The iPickle Nation team exists to bring people together through pickleball. We believe that pickleball has the opportunity to provide community, positive experiences, and fun competition. Our team is here to bring you just that.
WHAT IS iPICKLE NATION?
iPickle Nation exists to bring people together through the sport of pickleball. Our team brings 45+ years of event industry experience combined with pickleball influencers to provide the power of community, the reliability of a consistent experience, and enjoyment of competitive balance to the fastest growing sport in the country.
MEET THE TEAM
Rick Fortuna
iPN Founder & CEO
Rick is the Founder and CEO of iPickle Nation and the Founder/CEO of KC Sports. With 30 years in the sports event management business, Rick brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to iPickle Nation. Over those 30 years, Rick has built his company and National Sports programs from the ground up. Rick believes vision, courage and determination are the building blocks of success.
Kena Wolf
Partnership and Sponsorship Director
Kena Wolf has a passion for fostering connections and promoting active lifestyles. Boasting over two decades of experience in higher education leadership, Kena brings a wealth of expertise and an unwavering commitment to connecting communities to the sport she loves. Kena’s journey with pickleball began in 2019, and since then, she has immersed herself in the sport, participating in leagues, social events, and competitive tournaments throughout the metro area. Her dedication to Pickleball extends beyond personal enjoyment; she has introduced numerous friends, colleagues, and family members to the game, spreading the joy and camaraderie that only Pickleball can create. Kena is dedicated to forming meaningful partnerships between corporate brands and iPickle Nation.
Duane Christian
iPN General Manager
Duane is the Genral Manager for iPickle Nation. A lifelong Kansas City area resident with 20 years’ experience in sports event management. Responsible for event communication, Logistics, Facilities relationship management, event Software management and staffing.
Alex Fortuna
iPN Media Director, Web Development
Alex is in charge of all photography, videography, and rich media development in addition to working on the web development team for iPickle Nation. Alex was born and raised in Kansas City, MO, he grew up playing baseball and wrestling and eventually went on to wrestle in college and earn a bachelor’s of science in Multi-Media from Baker University.
Phetmany Soukthavon
Pickleball Director
Like most players, feeling the need to be physically active during COVID led to my love for pickleball. As a mechanical engineer, my interest in paddle design led to the development of kcpaddles.com. As the owner of the company, I enjoy helping people find the perfect paddle to suit their style of play. Its been a rewarding experience to bring people together through this wonderful sport of pickleball. I am thrilled to be a part of the iPN team, the champion of pickleball tournaments! I believe in their mission to bring people together by providing a fun competitive environment through pickleball. When not pursuing pickleball, Phetmany enjoys spending time with her three awesome kids ages 17 – Brianna, 19 – Ethan & 21 – Alyssa. See you on the courts! Looking forward to more battles of the paddles!