Featured Speaker - Andy Kaufmann, "Living the Sports Dream"

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Andy Kaufmann is a successful entrepreneur and businessman who started in his family business while a child. Andy learned a great deal about business from his first real life hero, his father. One of his duties included assembling first aid kits for his father's business, which in return his father paid him in baseball cards. In 1999, Andy graduated from Emerson College with a degree in Marketing on a mission to build brands. After selling his most recent company, UST Brands, he acquired Majority Ownership of the Miracle on January 8th, 2019. The team was rebranded the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels and also is a partner with the Minnesota Twins Spring Training.  In July 2018, Andy formed a group of Jacksonville based investors and purchased the Jacksonville Icemen, creating the only locally owned sports team in Jacksonville.  That group has expanded to include such sports stars as Tim Tebow (College Football, NFL and prior NY Mets prospect), Daniel Murphy (MLB Baseball star), Myles Jack (NFL star) and Reggie Hayward (former NFL star) among other successful investors. Since then, Andy has continued to grow Zawyer Sports by purchasing the Jacksonville Ice & Sportsplex, the now Community First Igloo, and the latest ECHL expansion team in Savannah, GA, the Savannah Ghost Pirates.  Zawyer Sports continues to grow as the business seeks new team and venue opportunities. 

 Andy, his wife Farah and their sons Sawyer and Zachary live and are very active in the Jacksonville community.