Blake Baratz

After spending years as a NFL sports agent in Los Angeles, the Minnetonka native returned to launch an agency (The Institute for Athletes) that would go well beyond negotiating contracts for NFL players. Baratz, along with colleagues Joey Hartman and former NFL Linebacker Barry Gardner, assembled a 12-person executive team that would provide clients with guidance on and off the playing field and in several different facets of life.

Blake Baratz founded The Institute for Athletes to provide his clients the proper foundation in order to maximize their potential both on and off the field. He has identified education and professionalism as two ideals that define The Institute for Athletes, and has surrounded himself with an exceptional executive team to implement these ideals on behalf of his clients. His commitment to his clients and their families has earned him the reputation as one of the best, young representatives in the business. Blake continues to stress, "While a contract today can make you very comfortable tomorrow, we want to ensure that you and your family are living properly 60-70 years from now and that you have accumulated generational wealth."

Representing 30+ NFL Players (which positions Blake as a top 15 representative in the business), Blake is accomplishing feats that have not been seen in this business at such a young age.

Tom Friedman

Thomas L. Friedman is an internationally renowned author, reporter, and columnist—the recipient of three Pulitzer Prizes and the author of six bestselling books. As the Foreign Affairs columnist at the New York Times since 1995, Friedman’s columns continue to address complex issues in an accessible way and bring the foreign policy conversation to a greater readership beyond just “State Department political wonks.”
A St. Louis Park native, Tom Friedman is a life-long golfer, and was even captain of his St. Louis Park High School Golf Team. It was his love of the game that inspired him to write the afterword for Classic Shots, a collection of photographs from the United States Golf Association, published by the National Geographic Society. Beyond a chance to golf in our fabulous Machers event in his old neighborhood, it is Tom’s friendship and admiration for Jake Garber, the namesake of our new “Jake’s Gin Tournament,” that convinced Tom to join us at the Machers Golf and Games event – golfing, schmoozing with old friends, meeting new ones, and sharing the day with Jake in support of the Sabes JCC.

More Special Guest Announcements COMING SOON!