ACE for Business partners top-performing business with high-profile Athletes, Celebrities and Entertainers. Download our Statement of Capabilities to learn more about how we can help companies reach a wider audience .
What Is 8 to 14?
ENTREPRENEUR DEVELOPMENT FOR STUDENT, ELITE, AND PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES
Contracts & Capital, the Sports and Entertainment division of Contracts & Grants, LLC, offers an all-inclusive solution that connects high-profile individuals to lucrative opportunities in the federal and commercial contracting space. Within Contracts & Capital - Sports & Entertainment, our flagship program, ACE, takes center stage. ACE is an entrepreneur development program specifically designed to enable Athletes, Celebrities, and Entertainers to build long-term wealth through entrepreneurship.
Introducing ACE's 8 to 14 Wealth-Building Program
ACE's 8 to 14 is a specialized wealth-building program catering to student athletes, elite non-franchise athletes, and professional athletes who are members of ball clubs and franchises. As a member of ACE, you have the unique opportunity to leverage the valuable skills and disciplines you cultivated as a professional athlete to create a thriving and successful business.
Secure Your Financial Future with ACE
ACE recognizes that professional athletes often have shorter than average occupational life cycles. To address this, our program assists professionals in utilizing government and commercial contracts to build financial security for themselves and their families. By appropriating your expertise and personal brand, ACE enables you to permanently strengthen your financial footing while leaving a lasting legacy beyond your athletic career.
ACE for Business partners top-performing business with high-profile Athletes, Celebrities and Entertainers. Download our Statement of Capabilities to learn more about how we can help companies reach a wider audience .
WHY 8 TO 14 EXISTS
The average pro athlete has a career lifespan of less than 5 years. The average NFL player will spend just 2.8 years in the league before retiring. The average NBA player is out in about 4.5 years.
Most athletes who go pro do so right out of college. In some cases, these talented, hard-working athletes will sign with professional ball clubs right out of high school.
The biggest challenge many athletes face isn't landing a high-value contract.
It's learning how to keep and grow their money after signing the contract, as many players enter professional sports franchises without even basic money management skills.
The result is players retire after a few years in the league and find themselves completely destitute by their early 30s, at a time when their non-athlete peers are just hitting their professional strides.
IS ENTREPRENEURSHIP YOUR PATH TO FINANCIAL SECURITY?
Contracts & Capital - Sports & Entertainment Founder Linda Chatmon and 2019 AFL champion and 8 to 14 ambassador, Maurice Leggett
We Offer a Full Suite of Business Management Services
We eliminate the learning curve and cut own your time investment by fully managing the process of building your business to best perform in both the public and private sectors. Then we find, vet, and bid on the federal proposals and commercial contracts that your company is best-suited to perform.
- Manage the acquisition of an existing business
- "Stand up" and manage the launch of a new business
- Business development and strategic planning for athlete-run businesses
- Manage day-to-day operations support for new businesses
- Find, administer, and manage contracts
- Match businesses with commercial and government contracting opportunities
We Provide a Roadmap to Safeguard Student Athletes
NIL for Student Athletes
8 to 14 equips student-athlete preparing to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) contracts with the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in this area.
Our comprehensive training program covers everything from financial literacy and brand management to contract negotiation and marketing strategies. Be well-prepared to make the most of your opportunities both on and off the field.
The Rural Initiative: Empowering High School Football in Rural America
At 8 to 14, we recognize the importance of rural communities as the backbone of high school football. That's why we have a special focus on the Rural Initiative, a dedicated program aimed at uplifting aspiring athletes in these areas.
Through targeted programming, mentorship, and access to resources, we help nurture talent, develop skills, and create opportunities for success. We believe that talent knows no boundaries, and we're committed to bringing out the best in athletes from every corner of America.
NFL Cornerback Allen Rossum and his business team training with Linda at the Contracts & Grants office
We Pursue Government and Commercial Contracts for You
As part of our core offering to 8 to 14 members, we provide services that enable you to make a successful transition into the government contracting space and/or the commercial contracting space.
Pursuing government contracts usually requires you to have the training to understand how to navigate the federal space, OR you need to have the time and resources to learn by trial and error.
We partner with major sports franchises and vendors to create turn-key small business participation programs that enable athlete-run businesses to bid on and secure commercial contracts to deliver the products and services vendors are already buying.
Athlete-run small businesses that qualify to participate in the Contracts & Capital - Sports & Entertainment program will also be eligible to participate in the vendor's bid process to compete for commercial contracts.
We Facilitate Partnerships That Enable Longterm Success
Relationships and Business
In the world of entrepreneurship, relationships are everything. 8 to 14 understands the pivotal role that relationships play in securing and maintaining financial success.
Our Relationships and Business program provides valuable insights, strategies, and networking opportunities that help student, elite, and professional athletes build and leverage meaningful connections. Whether it's connecting with mentors, investors, or industry experts, we ensure you have the tools to forge fruitful relationships that propel your business forward.
HBCU Partnerships and Community Engagement
8 to 14 is proud to collaborate with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other community organizations. Through these partnerships, we promote inclusivity, diversity, and community engagement.
By fostering relationships between athletes, educators, and entrepreneurs, we strengthen the collective power to drive positive change and create new opportunities.
ABOUT THE 8 to 14 LEADERSHIP
Linda Chatmon, CEO of Contracts & Capital
Contracts & Capital is the Sports and Entertainment division of Contracts & Grants, LLC. Contracts & Grants, LLC is a Metro Atlanta-based consulting firm that provides business development, program management, acquisition, proposal, and contract support for government contracts.
The company has been responsible for more than $13.2 billion in government contract negotiations and awards.
Since launching Contracts & Grants, Linda has worked as a government contracting Subject Matter Expert. She is the founder of C&G Federal and The App Diva, as well as the creator of the Fast Track training program for government contracts. Linda is an author, trainer, and political appointee.
Linda and the Contracts & Grants team provide proposal and contract support to private companies, as well as Program Management to support government agencies.
