Mark Inkrott grew up on his grandfather’s farm and in the bulk truck his father drove for 45 years. A former NFL athlete turned entrepreneur, he is now the founding partner of UpField Group, where he helps organizations in sports, agriculture, and sustainability grow through strategy, partnerships, and commercialization.

An alumnus of Dairy Management Inc., Mark worked across strategy, sports, and commercialization, building national campaigns with producers, processors, and professional athletes. Throughout his career he has partnered with advanced on-farm sustainability programs to build the Farm of the Future project and has worked with retail and QSR partners to drive dairy sales and consumer demand. Today, his consulting spans from Fortune 500 companies to producer organizations and startup technology providers, helping leaders unlock new opportunities and create measurable impact.

Mark is also the creator of Second Season, a platform where he writes and speaks about career transition, coaching, and life beyond the game. Farmers navigating generational change, industry leaders rethinking growth, and athletes moving into new chapters all share the same challenge: how to adapt, stay resilient, and keep moving forward. That’s the space Mark knows best.

A regular guest lecturer on college campuses and mentor to many student athletes, Inkrott is also an alumni fellow of the Illinois Agriculture Leadership Foundation. Mark delivers clarity, energy, and hard-earned lessons that connect the locker room and the boardroom. He’s also a dad and husband to Whitney and their three children, attempting to balance life in Ohio.