HIGGINS
Matt

• 1. Career

Matt Higgins is an American businessman, author, and the co-founder and CEO of RSE Ventures, a private investment firm that focuses on sports and entertainment, media and marketing, food and lifestyle, and technology. In 2012, Higgins co-founded RSE with Stephen M. Ross, the founder of Related Companies and owner of the Miami Dolphins.

Higgins served as Vice Chairman of the Dolphins from 2012-2021, having previously been a high-level executive with the New York Jets. His first book, Burn the Boats: Toss Plan B Overboard and Unleash Your Full Potential  was published by William Morrow in 2023, and was named a Wall Street Journal Bestseller.

Career

Higgins is the CEO and co-founder of RSE Ventures, a company that has invested in various companies and technologies, including: FanVision, the handheld device that is the official in-venue content provider of NASCAR, Thuzio, the project of former NFL running back Tiki Barber and Mark Gerson of Gerson Lehrman Group, and the Drone Racing League, the world's first professional drone racing circuit. RSE Ventures also incubated and invested in restaurant reservation app Resy, which American Express acquired in 2019. In 2016, Higgins negotiated a deal to have RSE Ventures become a minority stakeholder in Momofuku. In 2017, he also negotiated RSE Ventures' funding of Milk Bar (launched in 2008 as part of Momofuku) and D.C.-based fast-casual pizza chain &pizza's national expansion. In 2018, RSE acquired cybersecurity company SkOUT Secure Intelligence and acquired a significant minority stake in Australian-style coffee and café business Bluestone Lane.

Along with these investments, Higgins and RSE have launched several companies, including public relations firm Derris and Insignia in 2012 (now Ascendent Sports Group), and the International Champions Cup soccer tournament in 2013. RSE Ventures also partnered with Gary Vaynerchuk in 2014 to form VaynerRSE, a $25 million seed fund and incubator.

Higgins was the vice chairman of the Miami Dolphins from 2012-2021, serving as an advisor to owner Stephen M. Ross. Higgins helped hire Mike Tannenbaum, the Dolphins' executive vice president of football operations. Prior to the Dolphins, Higgins worked for the New York Jets from 2004 to 2012, serving as the executive vice president of business operations and close advisor to Jets owner Woody Johnson. Higgins was instrumental in helping the team build MetLife Stadium with the New York Giants, building a new training facility in Florham Park, and using Twitter, Facebook and a revamped website for fans to have better access to the team.

Before his career with the Jets, Higgins was COO of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the firm tasked with rebuilding the site of the World Trade Center. He also served as press secretary under Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, managing the global media response to the September 11 attacks in 2001 for New York City.

Beginning in 2018, Higgins has appeared as a guest investor on the series Shark Tank. He was part of a five-Shark investment in the Cup Board Pro, the product of late FDNY firefighter Keith Young, whose children pitched the product after he died from 9/11-related cancer. The Sharks pledged to invest any profits into a charity that will benefit firefighters suffering from 9/11-related illnesses.