In this episode of FSGA Spotlight, we’re joined by Faraz Siddiqi, Founder & Chief Operator of Upper Hand Fantasy, to talk about building one of the most engaged fantasy football communities on Instagram and beyond.

Faraz shares how Upper Hand Fantasy grew from a passion project into a full-fledged media business, why platform-specific content matters, and how focusing on community engagement has driven long-term growth. The conversation also explores content strategy, creative teams, brand partnerships, and why in-person industry events like the FSGA Conferences play a major role in turning relationships into real business opportunities.

We also dive into Faraz’s take on the evolving fantasy football landscape, content creation in short-form video, and what’s next for fantasy media.

🎤 Faraz will also be a speaker at the 2026 FSGA Winter Conference (https://thefsga.org/2026-fsga-winter-conference/), making this episode a great preview of the insights he’ll be sharing live in Las Vegas.

Upper Hand Fantasy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upperhandfantasy

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#FantasyFootball #FantasySports #SportsGaming #SportsBetting #FSGA

Welcome back to the Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association Spotlight - your inside look at the leaders shaping fantasy sports, sports betting, gaming tech, and fan engagement.

In this episode, Lauren Jump (RotoWire) sits down with three powerhouse women in fantasy sports and gaming innovation:

Kamini Manivannan — Founder of Laces Sports, a fantasy app focused on education, simplified gameplay, and loyalty rewards

Chelsie Cooper — Founder & CEO of Approvely, a payments platform built for the online gaming industry

Claudia Bellofatto — On-Air Analyst & Host with CBS Sports, covering fantasy, betting, NBA, NHL, UFC, MLB, WNBA & more

Together they discuss reinventing the fantasy onboarding experience, payments infrastructure for gaming platforms, the freelance on-air life, and the importance of getting more women involved across the industry. They also dive into funding challenges for female founders, the evolving landscape of women in sports media, and even talk about starting an all-women FSGA fantasy league.

What you’ll hear:
- How Laces Sports simplifies fantasy and teaches new players step-by-step
- Approvely’s work building instant deposits and stablecoin infrastructure for operators
- Claudia’s path as on-air talent and covering more women’s sports nationally
- Real talk about investor dynamics, building networks, and women supporting women in gaming
- A celebration of women founders, creators, and trailblazers changing the game

If you enjoyed this episode, please like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations with the innovators shaping the future of fantasy sports and gaming. Want highlights or short clips from this episode? Drop a comment below telling us what you want to see next!

In this episode of the Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association Spotlight, host Brett Lanier sits down with Justin Schoenfelder for a refreshingly honest conversation about what makes the fantasy sports and gaming industry truly different.

Justin introduces us to the concept of "coopetition" - a perfect word that captures the unique blend of competition and cooperation that defines the FSGA community. Unlike other conferences where interactions feel purely transactional, the FSGA is a place where people genuinely ask "hey man, how's the family?" and actually care about the answer.

Throughout their conversation, Justin shares how the supportive nature of this community has been invaluable throughout the years, why being helpful is the smartest business strategy in a small industry, and how passion - not just profit - drives people to build companies in this space. It's a reminder that in an industry where your reputation travels fast, the relationships you build matter just as much as the business you do.

Whether you're a seasoned industry veteran or just starting out, this episode will remind you why the fantasy sports and gaming community is special - and why that matters for your success.

Links:
Learn more about the FSGA: https://thefsga.org/
Check out Approvely: https://www.approvely.com/
Check out Fantasy Elect: https://fantasyelect.io/