Heath Brinkley, Founder

Heath Brinkley has worked diligently for over 20 years to earn his position in the skateboarding industry. Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Heath’s journey began in 1986 when he met a kid at school with a Rob Roskopp board. Soon after, he bought a Hosoi Hammerhead. After years of skating and filming, and a move out west, Heath became the man in charge at Logic Video Magazine. He quickly developed a strong rapport with the skaters he filmed, and eventually took a job filming solely with the City Stars and Axion Footwear teams. During his tenure there, Heath met Paul Rodriguez, and filmed his part in the 2001 video, “Street Cinema.” Paul went on to have one of the most prolific careers in the history of skateboarding. Heath moved on to become the team manager for DC Shoes, before accepting the same position at etnies a few years later. This all changed in 2009, when a call from an old friend, PRod, transformed his job title to “personal brand manager” for Paul Rodriguez himself. Heath is known as the first person in skateboarding to have such a job. After working with Paul, and seeing a need for this type of service in the skate world, Heath teamed up with Ryan Clements in 2010 to form Excel Management. He also helped Paul launch his own brand, Primitive Skateboards, where he is part owner and serves as CEO. When Heath has free time, he likes to hang out with his four kids and enjoys all things soccer. Heath plays FIFA on his Xbox, watches Chelsea F.C. of the EPL, and plays in an adult co-ed league with his wife, Amy.

Ryan Clements, Founder and President

Ryan Clements was put on this earth to ride skateboards and own businesses. His first entrepreneurial taste came in the form of a lawn service he started shortly after graduating high school.

In 1998, after figuring out he wasn't a lifer in the blue-collar world, Ryan sold that entity and got a job that would cater to his one true passion of skateboarding. As GM at Skatepark of Tampa, he helped grow SPoT to a world-renowned facility that runs the best amateur and professional contests in the industry. This led to him co-founding SPoT Productions in 2006, a company whose sole focus was producing skateboarding events on a global scale. It was also around this time that Ryan started investing in real estate and building an impressive portfolio of rental properties.

Upon his departure from the SPoT businesses in 2013, Ryan's complete focus turned to Excel Management, a company he co-founded in 2010 to provide financial services to some of the biggest names in skateboarding. With a client list that contains names like Mark Gonzales, Ishod Wair, and Nora Vasconcellos, it's no surprise that Excel has become the go-to agency for contract negotiations and the cultivation of credible skateboarding careers.

Although Excel was flourishing, Ryan still had the itch to run events, so after a reunion with former SPoT colleagues Rob Meronek and Jorge Angel, The Boardr was founded. Since its inception in 2013, The Boardr has become pinnacle in the skateboard event/contest realm.

The crazy thing is, he wasn't done. In 2021, along with Tito Porrata, The Platform Group was created to offer cities and municipalities a more modern approach to skatepark design and construction.

In 2023, Ryan's dedication and contributions to skateboarding earned him an induction into the Florida Skateboard Hall of Fame. When he's not traveling the world on his beloved Delta Airlines, Ryan likes to spend time at home with his wife and two daughters, while skating his "Dream Driveway" and constructing insane ice cream sundaes.

Jorge Angel, Vice President

Jorge Angel has been busy chasing the American Dream since arriving to the United States from Colombia at the ripe age of one. Growing up in Brandon, Florida, Jorge literally played every sport as a child, until that magical day he got a skateboard. This event transformed his life and career path in ways he would never imagine. After a brief tenure at The Gap, Jorge used his retail experience to get his foot in the door at Skatepark of Tampa, a place he always dreamed about working for while coming up in the Tampa skate scene. After a year, he left SPoT to pursue college, and triumphantly returned in 2006, while finishing up his degree in Political Science from the University of South Florida. Upon his exit from SPoT in 2013, Jorge focused all of his attention to Excel Management, carving out a unique role in skateboarding as an agent/business manager/mentor for many of today’s top skaters that are navigating the tricky world of professional skateboarding. In his free time, Jorge can be found skating, serving up aces on the tennis court, or hanging out at home with his wife, Devin, and their sons, Apollo, Atlas, and Ares.

James Craig, Manager

James Craig has done it all in the skateboard industry. Growing up in Southern California, James was first introduced to skateboarding in 1989, when he got a hand-me-down Variflex from his older brother. In 1994, he started his career working the register at Liberty Boardshop, until his skills on board led him to pro deals from Blind Skateboards and Circa Footwear. After 15 years as a professional skateboarder, James eventually phased into the role of team manager for select brands out of Dwindle Distribution. While there, he was responsible for signing many skaters under Dwindle’s umbrella, as well as leading the enjoi team to victory on Season 2 of Viceland’s hit TV series, “King of the Road." After his departure from Dwindle, James was able to focus more attention on his wheel brand, Small Wheels, as well as join up with Excel Management to aide in the behind-the-scenes operations of this agency on the rise. When James isn't at home with his wife Lisa, and his dogs, Jack and Charles, he enjoys golfing and rooting for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Nolan Woodrell, Manager

If the skateboarding industry worked like a University, Nolan Woodrell would be well into his tenure. With 25-years-experience, this San Diego native has worked behind-the-scenes for some of the biggest media companies in skateboarding, such as TWS, 411VM, Skateboarder Magazine, and more recently, The Nine Club. Sales, marketing, and social media are his strong suits, but a desire for new challenges has led Nolan to the doors of Excel Management, where he specializes in non-endemic sponsorships for their client list of top professional and up-and-coming skateboarders. In his free time, Nolan lives the life of a true SoCal resident, enjoying board sports, off road adventures that lead to camping, cheering for the Lakers, and big plates of authentic Mexican food.

Davison Fotunato, Manager

Hailing from the beautiful streets of Suzano, Davison Fortunato is the guy when it comes to finding talented Brazilian skaters to bolster our list of international clients. Drawn to skateboarding by its originality and difficulty, Davison eventually took his greatest love and turned it into his career by organizing and executing events all over his home country. After spending time developing his business skills, he started bringing skaters to America in hopes of helping them pursue their dreams of turning pro. Now with a client list that includes his younger brother Gabriel, Felipe Nunes, and Giovanni Vianna, it looks like his help behind-the-scenes is shining through with all three receiving bumps into the professional ranks. Although his success has led to a life of international travel, Davison's legacy will always stay in his hometown where he worked diligently with the city to build a modern, free, public skatepark for him to host more great events at. When he is not helping out the next generation of Brazilian skaters, Davison enjoys tennis, fashion, and keeping his nollie 360 flips on lock, regardless of what country he’s currently in.