Mark French
Chief Executive Officer
DON’T QUIT
Mark French has created, operated and sold multiple businesses in the consumer goods, sports, media and technology industries. As profiled by Forbes, French is recognized as one of the most successful business disruptors.
Previous ventures include MISSION®, The Players’ Tribune®, Healthy Together®, as well as entrepreneurial leadership roles with NBC Universal® (Founder of NBC Everywhere). French is the Founder of NLP Ventures, an investor and hands-on operational partner for portfolio companies in the Consumer Goods, Sports, Entertainment, and Technology sectors.
Leading consumer PE Firm L Catterton tapped French to join them on the Board of Directors for their portfolio company X2 Performance (a clean, healthy sports energy brand) and take over the CEO role in effort to scale the business. Under French’s leadership X2 partnered with Kawhi Leonard, Saquon Barkley and other elite athletes to grow the brands offering and distribution with large retailers including CVS, Subway, AMPM, GNC, etc. Mark recently led the strategic merger of X2 with Keurig Dr Pepper’s sports protein brand DON’T QUIT. Under French’s leadership DON’T QUIT now features clean / healthy sports beverages for all use occasions and is backed by Keurig Dr Pepper, LA Libations, Madison Square Garden, L Catterton, Sweetwater Private Equity, etc.
Over the course of his entrepreneurial career, French has partnered with legendary co-founding athletes and entertainers including Dwyane Wade, Serena Williams, Derek Jeter, Carmelo Anthony, Reggie Bush, Saquon Barkley, Damar Hamlin, DJ Khaled, Kendall Toole and others. Premiere institutional investors including L Catterton, Madison Square Garden, Live Nation, Endeavor, Roc Nation, Nelson Peltz, etc have backed French and his disruptive ventures.
As a philanthropist, Mark received the Lowell B. Mason Award for exemplary volunteer service for his constant commitment and mentorship to at-risk inner-city youth. Mark was one of 150 delegates selected by Pope Francis for the Global “Sport at the Service of Humanity” Council. French is an alum of Ithaca College, where he is an active member of the Athletic Departments Advisory Council. He is a graduate from Harvard’s Business of Entertainment, Media, and Sports Executive Program.
Mark’s inspiring entrepreneurial story has been featured on CNBC, Forbes, ESPN, Fox Business News, and more. Mark is often asked to share his entrepreneurial story and teach best practices with corporate giants such as GE, The NFL and more.
Previous ventures include MISSION®, The Players’ Tribune®, Healthy Together®, as well as entrepreneurial leadership roles with NBC Universal® (Founder of NBC Everywhere). French is the Founder of NLP Ventures, an investor and hands-on operational partner for portfolio companies in the Consumer Goods, Sports, Entertainment, and Technology sectors.
Leading consumer PE Firm L Catterton tapped French to join them on the Board of Directors for their portfolio company X2 Performance (a clean, healthy sports energy brand) and take over the CEO role in effort to scale the business. Under French’s leadership X2 partnered with Kawhi Leonard, Saquon Barkley and other elite athletes to grow the brands offering and distribution with large retailers including CVS, Subway, AMPM, GNC, etc. Mark recently led the strategic merger of X2 with Keurig Dr Pepper’s sports protein brand DON’T QUIT. Under French’s leadership DON’T QUIT now features clean / healthy sports beverages for all use occasions and is backed by Keurig Dr Pepper, LA Libations, Madison Square Garden, L Catterton, Sweetwater Private Equity, etc.
Over the course of his entrepreneurial career, French has partnered with legendary co-founding athletes and entertainers including Dwyane Wade, Serena Williams, Derek Jeter, Carmelo Anthony, Reggie Bush, Saquon Barkley, Damar Hamlin, DJ Khaled, Kendall Toole and others. Premiere institutional investors including L Catterton, Madison Square Garden, Live Nation, Endeavor, Roc Nation, Nelson Peltz, etc have backed French and his disruptive ventures.
As a philanthropist, Mark received the Lowell B. Mason Award for exemplary volunteer service for his constant commitment and mentorship to at-risk inner-city youth. Mark was one of 150 delegates selected by Pope Francis for the Global “Sport at the Service of Humanity” Council. French is an alum of Ithaca College, where he is an active member of the Athletic Departments Advisory Council. He is a graduate from Harvard’s Business of Entertainment, Media, and Sports Executive Program.
Mark’s inspiring entrepreneurial story has been featured on CNBC, Forbes, ESPN, Fox Business News, and more. Mark is often asked to share his entrepreneurial story and teach best practices with corporate giants such as GE, The NFL and more.