Molly Arbogast built a 25-year career working for agencies, professional teams and leagues before venturing into entrepreneurship in 2016. Her vision was to create a consulting agency that would provide strategic guidance to brands, helping them build better strategies, negotiate stronger deals and activate partnerships more effectively. By leveraging her knowledge as a buyer, Arbogast established herself as a trusted advocate for her clients.
Arbogast has developed a suite of services called SponsorshipEdge, dedicated to assisting properties in developing inventory, sponsorship sales strategy and advisory services. She also focuses on mentoring the next generation of sponsorship salespeople and sports marketers, sharing her expertise to empower others.
“It would be easy to say that the biggest risk I took was starting my own firm,” Arbogast said. “However, I believe the most important risk I’ve taken is growing my business from a consulting firm of one to a full-scale agency employing a team of people. Taking the risk to be self-employed is one thing, but taking on the responsibility of employing others and helping them build their careers and livelihoods is another thing entirely. It can be intimidating but worth the reward every day for the people I get to work with and the clients we have the privilege of serving.”
POV Sports Marketing’s client roster includes well-known brands such as Wawa, Bimbo Bakeries, Firstrust Bank, Rothman Orthopaedics, ASM Global, USA Gymnastics and USA Lacrosse. POV is recognized as the only certified woman-owned consulting agency in the sports business, highlighting Arbogast’s groundbreaking work.
POV Sports Marketing’s team boasts over 30 years of combined experience in negotiation and strategy across several sports leagues, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, WNBA, MLS and college sports. The firm has negotiated contracts worth over $300 million, and the agency is certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) and Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) through the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
Arbogast was named a Sports Business Journal Game Changer in 2019, which honors key women shaping the future of sports business. In 2020, she received the St. Lawrence University Alumni Citation for her career accomplishments and dedication to her alma mater.
Outside of her work at POV Sports Marketing, Arbogast serves on the Board of Directors of Special Olympics Pennsylvania.
Arbogast said the challenges on the field in sports are similar to the challenges found in business.
“Sports requires a team effort both on and off the field,” she said. “The parallels to business are significant. Teams address challenges/problems best when they do four things: understand the cause, remain open-minded to the solution, communicate well during the analysis and learn from the experience.”
