Team Bios

Board Member

Nate Forbes earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from U of M in 1985. He and his wife Catherine are very active supporters of a wide range of interests at the University of Michigan. Nate and Catherine have generously supported the Varsity Tennis Center, Al Glick Field House, Michigan Stadium, the Museum of Art, and the Health System. They contributed a lead gift to the Michigan Athletics campus project and served on the Leadership Committee for U-M’s historic Victors for Michigan campaign, which raised more than $5 billion to support students, faculty, capital expansion, and the pursuit of bold ideas.

Nate is the managing partner of The Forbes Company, a nationally recognized developer, owner, and manager of luxury shopping destinations. He was part of the investor group that purchased Quicken Loans from Intuit Inc. in 2002, and part of a 2005 investor group that acquired the Cleveland Cavaliers.

When selected for the 2015 Hermelin Award, the university’s highest honor for volunteers who love the university and work tirelessly to preserve it, Forbes said, “what drives our passion for philanthropy at the University of Michigan is the unknown. Who will be the next generation of leaders? At Michigan, we strive to be the leaders and best across all disciplines.” This quote embodies the reason Nate chose to become a board member of the Champions Circle®. Our mission is to support all student-athletes at the University of Michigan so they can succeed on the field, in the classroom, and in the community–to become the next generation of leaders and best.

Board Member

Navid holds an A.B. with Highest Distinction from the University of Michigan (Phi Beta Kappa) and a J.D. from Harvard Law School, magna cum laude. He is a devoted Wolverine fan and generous supporter of athletic and academic causes on campus. One of the many ways Navid has supported Michigan Athletics was by funding the Mahmoodzadegan Family Nutrition Center at Al Glick Field House which provides for the football team’s nutritional needs. He is also a major benefactor of LSA’s optiMize program, a University of Michigan student-run entrepreneurial organization that champions a just and sustainable world through social innovation projects.

Navid is a Co-Founder and Co-President at Moelis & Company. He has been instrumental in building the Firm’s Media and Communications franchise, which has become a global advisory leader having advised on over 200 transactions across the industry. Navid has almost 30 years of investment banking experience. Prior to Moelis & Company, Navid was Global Head of Media Investment Banking and a member of Americas Investment Banking Executive Committee at UBS Investment Bank. Navid has been recognized in Variety’s 500, an annual list of the 500 most influential leaders shaping the entertainment industry. He has also been exceptionally busy dealmaking in the sports world, advising the consortium who acquired Chelsea Football Club and facilitating the recent sale of the Phoenix Suns.

Navid’s passion for the University of Michigan coupled with his world-class experience in the sports and entertainment industries attracted him to becoming a board member of the Champions Circle® where he lends his insights, experiences, and business acumen to shaping our priorities and programs.

Board Member

Matt Lester is a 1987 graduate of UM’s College of LS & A and a 1990 graduate of the University of Southern California Law School. Matt and his wife Nicole are loyal supporters of the football program and the University of Michigan, including significant gifts to support scholarship, medical research, art, performance, and athletics. In 2017, they endowed the Lester Family Defensive Coordinator position held today by Coach Jesse Minter. In the summer of 2022, they hosted the football coaches, players, and staff at the family farm in Charlevoix, Michigan during the team's Pure Michigan Tour.

After graduation, Matt joined the law firm of Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer & Weiss, P.C. and developed a prominent litigation and real estate practice. While still practicing law, Matt started his real estate investment career founding Princeton Enterprises, L.L.C. in 1994. Princeton Enterprises is a real estate acquisition, development, and property management company that owns and operates a commercial investment portfolio of multifamily housing and office buildings. Lester has led the company in the acquisition of over 165 properties worth more than $1 billion throughout the Midwest and Southeast.

Matt has received national recognition in numerous publications for his business prowess and received several awards for his leadership and success. He is also very passionate about giving back to his local community in the Metro Detroit area and helping those in need. As a board member to Champions Circle®, Matt offers his extensive business acumen to guide the collective in their endeavors to support student-athletes across all sports.

Co-Founder

Jared Wangler played fullback for the Wolverines from 2014 to 2018 and was a four time Academic All Big Ten player. Jared studied psychology and entrepreneurship in his time at Michigan and always had a passion to pursue business opportunities that would align with his love and deep respect for college athletics.

Jared co-founded, along with his father John and brother Jack, the Valiant apparel brand in 2016 with the mission to create a brand specific to the University of Michigan. Upon graduation, Jared began interning at a professional sports agency with the dream to one day become an NFLPA certified agent. Once the NCAA released their name, image and likeness (NIL) guidelines, Jared jumped at the chance to bring NIL services to Michigan athletes in a manner that aligns both with the university’s high standards and the unique needs of a student-athlete.

Jared has been instrumental in the foundation of Champions Circle®, bringing an enthusiasm and competitive edge to each day in order to create the most compelling opportunities for the student-athletes he represents.

Co-Founder

Phil earned a Bachelor of Science degree with distinction from U of M in 1987 in a combined graduate and undergraduate program in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department. Phil has a passion for the University of Michigan coming from a family which now spans four generations of Wolverines. He supports a variety of university programs across both athletic and academic endeavors, with the most recent being a gift to the Ford School of Public Policy.

Phil is co-founder of Bounteous, an international innovation agency headquartered in Chicago Illinois. He currently serves as executive chairman of Bounteous and brings over 30 years of experience as a founder, senior executive and value creator in the technology and digital marketing space. During his career, he has led and grown teams across sales, marketing, finance, technology, design and analytics. He has worked on numerous early stage companies as well as with Fortune 500 brands and personally led teams responsible for launching some of the most successful digital enterprises including Apartments.com and Dominos.com.

Phil is co-founder of Champions Circle® and volunteers his time to this passion project to ensure the future success of Michigan athletics in the NIL era. His extensive experience working in dynamic new markets as well as his experience in all aspects of a growing enterprise help to guide Champions Circle® as we continue to build our student-athlete support community.

Director of Champions Circle

Anna Britnell joined Champions Circle® in April of 2023. As a former student-athlete and team Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) representative at the University of Michigan, Anna dedicated off-field time to organizing department visits to Mott Hospital and acting as Chair of the legendary Mock Rock event. As a two-time Academic All Big Ten athlete, she also committed to serving the School of Kinesiology in Sport Management related initiatives.

As the Director of Champions Circle®, Anna will lead initiatives related to network development, membership programs, fundraising through special events and exclusive experiences, donor engagement and athletic team management.

Before joining Champions Circle®, Anna served as the Executive Director of Communications and Community Relations for a prominent Michigan public school district. In this role, she successfully executed a $180 million dollar bond campaign, developed sustainable fundraising initiatives, and spearheaded an all-encompassing facility sponsorship program that generated thousands of dollars for the organization. In addition, Anna was instrumental in building the School District’s media, communications, and public relations department. She holds a B.A. in Sport Management and Communications (University of Michigan) and a M.A. in Educational Leadership (Wayne State University).

Through these experiences, Anna brings passion, leadership and enthusiasm for the future of NIL for Michigan Athletics.

Advisory Board Member

John Wangler is one of Michigan’s legendary quarterbacks, playing for the Wolverines from 1977 to 1980. John led the Wolverines to Bo Schembechler’s first ever Rose Bowl victory during the 1980 season and earned First-team Academic All-Big Ten and Second-team Academic All-American honors. At the end of his career, he ranked second in MIchigan history in almost every career passing statistic.

After graduation, Wangler began a 30+ year career in the sports apparel and footwear business. He is the founder of Top Cat Sales, a wholesale team dealer and sales agency. He works with coaches and athletic directors of organized sport teams, junior high schools, high schools and colleges to provide customized apparel and footwear specific to athlete’s needs. They also service the corporate world’s branding identification needs in wearables and non-apparel items. John and his sons Jared and Jack also founded the Michigan apparel brand “Valiant” in 2016.

As an advisor to Champions Circle®, John brings his invaluable and varied experiences as a high level student-athlete, entrepreneur, and athletic merchandise industry expert.

Advisory Board Member

Chris Wormley played defensive end for the Wolverines from 2012 to 2016, earning the honor of being elected co-captain of the 2016 squad by his teammates. Chris was a two-time Academic All-Big Ten Honoree and Second-team All-American. A four-year letterman, Wormley was also a two-time Richard Katcher Award winner, designating Michigan’s top defensive lineman.

After graduating from the School of Kinesiology with a degree in sport management, Chris was taken in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens where he played for three years. Traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020, Wormley is entering his seventh year in the league. Whether it’s collaborating with The Education Partnership to support K-8 students in Pittsburgh, supporting nonprofits that empower girls and young women, or his many contributions to Washington Local Schools in his hometown of Toledo, Chris and his family are passionate about giving back to their communities. Chris was awarded with the Key to the City of Toledo in 2022 in recognition of his efforts.

Chris’ leadership on and off the field make him a perfect fit for the Champions Circle® Advisory Board. He is a role model for the next generation of Wolverines and a respected adviser who lends his experiences at the University of Michigan, in the NFL, and in community service to help guide our priorities and programs.