Our next power player, Krista Burditt, longtime talent executive and founder of the newly-launched WILDE, a female-founded agency launching with a first-of-its-kind 360-degree model to support athletes at every stage of their careers. WILDE introduces a new standard in
representation—merging agency, management, PR and communications, branding, strategic partnerships, financial strategy, and hands-on mentorship into one cohesive platform.
At the heart of WILDE’s mission is a commitment to supporting athletes both on and off the field, starting as early as high school and continuing through their professional careers. The agency specializes in representing football athletes at the collegiate and professional levels, securing innovative contracts while fostering strategic brand development in the ever-evolving NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) landscape.
Joining WILDE are two seasoned sports agents, Chad Berger, who will take on the role of Head of Football Personnel, and Ezra J. Thompson, Head of Football Operations. Together, they have represented more than 50 NFL and NIL athletes. Notably, they secured a landmark contract with the
Seattle Seahawks for rookie Derick Hall, featuring unprecedented terms: 85 percent of his signing bonus.
Most recently, the two also secured a two-year, $6 million deal for Chicago Bears defensive back Josh Blackwell. Blackwell, a former undrafted free agent, is now one of the highest-paid special teamers in the NFL after signing a multi-year extension before free agency began. Additionally, the company has a first-of-its-kind partnership with X3 Performance and Physical Therapy, one of the nation's leading training programs. WILDE currently represents a growing roster ranging from NIL to professional football athletes, including: Josh Blackwell, Chicago Bears, Jalen Virgil, Buffalo Bills, Jalen McLeod, Jacksonville Jaguars and Sean Brown, NC State.
We recently chatted with Burditt ahead of the college football and NFL season. Scroll down to check out the interview.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Krista Burditt/WILDE
SN: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, Krista! Let’s start by having you introduce yourself and the company.
Burditt: Hi, I’m Krista Burditt, the founder and CEO of WILDE Entertainment. I’ve been in the entertainment industry for nearly 15 years now. I kicked off my career in Los Angeles as a personal assistant to a well-known Hollywood star, which really sparked my passion for building brands around talent. From there, I moved into a role as Chief of Staff at Nasty Gal, where I also had the opportunity to help develop Girl Boss alongside Sophia Amoruso.
I then wanted to dive deeper into music and the digital space to understand how brands were evolving in those areas. I got to work with amazing talents like Demi Lovato and Jen Atkin / Mane Addicts, and across Jake Paul when he was at the height of his YouTube career. Before I launched WILDE, I was the COO for The Home Edit, which was acquired by Hello Sunshine. I feel so fortunate to be sitting here today talking to you as the Founder and CEO for an agency that I have built, combining my experience, passions, and a phenomenal team that I believe in down to my core.
SN: Awesome! Let’s go into WILDE more. This is new!
Burditt: It is new! I feel so fortunate to have been able to take the last 15 years of learnings, both the good and the bad, and really give this agency, my team, and our clients everything. WILDE is dedicated to transforming representation in the industry by prioritizing authentic partnerships over transactional deals. We believe talent deserves more — more care, more clarity, and more commitment. Our unique blend of experience and backgrounds allows us to create a partnership that works both ways while ensuring our athletes exceed their goals both on the field, but off the field as well. We provide the structure, resources, and leadership needed for our athletes to thrive at every stage, integrating world-class services and data-driven strategies that maximize client value.
At WILDE, brand building goes beyond logos and endorsements; it’s about celebrating every facet of our talents’ lives and crafting authentic stories that resonate with fans and partners that all drive direct revenue. We are committed to supporting the whole athlete, prioritizing mental health, and empowering our clients to be the best versions of themselves on and off the field. Together, we are their strategic partner in purpose-driven
success.
SN: How about the sports connection for you? Did you play sports growing up? Have you always loved it? What was the decision to go full-time?
Burditt: I was always the cheerleader on the sidelines! I am also a mom of three kids…I have a high schooler who has been an athlete since he could walk, a middle school daughter who dances and plays volleyball and softball, and a 4-year-old who is following close behind. My husband also played football through high school as well, so no matter the stage, it has always been a part of who I am and a passion of mine as I've grown in my career. Being able to take the love of sports and combining that with my entertainment experience is truly the best of both worlds. Being able to work with our clients to establish their brands on and off the field is where I belong, and the team in place couldn't be better suited to do this.
SN: What level of athletes are you guys currently focused on representing?
Burditt: We are focused on high school, college and pro! Right now, we are in the process of onboarding and announcing our players and it’s weighted more to the pro side, but it will continuously evolve.
SN: How long has WILDE been in the works? When did you know you wanted to branch out?
Burditt: I built the first business plan for WILDE over eight years and have continuously evolved with the business plan based on industry learnings and how it has rapidly evolved year over year. Last summer, I realized it was finally time to take the leap. Until then, the timing wasn’t right, but I knew the model we were going to introduce would make an immediate impact and that I needed to move quickly. At the same time, though, I’ve never had a moment where I thought it would be different if I had done it sooner…this was the time it needed to happen.
SN: What advice would you give to someone reading this that is considering starting their own business?
Burditt: To have the confidence in yourself to make the jump! Somebody
asked me this recently…you do all the paperwork, you have the business plan, your finance model is set, you have your investors, but you still have to have the confidence to make that jump. There is no safety net, but I am so confident in what we have built and the team we have in place that when it was time to make that jump, I was completely okay with it. I think for anybody looking to start, it’s about believing in yourself and knowing that it’s okay to take a risk and it’s all going to be fine.
SN: Let’s talk about Chad Berger and Ezra Thompson. How long did you guys know each other, and what was the thought process as far as bringing them on?
Burditt: It was a six-month process working through who the right agents were to lead both Football Operations and Personnel. I had a lot of meetings! As a company, we’re not just focused on how much money an athlete is making on the field. It’s about who they are as a player, a father, son, husband, or friend. It’s about the brand we are building together and the impact that we are making. It’s the really exciting moments, but also the really hard moments, and it’s making sure we are all on the same page. No
athlete knows when it’s time to hang up their cleats, so it’s always making sure we are working 10 steps ahead. Chad and Ezra embody this fully; their players are their family, but we also know it’s a business, so having that understanding of how you balance the two are important and what has brought them success.
They also have the biggest hearts, they’ve built strong relationships throughout their careers, and they are who I would want in my corner negotiating a player deal. In parallel, when you look at how we are approaching our high school NIL athletes, there is a lot that goes into it. These young men are incredible athletes on the field, but they’re also young men who are going to make mistakes, go through hard times. It’s a roller coaster and knowing they have Chad and Ezra in their corner with the support of the rest of the team makes them unstoppable.
SN: How about the X3 Partnership? Can you expand on that?
Burditt: Our partnership with X3 has always been about focusing on our athletes from a 360 lens. It’s everything we do, from deal negotiation to partnerships to strategy to storytelling. We really wanted to make sure we were touching training, development, rehab, recovery, and mental wellness in an impactful way. I also couldn’t honestly say that we were focusing on our athletes from a 360 lens if we weren’t also thinking about this piece, but it’s always been more than that; it’s part of the ethos of WILDE. This is a first-of-its-kind partnership that I am thrilled to be able to offer to our clients.
X3 has three facilities across the country. I’ve seen firsthand the heart and hard work that they put into training these elite athletes. I’ve
also seen it firsthand from a youth athlete’s point of view, since my son is fortunate enough to go to the Nashville facility. Prior to finalizing our partnership, I got to know the company, the owners, trainers, and
team and knew at the onset that there was nobody else I wanted to work with.
SN: I have to ask, are there plans to add female athletes to your roster?
Burditt: There definitely is! We're lifting football fully right now, and I’m already starting to work through baseball and softball, and who knows, maybe basketball isn’t that far off either. As a woman coming into this space and as a woman in general who is a mother and has a teen daughter at home, making sure we are lifting women up, whether that is from an internal standpoint or those out on the fields or courts. We're chomping at the bit! I am so excited with every call I get to talk about it!
SN: Okay, college football and the start of the NFL season are on the horizon. What are some of the things you guys have got going on?
Burditt: In the very immediate, we have two of our players playing against each other in a pre-season game, so we are looking forward to being at joint practice as well as the game to see all the work that they’ve been putting in, in addition to getting to spend time with front office personnel. We are also recruiting heavily across NIL and building out our 2026 Draft Class, so we look forward to welcoming new WILDE athletes soon. The other immediate area of focus is the work that is going into brand and strategic partnerships and philanthropic work for our current clients and education and youth programming that we are working through with X3.
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