Former ASU volleyball player Kate Fitzgerald creates opportunities for student athletes while part of entrepreneurship master's program

Kate Fitzgerald's (MS-EI '25) passion for volleyball and a desire to create opportunities for fellow female student athletes to capitalize on NIL led her to create VBAmerica, a volleyball clothing and lifestyle brand, and brought her to W. P. Carey.

When the NCAA announced that student athletes could earn money from their name, image, and likeness (NIL) — meaning they could now participate in endorsements and brand deals, among other activities — Kate Fitzgerald (MS-EI '25) was inspired.

At the time, Fitzgerald was an undergraduate at ASU, studying biomedical sciences and playing for the university's beach volleyball team. Her passion for the sport and a desire to create opportunities for fellow female student athletes to capitalize on NIL led her to create VBAmerica, a volleyball clothing and lifestyle brand.

This changed Fitzgerald's plans for after graduation. Initially, she figured she would get into nursing. But VBAmerica gave her a taste of entrepreneurship, and she was hooked, bringing her to W. P. Carey.

"A year before graduation or so, I was like, 'Okay, let me take the risk,'" she says. "'I'm really enjoying this entrepreneurship and the world of sports, and this new outlook that's different from the science and biology that I've been used to.' I started looking up what master's programs were available for something in the world of entrepreneurship at ASU, and I found the MS-EI program."

The Master of Science in Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MS-EI) program was an opportunity for Fitzgerald to gain more business knowledge and skills to help her continue to grow her brand. The W. P. Carey School spoke with Fitzgerald about the experiences she's had within the program and where she sees herself and her path after graduation.

Why W. P. Carey?

Fitzgerald took a couple of business classes during her undergraduate studies, but otherwise came into the MS-EI program more or less as a newcomer to the business world. Not only has she learned a lot from her classes, she says, but also from the experience that the faculty brings as entrepreneurs themselves.

"I've been able to be in classes and actually learn from people who have done it and had successful careers, which I think is amazing," says Fitzgerald. "Definitely my favorite part is that the professors are also themselves entrepreneurs and have started their own companies in the field that they're teaching. So they're very knowledgeable with real-world experience, and that's amazing."

Beyond the classes, Fitzgerald speaks about how faculty members make themselves available to students for advice and mentorship, highlighting the personal connections that W. P. Carey is known for.

"It's been very nice to have that day-to-day or week-to-week interaction with mentors where I'm their student, and they want to see me succeed," says Fitzgerald. "I want to learn from them, and they've been just so supportive in answering questions and guiding me in the right direction, giving me the right resources, and teaching me the right lessons."

Why entrepreneurship and innovation?

Fitzgerald found her passion for entrepreneurship through her love of volleyball and sports in general. Being a student athlete when the NIL rule changes were announced, she recognized a market that was largely untapped and saw an opportunity she could seize.

"Volleyball is one of the largest women's sports in the world, and there's beach volleyball and indoor volleyball, which means it's a year-round market," says Fitzgerald. "It's also one of the sports where you think of the women's game first; the women's game truly dominates the men's game. But there are not a lot of fashionable items available for women to show off their love for the sport, for them to 'sport their passion,' as our tagline is."

This led to the creation of VBAmerica, a lifestyle brand that sells volleyball-themed clothing and accessories. Since its inception, the brand has partnered with other student athletes and has expanded its availability to university merch stores.

"While I was playing, I wanted to get my family ASU beach volleyball gear for Christmas, and I couldn't find any in the bookstore," says Fitzgerald. "That's what led us to get into licensing and selling at universities."

Fitzgerald is also a part of the Student-Athlete Venture Studio at ASU, which was created in a partnership of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute and Sun Devil Athletics. The studio works with athletes on NIL opportunities, specifically with athletes interested in a more entrepreneurial path like Fitzgerald's.

What's next?

The MS-EI program has given Fitzgerald a stronger foundation of business and entrepreneurial knowledge to help her continue to build and grow VBAmerica.

"The program has allowed me to be more motivated and be able to find resources to continue with the company, doing it by myself," she says. "That transition of going out of athletics is a big step for every athlete when they're finishing their career. That's a big change, no matter how prepared you think you may be." Through her brand, which is heavily involved in the world of NIL, Fitzgerald will still be a part of the sports world beyond her time as a student athlete herself.

She also serves as a mentor at the Student-Athlete Venture Studio, speaking to students and advising them about navigating NIL and entrepreneurship. The studio recently received a sponsorship from the domain hosting company GoDaddy, which will be providing domain services for athletes who are starting their own business ventures.

For anyone who has also already started a business venture but would like to gain more foundational knowledge, Fitzgerald highly recommends the MS-EI program. She explains that everything she has learned in the program has been applicable to her business, and being able to get feedback through class projects has been invaluable. She advises anyone joining the program to "come in open-minded and be prepared to do a lot of work."