Joe Branch
Executive Director
Joe Branch
Joe Branch is a founding partner of UWANTGAME Ventures. An expert in sports marketing and athlete education, Joe has served in many capacities in the sports industry and academic sector throughout his professional career. He was the Associate Brand Manager for Nike Basketball East before moving on to become the Senior Manager of Global Marketing Partnerships for the NBA.
In his current role with UWG, Joe oversees the mentor program in Brooklyn. He is also the Brand Manager for GameBreakers, a UWG initiative focused on effecting pipeline development of African-American male high school student-athletes and coaches.
Recognizing his acute sports marketing and business acumen, Five-Star Basketball hired Joe as a consultant to assist in the expansion of its Basketball Performance Academy by tasking him to complete a comprehensive business plan. Soon after, Joe was named Director of Youth Leaders of Emmanuel, a church-based organization dedicated to the positive growth of young people in the community. As Director of YLE, Joe is charged with rebranding the youth ministry as well as overseeing the annual operating budget and monthly programming.
An advocate of education, Joe has taken his knowledge to the classrooms of Long Island University–Brooklyn as Adjunct Professor in Sports Business where he focuses his curriculum on branding and sports marketing.
Joe’s own academic career began at The Kinkaid School in Houston, Texas. Upon graduating from the college preparatory school, he matriculated to Northwestern University. There, he was a member of the Wildcats basketball team and an Associate Student Government Senator. He continued his studies at Rice University where he earned an MBA in Marketing and Entrepreneurship and served as President of the Black Graduate School Association.
During his spare time, Joe enjoys reading, working out, playing basketball, and golf.
Alyssa Raas
Chief of Staff
Alyssa Rass
Alyssa Raas is a Marketing Specialist for the NBA in the Global Marketing Partnerships Group. Alyssa graduated from Boston College with a BS in Marketing. While at B.C., she was a member of the women’s rugby team, for which she served as President during her junior and senior years.
Alyssa endeavors to one day serve as a high school athletic director where she can make a difference in the lives of young student-athletes. Alyssa is originally from Pottersville, NJ, and currently resides in Manhattan.
Wesley Harris
Director of Digital Strategy
Wesley Harris is currently Sr. Coordinator, Basketball Operations at the National Basketball Association. He spent the last four years working in college athletics as Assistant Director of the Ivy League, where he was responsible for managing the NCAA Division I conference’s digital presence, media relations as well as coach & athlete management.
During that time he earned a Master of Science degree in Sports Management from Columbia University. Harris has various freelance writing credits and has also worked in athlete marketing for Wasserman Media Group. He received his BA in English from Georgetown University. )
Kim Miller
Director of Public Relations
Kim Miller is a consultant at a global firm where she supports corporate business transformations and provides pro bono services to nonprofits. She has served in the community as a volunteer coach, board member, and mentor. In 2010, she was recognized as a Hero in Mentoring by the MN Business Partnership. She is currently an active member of Surge for Water, a nonprofit that improves access to clean, safe water around the world.
Kim graduated from Northwestern University where she was a member of the cross country running team. As a new NYC resident, she enjoys running in Central Park.
Tracee Loran
Chief Information Officer/Student-Athlete Liaison
Tracee Loran
Tracee Loran is a Brooklyn-based actress/journalist. The Chicago native received a BA in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. For two years, Tracee hosted and penned a very popular Internet show called TV Quickie with Nikki. Later, she worked as an on-air reporter for ESPN Mobile; in her role, she covered major sporting events like the Super Bowl, Wimbledon, and MLB League Division Series. She has also appeared in several national television commercials for global brands such as FedEx, HBO, AT&T, and Arby’s, to name a few.
Tracee serves as the Director of Communication for the Youth Leaders of Emmanuel Baptist Church. She manages a blog called The Socialite Design and is an avid sports fan that loyally supports her alma mater and all Chicago teams.
