MORT SAYYED: WHEN THE PANTHERS ARE YOUR PASSION
 
The "Roar Report" sat down recently with Mort Sayyed, who graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with his degree in Finance & Marketing in 2004 before going on to obtain his master's degree from the Lubar School of Business in Business Analytics in 2007. Sayyed is a successful Wisconsin-born entrepreneur who is the CEO of locally-based Minlopro Partners, a Salesforce consulting firm headquartered in Milwaukee.
 
Sayyed has been a fan of the Panthers since his undergrad days, with his pride and involvement continuing to grow over the years. He is now a corporate sponsor of the program as well.
 
He laughs when he thinks back on it: a Milwaukee-area kid choosing the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee because of proximity and cost – not because of sports.
 
"No, absolutely not, I did not come here for sports," he recalls of his college choice. "That was not the motivation. The motivation was, it was a local school, so I could stay close to home. It made my parents feel comfortable. This was, I mean, 1999. We didn't really do a ton of research. Just wanted to go to college and was the one that was affordable, and the one that was up the road. And it worked out awesome."
 
But once he got to campus, the Panther experience found him anyway.
 
"I started to see other students go to the games at the K (Klotsche Center) and then every now and then go to the Cell (the then-U.S. Cellular Arena/now UWM Panther Arena)," he said. "It's like, 'ah, that sounds like fun', you know, hop on a bus and go with your buddies. Like a social thing, right? I was not trying to watch the high-flying Panthers. I mean, that was not the motivation. The motivation was, all my friends are doing it, it's Tuesday night with nothing else to do. Let's go do something fun. How do you stay entertained? And it was a blast. These games are a blast. You went there with your buddies. I couldn't even tell you half the scores, just out there with your friends."
 
That first season on campus the team went 15-13 under then-head coach Bo Ryan, but things started to progress quickly. Ryan moved on to a new job with the Badgers and Bruce Pearl quickly turned the Panthers into a real juggernaut, a version of "can't-miss" entertainment.
 
"Next thing I know, we are winning the conference, winning the league tournament," he recalled. "I remember getting to rush the court, still distinctly remember that. The energy was so vibrant, because the energy was driven by the students. We had kind of captured something special. But I don't remember the history, who we played … I don't remember the scores. I remember the experience. I remember the moment, how it felt. That's really what I remember."
 
His last year as an undergrad? … the Panthers made national headlines by making their historic run to the "Sweet 16" in the NCAA Tournament.
 
"So, I'm privileged, right? I went through our 'platinum era' of the program and it was easy for me to fall in love with the team," he said. "But the reality is that was 20 years ago, and I still love the team. Because I think what happens is there's this connection that I've never lost."
 
Big picture, that Panther team holds a special place in a lot of people's memories. A good portion of the players that comprised the roster are still regulars in attendance at games and involved in one way or another with the program to this day.
 
Life pulled Sayyed away after graduation—work, moving abroad, time in Barcelona, Sydney, as well as Utah. He didn't go to many games, but the tether never snapped.
 
"Even now, when I talk to alumni who don't go to games, when we reminisce, we all reminisce about the same thing," Sayyed said. "It's just that I just never lost that connection other people have. But it was easy for me. I could have lost it, because after college, I got into work, I didn't really go to a lot of games. I traveled; I lived abroad for a while. But I always found myself checking score lines randomly, or you talk to your old college buddy, and it's 'you remember when we were in the Gasthaus and we beat Boston College', you know, it's these anchor points that were just waiting for you to pull on. And I just made a decision to pull on them. And a lot of my friends who were very involved, who I go to games with, they also all pulled on the same anchor points. Everything was there. But I never came to Milwaukee for the sports. I'm not a basketball guy. I never played basketball. I don't know the plays. If you ever hear me yelling from the court, I'm just yelling. That's not my thing … I played soccer. Even when I left Milwaukee, I wasn't overly involved in this, in the sports, until I started to kind of find myself slowly back."
 
For him, the pivotal moment was moving back to the area. He was ready to lock back in and, essentially, start his life. When he moved back to Milwaukee about a decade ago, the first thing he did was simple: "Let's go to a Panther game."
 
It happened to be 2014—the Panthers' unlikely NCAA Tournament year—and that was enough to pull him back in. Then it became part of life.
 
"One of the first things I did, was reach out to my buddies and say, 'let's go catch a Panther game' and lo and behold," Sayyed recalled.
 
That 2013-14 campaign ended with a run to the title as the five seed, heading back to the NCAA Tournament with a victory over Wright State in the Horizon League Tournament Championship game.
 
"When we went to the tournament, it was very easy to get pulled back in," he said. "But then it just became a thing that we did, right? Where it's like, what do you do? 'Let's go to a Panther game'. It's in Milwaukee. It's downtown. You go to a bar before, you go to a bar after, there's a basketball game in the middle. Now our calendar plans are around Panther Basketball. When we do family events, it's a 'when' … when are we going to a Panther game as a family? When I am having my Milwaukee boy's night out, it will be anchored on a Panther game. Now it has become a focal point of our entertainment. I still don't know much about basketball … I should really pay more attention [laughs]. But the joy that comes from it is a shared joy. You'll never see me sitting by the court by myself watching the game. I'm not a connoisseur of the sport. I'm a connoisseur of the experience that it provides."
 
Sayyed continued to have opportunities to up his involvement … and did exactly that.
 
"As we were talking about earlier … what do you want to do with your life? For me, when I see these basketball players, I think a lot of people look at them, they're like, 'Oh, this guy is six- foot-nine'," he said. "But these are kids. I know that because I was their age, and the way they behave is that same way I behaved back then. The only difference is they're just really tall and playing basketball and I wasn't. But our brain is no different, except I think they're under a lot more pressure than I ever was to perform and be in the spotlight and play for your education."
 
For Sayyed, it has always come down to what he can do personally to help.
 
"You put that pressure on me, I would have folded," he said about today's players in the NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) age. "These guys aren't folding. For me, getting more involved now is about, how can I help these kids? What can I do for them? Even if it's just hosting a Christmas party or being at the game and high-fiving them at the end. Or being able to give a locker room speech to get them excited about what happens after college."
 
He takes that next-level as well, with the internship program he has created inside of his business. Former Panthers are certainly a high-priority when it comes to helping with opportunities in the real world.
 
"We created the internship program so they know that, hey, there are alumni who care about them off the court," he said. "I've gotten more involved because I want these kids, and the program, to know there are alumni who are willing to support them beyond the sport. Because I'm not a basketball guy. I love my school, and I love my Panthers. For example, I can't help them play in Turkey (professionally). But I can help with an internship. I can help them with a job. I've got four athletes right now at Minlopro. I want them to know there's life after sports. And with an education from Milwaukee, there's a life with us. Right now, we've got four, but I want to hire eight. I want to hire 20. Athletes are amazing employees; they're incredible. They're so easy to mold into what you need. And they never lose. They just hustle. So, getting more involved has been letting the students know there's life for you after this, if you really want it."
 
Sayyed used former Panther men's basketball player Angelo Stuart as a prime example. Stuart was a junior college All-American prior to playing for the Panthers for two seasons, wrapping up his time at the end of the 2023-24 campaign. A student-athlete who lived and breathed basketball since he first picked up a ball when he was a kid.
 
"One of the most interesting conversations I ever had was with Angelo, and because when he finished, he had his MBA, and he could have played overseas," Sayyed said. "I told him, 'Jello, you should go play (overseas).' And he said he didn't want to, even after I told him, 'When else are you going to get to travel the world?'. And he replied, 'Mort, I'm going to get a job. I'm going to make money and then travel the world on my own terms'.
 
Sayyed continued the conversation with Stuart and asked if he wanted to continue playing. That's just what he figured basketball players do.
 
"He told me 'No, I've played my entire life, I'm good'. And for me, that really clicked," Sayyed said. "I had the assumption that every one of these guys wants to die on the basketball court, because that's what they love. And the reality is, they don't. They're like, hey, I've gotten this far. I've had an incredible experience. I am not going to be an international basketball star. I'm ready to start my life, because there is life after basketball. I can help them. I can create the next step for them. I can create for them after sports, whether it's immediately after or a year after or five years. If I can help them then that's my goal."
 
And the experience eventually turned into involvement—first as a donor, then a sponsor, then someone deeply connected to the student-athletes themselves.
 
"So, I became a donor before I had my business," he said. "I think part of it is … one, you have to have the financial wherewithal. I mean, let's be honest about this, right? If you're struggling to survive, you're not going to be donating your money to your college. So, I was lucky enough to have a career that gave me the financial ability to do some of that. But even I remember distinctly, early on, I was donating like 25 bucks a year. You know that what's the lowest box? [laughs] I remember I would always get a call from the school, like twice a year, so I would always 'Oh, 25 bucks, 50 bucks, whatever'. So even when I didn't have a lot of money, I would always donate. But I think it flipped for me when I realized that I could see where the money was going. I could see the impact of it. I could see that the students were getting experiences. You realize that the donation you make isn't a financial donation, it's a life experience, and that's what I was able to see, because the program kept me involved. That legacy that you can leave with these simple actions, I think is worth one hundred times more than the money you donate."
 
He compares it to a pay-it-forward chain—one gesture, multiplied through lives and moments. He spoke of a recent conversation with one of his company co-founders, who had just visited Chick-fil-A. When he got to the point of buying the meal, he was told someone had paid for him. So, he decided to pay for the car behind him and, after asking, found out he was car No. 13 in the chain.
 
"Being able to have that positive impact on someone's life, and then they may pay it forward," he said. "Can you imagine the impact a small donation can make? Let's say you donate money as an alumnus and that money is used to give an experience to an athlete who's never had it before, and that person starts to change, and now what you've done is impacted numerous iterations of that downstream. How insane is that? And all that can start from a simple donation."
 
The connection to the program didn't arrive all at once—it grew in the small moments that stacked quietly into something meaningful. It then took much bigger steps with the arrival of head coach Bart Lundy in March of 2022.
 
"Transparently, my relationship is anchored with (Milwaukee Director of Athletics) Amanda Braun," Sayyed said. "Amanda is my go-to. We talk a lot; we text. So, she's the one who kept me from floating away at the start, but Bart is just pulling me right in right because I love his charisma. He hates to lose, just like me. When you challenge him, he always answers the call. Just like I see a lot of similarities in the way we approach life and problem-solving. Also, I think he's just a really good leader. I think he sees the players as kids and wants to be a role model. Bart is a high-character guy and that's very attractive to me. He wants to influence these kids' lives in a positive way. Amanda's my anchor point in the program, but Bart is who's made me plan all of our social events around basketball games, because I love the product. I love the product on the court; the product is fun. You see guys running up and down playing full-court press, and now, by the way, I know what the full-court press is … I had to google it – thank you ChatGPT (laughs). But yeah, so I think he has brought an element of fun on the court that's easy to come watch. And he's a really good guy."
 
In the beginning, it was just a simple effort for Sayyed — nothing more than a quiet start, almost easy to overlook. But over time, it expanded. Each season added another layer, each experience revealing something new, until the once-modest beginning became a defining part of who he is and what he does today.
 
"I went on this mission and told Amanda, maybe six or seven years ago, that I was going to go out every year and find two people to buy season tickets," he said. "And I have done that since. I brought people to the program and they bought season tickets. And that was a personal goal. And then I realized, wow, this is cool. It's impactful. It not only helps fill some seats, but I want to get alumni to understand the relationship between their donation and the outcome, because that's what changed me.  When I was able to connect the dollar to the outcome."
 
As the years passed, looking beyond the usual began to bring different results.
 
"Now I focus on the outcome, not the dollar," he said. "What brings a smile to the kids' faces? It can be just something as simple as sponsoring the Christmas party. Yeah, there is a cost involved, but get three, four alumni involved, and now you get face time with the players. You get face time with the coaching staff, with the AD … how else can you get that? So, getting them to understand that these donations … it's not the dollar, it's the impact of it. Come watch a player smile. Come get two hours with a coach. Come get an hour with the AD. Getting them to understand that connection. That's my new journey, right?"
 
His new perspective has given Sayyed what he calls his 'new mission'.
 
"That's it … how do you get people to understand that we have to stop fixating on the dollar. Fixate on the outcome. Is the outcome worth it? Focus on impact. Are you excited about the outcome? Does having an hour of uninterrupted time with the head coach of a division one basketball program that has had 20 wins a year the last four years, is that something that's worth your time? Is that the outcome you want? I think that connection is what I'm hoping to build with alumni."
 
He stays steadfast in wanting other alumni to understand what he has learned: don't obsess over the dollar amount—focus on the impact.
 
"If you realize the outcomes are really powerful, then the money justifies it," he said. "I don't necessarily want every alum to start donating 10 bucks. I want 10 of them and I to start donating $100,000. That's the goal—get them excited about the outcome, so then they separate from the money."
 
He pauses, trying to put into words what this program means to him at this moment in time. This is a man who now displays a Panther tattoo proudly on his arm.
 
"I think that is something I wasn't prepared for," he said. "I didn't think it'd be like this, to be honest with you. But now, I mean, I think about Panthers all the time – I cannot wait for the basketball season. I talk about basketball. I have text message friends about basketball. We know the rosters. We know who our best players are. This is now a thing that we do together. It wasn't a thing we did together before. That was a very interesting journey. I don't know how it happened, but now that it's here, it's not … it's never going to not stay this way. And I think that would be really fascinating for alumni to discover. Maybe it's an age thing. Maybe you get older and just hold on to something. Now, for me, it is such a tight connection I can't even fathom being disconnected again. It is now a lifelong connection."
 
What began as casual support for Sayyed years ago soon became a meaningful presence around the team, shaping relationships that now stretch well beyond the sidelines.
 
"Maybe I'm like a crazy cat lady with the Panthers," he joked. "But once you get to this level, it's so fulfilling. The Panthers fulfill my life. The athletic program is a part of my life. I bring my family to events. My kids talk about Pounce. They want to see pictures of Pounce; meet Pounce again. I'm not just an alum; I am part of the program. I'm here and I am a part of it in my own way. I don't get a paycheck from the school or anything, but I'm part of it now, and I can't even fathom not being a part of it."
 
Time doesn't slow for anyone. But little by little, the team became more than just a game to watch for Sayyed and his family. Before he even realized it, that casual interest from years ago had transformed into a true passion.
 
"When you ask, how did I get here? It's a mystery, because I can't think of life before this," he said. "You have to find your passion. And the Panthers are my passion. Whether I'm here or not here, whether I'm sitting courtside or not, whether I'm watching it on TV, or whether I'm checking the score on an airplane. It's just a part of me now, and it just happened because I allowed it to happen. When you get involved once and you're good, then it's a forever thing."