Davyeon Ross is co-founder of ShotTracker, a revolutionary sensor-based system that delivers statistics and analytics to teams, fans and broadcast networks instantly, enhancing the experience of the game — both on and off the court.

Mr. Ross’s Story:

I am from Trinidad and Tobago and came to the US on a basketball scholarship to Benedictine College where I played collegiate basketball and studied Computer Science, Math and Business. In 2013 my co-founder and I started ShotTracker. ShotTracker is a sensor based system that tracks statistics and analytics with sub-second latency. Providing data to coaches, players, fans, broadcasters and others.

At ShotTracker we have filed 26 patents of which 17 have been issued. Our solution has been installed in over 70 programs and in 2016 for the first time ever we partnered with the NCAA to deliver electronic data to the bench area in a collegiate basketball game.

Describe the most significant influence that led you to your line of work
By nature I’m a problem solver and very solution oriented. Influence and inspiration always manifest itself in many different ways. Personally for me, I’m inspired by curiosity and the ability to create and solve complex problems. I’m also inspired by the people I surround myself with. ShotTracker lives at the intersection of sports and technology. An industry that has many hurdles, large established partners who don’t want to be disrupted and an environment that has many technical limitations. My passion for sports, tech and innovation is critical to my line of work.

What do your family, friends and colleagues say about your accomplishments?
My family, friends and colleagues are always in awe of what we have been able to do at ShotTracker. Those close to me know the struggle and challenges we had to overcome to get to where we are. They also have a strong appreciation for the village that has supported and allowed us to be successful.

Tell us about something that made you grow the most as a leader:
I have always seen my most growth as a leader during challenging times. Adversity has been my best teacher. Start ups are incredibly hard and it’s a lot of work. 2020 has been an emotional and stressful year for people and in general, people of color, however, it’s been a great teacher. 2020 provided us with a strong appreciation for others (Team), humility and gratitude that we are here to fight another day and we have a responsibility to the ones who will follow in our path. As I continue to lead my team, I’m humbled at their support and it continues to provide me the necessary stamina to continue executing, pushing and leading.

Share your ideas for mentoring the professional development of young entrepreneurs:
Daily I have conversations with young entrepreneurs and I’m always willing to share my learnings in the hope they learn from my mistakes. My advice includes, take risk, you don’t score if you don’t shoot, and you can go further together, get a good team.

To date, what project is your greatest success? What is the story behind that innovation?
Greatest success as it relates to innovation is being the first company to deliver FCC approved resonant charging in a basketball. As you cam imagine, if one is going to put a sensor in a basketball, you either need a large battery which would disrupt the integrity of the basketball or make it rechargeable. Seeing that the sensor is implemented in the ball as part of the manufacturing process, it’s critical to be able to charge over a distance and not utilize traditional methods of charging such as inductive or contact.

Prior to ShotTracker taking on this project, two large public companies attempted this task and failed. However, our amazing ShotTracker team was able to persevere thru the challenges and after 2 years and many long hours, we were one of the first FCC approved resonant charging solutions in the market. We also delivered on a rechargeable ball rack that was the first of its kind.