Meet the team behind the mission.

Ronnie Coluzzi is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Next Professional Athlete, bringing a lifelong athletic background, entrepreneurial vision, and firsthand understanding of the recruiting journey to everything he built at NPA+. Growing up in Naperville, Illinois, Ronnie was raised on sports — football, soccer, baseball, basketball, tennis, anything with a ball was part of his everyday life from a young age. His talent and dedication earned him All-State honors out of Illinois in 2012 while playing at Naperville North High School, and that success carried him to a full athletic scholarship at Central Michigan University from 2012 to 2016, and later to the University of Iowa from 2016 to 2017, where he served as a team captain for the Hawkeyes. He earned his bachelor's degree in Marketing from CMU's School of Business Administration and went on to start a Master's in Sports Management at Iowa.

After his college career, Ronnie pursued the NFL, trying out for the Chicago Bears and the Washington Redskins (as the franchise was known at the time). While those tryouts didn't lead to a roster spot, the experience of navigating that process largely on his own — without a clear roadmap or anyone in his corner — showed him firsthand how isolating the journey to professional sports can be, even for athletes who have given everything to get there. That feeling of being alone in the process became the reason for his purpose: making sure no athlete has to navigate that journey without support.

Before founding NPA+, Ronnie built his career as a Health, Safety and Environmental professional, working across the vegetation management, wind, data center, and medicine industries in construction — experience that shaped the discipline and operational rigor he brought to building an organization from the ground up. Drawing on his own path as a scholarship athlete and the isolation he felt trying to go pro, Ronnie created the world's first sports recruiting network, built to help athletes worldwide gain the resources and information they need to potentially play professionally someday. Under his leadership, his team also launched the NPA+ Broadcasting Show, "Sportslandia."

At NPA+, Ronnie leads capital raising and the development of new partnerships that are expanding the organization's operations globally. His focus is on networking with sports professionals to secure the resources and information athletes need to pursue a professional career, while using NPA+'s broadcasting arm to tell their stories across every sport, in every corner of the globe. His mission is to build NPA+ into a network that gives every athlete — regardless of where they start — a real shot at going pro, so no one has to feel as alone in the process as he once did.

Outside of NPA+, Ronnie is married to his best friend, Megan Coluzzi, and cherishes every day with their children, Chandler and Riley.

Emmanuel Rugamba is a Rwandan-American entrepreneur, author, public speaker, and former professional football player who brings firsthand athletic experience, business leadership, and an international network to Next Professional Athlete.

Born in a refugee camp in Zambia after his family was displaced from Rwanda, Emmanuel immigrated to the United States at two years old. His journey ultimately led him to become the first Rwandan to sign an NFL contract when he joined the Cleveland Browns in 2021. He later played professionally in the Canadian Football League, earning CFL West Division All-Star honors in 2023—the first Rwandan to reach that milestone.

Emmanuel began his collegiate career at the University of Iowa before transferring to Miami University, where he helped the RedHawks win the 2019 Mid-American Conference Championship and was named the game’s Defensive Most Valuable Player. He earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with a concentration in sport leadership and management.

Beyond football, Emmanuel has built a growing platform at the intersection of sport, education, entrepreneurship, and athlete development. He is the co-author of NEXT PLAY: Strategies for What’s Next, a two-volume guide created to help athletes and high performers navigate identity, opportunity, leadership, and life beyond competition. As a keynote speaker and mentor, he has worked with more than 120 schools and organizations across the United States and Canada.

At NPA, Emmanuel leads business operations, strategic partnerships, institutional relationships, and long-term growth initiatives. His focus is expanding NPA’s relationships with athletes, coaches, universities, school districts, sports organizations, brands, and international partners. As both a partner and executive leader, he brings the perspective of someone who has experienced the complete athlete journey—from recruiting and college athletics to professional football, career transition, entrepreneurship, and organizational leadership.

His mission is to help position NPA as more than a recruiting platform: a trusted global ecosystem connecting athletes with the relationships, resources, education, and opportunities they need to succeed during and beyond their playing careers.

Outside of his professional work, Emmanuel is a new father who values spending his free time with his wife, son, and extended family. Family remains central to who he is and continues to shape his approach to leadership, service, and building opportunities for the next generation.

Chris O'Neill is a certified personal trainer and performance coach dedicated to helping athletes unlock their full potential. With over a decade of training experience, he combines proven strength and conditioning methods with the latest in sports science to create programs that produce real, measurable results. A former high-level athlete himself, Chris played football at one of the most prestigious junior colleges in the country, where numerous teammates went on to compete in the NFL. He later continued his career at the semi-professional level and trained for the NFL before a hip injury ended his playing days. That firsthand experience with elite athletic environments gave him a deep understanding of what it truly takes to perform at a high level—both physically and mentally. Now, as the creator of the Apex Athlete System, Chris channels that same drive into coaching others. He's constantly studying the most up-to-date sports science research to refine his methods, ensuring every athlete he works with receives evidence-based programming and genuine, personalized care.

Truman Lapp is a writer, editor, and producer and a graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, where he studied Television, Radio, and Film. He now works at WME in Los Angeles. His expertise lies in storytelling through writing and video production.

Sam Meraz is a visual designer and Fine Arts graduate with a background in digital art, branding, and visual communication. As part of the NPA+ team, he supports the organization through graphic design and creative content, developing visual materials for its programs, services, and digital platforms. His work focuses on creating clear, engaging visuals that strengthen the NPA+ brand and communicate its mission effectively.

Suman is a Brand and Digital Designer at NPA, bringing over 7 years of experience in brand identity, visual design, and digital experiences. He has worked with businesses across different industries and markets, helping turn ideas into clear, memorable brands. His approach combines strategic thinking, thoughtful design, and modern AI tools to create better work, faster.

I’ll be supporting all things tech at NPA+, helping develop and improve our digital platforms while assisting the team wherever needed. I’ll also be actively involved with the NPA+ cricket community, helping grow engagement and strengthen our presence within the sport. I enjoy collaborating, solving problems, and jumping in wherever I can contribute.

My work focuses on technology, digital platforms, product support, the cricket community, team operations, and India connections.

Angelina Perri is a Registered Dietitian and Sports Nutrition Specialist dedicated to helping athletes achieve peak performance through science-based nutrition strategies. With extensive experience working with athletes across various sports and competitive levels, Angelina understands that proper nutrition is fundamental to athletic success. She combines evidence-based dietary principles with individualized approaches to create nutrition plans that support training adaptation, recovery, and competition performance. Angelina's expertise spans meal planning, macro and micronutrient optimization, hydration strategies, supplementation guidance, and performance-focused nutrition timing. Whether you're looking for a comprehensive nutrition guide or personalized meal plans tailored to your specific sport and goals, Angelina provides the knowledge and support needed to fuel your athletic journey.

Alex Kuriako is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant with 500+ hours of experience working to improve confidence, mental toughness, lower anxiety, and increase focus to improve sport performance. Alex has worked with people from elementary school level all the way to collegiate level globally, as well as worked with recreational adult athletes. Through their practice, Alex helps apply the skills learned for not just the sporting context, but in their everyday life. Services include building mental skills workshops and teaching mental skills to improve sport performance, including a Confidence Building workshop.