Ryan Nece

Ryan’s unique experience as a pro athlete and entrepreneur has been instrumental to his success as a disciplined investor and leader at Next Legacy (formerly Next Play Capital).
 

After seven years in the NFL (including a Super Bowl Championship with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Ryan launched his investing career as a Principal at DeBartolo Development. A few years later, he co-founded StraightCast Media, a mobile app designed to empower athletes to create their own HD content. The company was sold to FOX Sports in 2014, allowing Ryan to pursue his dream of starting a venture capital firm, Next Play Capital which combined with Legacy Ventures in 2023 to form Next Legacy.  
 

Ryan built his track record from notable investments including Pure Storage, StemCentrix, and ONEHOPE wines. He’s also led funding projects for Peloton, Impossible Foods, Flexport, Hims, Bytedance, and Rubrik. In addition, Ryan has served on the Advisory Board for Docusign, Tonal, and Most Days.

Ryan holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from UCLA. He is a member of the Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellow Program. Since its inception in 2006, he has been actively involved with The Ryan Nece Foundation, empowering teens to embrace the #PowerofGiving. He currently serves as its Chairman. Ryan enjoys cold showers, knowing what makes a perfect blueberry muffin, and spending time with his son, daughter and wife.