Diverse Athlete Placement

UNLOCKING POTENTIAL, FOSTERING INCLUSION – THE IDEAL PARTNER FOR ATHLETE-BUSINESS CONNECTIONS Our motivation to start DAP (Diverse Athlete Placement) stemmed from our past athletic experiences and lack of strong inclusion candidates in the marketplace. Our co-founders Danya,is a BC Hall of Fame inductee and professional basketball player for 14 years, and Andrew, a high school basketball coach for 30 years and cofounder of a Boston Celtics non-profit, recognized that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives often fall short at the corporate level. Combined with their experiences in navigating the professional field, the DAP team attempts to empower student-athletes to transition seamlessly into professional careers. We help athletes get Career and Life ready!Teaching young athletes the importance of career longevity and security is the first step to capturing their true potential. Athletes spend their lives engaging in team-based activities where they are rewarded for performance-based outcomes. Competitive drive, work ethic, and the desire to win are innate qualities of those performing at elite levels. Athletes at this level must have discipline, resilience, and grit. These are the intangible parts of any elite athlete’s identity. When combined with confidence, curiosity, and coachability, these traits separate great athletes—and great employees. A FEW WORDS FROM OUR CO-FOUNDER… "Once my college/pro career wrapped up, I found myself wondering, ‘What now?’ Not everyone makes the big bucks playing pro basketball, and our time in the game has an expiration date. Fortunately, I was able to leverage my personal network and landed a successful career as an insurance agent. The advice from folks who knew my situation firsthand was priceless. Diverse Athlete Placement was formed to help athletes, like myself, connect with a nationwide network of employers and find a job that suits our unique skills.  See, former athletes, we’ve got this incredible work ethic, discipline, and a knack for teamwork – qualities that make us top-notch employees. It’s all about working together towards a common goal, just like in those locker rooms all over the world. My insurance career? Well, it’s pretty much the same story. Now, I’m helping young folks land their dream jobs. It’s all about playing to our strengths."– Danya Abrams, Boston College Hall of FameCo-Founder/CEO Diverse Athlete Placement

A WINNING COMBINATION
Meet the dynamic individuals behind Diverse Athlete Placement, a team committed to driving success in the world of sports recruitment. With decades of combined experience, our experts bring their unique skills, industry knowledge, and passion to every placement. Get to know the faces that make it all happen.


Danya Abrams

Co-Founder

BC Hall of Fame inductee and former professional basketball player with 14 years of experience. Passionate about empowering student-athletes and promoting diversity.




Greg Jones
Chairman of the Board
BOD Eversource, Community Leader
Greg Jones embarked on a remarkable journey in the world of finance and community involvement. He earned his B.S. degree in accounting from Morgan State University in 1979, setting the stage for his future accomplishments.


Academic Pursuits

Greg’s commitment to education led him to further degrees. He achieved his M.A. in public administration from Carnegie Mellon University and his M.B.A. in finance as a Cigna Foundation Fellow from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. These credentials laid a strong foundation for his career.


A Career in Finance

In 1994, Jones joined JP Morgan in New York City, where he began as a division vice president. He would later transition to roles with Bechtel Construction and United Utilities, Pratt & Whitney, and Corporate Development Group/Divestiture Partners, specializing in strategy development, deal execution, and mergers and acquisitions.


Community Engagement

Greg’s passion for community engagement led to the establishment of his nonprofit organization, The Legacy Foundation of Hartford, Inc., in April 2012. In 2017, he took on the role of vice president of community health and engagement at Hartford Healthcare, where he played a pivotal role in bridging the gap between healthcare and the community.


Leadership and Service
Greg Jones serves as the chairman of the board for The Legacy Foundation of Hartford, Inc. Additionally, he has made a significant impact as a board member of the Travelers Championship PGA Golf Tournament.


Family and Personal Life

Together with his wife, Lauren Allen-Jones, Greg resides in Avon, Connecticut, and is the proud father of two daughters, Erin Jones Geter and Morgan B. Jones.
Greg Jones is not only a distinguished figure in the financial industry but also a dedicated community leader, committed to making a positive impact.


Andrew Mirken

Co-Founder

High school basketball coach for 30 years and cofounder of a Boston Celtics non-profit. Corporate leader in recruiting, committed to enhancing DEI initiatives and supporting student-athletes' transitions to professional careers.




Bruce Patz

CFO

Bruce Patz is an exceptionally successful business owner and operator who has made a significant impact in various sectors throughout his career. He serves as a Board of Director and Owner of PCM Merchant Services and CMP DBA Advantage Payroll Services. With a background rooted in finance and entrepreneurship, Bruce has become a prominent investor and advisor in various ventures.





Tom Nelson

Director - NIL and Financial Literacy

Tom Nelson is a distinguished Athletic Director at Brimmer and May School and Head Boys Basketball Coach who brings a wealth of experience and passion to the world of sports and education.


Linda Martindale

Mental Health

Meet Coach Linda Martindale, a certified wellness coach specializing in self-development, effective communication, and empowerment. With over 25 years of experience, Linda has been a guiding force for student-athletes and young adults.





Bobby Martin

Leadership and Community Engagement

Running BMB Training and Development LLC, a premier training program for basketball players at every level, since 2012.


Prior to starting his own basketball training company, Martin had a successful 16-year professional career that began with the Quad City Thunder of the CBA where he won the CBA Championship in 1994 and was named to the CBA All-Defensive team. Martin then embarked on an 11-year career in the Liga ACB in Spain where he was named as one of the top rebounders in ACB history by Solobasket.com.

In 1993, Martin was a member Team USA’s gold medal winning team at the FIBA Americas Championship where he averaged 12.7 points per game to go along with 8.1 rebounds per game, five blocks and a 54.8 shooting percentage.

A three-year starter at Pittsburgh, Martin finished his time ranked 17th on the Pitt scoring list with 1,282 career points, 775 rebounds and 109 blocked shots. He was one of just eight Pitt players to score at least 20 points and grab at least 20 rebounds in a single game and tied the Pitt record for blocks in a game (7).

Out of high school, Martin was a 1987 McDonalds All-American, Street & Smith All-American and was a member of the Nation’s best recruiting class which included the likes of (Arizona basketball head coach) Sean Miller, Brian Shorter, Darelle Porter, and Jason Matthews. 



Chris Collins

Sport TV Host

Chris Collins is a versatile entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in television, radio, digital media, and business. He made a name for himself in the Boston sports scene in 1998, securing exclusive live interviews and breaking high-profile stories or news stations across the country.





Tome Barros

Boston Celtics Community Outreach

Tome, the Community Engagement Manager for the Boston Celtics, is committed to fostering understanding and inclusivity through sports and social justice initiatives, with contributions spanning various domains.




JR Butler

Recruiting Expert

JR is an accomplished tech leader with a track record of driving revenue and strategic success. He served as the Chief Revenue Officer at Pillir, where he forged a highly successful partnership with AWS, achieving top ISV Partner status and earning the title of the #1 ISV for AWS’s SAP on AWS team in 2020. JR’s exceptional skills were further showcased as he built a scalable and repeatable sales process for the company, leading to his recognition as one of CRN’s Top Channel Chiefs for 2021.
Prior to his role at Pillir, JR was an early employee at Turbonomic, where he played a pivotal role in the company’s remarkable growth, expanding the customer base from 200 to 3,000 and the workforce from fewer than 50 to over 650 employees. His leadership led to consistent top-performing revenue regions, with accolades such as the Top Impact Player Award and Manager of the Year. He was subsequently promoted to Area Vice President and later Regional Vice President, contributing to the company’s success in commercial sales and forging strong OEM partnerships with industry giants like Cisco and AppDynamics.