How Core Impact is Shaping the Future of Sports Technology from Elk Grove, CA | | |
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Core Impact, an Elk Grove-based sports technology company founded by former professional baseball player Samuel Taylor, is revolutionizing athletic performance and injury prevention through data-driven innovation. Core Impact’s product includes bespoke sensors embedded in cutting edge athletic apparel that measures an athlete’s muscle activity and efficiency in real time using AI. Unlike traditional athletic companies focused on apparel, Core Impact’s subscription-based platform delivers real-time feedback to athletes, coaches, and medical teams, removing the guesswork from optimization and bridging the gap between performance and data. | |
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Meet the A-Team Behind Core Impact
Sam has assembled an exceptional well-rounded leadership team with deep industry expertise:
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Samuel Taylor (Founder & CEO):
A former pro athlete and footwear designer with 15 years of corporate experience. Sam previously exited his company, Tesh Sports, at a $12 million valuation.
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Bruce Stimson (CFO):
Finance veteran with 40+ years of experience, driving strategic growth initiatives.
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Robert Cooksey (CTO):
Former Intel leader specializing in robotics and wearable technology.
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Neal Smith (VP of Software):
Software veteran with 24 years at Intel, leading Core Impact's software development.
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Damion Wynne (Director of Sales):
Enterprise sales leader specializing in collegiate and professional accounts.
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Daniel Gutierrez (Lead AI Engineer):
Data scientist and machine learning expert who relocated to Elk Grove to advance Core Impact’s technology.
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Mookie Betts, MLB (Brand Ambassador & Investor): LA Dodgers World Series champion, lending investment, validation, and star power to the brand. | | |
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Matt Manning, MLB (Brand Ambassador):
Detroit Tigers pitcher, bringing his sports expertise and market influence to the brand.
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All key team members share one goal: Making Athletes better and building Core Impact’s legacy in Elk Grove. | | |
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A Game-Changing Approach to Product Innovation
Core Impact’s product innovation strategy centers on a fast, calculated roll-out through its early adopter pilot program. Sam Taylor identified underutilized technology and, through strategic partnerships with manufacturers, reimagined its potential. After extensive negotiations, Core Impact secured exclusive rights to integrate the device with their own garments and software, providing the company with full autonomy and market validation.
This approach enabled the development of 120 pilot garments, which will be deployed across a select group of early adopters. With 42 Letters of Intent from leading organizations—including the LA Dodgers, UC Davis, University of Missouri, Georgetown University, University of San Francisco, Tampa Bay Rays, Santa Clara University, and West Valley Community College —Core Impact is positioned for significant growth. Sam and his team are focusing on 10 of the 42 as strategic pilot partners. By servicing a limited number of key accounts with medical and kinesiology partnerships, they’re ensuring a targeted approach to refine product-market fit before scaling and optimizing opportunities for revenue growth.
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Elite Validation
Core Impact has already proven its value on the field. Mookie Betts, World Series winner and MLB superstar, tested Core Impact's product during the 2024 playoffs, delivering a live, high-profile testimonial of the technology's performance. Further solidifying its credibility, Core Impact is collaborating with the UC Davis baseball team to gather critical data on activation metrics, timing, and intensity across muscle groups involved in baseball motions. This combination of professional validation and cutting-edge research underscores Core Impact's commitment to revolutionizing athletic performance and muscle optimization.
“This is bigger than a wearable,” Taylor emphasized. “Nobody is measuring internal athlete data like we are. We want to be THE company that unlocks insights into what’s happening inside athletes’ bodies so they can make better, active decisions.”
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The Road to Scale
Core Impact’s software strategy is built to scale seamlessly. The current early adopter phase focuses on an Android-only device, with all data processing done locally. However, as they move to the next iteration, Core Impact will integrate iOS compatibility and add a cloud backend in the first quarter of 2025. This step unlocks game-changing opportunities including cloud analytics across users to improve product performance, enhanced tools for coaches, and provide insights for next-generation product lines like smart shoes or expanded wearable sensors.
A pivotal moment in Core Impact’s scaling journey was its participation in the recent American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Trade Show, the world’s largest gathering of baseball coaches. At the event, Core Impact showcased its innovative technology to over 7,000 coaches, athletic directors, and key decision-makers. The ABCA Trade Show provides an unparalleled platform for forging major partnerships and expanding operations on the West Coast—opportunities that Core Impact is poised to fully leverage.
In parallel, Core Impact is actively raising $1 million in seed funding at a $5 million valuation, aiming to close the round by March 2025. Sam and his team are laser-focused on not just building a product but creating a lasting legacy right here in Elk Grove.
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A Future Built on Data
Core Impact’s approach to data collection—with controlled ownership and exclusive rights—is not only innovative but perfectly aligned with the emerging AI revolution, where data drives everything. As Taylor explains, “We’re not just solving problems for athletes today. We’re gathering the data we need to build the products of tomorrow. This is how we scale—not just with one product, but with many.”
And Core Impact’s vision extends beyond technology alone. Sam Taylor has a broader goal: “to create 100 jobs in Elk Grove over the next five years. I believe Elk Grove is the next big growth story, just like Nike in Beaverton, Oregon. Elk Grove’s momentum, combined with our innovation, is the perfect match.”
As Core Impact prepares for its next rollout, industry eyes are watching. With a refined product, elite athlete validation, and a clear strategy for scale, Core Impact is turning data into opportunity, performance into precision, and Elk Grove into an innovation hub.
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Core Impact is a sports technology company that utilizes AI to track muscle activity in real time and provides training methods for accelerated performance gains. | |
About the City of Elk Grove | Elk Grove is a young, ethnically diverse, modern city of 178,000 people located in the dynamic and affordable Sacramento metropolitan region, the capital of the 5th largest economy in the world. Incorporated in 2000, Elk Grove is a family- and business-friendly community with low crime, excellent schools, over 100 community parks, elevated dining and shopping options, lively events and festivals, and over 270 sunny days per year. With its highly educated workforce, modern facilities and infrastructure, and pro-business attitude, it's clear why major corporations and institutions such as Apple, Cardinal Health, Amazon, UC Davis, AllData, and Kubota call Elk Grove home. Our dedicated staff of economic development professionals are ready to help you plan, finance, and fast-track your next business expansion or relocation project. Contact us today. |
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City of Elk Grove
Office of Economic Development
8401 Laguna Palms Way
Elk Grove, CA 95758
(916) 627-3338
TTY 888-435-6092
Relay Service 711
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