Kyle Kuzma Steps Off the Court and Into the Boardroom With New Business Podcast ‘Read the Room’
Kyle Kuzma, the Milwaukee Bucks forward, has made a name for himself with versatile play on the basketball court. But away from the hardwood, he has been building another kind of career — one centered on investing, entrepreneurship, and the business of ideas. Now, he is combining those passions in a new podcast. However, unlike the growing wave of athlete-hosted shows that focus on sports, locker-room stories, or pop-culture banter, Kuzma’s project is decidedly different. He is launching Read the Room, a business podcast designed to explore the minds of founders, investors, scientists, and other figures who shape industries.
The announcement positions Kuzma within a curious niche: an active NBA player who treats business media as seriously as he treats his on-court performance. Read the Room will feature conversations about investing, company building, risk-taking, and the personal philosophies that drive ambitious people. According to the announcement, the first season will feature 15 guests. Among the names revealed so far are Brycent, a gaming creator and entrepreneur known for bridging entertainment and digital business, and Patrick Bet-David, the prominent entrepreneur, author, and founder of Valuetainment, a popular media platform focused on business and leadership.
The show is set to premiere later this month on Invested Inc., a platform founded by entrepreneur Brandon Harris. Invested Inc. appears to be carving out a space for business-and-investing content aimed at mainstream audiences, and Kuzma’s show is part of that vision. The partnership is not a typical celebrity endorsement; rather, it is a collaboration between a media platform and an athlete who has demonstrated genuine interest in the subject matter.
Kuzma’s own quote in the announcement helps explain why he wanted to create the show. “I’ve always been curious about how people think, what drives them, and what inspires them to take risks and pursue big ideas,” he said. He went on to describe how, over the last few years, he has spent considerable time learning about different industries, investing in companies he believes in, and building relationships with entrepreneurs and leaders. “Those conversations have taught me a lot and opened my mind to new ways of thinking.” With Read the Room, he says he wants to invite listeners into those conversations, learn directly from people doing interesting work, and “inspire others to stay curious, ask questions, and explore opportunities of their own.”
That quote reflects a broader shift in the way professional athletes approach their public personas. In previous generations, players might have opened a restaurant or a car dealership after retirement. Today, many are entering venture capital, starting media companies, and becoming angel investors while still playing. Kuzma is not the first NBA player to show interest in business, but his decision to host a business podcast rather than a sports podcast is notable. It suggests a desire to engage with audiences on topics unrelated to basketball and to build a personal brand that will outlast his playing career.
Brandon Harris, founder of Invested Inc., emphasized Kuzma’s authenticity in the announcement. “At Invested, we’re focused on creating original formats that entertain and educate, bringing conversations about business and investing into mainstream entertainment,” Harris said. He added that few people are as genuinely passionate about investing and entrepreneurship as Kuzma. “His curiosity, authenticity, and relationships across industries make him the perfect person to bring these conversations to a broader audience.” Harris also said that Read the Room is exactly the kind of show Invested Inc. was created to support.
The choice of guests also signals the show’s ambition. Patrick Bet-David is a well-known figure in the business-content space. As the founder of Valuetainment, he has built a massive audience by interviewing entrepreneurs, politicians, and thought leaders, and by offering blunt, practical advice on leadership and success. His appearance on Read the Room could help introduce Kuzma’s podcast to a wider business-minded audience. Brycent, meanwhile, represents the intersection of gaming, content creation, and entrepreneurship. His presence suggests the show will not be limited to traditional corporate leaders but will also explore new-media founders and creators who have built businesses from digital communities. The mix of guests implies that Kuzma wants to cover a wide range of industries and perspectives.
The title Read the Room is itself interesting. In everyday language, “read the room” means to understand the mood and dynamics of a group or situation. In a business context, it can refer to the ability to sense market trends, understand consumer behavior, and know when to act. For an investor, reading the room is a crucial skill. For a podcast host, it is equally important: a good interviewer must listen carefully, adapt to the guest, and know which questions to ask. Kuzma’s choice of title suggests he is aware of both meanings.
The announcement did not include a specific date for the premiere beyond “later this month.” More guests are expected to be revealed as the launch approaches. It is also unclear how Kuzma will balance the podcast with his NBA schedule, but many athletes have proven that it is possible to maintain a media presence during the season, especially with remote recording technology. Given that Kuzma has been building relationships in the business world for years, he may already have a pipeline of interesting guests.
Kuzma’s interest in business is not entirely new. Over the past few seasons, he has been linked to various investments and entrepreneurial ventures. In interviews, he has occasionally discussed his desire to learn from successful founders and to understand how companies are built. He has also shown interest in art and fashion, another area where athletes have found business opportunities. Read the Room gives him a formal platform to explore these interests publicly, and it allows fans to see a side of him that is rarely captured on the court.
For Invested Inc., the partnership is a significant addition. The platform appears to be building a slate of original programming that can compete with traditional business media while appealing to a younger, more diverse audience. By tapping an NBA star like Kuzma, Invested Inc. may be hoping to attract sports fans who would not normally listen to a business podcast. If Read the Room succeeds, it could open the door for more athlete-hosted business shows, further blurring the line between sports, entertainment, and finance.
There is also a larger cultural context. The past decade has seen an explosion of podcasts, and athletes have become regular hosts. However, most of those shows are about sports, celebrity interviews, or lifestyle topics. A business podcast hosted by an active NBA player stands out. It also reflects a generational shift: younger athletes are more likely to think of themselves as brands, businesspeople, and investors, not just players. They are entering the league with financial literacy, and they are using their platforms to build wealth beyond their contracts.
Read the Room could be seen as part of that movement. Rather than launching a show where he talks about basketball with teammates, Kuzma is choosing to talk about ideas, companies, and risk-taking with founders and leaders. That choice may surprise some fans, but it fits the image Kuzma has cultivated. He has always seemed interested in more than just basketball — in style, in culture, in the mechanics of success. This podcast is an extension of that curiosity.
The announcement also raises questions about the future of athlete media. Are business podcasts the next step for players after their playing days? Will teams and leagues encourage players to build these platforms? It is too early to say, but Kuzma’s move is a sign that the definition of an athlete’s media presence is expanding. A podcast does not have to be a sports talk show. It can be a vehicle for learning, conversation, and professional growth.
As the premiere approaches, fans of Kuzma will likely be eager to hear him in this new role. They will also be watching to see which guests appear and what lessons emerge from the conversations. Meanwhile, business-media observers will be watching to see whether an NBA player can successfully host a show about entrepreneurship. If Kuzma’s passion and authenticity are any indication, Read the Room may become more than just another celebrity podcast. It may become a legitimate addition to the business-content landscape.
In the end, Kuzma is doing what many people advise young professionals to do: he is following his curiosity and building skills outside his primary field. Whether he is reading a defense on the court or reading the room in a studio, he appears to be applying the same mindset — stay aware, ask questions, and never stop learning. With Read the Room, he is inviting listeners to join him on that journey.
