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Bill Rasmussen    

Founder of ESPN; Legendary Entrepreneur; Strategic Business Advisor

A life-long entrepreneur and sports fan, Bill  Rasmussen’s innovations in advertising, sports and broadcasting are too numerous to list, but they include the creation of ESPN, the world’s first 24-hour, 7-days-a-week sports television network; the network’s signature program "SportsCenter;" wall-to-wall coverage of NCAA men’s and women’s regular-season and tournament college basketball coverage; and coverage of the College World Series.

A United States Air Force veteran,  Rasmussen  received his bachelor’s degree in Economics from DePauw University and his MBA from Rutgers University.

Rasmussen  continues to be a popular guest on the speaking circuit, with engagements at Inc. Magazine; The January Series at Calvin College; Princeton University; The Maverick Series at University of Texas-Arlington; the University of Florida; Oklahoma; Minnesota; Build Magazine; and The Center for Sports Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University. 

Rasmussen  delivered the keynote address at the Entrepreneurship Center at the CEO Forum at the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, Ind. He spoke at the  Maastricht Institute of Entrepreneurship, which is held on the campus of Missouri Valley College. He is a frequent guest on radio, television and the pitcher’s mound.

He is now bringing awareness to Parkinson's Disease, encouraging people who live with it, and seeking a cure for it.

Speech Topics

The ESPN Story: From Humble Beginnings to Sports History

What turned out to be one of the greatest success stories in the history of sports television started with a little money and one huge dream. Now as the founder of ESPN, a multi-billion dollar company, Bill Rasmussen is one of the most successful businessmen in America. In this inspiring talk, Bill reveals how even the largest accomplishments begin with small steps and personal dreams. By encouraging even the youngest of entrepreneurs to think outside the box and take meaningful risks, Bill captivates audiences by taking them back in time to the beginnings of the 24-hour sports network that changed the history of television as we know it.

Leadership from Adversity: Opportunities for Reinvention in the Modern Age

ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen got fired from his job working for a Hartford, Connecticut-based professional hockey team and famously turned his struggles around when he took a $9,000 credit card cash advance to create a television network that is currently valued at $66 billion. “This is a guy whose idea gave birth to, arguably, the most successful media story of our time,” said author Jim Miller. Adversity—the loss of his job resulted in one of the greatest entrepreneurial success stories in television history. What can we learn from adversity? How do we react when adversity strikes? What traits do great leaders possess, and how do they handle it? Most of us will face adversity, failure, and possibly even bankruptcy in our lifetime. Will you bow to the circumstance or will you use the experience to find the leadership qualities within you to achieve rather than give up? Whether looking at your career as an individual or more broadly on the path of a company or nonprofit, Bill shares tangible leadership advice as only he can—gripping, insightful, and sure to affect the bottom line in every sense of the term.

The Impact of Evolving Media: Past, Present, and Future

In this thought-provoking presentation, legendary ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen walks us through the history of media innovation—from early days of radio to the three network radio/TV system, then into the advent of cable TV, color television, 24 hour programming. Bill discusses the evolution of media all the way to the internet-age of digital content. Bill also discusses the potential future of self-selected content and programming, pointing out both the advantages and ramifications for consumers and companies. How is media defined in the digital age? What can history teach us about what's to come? And, perhaps most important, how can we use this information to future-forecast the best strategies and innovations for our own endeavors and benefit? Bill deftly takes each audience on an historical journey, using vibrant stories from ESPN and other globally recognized platforms as a foundation to show us not only where we've been, but also where we are going next.

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