Sports gaming startup Underdog has reinforced its senior leadership team with two key hires as it accelerates its entry into sports prediction markets. The company announced on Tuesday that Rishi Garg will serve as chief financial officer and Kimberly Pointer Corbett will step in as chief marketing officer.

The appointments come just weeks after Underdog introduced event contracts for sports wagering in partnership with Crypto.com’s U.S. derivatives arm. The new contracts allow fans to place financial stakes on the outcomes of major league events across the NFL, NBA, MLB, and college football. With this move, Underdog became the first major sports gaming operator to offer such products directly within its app.

CEO and founder Jeremy Levine said the hires reflect the company’s strategy of building a world-class executive team to lead its next phase. “Our formula to win is simple: invest in people and product, and we bring in leaders who know what it takes to build the type of company we want to be,” Levine explained according to Reuters. “Throughout their careers, Rishi and Kimberly have done it, demonstrating the ability to build some of the most globally successful consumer brands. We have ambitious goals and we’re building the team to take us there.”

Rishi Garg: Finance Leader with Silicon Valley Roots

Garg joins Underdog after decades of experience in both corporate and venture roles. He previously served as vice president of corporate development and strategy at Twitter and held senior leadership positions at Square and Zynga. More recently, he was a partner at Mayfield Fund, where he focused on consumer investments for nearly nine years.

At Underdog, he will be tasked with guiding financial strategy, corporate development, and long-term capital planning. He succeeds founding team member Dustin Cooper, who is transitioning from CFO to chief business officer.

Garg emphasized the scale of the opportunity at hand. “After only five years, Underdog is growing fast and is beloved by fans,” he said. “Right now, we have a pivotal opportunity to be a great consumer company and build the essential daily companion to the American sports fan, and I am excited to be a part of it.” He also described prediction markets as “kind of a gold mine hiding in plain sight.”

Kimberly Pointer Corbett: Marketing Veteran from Warner Bros Games

Pointer Corbett brings more than a decade of marketing experience in mobile and console gaming. She most recently served as senior vice president of digital publishing at Warner Bros Games, where she oversaw publishing strategies across analytics, user acquisition, creative services, and advertising. Before Warner Bros, she held leadership roles at Zynga, Kabam, and Fortis Games.

At Underdog, she will focus on scaling the company’s marketing operations as it seeks to grow its fan base and develop stronger engagement. She replaces Liz Marro, another member of Underdog’s founding team, who stepped down from the CMO role earlier this year to take on an advisory position.

Pointer Corbett expressed enthusiasm about the move in both company statements and her LinkedIn post. “We’re here to serve sports fans in the most compelling way in the industry. I’m swinging hard with the best team as we scale Underdog to be the ultimate sports brand. Keep an eye out, we’re doing big things,” she wrote. In an interview, she added, “We’re here to make sports more fun. And when fans want sports news and content, we want them to think of Underdog.”

Expansion Backed by Funding and Rising Valuation

The leadership changes come as Underdog continues its rapid growth trajectory. The company, founded in 2020, projects nearly $500 million in revenue this year—its fifth year in business. Earlier in 2025, it secured $70 million in Series C funding led by Spark Capital, the largest investment in the sports gaming industry from a top-tier Silicon Valley firm. That funding round pushed Underdog’s valuation above $1.3 billion.

Currently, Underdog’s event contract offerings are live in 16 states, including several where online sports betting has not yet been legalized. This rollout sets Underdog apart from competitors, including FanDuel, which has announced but not yet launched a similar platform in partnership with CME Group.

Despite concerns raised by some regulators about event contracts blurring the line with gambling, Underdog’s leadership remains focused on their potential to transform how fans engage with sports. As Pointer Corbett put it, the company is positioned “to be the biggest in the space with what they’ve built for sports fans.”