Malaika Underwood
High Tide Consulting
Class of 2003; 2005 (MA)
Malaika Underwood is currently a Partner at High Tide Consulting, leveraging her 20 years of experience across a diverse portfolio of sports companies, athlete organizations, governing bodies, and brands. Prior to High Tide, Underwood was CEO of Sandlot Technology, a sports and fitness platform, and led the strategic integration of the Company into its largest partner. She remains an Advisor to Sandlot.
Notably, Underwood also served as interim CEO at OneTeam Partners, representing a range of commercial business interests on behalf of the athletes of the NFLPA, MLBPA, MLSPA, U.S. Women’s National Team PA, WNBPA, NWSLPA, U.S. Rugby PA, and those of thousands of college athletes. As interim CEO, Underwood managed the Company through a critical transition following the founding CEO’s departure and guided the Company through the final months of the sale of Redbird Capital’s equity to HPS Investment Partners, Atlantic Park Strategic Capital Fund and Morgan Stanley. The transaction valued OneTeam at $1.8B. Prior to assuming the interim CEO role at OneTeam, Underwood was Senior Vice President of Licensing where she was tasked with providing oversight for the Company’s growing consumer products business. Underwood also developed and executed the strategy for OneTeam’s college business, creating the largest group rights program in the world.
She was named one of Sports Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 in 2021. Underwood, who was a scholarship volleyball player at the University of North Carolina, recently retired from the USA Baseball Women’s National Team. During her 17-year playing career, she earned five Women’s Baseball World Cup medals, as well as two Women’s Baseball World Cup All-Tournament Team selections. In 2015, Underwood was honored by USA Baseball as the Sportswoman of the Year and her helmet from the Pan American Games was added to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. As an assistant coach, Underwood helped lead the 2024 USA Baseball Women’s National Team to a silver medal and a #2 world ranking.
Underwood earned a bachelor's degree in international studies and a master's degree in sports administration from the University of North Carolina. She lives in Atlantic Beach, FL with her husband, Chris, and two daughters, Birdie and Kit. Both of whom inspired Underwood to write the children’s book, Birdie Can, Too.