Resorts, and worked on major projects for the company.
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With nearly two decades in the action-sports world, Tal has been deeply embedded in the culture from his early days with AGENDA Trade Show, to his marketing work with Neff Headwear, Vestal Watches, Tribal Streetwear, Matix & DVS shoes to building and consulting for numerous streetwear brands. Known as a natural dot-connector, he has spent years bringing together athletes, artists, brands, and creators to build meaningful partnerships and moments that move culture.
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Tal is also one of the founding partners of TRUFF Hot Sauce, helping the brand evolve into a global phenomenon recognized for its blend of luxury, lifestyle, and bold storytelling. He spent several years collaborating with Reebok, producing some of the brand’s biggest art shows and cultural initiatives.
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Tal’s career has been defined by storytelling, community building, and an instinct for elevating creative talent and brands at scale.
SARAH CASTANEDA
EVP, Events
Sarah Castaneda is the Executive Vice President of Events for Thrill Sports. Sarah has over 18 years of experience in event development and execution of the largest and most prestigious events in action sports. She has held a leadership role with large, world-class events and special content-driven projects within the action sports disciplines of Skateboarding, BMX, Snowboarding, Freeskiing, Freestyle Moto, RallyCross and Scootering.
Sarah’s expertise lies in the specific areas of competition management and overall athlete experience; including selection, invites, athlete activation, competition format, scheduling, rules, run-of-show formats, and live televised competition coordination/management.
NICOLE LESANI
General Counsel
Nicole Lesani is the General Counsel at Thrill Sports and oversees the legal and compliance functions across the enterprise. She brings extensive experience in complex commercial transactions, strategic risk management, and corporate governance.
Prior to joining Thrill One, Nicole was Vice President & Senior Associate General Counsel at Las Vegas Sands Corp. where she was responsible for litigation, intellectual property, cyber security, information governance and was the company’s Data Privacy Officer. She began her career as a litigator in private practice.
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Nicole earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the William S. Boyd School of Law at University of Nevada-Las Vegas and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Missouri.
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RICKY MELNIK
SVP & GM, Nitro Circus
Ricky Melnik is the General Manger for sports entertainment leader Nitro Circus. Melnik has a long history in action sports, starting at a very young age when he competed as an aspiring snowboard athlete. As he traveled to events across the country, Melnik began building an extensive network of relationships within the sports community and became increasingly drawn to the creative energy of the business.
In 1996, Melnik’s passion for action sports grew into a career which has now spanned over two decades. He since has gone on to work for numerous top brands including DC Shoe Company, World Industries, Forum Snowboards, Von Zipper Eyewear and DVS Shoe Company where he was the Global Marketing Director. Most recently Melnik served as the Athlete and Brand Manager for Nitro Circus, where he traveled, managed, and co-produced over 200 live shows in stadiums and arenas across the globe over the past 8 years.
With his history of successful leadership in all aspects of brand and athlete marketing, Melnik has developed an acute insight into market demand, and can tap into his creativity, innovation and resourcefulness to discover untapped markets and open new revenue channels.
MATT RODRIGUEZ
General Manager, SLS
Matt Rodriguez is the General Manager of Street League Skateboarding (SLS), bringing over 25 years of experience in the skateboarding industry. Since the league's inception, he has played a pivotal role in its global growth and progression, leveraging his deep skateboarding expertise across content, live competition, and brand strategy. Under his leadership, the league’s international expansion has set the precedent for competitive street skateboarding worldwide and continues to ensure the highest quality standards are consistently met for the world’s best street skateboarders, while also enhancing community engagement and support for skateboarding at the local level.
Before joining SLS, Matt has worked with prominent brands such as Vans, Adidas, Converse, Monster Children, & The Berrics, driving innovative projects that have left a lasting impact on the industry.