One athletics organization. One complete operating system.
Sherpa Sports AI and CK1 LLC have formed a strategic partnership. Sherpa Sports AI leads the AI front office. CK1 leads the AI back office. Connect every system in your front and back office.
The AI front office
Scouting and recruiting, first look to enrollment. NIL and pro contracts, term sheet to signature. Financial operations with real-time budget intelligence. Compliance, workflow, and a full audit trail.
One secure platform, a unified data layer, an AI intelligence layer across all four modules, and an open API into video, payroll, CRM, and scouting. SOC 2 Type II certified, FERPA and NCAA compliant.
The AI back office
Strategic Foundation. Governance & Enablement. Implementation & Automation. The Athletic Department Operating System.
Data-readiness first. CK1 organizes the operational data AI would need to be useful, then builds executive intelligence around revenue, budget pressure, compliance workload, and risk.
Sherpa builds what CK1 designs
Sherpa Sports AI provides engineering and product development for CK1's back-office systems. One firm specifies the operating model, the other ships it.
CK1 advises Sherpa on AI
Operator judgment sits inside the product roadmap, not only the advisory work. The two firms refer clients to one another and go to market together.
Independent by design
Two separately owned and operated companies, each retaining full ownership of its own intellectual property and technology. This is a commercial and go-to-market relationship.
The new era of sports demands a new operating model. Before we talk about AI, we help you organize the operational data AI would need to be useful. What DJ has built at Sherpa Sports AI is the front office, and it is the platform I spent 17 years in the Division I Athletic Director chair wishing existed. Our two halves fit together without overlapping. Connect the two and an athletics organization has a complete operating system.
Chris King, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, CK1 LLC
Sherpa Sports AI provides the AI and technology infrastructure; CK1 brings the operational expertise. A well-structured back office connects financial, revenue, compliance, administrative, and performance data, giving leaders clearer visibility and faster decision-making. Together, both halves operate on one intelligence layer, creating a complete operating system for modern sports organizations.
Darrick “DJ” Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, Sherpa Sports AI
One connected data layer
From the signed deal to the ledger to the board report.
Executive intelligence on demand
Built on operational data already structured to support it.
Compliance inside the workflow
Guardrails and audit trails that run where the work actually happens.
Start with a combined front-office and back-office assessment.
Joint engagements are available now: one engagement, both firms, and a sequenced plan for connecting your revenue systems and your operating systems into a single operating model. Athletic departments, professional franchises, conferences, and agencies can contact either firm directly.
Media contacts — CK1 LLC: Chris King, Founder and CEO, Pittsburgh, PA, king@ck1llc.com. Sherpa Sports AI: Darrick “DJ” Johnson, CEO, Houston, TX, info@sherpaclouds.com, sherpasports.ai.