Cody Sivan is the Founder of the Brick Wall Pro Series - a pro pickleball system focused on accessibility and opportunity for players, fans, and the community as a whole.
Named one of MSN’s Top 10 Transformational Coaches of 2026, Dane Robinson doesn’t just show up with a mic; he shows up ready to turn every event into Game day. A former professional athlete turned TV fitness coach and nationally recognized presenter, Dane brings the same electric presence he’s delivered on NBC’s TODAY Show and with power house brands like Gatorade at Super Bowl LIX and LX.
Picture pro-athlete discipline, live-TV timing, and that sixth-sense ability to make everyone feel seen!
At the end of the day,Dane’s formula is simple: Create the moment. Lean into the moment. Remember our experience!
The only question now is…
Are you ready?
Dillon Rosenthal is the Founder & CEO of BounceBack Pickle, a 5x award-winning startup revolutionizing the pickleball industry with the world's first closed-loop recycling system for pickleballs. Every year, 770,000 lbs of broken pickleballs end up in landfills with no end-of-life solution. BounceBack partners with facilities nationwide to collect discarded balls, reprocess the plastic, and remanufacture them into the world's first recycled pickleball.
Dr. Rommie Maxey is a nationally recognized leader in pickleball, highlighted by his 2019 U.S. Open National Championship and six national champion/runner-up finishes at the 5.0+ level. He holds a Ph.D. in Motor Skills and Kinesiology and is known for his biomechanics-based coaching approach focused on performance and injury prevention. As CEO and Founder of NMP Pickleball, he has trained more than 14,000 players and developed 41 national champions. Maxey is also a co-owner of the Houston Hammers pro team, a managing partner of two indoor facilities in Houston, and an advisor to multiple pickleball organizations. He continues to shape the sport through coaching, competition, and industry leadership.
Elissa Brown is the founder and content creator behind Black Girls Pickle, Too, a platform dedicated to increasing visibility and community for Black women in pickleball. After being introduced to the sport in 2024, she quickly became passionate about both playing and sharing the experience. Through digital content and community engagement, she highlights the stories, energy, and presence of Black women in a rapidly growing sport. Her work centers on representation, connection and events, and creating space on and off the court.
Gehrig Dieter is a former NFL wide receiver who played for the Kansas City Chiefs. Following his football career, he has transitioned into business and entrepreneurship, working in strategic partnerships with Chicken N Pickle and building his own athlete training brand focused on wide receiver development. Dieter remains active in the Kansas City sports community and enjoys mentoring young athletes while staying involved in competitive sports and charity events.
Jack Jewsbury is a former Major League Soccer midfielder with a distinguished 14-year professional career. Upon retiring in 2016, he was one of only ten players in MLS history to appear in more than 350 league matches.
A Missouri native, Jack was a stand out at Kickapoo HighSchool, setting state scoring records before going on to play collegiate soccer at Saint Louis University, where he finished among the program’s all-time scoring leaders and earned Conference Player of the Year honors.
Professionally, Jack spent eight seasons with the Kansas City Wizards (now Sporting KC), winning both the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and a Western Conference title in 2014, before being traded and becoming the first captain in Portland Timbers MLS history. He was named an MLS All-Star in 2011and helped lead Portland to an MLS Cup championship in 2015.
Following his playing career, Jack remained with the Timbers in a front office and community ambassador capacity before returning to Kansas City in 2021, where he now serves as a Client Advocate at Lockton Companies. He lives in Overland Park with his wife and their two teenage daughters, ages 14and 16, who keep him busy with volleyball and dance.
The Royal Chief is a Kansas City based recording artist, curator and DJ known for blending hip-hop, R&B, and culture-driven sounds into high-energy, crowd-focused sets. As the founder of the Sovereign brand ecosystem and creator of events like OnWax DJ Battle, Juice Jamz, and Mainstreet Movie club, he brings both musical precision and community-first energy to every stage.
Joey Farias is a veteran of the pro pickleball circuit and one of the sport’s most respected players and coaches. A former top junior tennis player, Joey transitioned to pickleball in its early years and quickly made his mark with podium finishes at major events like the US Open and Nationals. Was part of the best doubles team in the world in 2017-2018 Joey has won and or medaled in every major pickleball tour. Known for his smooth hands, smart strategy, and elite-level shot making, Joey also brings years of coaching experience, helping players of all levels elevate their game.
Nathan Ruivivar, formerly known as Nate PB, is a Northern California–based pickleball influencer, community leader, and the Chief Creative Officer of pickleball apparel brand HappyDinker. Introduced to pickleball by his family in 2023 at his local park, Nathan quickly developed a passion for the sport that fueled both his competitive spirit and his commitment to community building.
Since then, he has become a recognized presence within the Bay Area pickleball scene, hosting and supporting social events in collaboration with local facilities to create welcoming spaces for both new and seasoned players. These shared values led Nathan to connect with HappyDinker, where he now leads the brand’s creative direction as Chief Creative Officer.
Beyond the courts, Nathan continues to grow the game through social media, curating a combined following of over 1.5K by blending humor, personality-driven content, and his popular series “Home Court Highlights,” which showcases pickleball locations players can explore and experience for themselves. In 2026, with support from sponsors Aireo Sports and Hundred USA, Nathan will expand his reach by visiting major cities to connect with prominent pickleball facilities and creators nationwide.
Nico the Lefty is a pickleball coach, media personality, and entrepreneur helping grow the sport through coaching, content, and community. He is the co-host of PicklePod with Zane Navratil, one of the leading podcasts in pickleball, and serves as the Head Pro at 3rd Shot Pickleball in Reno, Nevada. Nico is also a DUPR Master Instructor and the founder of Nomad Pickleball, a brand focused on pickleball travel experiences and online training. Through his work across media, coaching, and events, Nico focuses on making pickleball more accessible, entertaining, and engaging for players of all levels.
Nikki Maldonado is the creator behind PickleballNikki, a fast-growing platform and movement dedicated to keeping pickleball joyful.
In a sport often dominated by skills, drills, and ego, Nikki brings something different: connection. She's not a pro. She's the ultimate intermediate — the bridge between beginners experiencing the honeymoon phase and advanced players who've lost their spark. Her content doesn't talk AT people. It talks WITH them. Every video, comment, and DM feels like a conversation with a friend.
Nikki believes pickleball can save the world. In a disconnected society craving real connection, this sport offers something rare: community, joy, and belonging at any skill level. But that magic is at risk. As pickleball grows, so does the pressure to become like every other sport: cutthroat, toxic, ego-driven. Nikki's mission is to make sure that doesn't happen.
Through her brand and the Pickleball Joy Pledge, she's rallying players everywhere to protect the heart of the game. Less ego. More paddle taps. Joy isn't just for beginners — it's for everyone, forever.
Chef Richard Blais began his culinary career training under some of the world’s most illustrious chefs, including Chef Thomas Keller at The French Laundry, Chef Daniel Boulud at his flagship Restaurant Daniel, and Ferran Adrià at El Bulli. His wildly creative approach to cooking led to the establishment of Trail Blais, a forward-thinking culinary consulting group that has designed and launched popular restaurants across the country and advises national brands on menu creativity, ideation, and employee training sessions. Current projects include Ember & Rye in Carlsbad, CA, Four Flamingos in Orlando and Key West, FL, and Kestrel at Indian Wells Golf Resort in Southern CA.
Most recently, Chef Blais partnered with Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort on their culinary programming, with his first restaurants in Arizona including La Zozzona with a menu inspired by his extensive travels throughout the cities and countryside of Italy, and Tiki Taka, featuring small plates inspired by the flavors of Japanese and Spanish cultures, while also highlighting ingredients from the Southwest. Additionally, he serves as Culinary Director at the San Diego Symphony performance space, The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park.
Richard is widely recognized from Bravo’s Top Chef Series as the winner of the inaugural Top Chef All-Stars. He is the author of three cookbooks, Try This At Home, So Good, and Plant Forward, and currently co-stars alongside Gordon Ramsay on FOX’s Next Level Chef. When not on set, in the kitchen or at home with his family, Blais may be found traveling cross country performing his live “stand up cooking” show to enthusiastic audiences nationwide.
Stephanie Beveridge is the co-host of the Big Dink Energy Podcast and co-creator of the Dink & Dash App. Big Dink Energy covers everything from pickleball to peptides — keeping the laughs and energy high when you're over 40, with new episodes every Tuesday. Dink & Dash is a pickleball app that captures your moments, tracks your journey, and keeps you connected to the community that makes the game fun.
For Stephanie, pickleball is about more than the game — it's permission to play. Women over 40 often trade play for responsibilities and life, but we don't have to. Stephanie found her way back to play when she found pickleball, and it reconnected her to the joy that dance, gymnastics, and cheerleading once brought her.
At PickleCon 2026, she's bringing that full circle with Booty on the Court — a fun, all-levels dance warm-up on Championship Court designed to get everyone moving, laughing, and ready to play.
