Dave Kaval
Club President
Dave Kaval was hired as the President of the San Jose Earthquakes in October of 2010. He oversees the business and technical sides of the franchise.
One of the pinnacle moments during Kaval’s tenure was breaking ground on the club’s new stadium at 1125 Coleman Ave. in San Jose. The Earthquakes set a Guinness World Record for largest participatory groundbreaking ceremony with 6,256 fans digging for two consecutive minutes at the site of the future playing field. The stadium is scheduled for completion in 2014. For his efforts on the new stadium and with the Earthquakes’ business operations, Kaval was named to the Silicon Valley Business Journal 40-Under-40 list for 2012.
Since Kaval signed on, the club has seen a significant boost in ticket sales, merchandise and sponsorship revenue. Even before the Earthquakes broke ground, luxury suites for the new stadium were already sold out. The team also hit a major milestone on June 30, 2012 with 50,391 on hand for a 4-3 Earthquakes win against the LA Galaxy at Stanford Stadium, the largest non-doubleheader attendance in club history. On the sponsorship side, the Earthquakes unveiled their first founding partner for the new stadium in 2012, Dr. Pepper-Snapple Group.
A progressive thinker, Kaval has also ushered in a number of fan experience improvements. At the stadium, he dedicated the East Gate at Buck Shaw Stadium to former NASL Earthquakes icon George Best. Kaval also introduced mobile ordering options to Buck Shaw in 2011 with Y-order offering fans the chance to purchase food, beverages and merchandise and have it delivered to their seat.
Away from the field, Kaval actively communicates with fans through his blog on the club’s website, sjearthquakes.com, Twitter (@QuakesPrez) and through office hours each Tuesday from 3-5 p.m.
Prior to joining the Earthquakes, Kaval founded the Golden Baseball League in 2003 with fellow Stanford Business School graduate Amit Patel. Kaval was responsible for raising the initial capital to launch the league and attracted a number of investors from around the country to fund the venture. He also negotiated a number of major corporate partnerships, including the multi-million dollar league naming rights agreement with Safeway. Kaval served as the President of the Yuma Scorpions, Long Beach Armada and Chico Outlaws teams, as well as the Arizona Winter League. The Golden Baseball League included 12 teams in three different countries. Under Kaval’s leadership, the league turned an operating profit in multiple years.
In addition to his time with the Golden Baseball League, Kaval worked at Key Bank, served as a Business Analyst for Accenture, and was the Director of Business Development for Sparks.com. Kaval has also spent time in the Office of the President of the United States on the budget for National Security. He is a recognized expert by the Superior Court of the State of California on the subject of minor league baseball and the business of professional sports. He lectures in a variety of programs at Stanford University, including the Graduate School of Business, and is a Director of the Workforce Investment Board in San Mateo County.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Kaval earned a B.A. in 1998 and an M.B.A. in 2003 from Stanford University. He currently resides in Menlo Park with his wife and two daughters.
Register Online
Date: Sunday October 16, 2016
Time: 12:00pm Gates open; 1:00pm Dave Kaval Chalk-talk; 2:00pm Match Starts
Location: Avaya Stadium, 1123 Coleman Avenue, San Jose CA 95110
Photo OP: 88th minute of the match: Meet @ Guest Services for on field group photo w/ Mascot.
Cost: $135 per ticket (up to 4 tickets). Includes one game ticket, one drink ticket and lunch.
WCNC members only event. No refunds. Tickets are transferable to Wharton alumni only!
New membership is available at: http://www.whartonclub.com/memsub.html.
Driving directions and public transportation options
Stadium map
General Questions
Event Organizer: Kathy Sohrabi WG’15, kathy.sohrabi@gmail.com
