Pioneering the Future of Fan Engagement: The Career of Courtney Jeffries
Courtney Jeffries ’06, alumna of the University of San Francisco’s Sport Management master’s program, has carved an innovative path at the intersection of sports, technology, and entrepreneurship.
As Founder and CEO of VRTL, Jeffries is transforming how fans engage with their favorite teams and athletes in the digital age. Her journey, grounded in resilience and strategic vision, showcases the power of adaptability and forward-thinking leadership in the rapidly evolving sports business landscape.
Jeffries’ path into the industry wasn’t a straight line. Initially aiming for a career in sports law, she pivoted when her LSAT plans didn’t pan out. What might have discouraged others became a catalyst for creative redirection. “I realized I had to figure out a different path into sports business,” she reflected. Drawn to USF’s hands-on approach that prioritized real-world experience, she joined the program after a memorable in-person interview—mid-road trip while playing softball for the University of Washington. The program’s emphasis on career-building over theory proved instrumental in shaping her practical approach to the industry.
From the outset, Jeffries built her career on hands-on experience and bold choices. She played collegiate softball at the University of Washington and soon after graduating, began her career with the Raiders—thanks, amusingly enough, to an eighth-grade basketball game where she networked her way into an internship. She worked her way up within the Raiders organization to Director of Service and Operations, with positions at the Pac-12 Conference, and the Madison Square Garden Company as the VP of Business Operations for the New York Rangers to follow. Then, her career pivoted to an executive role at an early-stage startup, Satisfi Labs, where she expanded the business beyond sports into tourism.
That entrepreneurial experience would lay the groundwork for her most ambitious move yet—founding VRTL (pronounced “virtual”). VRTL was born from a clear observation: while much of the sports industry had embraced social media, CRM systems, and business intelligence, the fan experience outside of arenas had barely evolved. Jeffries saw an opportunity to bring authenticity and interactivity to digital engagement. But stepping from COO into the founder’s role came with unexpected challenges. “I thought I was going to be really prepared… and I was sorely mistaken,” she admitted. “There’s just exponentially more mistakes to be made. And you aren’t going to know better if you haven’t been here before.”
VRTL began as “Virtual Tables,” a solution designed to help nonprofits maintain donor engagement during the pandemic. But Jeffries soon realized the company’s broader potential. The rebrand to VRTL marked a strategic pivot toward providing immersive, enterprise-level digital fan engagement tools. At the core of VRTL’s offering is a modular platform that empowers brands to customize their digital experiences—from live autographs to interactive live streams—tailored to specific fan segments.
“What we’re trying to do is move fans from passive viewership into deeper parts of the consumer funnel,” Jeffries explained. “You can now own your digital footprint.” One of the company’s standout features is its real-time autograph tool: during a virtual session, an athlete can digitally sign and personalize a photo while the fan watches it happen. “It creates a live autograph from anywhere in the world,” Jeffries noted, pointing to the platform’s authenticity and emotional impact.
While many platforms adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, Jeffries’ vision is rooted in flexibility and innovation. “We work with an F1 team, and access to drivers is rare. So we’re putting the engineers on the platform for a hardcore fan segment. It’s not for everyone, but it delivers incredible value to the right audience.” From the Olympics to FIFA to the Seattle Mariners, VRTL’s growing client base proves the demand for this kind of tailored, scalable fan engagement.
Behind this success lies Jeffries’ acute understanding of where the industry is headed. “There’s a clear missing piece in sports that hasn’t changed significantly in 20 years,” she said. “Back then, no one had a social media manager. Now it’s essential. But most fans’ experiences outside the stadium haven’t evolved. That’s a huge opportunity.”
Jeffries credits her USF experience, especially courses that emphasized critical thinking and industry exposure, for giving her a strong foundation. Nothing about the program felt half-assed,” she said with characteristic frankness. “They didn’t just want you to go work wherever. They wanted you to get in the room where you belonged.”
As a female founder in a male-dominated industry, Jeffries is a fierce advocate for women and underrepresented professionals, and she doesn’t shy away from hard truths. She encourages women and underrepresented professionals to take up space unapologetically. “If being the only woman gets you in the door, then show up with substance. I wore a hot pink jacket to pitch in London—not because I wanted to be noticed, but because I needed to be remembered. And once I got on stage, I proved I deserved to be there.”
Looking ahead, Jeffries is focused on refining VRTL’s technology, fundraising, and scaling the platform globally. “We’ve done all this on version one of our platform,” she said. “Now we need capital to build the next generation of our tech and scale our operations to meet demand.” To young professionals, Jeffries believes there are limitless opportunities, “The job you’ll have in five years may not even exist today,” she said. “Be curious. Stay engaged. And don’t be afraid to ask how others got where they are.” From chasing law school to redefining fan engagement, Courtney is a living example of how vision, grit, and adaptability can reshape an industry.
