Open to opportunities

Ben Kohnke

@benkohnke

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Founder & Developer building AI-powered recruiting and NIL platforms for student-athletes.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I’m looking to keep building high-impact platforms—especially at the intersection of AI, recruiting, and student-athletes—where I can own product direction, learn fast, and grow a loyal community through real customer feedback.

I’m a Founder & Developer focused on building platforms that help student-athletes get discovered and connected. I’m currently developing an “AI-powered recruiting and NIL platform” positioned as the “LinkedIn for Student-Athletes.”

Earlier, I founded and scaled a profitable Instagram-based sports card resale business, running live breaks and managing inventory and payments. I built loyalty by maintaining customer relationships and growing a community around the brand.

Alongside my ventures, I worked as a PremierAuto Detailing detailer, delivering strong customer satisfaction and expanding through referrals, word of mouth, and local handout marketing. I also developed business concepts and performed market research through INCubator@LPHS, placing 2nd in the final pitch competition.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Founder and Developer

Current

Athletiq, LLC

Dec 2023 - Present (2 years 6 months)

Built an AI-powered recruiting and NIL platform positioned as the “LinkedIn for Student-Athletes,” extending work from a high-school incubator competition.

AI ML NIL (Name Likeness) Platforms Recruiting Technology Product Development Software Development Startup Building

Current

Founder and Breaker

Current

Bulls Pulls

Mar 2020 - Present (6 years 3 months)

Founded and scaled a profitable Instagram-based sports card resale business by running live breaks, managing inventory, handling payments, and building a loyal customer community.

Scaling Live Break Sales Inventory Management Payment Processing Customer Relationship Management Community Building