Ilitch Sports, Entertainment CEO to exit company

BY KURT NAGL

Ilitch Sports and Entertainment President and CEO Chris McGowan is leaving the organization after a little more than a year in the job.

McGowan’s departure from the sports and entertainment arm of Detroit-based Ilitch Holdings Inc. was announced Friday in tandem with the promotion of another executive.

Ryan Gustafson, who was hired as senior vice president of business operations strategy early last year, was elevated to executive vice president and COO of the organization and will assume McGowan’s responsibility of overseeing business operations.

“I’m con dent the leadership of Ryan Gustafson and our executive team will continue providing a world class sports and entertainment experience for our fans and guests,” Chris Ilitch, president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, said in a news release. “I thank Chris McGowan for his hard work and leadership. He is leaving IS+E in a great position and set up for continued future success.” e company did not provide a reason for the departure of McGowan, who started in January 2022. e moves will be nalized after a transition period of several weeks, the company said.

“I have made the di cult decision to step down as President/CEO of Ilitch Sports + Entertainment,” McGowan said in the release. “I wish the organization continued success in the future and I have full con dence that Ryan Gustafson will be an outstanding leader.”

Prior to coming to Detroit, Gustafson was a consultant at Elevate Sports Ventures and Pegula Sports and Entertainment, and he was also team president of the Seattle Dragons of the XFL, where he led all business operations.

“ is is an incredible opportunity to lead the talented colleagues throughout IS+E including a world class senior leadership group that will continue with the mission of amazing, inspiring and uniting our fans through the power of sports and entertainment,” Gustafson said.

Contact: knagl@crain.com; (313) 446-0337; @kurt_nagl upstairs loft with private en-suite bathroom rents for $850 per month. e downstairs bedrooms with access to a shared bath rent for $550. e age requirement for the program is 18 to 25 and tenants must be willing to work.

More to come

Sullivan has big plans and is looking at Detroit as the pilot for what he hopes will be a 10-city e ort of rehabbing homes, boosting businesses and providing housing and jobs to residents.

Sullivan says that his organization intends to buy more Detroit real estate this year.

“Our next projects are to purchase an additional residence in the neighborhood identi ed for women, and then to build a commercial real estate business incubator, containing two businesses that employ Detroiters, with youth and young adults working as apprentices,” he said.

at multi-million-dollar state-ofthe-art commercial space will be built on Linwood Avenue and be named the Black Legacy Advancement Center, centered at the heart of Detroit’s Fifth District neighborhoods.

e center will provide four apartments to resident apprentices who can work at the planned rst- oor barbershop and food/catering service. One adult sta member will live in the residential space of the facility, serving as residential adviser to the apprentices living on site. Rent will be subsidized and participants will be required to save 40 per- cent of their monthly earnings for two years.

During that time, the participants will be trained in business management and planning, basic engineering, leadership development and life skill building.

Lots surrounding the center will later be turned into a garden and more apartment units, according to Sullivan’s plan.

Sullivan said the essence of the investment is to revive some of that Black entrepreneurial spirit once embodied by the old Linwood neighborhood.

“My grandparents and their siblings lived and operated businesses on Linwood Avenue from the ’50s to the ’70s,” he said. “We want to bring a part of that bustling business thoroughfare back to the neighborhood.”

Torey Barclay Lewis, a current Ground Up apprentice, says that it is important for youth to be part of programs like this.

“ e team is always very supportive and goes out of their way to lead us in the right direction,” Lewis said. “Living in the Legacy House has been an opportunity to develop my nancial literacy and build character. It is important that youth and young adults like myself have this type of exposure to help unlock the greatness that is in us.” e ultimate plan for BLAC’s Ground Up Project is to expand to Jackson, Miss.; Birmingham, Ala.; Austin, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Durham, N.C.; Los Angeles; Chicago; Baltimore and Atlanta.

For more on the Ground Up Project, visittheblac.co.