The Sixers Innovation Lab Crafted by Kimball yesterday opened its 8,000-square-foot lab space within the Business Operations Facility at the 76ers Training Complex. With the launch, esports training platform U Git Gud, cat feeding system Doc & Phoebe’s Cat Co. and digital cause media company Live Life Nice join previously announced DFS lineup recommender Monster Roster as official Sixers Innovation Lab companies. Speakers at the ribbon-cutting included 76ers CEO Scott O’Neil and Seth Berger, the lab's Managing Dir (76ers). In Philadelphia, Jonathan Takiff noted of the four ventures unveiled, "only two have an overt sports connection." But all four are "consumer-facing and focused on areas experiencing rapid growth -- esports, the pet-care industry, cause media, and daily fantasy." U Git Gud is an "online tutoring program to improve your video game skills." Meanwhile, Monster Roster, the "first project launched last year in the lab," is a player-tracking/recommendation service that "helps to equalize fantasy sports team building for the vast majority of roster makers who don’t have the time to make it their career." The Sixers Innovation Lab’s "consulting partners include" Pepper Hamilton and Morgan Properties, and "advisers include" the Univ. of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, StubHub, DraftKings, Rothman Institute, First Round Capital and NovaCare Rehabilitation. The lab was "furnished by Kimball Office" (PHILLY.com, 7/18).
