GR's Varsity News Network adds founder of The North Face to strategic advisory board

Grand Rapids-based Varsity News Network (VNN) has announced that Kenneth “Hap” Klopp, founder of The North Face, will be joining VNN’s strategic advisory board effective immediately.
 
Klopp is the founder of the outdoor brand The North Face and served as the CEO for 25 years. In addition to his role at VNN, Klopp is currently an Operating Partner and Advisor at VO2 Partners.
 
Ryan Vaughn, VNN founder, says that adding Klopp to the advisory board is an important chapter in the story of the growing news network, which offers hyperlocal high school sports content to millions of readers across the country.
 
Vaughn explains the relationship with Klopp began about two years ago through an introduction from a VNN investor. At that time, Vaughn says Klopp was intrigued by VNN but took a wait­-and-­see approach to the startup. “He has a sports background and an appreciation for the difficulty for what we are doing,” Vaughn says. “He has seen other companies trying to consolidate the fragmented high school market and has seen them fail.”
 
However, after VNN continued to grow, hitting business milestones and attracting investors, Vaughn was able to make a successful pitch for Klopp to join his advisory board. ”He knows people throughout the sports industry, has many contacts in the media and has a lengthy background in building startups,” Vaughn notes of the new board member.
 
Besides Klopp’s incredible network and experience, Vaughn notes it is his expertise in branding where he might have his biggest impact on VNN. “It’s a big commitment on his part and an important part of the the evolution of VNN,” he says. “As we have grown, we’ve figured out many things about our business. Now we are growing from a startup to a company, and in the next few years we will be scaling to build a national consumer brand.”
 
As the industry’s first comprehensive communication platform, VNN is the exclusive web/mobile platform for more than 10 percent of all U.S. high school athletic communities, reaching over 7 million passionate fans across 40-plus states (adding 8,000 fans daily) with exclusive, hyperlocal high school sports content. To learn more about VNN, you can visit their site here.
 
Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor