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Nino Vanin Explains Why Long-Term Partnerships Begin Before You Pitch the Deal

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2 months ago

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Nino Vanin, a marketing and advertising executive based in Philadelphia, shares insights on relationship-driven sales, disciplined work ethic, and building trust before contracts are signed.

The Industry Has Changed, but Trust Still Drives Deals

Pennsylvania, US, 29th July 2026, ZEX PR WIRE, Sponsorship has evolved from static signage and logo placements to strategic relationships that deliver measurable value. Companies and brands now look for authentic engagement and long-term alignment, not just visibility. According to Vanin, who has worked across the industry for more than 20 years, success in this environment depends on understanding what both sides want to achieve. “When I first entered the industry, many sponsorship discussions focused primarily on visibility and exposure,” he has said. “Today, organizations and brands are looking for true partnerships. They want measurable value, authentic engagement, and opportunities that align with their long-term objectives.”

This shift has made preparation and relationship-building more important than ever. Vanin has built a career on the belief that great partnerships start long before the contract is drafted. That means learning a potential partner’s goals, understanding their business challenges, and showing up with solutions instead of sales pitches. It also means putting in the work day after day. “Positive things will happen if you put in the work,” he says. “Rely on your principles and the work.”

How Grit and Discipline Outperform Marquee Properties

Vanin has never managed a marquee property with instant name recognition. That reality forced him to develop what he calls an aggressive yet disciplined approach. “I have never represented a marquee property so I have always had to rely on an aggressive yet disciplined approach in order to make companies and brands believe that they should invest,” he has explained. His career has been defined by finding value where others might not see it, then building a case for partnership that stands on data, creativity, and relationship equity.

During his time overseeing the University of Pennsylvania property, Vanin closed the three (3) largest deals in the property’s history. These included multi-year partnerships with Macquarie, Toyota, On Running, and FloSports. Earlier in his career at Front Row Marketing Services with Drexel University Athletics, he grew sponsorship revenue by 670% over four years and maintained a sponsor renewal rate above 90%. At Spectra, he exceeded annual revenue targets and closed 29 new deals over two years, generating more than three million dollars in revenue.

These results came from a consistent approach rooted in grit, determination, hustle, and overdelivering. “Grit, determination, hustle, winning DNA, diligence, being affable, being likable, being trustworthy, overdeliver,” he says when asked what defines his professional values. This formula has allowed him to succeed in competitive markets without relying on brand power alone.

The Importance of Short-Term Goals and Long-Term Vision

Planning matters. Vanin advises professionals to track short-term goals while keeping a clear plan for long-term objectives. “One should always be tracking towards short-term goals and have a plan for how one is going to achieve long-term goals,” he says. This dual focus helps salespeople stay accountable, measure progress, and adjust strategy as market conditions change.

It also creates space for mentorship and continuous learning. Vanin credits several bosses and mentors throughout his career with shaping his approach. “I have had several great bosses and mentors in my various career stops, and I have taken something from each of them in order to make me a better professional,” he notes. Learning from others, staying current with industry trends, and participating in conferences and networking events all contribute to career momentum.

Staying informed is not optional. “Stay current with what is happening in other areas of the sponsorship/advertising industry through conferences, trade magazines, social media and networking,” Vanin advises. This commitment to professional development keeps sales strategies relevant and helps identify emerging opportunities.

Balance Matters as Much as Ambition

Success in marketing requires more than hitting revenue targets. Vanin has spoken about the need for balance between personal and professional success. “There must be a balance, it can’t always be about personal success and conversely you should not always be chasing professional success or you may end up unfulfilled,” he has said. This perspective recognizes that long careers are built on sustainable habits, not burnout.

Balancing ambition with personal fulfillment also improves team performance. Vanin believes that individual success follows team success. “When your team succeeds, individuals succeed,” he says. This philosophy shapes how he approaches leadership and collaboration. Supporting teammates, sharing wins, and building a culture of trust creates an environment where everyone can thrive.

Your Next 7 Days

  1. Review your current client relationships and identify one where you can offer additional value before asking for anything in return.
  2. Schedule a 30-minute learning session to read one industry publication or listen to a podcast about sponsorship/advertising trends.
  3. Reach out to a mentor or colleague and ask for feedback on a recent pitch or proposal.
  4. Set one short-term revenue or partnership goal for the next 30 days and write down the three actions needed to achieve it.
  5. Audit your follow-up process with prospects and identify one area where you can improve response time or personalization.
  6. Block time on your calendar for relationship-building calls with existing clients, not just new business development.
  7. Reflect on your work-life balance and identify one area where you need to adjust to avoid burnout.

Your Next 90 Days

  1. Develop a 12-month professional development plan that includes attending at least one industry conference, joining a professional group, or completing a certification.
  2. Build a list of 10 potential partners who align with your property or brand, then research their business objectives and draft tailored outreach messages.
  3. Create a system for tracking short-term goals and long-term objectives, then review progress monthly with your manager or accountability partner.
  4. Strengthen your team culture by implementing one new collaboration practice, such as weekly wins sharing or peer mentorship pairings.
  5. Evaluate your current sponsorship portfolio and identify one client relationship where you can propose a multi-year renewal or expansion based on proven value.

Start Now

Building long-term partnerships takes time, discipline, and a commitment to doing the work before the deal is on the table. Pick one action from the lists above and start today. Success does not come from waiting for the perfect property or the ideal conditions. It comes from preparation, consistency, and showing up with value.

About Nino Vanin

Nino Vanin is a marketing and advertising executive based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With more than 20 years of experience in corporate partnerships, sponsorship sales, business development, and marketing, he has worked across collegiate athletics and entertainment properties, helping organizations secure high-value partnerships and exceed revenue targets. Vanin previously oversaw approximately six million dollars in annual sponsorship revenue and managed partnerships with the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard Athletics, Columbia Athletics, and The Armory, among others. He holds a Master of Arts in Sport Management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Bachelor of Arts in The Writing Seminars from Johns Hopkins University.

Learn more about Nino Vanin by following him on Medium.

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Press Release

i-payout Expands U.S. Money Transmitter Licensing Footprint and Advances European EMI Strategy

Published

3 hours ago

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September 15, 2026

By

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, September 15th, 2026, FinanceWire

Expanded regulatory infrastructure is designed to give marketplaces, gig economy platforms, gaming and esports companies, insurance providers, affiliate networks, clinical research organizations and other enterprises greater access to flexible domestic and global payout capabilities

International Payout Systems, Inc. (“i-payout”), a global provider of payment and payout technology, today announced the continued expansion of its U.S. money transmitter licensing footprint while advancing its strategy to obtain a European Electronic Money Institution (“EMI”) license.

The initiative reflects i-payout’s long-term commitment to building a more direct, efficient, and scalable global payments infrastructure. By expanding its regulatory capabilities, i-payout aims to increase control over payment flows, reduce reliance on intermediary relationships, broaden the payment services it can support and create more efficient pathways for domestic and cross-border transactions.

The strategy is particularly relevant to enterprises operating payment programs across multiple jurisdictions, including marketplaces, gig economy and freelance platforms, gaming and esports companies, affiliate networks, insurance providers, clinical research organizations, direct selling companies, and businesses managing refunds, claims and reimbursements.

For these businesses, expanded licensing is intended to give i-payout greater flexibility to introduce new payment capabilities, broaden geographic coverage and create a more integrated payment experience for both enterprises and their recipients.

Whether a marketplace is paying thousands of sellers, a gig platform is compensating independent workers, a gaming company is distributing player or tournament payments, an insurer is issuing claims payments, or a clinical research organization is paying study participants, the underlying challenge is similar: moving money securely and efficiently to large numbers of recipients while supporting different payment methods, currencies, jurisdictions and regulatory requirements.

i-payout’s licensing strategy is designed to strengthen the infrastructure supporting those increasingly complex payment programs.

Expanding U.S. Regulatory Coverage

i-payout has continued expanding its U.S. money transmitter licensing footprint during 2026 and is working toward completing its required U.S. licensing coverage by the end of 2027.

As part of that expansion, i-payout recently received approval from the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions of Puerto Rico for its Money Services Business license, further expanding the company’s regulated U.S. footprint.

The company’s broader licensing initiative is intended to increase the number of markets it can support directly and provide greater flexibility in how payment services are delivered to enterprise customers.

For i-payout customers, the objective is straightforward: broader reach, greater control over payment delivery, more payment capabilities and an increasingly unified infrastructure for managing payouts at scale.

“For nearly two decades, i-payout has been building technology that helps companies move money efficiently around the world,” said Eddie Gonzalez, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of i-payout. “Our customers include businesses that may need to pay thousands or even millions of people across different markets. Expanding our U.S. money transmitter licensing footprint gives us greater control over the infrastructure supporting those payments and positions us to provide our customers with more capabilities as their businesses grow.”

Advancing i-payout’s European EMI Strategy

At the same time, i-payout is advancing plans for a European EMI application as part of its broader international expansion strategy.

The European initiative is intended to strengthen i-payout’s ability to support a wider range of regulated payment services across multiple European markets and further enhance its ability to serve enterprise customers with international payment requirements.

For marketplaces, gig and freelance platforms, gaming and esports companies, affiliate networks, insurance providers and other digital businesses operating internationally, managing payment programs across markets through a more unified technology relationship can reduce the operational complexity associated with multiple payment providers, integrations and processes.

“Our goal is not simply to collect licenses,” Gonzalez said. “We are building regulatory infrastructure that creates tangible benefits for our customers: more markets, more payment options, greater control and a simpler way to manage increasingly complex global payment programs.”

Global Reach With True Local Payment Capabilities

A key component of i-payout’s global strategy is expanding access to true local payment capabilities.

For i-payout, a local payment means a payment delivered through domestic payment rails directly to a recipient’s local bank account in the recipient’s local currency — not through SWIFT and not through an international wire.

This distinction is important for enterprises managing large recipient populations across multiple countries. Combining global reach with local payment capabilities can help businesses create a more localized recipient experience while reducing dependence on traditional cross-border payment processes.

i-payout’s infrastructure is designed to give enterprise customers multiple ways to deliver funds, including local bank payments, virtual and physical cards, digital wallets, real-time payment capabilities and other alternative payment methods, depending on market availability and program requirements.

Compliance Technology Supporting the Expansion

Alongside its licensing initiative, i-payout continues to invest in technology designed to strengthen risk management, transaction monitoring and financial crime compliance.

As part of this investment, i-payout is implementing Hawk’s AI-powered financial crime technology to enhance transaction monitoring and risk-assessment capabilities.

Hawk provides AI-enabled technology for AML transaction monitoring, screening and other financial-crime risk functions used by banks, payment firms and fintech companies.

These investments are intended to support the increasingly sophisticated payment environments of the enterprises i-payout serves while maintaining robust compliance controls as transaction volumes, payment methods and geographic coverage expand.

One Platform Across Multiple Industries

i-payout provides enterprise payout solutions across a range of industries and payment use cases, including:

  • Marketplaces: seller, merchant and participant payouts
  • Gig Economy & Freelance: contractor and worker payments
  • Gaming & Esports: player, creator, tournament and reward payouts
  • Affiliate & Performance Marketing: affiliate and commission payments
  • Direct Selling: distributor and commission payouts
  • Insurance: claims, reimbursements and other disbursements
  • Clinical Trials & Market Research: participant and research payments
  • Refunds & Reimbursements: consumer refunds, claims and corporate reimbursement programs
  • Enterprise & Global Workforce: high-volume domestic and international disbursements

The company’s strategy combines regulatory infrastructure, payment technology, compliance controls and multiple payout methods within a configurable enterprise platform designed to help businesses move money to recipients domestically and internationally.

“Licensing is not simply a compliance exercise for us,” Gonzalez added. “It is part of the infrastructure that allows us to build better products, create stronger financial relationships and give enterprise customers greater confidence in the platform handling their payments.”

About i-payout

International Payout Systems, Inc. (“i-payout”) is a global payments technology company providing configurable payment and payout solutions for businesses and organizations that need to distribute funds to recipients domestically and internationally.

Founded in 2007, i-payout supports multiple payout methods and serves enterprises across industries including marketplaces, the gig economy and freelance workforce, gaming and esports, affiliate marketing, direct selling, insurance, clinical research, market research, refunds and reimbursements, and other high-volume payment programs.

i-payout’s technology combines payment orchestration, recipient onboarding, identity verification, compliance capabilities, APIs, digital wallets and program-management tools within a unified enterprise payment environment.

Contact

VP Customer Success & Relationship Management
Dailenys Garcia
i-payout
discover@i-payout.com
954-513-3151

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Press Release

AI STUDIOS Expands Sales Training With Emotionally Expressive AI Roleplay

Published

10 hours ago

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September 15, 2026

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PALO ALTO, Calif, September 15th, 2026 — AI STUDIOS, DeepBrain AI’s enterprise AI video and avatar platform, announced enhanced emotional expression capabilities for AI Roleplay, its interactive training solution designed to help employees practice realistic customer conversations. DeepBrain AI plans to expand the solution across sales, customer service, wealth management and other customer-facing teams.

▶ DeepBrain AI expands AI Roleplay across sales and wealth management markets, targeting industries with frequent customer interactions

▶ AI customers express emotions through lifelike facial expressions and tone of voice, creating training experiences similar to real customer consultations

▶ Companies can build customized training programs based on their products, customer profiles and consultation guidelines

AI Roleplay is a training solution in which AI assumes the role of a customer, allowing employees to repeatedly practice conversations in an environment similar to a real customer interaction. Building on its existing conversation-based training capabilities, DeepBrain AI has made the experience more realistic by enabling AI customers to express emotions through facial expressions and tone of voice and respond differently based on their personalities, interests and attitudes toward the conversation.

Organizations can use AI Roleplay to create a variety of situations commonly encountered in customer-facing roles, including customers who show little interest in a product, question the information they receive, compare multiple options or continue asking technical questions. Participants repeatedly practice the full customer conversation, from identifying customer needs and explaining products to responding to questions and objections.

Rather than repeating predetermined answers, AI customers react differently depending on how each conversation develops. Participants must pay attention to the customer’s facial expressions, tone of voice and the overall direction of the discussion as they determine how to respond. This allows employees to build practical communication skills in a more realistic environment than training based solely on prerecorded videos or memorized scripts.

AI Roleplay also provides analysis and coaching throughout the conversation. The solution analyzes each participant’s speaking pace, intonation and facial expressions to provide real-time feedback. After the session, it reviews the full conversation and identifies what the participant handled effectively, what needs improvement and which expressions could be refined. Participants can review their approach and repeat situations in which their response could have been stronger.

Organizations can customize the training experience to reflect their own business environments. Product and service information, key customer profiles, conversation guidelines and successful sales practices can be incorporated into AI customer personas and evaluation criteria. This enables companies to build training around situations employees frequently encounter, apply consistent standards across teams and locations, and update scenarios as products, services or policies change.

AI Roleplay is already being used across a range of customer-facing functions, including insurance sales training, contact center training, in-store customer service and interactive learning following instructor-led courses. Wealth management and financial advisory teams can rehearse how to identify a client’s financial goals, explain financial products clearly and respond to concerns. Other sales teams can practice each stage of the customer conversation, from discovery and product recommendations to price objections and purchase decisions.

The solution can also help reduce the operational burden associated with traditional instructor-led roleplay. New employees can experience a wider range of customer situations before handling live conversations, while experienced employees can focus on difficult customer profiles or complex scenarios. Organizations can evaluate conversations using consistent standards while helping employees strengthen their customer-facing and sales capabilities.

“In sales and financial services, product knowledge is only part of what builds customer trust. Employees must also understand how customers are reacting and respond with language that fits the moment,” said Eric Jang, CEO of DeepBrain AI. “AI Roleplay allows employees to practice with customers who express different emotions and behaviors, review their own approach and improve before the real conversation. By incorporating each organization’s sales expertise and training standards, we aim to help teams strengthen their customer communication skills and support meaningful improvements in sales performance.”

DeepBrain AI plans to expand AI Roleplay across financial services, retail, automotive, telecommunications, education and other industries where customer interactions play a critical role. By connecting live conversations with AI customers, real-time coaching, post-session analysis and repeated practice, the company aims to help enterprises develop customer-facing talent and improve frontline readiness.

About DeepBrain AI

DeepBrain AI develops AI video generation, AI Human and conversational AI solutions for enterprises. Its flagship platform, AI STUDIOS, enables organizations to create AI-powered video content and interactive avatar experiences for corporate training, financial services, retail, media and customer service.

Through AI STUDIOS, organizations can create and deliver video content, build interactive AI experiences and provide scalable training across teams and locations. DeepBrain AI also develops customized AI Human and AI agent solutions for enterprise, public-sector and educational organizations. The company operates a U.S. office in Palo Alto, California. For more information, visit AI STUDIOS.n

Media Contact:

DeepBrain AI Communications
www.aistudios.com

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Press Release

Foundation Lets Ledger Users Switch to Open Source Without Starting Over

Published

11 hours ago

on

September 15, 2026

By

Boston, MA, USA, September 15th, 2026, FinanceWire

Legacy Mode brings open source apps developed for Ledger to Passport, letting users keep their existing accounts and familiar wallets on hardware assembled in the United States.

Foundation today announced the beta release of Legacy Mode for Passport, enabling Ledger users to switch to open source hardware and software while keeping their existing accounts for supported assets. Legacy Mode runs open source cryptocurrency apps originally developed for Ledger and connects to familiar software wallets over USB.

The release accompanies Foundation’s Switch campaign, built around a simple promise: switch to open source without starting over. As Ledger phases out support for the original Nano S, users can switch to Passport without transferring supported assets to new accounts. Their addresses, balances, and transaction history stay the same.

“We started Foundation because we believe an open, decentralized Internet must be built on a foundation of open source hardware and software,” said Zach Herbert, cofounder and CEO of Foundation. “But people have spent years building their wallet setups. Asking them to move every asset and relearn everything is a real barrier. Legacy Mode lets them keep what they’ve built and put it on an open source foundation.”

Ledger and its developer community have built an extensive library of open source cryptocurrency apps. Those apps normally run on Ledger’s operating system, which includes proprietary code. Foundation’s compatibility layer allows supported apps to run on KeyOS, the fully open source operating system powering Passport.

KeyOS is a microkernel operating system written in Rust, with isolated processes and sandboxed apps. Foundation publishes its operating-system source code and hardware designs so developers and security researchers can inspect how Passport works.

“We reimplemented the interfaces that Ledger’s open source apps use to talk to BOLOS, its operating system,” said Ken Carpenter, cofounder and CTO of Foundation. “That includes cryptographic operations, screen rendering, and USB communication. We can compile the existing app code for Passport and run it on KeyOS, without running Ledger’s proprietary operating system.”

Ethereum and Solana are the first supported app families, selected for their broad adoption. Early beta users have tested compatibility with Rabby for Ethereum and EVM networks, and Phantom for Solana, over USB. Foundation plans to add further open source Ledger apps as users and developers need them.

Legacy Mode launches in beta today as an optional, manual installation on Passport Prime. Users enter their existing recovery phrase on the device and connect to a compatible software wallet over USB. Foundation welcomes feedback from beta users to help improve compatibility and installation ahead of the full release this fall.

Legacy Mode is a bridge to native KeyOS apps. As developers release apps built specifically for Passport, users can install them on the same device and choose when to move beyond Legacy Mode.

The Foundation SDK is available now, and KeyOS 1.4.0 introduced app sideloading. This fall, a new KeyOS release will bring Foundation’s app catalog, where users will be able to seamlessly access a growing catalog of native KeyOS apps from Foundation and third-party developers – and install them with a single tap.

Passport Prime is available starting at $349. To see the Switch campaign, supported apps, and installation guides, visit foundation.xyz/switch.

About Foundation

Foundation builds Human Authority Hardware: open source security devices that give individuals control over their money, identity, and digital lives. Its flagship device, Passport Prime, combines hardware security with KeyOS, an open source operating system for independently developed apps. Foundation’s hardware is assembled in the United States. Learn more at foundation.xyz.

For media inquiries, users can contact 21M Communications: phil@21mcommunications.com.

Ledger and BOLOS are trademarks of Ledger SAS. Foundation is not affiliated with Ledger, and Legacy Mode is not sponsored or endorsed by Ledger. References to Ledger are for identification and compatibility purposes only.

Contact

Founder
Phil
21M Communications
phil@21mcommunications.com

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Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.

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