Building the Empire Through Partnerships – Meet Billy Velto

Building the Empire Through Partnerships – Meet Billy Velto

Empire Strykers fans—have you ever wondered who it is behind the scenes making all these great things happen for the Strykers?

• Creating a fabulous game-day experience.
• Helping put a highly competitive team on the field while keeping the club engaged with the community.
• Encouraging kids and families to live fit and healthy lifestyles.
• Teaching soccer skills to the next generation through youth camps and clinics.

Well, that's your Empire Strykers front office staff, and we're excited to help you get to know them through a series of interviews about their role with the club, their passion for sports, and what it's like working behind the scenes for the Empire Strykers.

Getting to Know Billy Velto

Strong partnerships are a major reason the Empire Strykers continue to grow both on and off the field, and leading that effort is Director of Corporate Partnerships Billy Velto. Now in his third season with the organization, Billy works every day to connect businesses with the club while helping create valuable partnerships that benefit the Strykers, their fans, and the Inland Empire community.

For Billy, a career in sports has always been the goal.

"I knew working in sports was what I wanted to do for as long as I can remember," he said. "Aside from a two-year period, I have spent my entire post-college career working in professional sports."

When the opportunity to join the Empire Strykers presented itself, it was an easy decision.

"The opportunity to return to sports, combined with the location of the organization, sparked my interest in joining the Empire Strykers."

As Director of Corporate Partnerships, every day brings a new challenge.

"My primary focus is on prospecting, building business relationships, generating revenue, and meeting with current and prospective partners," Billy explained.

While fans often see partner logos throughout Toyota Arena or at community events, they may not realize just how much work goes into creating those relationships. Behind every sponsorship is countless hours of networking, conversations, and collaboration that help strengthen the club both financially and within the community.

For Billy, one of the most rewarding parts of his role is helping grow the business side of the organization while continuing to advance his own career in professional sports.

"The opportunity to continue growing my professional sports career with a strong emphasis on revenue generation and partnership development has been incredibly rewarding. Being able to travel to SPORTEL Monaco and TST, I have been able to experience a front row seat to how major brands activate, thus expanding my knowledge in the partnership space."

Looking back on his time with the Empire Strykers, Billy says seeing the club's partnership portfolio continue to expand has been one of his proudest accomplishments.

"One of my most memorable experiences has been seeing the growth in our partnerships, particularly being able to bring Verizon on board," he said. "Securing partnerships with organizations such as Verizon, whom is a prominent brand in the partnership space, was very rewarding and showcased the growth opportunities for the Empire Strykers and the MASL."

That growth reflects the culture Billy sees every day within the organization.

"Hustle, grit, and teamwork."

Those values also extend into the Empire Strykers' commitment to serving the Inland Empire through clinics, appearances, and community initiatives.

"Community involvement increases engagement and creates opportunities for those who may be less fortunate."

Billy believes fans would also be surprised by what happens behind the scenes every day.

"People might be surprised by how much our staff is able to accomplish with limited resources."

Looking ahead, he's excited to continue helping the club reach new heights.

"The opportunity to continue increasing revenue and exposure for both the club and the league is what excites me most."

Before wrapping up, Billy shared one final message for Empire Strykers supporters.

"Keep coming to games and supporting the team. Continued growth in attendance and ticket sales plays a major role in helping the club move forward and achieve its goals."

So now you've gotten to know Billy Velto a little better. If you would like to know more about patnership opportunities, please reach out to Billy at BVelto@TheEmpireStrykers.com.

For everything Empire Strykers—including season tickets, single-game tickets, official fan gear, the latest Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) news, and everything related to indoor soccer in the Inland Empire—visit www.theempirestrykers.com.

And don't forget to tune in to Soccer in 60 every Thursday afternoon on KMET 1490 ABC News & Sports Radio Inland Empire, where hosts J.R. and Tim bring you the latest news and stories from around the soccer world.