DraftKings Life Podcast

Our finance team is different from your typical firm. As Jeff, Vice President of Internal Audit puts it: "You don't want to just be another number. You want to be part of something great—and growing. That's what I found here from day one." We sat down with Jeff, a seasoned audit leader, to discuss his experience and why DraftKings could be a game-changer for your career. He spent two decades at large financial institutions and came to DraftKings eight months ago to help create the playbook for many different projects.  “We're sort of building as we go through our day-to-day, and that's been great for both me and the team to realize there's not really a dedicated, correct way to do this work yet,” Jeff said.   

When Michelle joined DraftKings seven years ago, she wasn't stepping into the business it is today, she was jumping into a tech company that was about to take off.  Michelle, now a Senior Manager on the Program Delivery team, has been part of DraftKings' transformation from a startup to a global leader in sports entertainment. She's one of a few teammates who has helped build our Engineering team from the beginning.    Listen to more of her career journey. Want to learn more? Check out our jobs page.   

The Trading team thrives on collaboration—not just within their group but across the entire company. We dive deeper into what it's like working on this team with two leaders who started as entry-level traders just three years go. Travis and Brennan shared what motivates them, stories about our exciting culture in our Las Vegas Office, and more about their day-to-day.  Think you're ready to join the team? Check out our roles. 

Join a team where top talent thrives. At DraftKings, we're building more than just a workplace—we're shaping the future of sports entertainment. Meet Linda Aiello, our Chief People Officer, whose journey from luxury retail to tech and now sports entertainment is redefining how we work, grow, and win together. Linda's passion for harnessing individual superpowers fuels a dynamic culture.  From flexible work models to dynamic office spaces, we're all about empowering you to do your best work—wherever that may be. Ready to own what's next?  Check out our open positions: https://careers.draftkings.com/jobs/  

Stepping into an interview at DraftKings isn't just about answering questions—it's about speaking to your strengths and understanding how you can contribute to our innovative environment. To help you prepare, we spoke with three hiring managers who shared their journeys, insights, and advice for acing every step of our process.  Do you have more questions about the interview process? Check out this DraftKings podcast episode, where we discuss FAQs. If you're ready to see our open positions, check out our jobs page.   

DraftKings thrives on operational innovation.  In this episode of the DraftKings Life Podcast, Corey Gottlieb our Chief Product Officer, and Zach Maybury our Chief Technology Officer, reveal how our team pioneers the future of sports entertainment through data-driven insights and seamless product integration, with an ownership mentality. From Fantasy Sports to iGaming, explore how we're creating the ultimate fan experience here at DraftKings. Ready to rise to the occasion? Check out our open roles. 

Our Analytics Team is the backbone of our innovative spirit. It combines the thrill of sports with the precision of data. It's not just about the spreadsheets; we're telling stories that change the course of our business.  One of our core beliefs here at DraftKings is that data drives our decisions. The data itself is impressive, but it's the people who inspire and motivate others to do their best work. Listen to the full episode with Joanna and Tyler to get more insights into what it's like being an analyst at DraftKings.  Think you could make an impact? Join our team. 

If it wasn't for our world-class products, we wouldn't be where we are today. Creating exciting, entertaining, and different experiences for our millions of customers is the name of our game.  At DraftKings, we see the world through our customers' eyes. The Product Team collaborates across the board to map new features, games, and experiences. Armed with data, user insights, and market research, we're all about delivering top-tier products that keep our customers coming back for more. Here you're constantly learning, growing, and pushing the limits of what's possible. Ready to join the team? Check out our open roles.   

There are many aspects of our business that sets us apart from others in our industry– but one that really stands out is our unwavering focus on our customers. Every teammate, from the newest hire to our CEO, is laser-focused on creating an unparalleled experience for our players. We're here to win, and we own our work with every project we're a part of.  We have a Chief Customer Officer, Shawn Henley, who's dedicated to ensuring every interaction with our products is world-class. During this episode of the DraftKings Life Podcast, Shawn shared his unique career journey and insights into our customer-centric culture. His path to DraftKings is inspiring. Shawn went to West Point and started his career flying helicopters in the Army. After his service, he shifted to consulting, and then came to DraftKings three years ago to be one of the leaders helping to infuse the customer mindset into everything we do.  Ready to join our team? Check out our open roles: https://careers.draftkings.com/teams/customer-experience/?source=Applicant_Source_Organic_Social_Post    

The DraftKings VIP team embodies our core values of teamwork, innovation, and exceptional service. Two people on the team, Maria and Brad, join us to talk about their careers, what they love about working with us, and share why now is the perfect time to join.  Our environment is designed to empower you to excel in your role. By providing exclusive experiences and services to our top clients, our VIP team plays a crucial role in DraftKings' mission to offer unrivaled entertainment experiences. This sense of purpose and impact is what makes working here truly rewarding. Check out our open roles: https://careers.draftkings.com/jobs/

When working in the world of gaming, our customers are playing and withdrawing money at an instant in our apps every day. One department that oversees and makes sure our customers' information is safe and secure is our risk management team. On this episode of the DraftKings Life Podcast, we sit down with two risk team rockstars, Amelia and Darzon, to uncover their personal career growth and what excites them about working here at DraftKings.  Learn more about the team and our open positions.   

As a mobile-first company, we offer a platform where product-focused engineers can build impressive applications, grow their own skills and engage with a community of users who appreciate their work. Working at DraftKings is described as a dream for any product-focused iOS or Android engineer. "You go into this career wanting to build something that people actually use in their hands," Tumri, a Senior Software Engineer, explains. This is the essence of what we do here at DraftKings. Our Mobile Team empowers engineers to have a tangible impact on products used by millions. It's about creating something meaningful, not just tweaking small code algorithms. Ready to join the team? Check out our open roles today.   

Located in the heart of Bulgaria, our offices are centered around collaboration and connection. This unique environment fosters not just professional growth but personal relationships as well. Stamena Manova from our Employee Experience Team, offers a glimpse into how the culture shapes the everyday experiences for our team members. For Stamena, it's about crafting a workspace where individuals can grow and thrive. From the annual team building to the Christmas celebration, DraftKings crafts events that are more than just gatherings—they are opportunities for people to create genuine friendships and engage in meaningful conversations.  A flexible work environment proves to be the best for our teammates. We work in a hybrid model with people working from home and on-site in Sofia and Plovdiv. Over 50% of employees, according to a recent survey, choose to come to the office driven by the desire to interact with their teams and leaders directly.  DraftKings is more than a workplace; it's a community. A community that thrives on empathy, resilience, and the drive to achieve results. Here, we're defining an ideal workplace centered around collaboration, connection, and celebration. Ready to join the team? Check out our open roles.     

Growing in your career can look differently for everyone. One may take on the challenge of managing others, helping to mentor and foster a culture of learning, while others may rise to the challenge of being an individual contributor taking on more responsibilities.  We like to ask our teammates, how can you maximize the impact you can make? Martin Kostov, a Software Architect, is a great example of a teammate who has embraced learning at every phase of his career. He tried the manager path and then made a pivot to work more with our technology as an architect. In his ten years at DraftKings, Martin has seen so much growth; not just with our products with the addition of new features, apps, and technologies - but within his own skills as well.  Martin joins the DraftKings Life podcast to walk us through some of his most exciting projects and why he enjoys working with our technology. If you're looking to learn more, Martin has published a few articles on our DraftKings Engineering Blog. You can check out our open opportunities as well.   

One of the most fascinating teams here at DraftKings combines Sports Data Science and Data Engineering to create our Sports Intelligence team. On this episode of the DraftKings Life Podcast, we welcome two members of this team from the London office, Robin and Rohan.  Robin M. is a Senior Director of Data Science, he's been with DraftKings for many  years helping to build the team and the models that help our products function. Rohan S. works with Robin focusing more on the engineering side of the house, creating machine learning models that can handle massive scale.  Want to learn more about our Sports Intelligence team? Check out our DraftKings Engineering Blog. If you're ready to join the team, apply to our open roles. 

When we asked Agop Dogramadzhiyan, Director of Engineering, what his favorite problem to solve was, he gave us an answer that encapsulates who we are at DraftKings.  “The unsolved one.” We're building the future in the sports and entertainment industry. In this episode of the DraftKings Life Podcast, we are diving into the technology behind our Sportsbook product. Agop works on our SportsCore system that powers one of our most popular products. His team in Bulgaria works with team members across the globe.  He describes the SportsCore team as the primary engine that drives the processing of sports content. His team is responsible for transforming the raw sports data into a rich set of odds and events that engage our customers. The work they are doing is reshaping our growing industry.  Many think you need to like sports to work at DraftKings, yet Agop says he's not really a sports fan. Instead, he loves the complex challenges that our products produce and being able to work with our modern tech stack. Whether you're a fan of coding algorithms, cheering for your favorite team, tackling complex infrastructure, or want to solve big-scale problems, Agop says DraftKings brings all these worlds together, “It's literally a place where everyone can find something they are passionate about.”  Want to learn more about our technology? Agop recommends checking out our Engineering Blog, written by various tech professionals across DraftKings.  If you're ready to make an impact on our teams, check out our open positions. 

Think you're ready to join our team? You'll want to listen to this first.  Max and Allie, two Talent Acquisition Specialists here at DraftKings, answer the nine most frequently asked questions we get from candidates.  In this Q&A session, Allie and Max discuss preparing for your interview, what to expect, and give insight into the good things to know before you talk with us. Both Allie and Max hire for many different roles here at DraftKings, and they say the best way to learn more about our culture, products, and life at DraftKings is to read our blogs, listen to more podcast episodes, and follow DraftKings Life on Linkedin, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!   Have more questions? Check out our website.  Check out our open positions here.  

This episode of the DraftKings Life Podcast gives you a front row seat to learn all about the team that prioritizes the player experience. The VIP team is responsible for the retention and acquisition of DraftKings top clientele.  Through authentic relationship building, their goal is to provide a world-class experience and to continue growing DraftKings' customer base. We sat down with Jordan and Alexa, both managers on the VIP Activation team to hear their stories about the events and impact they have made.  One thing about the VIP team- there is a unique sense of camaraderie throughout this department. While there are several roles and titles with various responsibilities, there is one common goal. It's fast paced and competitive and there are many perks to the job, like working the biggest sporting events of the year.  If you're interested in sales, marketing, and strategic partnerships, this could be the team for you! Don't miss out on your opportunity, check out our open positions. Follow us on DraftKings Life social channels: Linkedin, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube.   

There are many reasons why people stay at companies for almost ten years, for Lilia, she has stayed with DraftKings because of the talented people she works with everyday, our supportive culture and most importantly career growth.  Lilia took advantage of her opportunities and kept learning in each role she has had. From starting with us right out of University to now being a manager, she shares great stories of exciting projects she has worked on and insights into the technology she works with everyday. Want to learn more? Check out more about working with us.  Follow us on Linkedin, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!  

It's exciting when you work on DraftKings' fast growing vertical. Vitor, a Senior Manager of Growth Marketing and Alice, who was a Senior Manager of iGaming Operations and was recently promoted to a Retail Sportsbook Operations Manager, join the DraftKings Life Podcast to share their experience working on our iGaming Vertical. As a leading multi-brand iGaming operator, DraftKings delivers America's #1 Online Casino*. Packed with all the classic casino games, some of the industries' biggest jackpots, plus the next great game innovations built by our exclusive in-house games studio, we bring an exciting and entertaining experience. Both Vitor and Alice share stories about working with their incredible teams. They share why the iGaming vertical has been able to grow so quickly and their favorite parts about working here. From marketing to engineering, this vertical has a wide range of different jobs and everyone needs to work together to build and bring the best products to our customers. You don't want to miss out, check out our open roles.  Follow us on Linkedin, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! *Based on combined U.S. Gross Gaming Revenue for DraftKings Casino and Golden Nugget Online Gaming as outlined in Eilers&Krejcik Gaming U.S. Online Casino Monthly Monitor since July 2023.

One of the many fascinating aspects about creating for a growing company is that in many situations, you're able to create a game or feature that's never been done before. It's challenging but also one of the most exciting parts of being a product designer at DraftKings. Jocelyn Leveille, Senior Product Designer, and recently promoted Drew Sullivan, Manager of Product Design, are guests on this episode of the DraftKings Life Podcast. They explain what goes into working on our team and the really unique creative problems they have helped solve. Listen for some great stories on our Product Design team! If you think you could make a great fit on our team, check out our careers page for open positions.   Follow us on ➡️ Linkedin, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook  

We're inspired to create solutions to complex challenges in the gaming industry. The Architecture team at DraftKings plays a big role in helping bridge the engineering side of our work and the business side. We're excited to give you an inside look into "A Day in the Life of an Architect" with Oleg Gelman, Senior Director of Architecture and Martin Chaov, Lead Software Architect!  Listen now to learn so much more about our work and the team!   If you think you could make a great fit on our team, check out our careers page for open positions.   Follow us on ➡️ Linkedin, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook    

Want to learn more about how our engineers are building and supporting our core platforms and products? This episode gives you a glimpse into our migration projects and technology.  We sat down with Manu Bhalla, Director of Engineering and Qian Wu, Senior Software Engineering Manager to talk all about our gaming native team. As a mobile first company, we have been focused on making sure we are creating incredible experiences for our customers wherever they are using our products.  Listen now to learn so much more about our work and the team!   If you think you could make a great fit on our team, check out our careers page for open positions.   Follow us on ➡️ Linkedin, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook  

In this special episode of the DraftKings Life Podcast, we sit down with Matt Kalish, Co-Founder and President of DraftKings North America.  We start the episode off with some fun questions to get to know Matt more, then we dive into our products and what he sees for the future of DraftKings. Matt shares many stories about our incredible growth over the years and how we are defining our role in the sports, technology, and entertainment industry.  It's a very exciting time to join our team, check out our careers page for open positions.   Follow us on ➡️ Linkedin, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

Do you want to work in a fast-paced environment, improve your technical skills, and work on unique challenges? Our Data Science team may be a great fit for you!  Bradley Fay, Director of Data Science, and Sam Donnelly, Talent Acquisition Partner give us a glimpse into the innovative projects the team is working on and our interview process.  Our global Data Science Team at DraftKings adapts and improves decisions based on experimental work and builds models that helps advance our products or creates betting lines for our apps.  Learn more about what the team in London is doing by checking out our DraftKings Life Blog: https://careers.draftkings.com/draftkings-life-blog/engineering/3-reasons-to-join-the-data-science-team-at-draftkings/  If you're ready to apply, click here: https://bit.ly/3VHwdgS Follow us on ➡️ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/draftkings-inc-/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/draftkingslife/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/draftkingslife Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/draftkingslife  

From Associate to Manager in just four years, Tachelle Mcpheeters in our Las Vegas office has worked hard to thrive in her career.  In this episode you will hear how Tachelle has grown her career and why she values being a mentor to her team. You can hear her passion and energy for what she does.  Follow DraftKings Life on Linkedin, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to get an inside look into the people and culture that make us a leader in Sports Entertainment.

In this episode of the DraftKings Life Podcast we welcome Cristina Ackas, Vice President of Inclusion, Equity, and Belonging as a guest host to help us celebrate International Women's Day and Women's History Month. We are inspired by this year's International Women's Day theme: “DigitALL Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality”. Four incredible women from across our business joined hosts Rebecca Thornburg and Cristina Ackas to talk about the exciting technical challenges they work to solve everyday and how our teams are empowering all to bring their best ideas to work. We want to recognize and thank Kathy, Zemora, Monika, and Andrea for their advice and insights!   Follow DraftKings Life on Linkedin, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to get an inside look into the people and culture that make us a leader in Sports Entertainment.  

Why do our teammates love working at DraftKings? A question that has many answers from all of our team members. Some of the reasons include the exciting and fast-paced nature of our work, the many opportunities for professional growth and development, our inclusive culture, and the talented people we work with everyday. Listen to learn more!  Check out our open positions: careers.draftkings.com  Follow DraftKings Life on Linkedin, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to get an inside look into the people and culture that make us a leader in Sports Entertainment.

Get ready to learn how important it is to make sure your company's benefits are aligned with your lifestyle! On this episode of the DraftKings Life Podcast we learn all about our benefits. Madison Stanley, a Senior Benefits Associate, gives you an in-depth overview of everything we offer for our employees. The Benefits team is always looking at ways to add to our offerings based on the needs and wants of our team members.  Learn more about our Benefits.

On this episode of the DraftKings Life Podcast, we sit down with two engineers from our Tel Aviv office. Our colleagues own new features and projects, working with the best cutting-edge technology. We had a blast learning from Ohad Ezer, Director of Engineering & David Yecheskel, Lead Software Engineer about what they love about working with their incredible teams & the fun office culture. Listen to learn more! Check out our open positions in Tel Aviv: https://careers.draftkings.com/jobs/?search=&location=Tel+Aviv%2C+IL&utm_source=All_Social&utm_medium=Social_Media&utm_campaign=Engineering&utm_content=Website+link%3A+Podcast_+Life+in+Tel+Aviv

We are back with another installment of the DraftKings Life Podcast. In this episode, we are talking with Chrissy Thurmond, Senior Director of Responsible Gaming, and Julie Hynes, Senior Manager of Responsible Gaming.  At DraftKings, we believe that life is more fun with skin in the game and we want it to stay that way. Our Responsible Gaming team goes above and beyond to make sure our players and employees are educated about playing safely and responsibly. Learn more in this episode about how we provide our players with tools to set budgets, limits, cool-off periods, and always give players the option to self-exclude when using all of our verticals like Daily Fantasy, Sportsbook, Casino, and Marketplace. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem please call the 24/7 helpline: 1-800-522-4700. We also have our resources posted on our website for more help as well. 

It's the product that allows sports fans to place bets on any event. In this DraftKings Life miniseries episode, we're diving into our signature Sportsbook product. We connect with Lexi Janson, Director of Sportsbook Product in New York City, and Tom Butterworth, Director of Sportsbook Operations in Las Vegas, to discuss the work that goes into building a world-class product and the technology behind this vertical.

We're incredibly excited to bring you another DraftKings Life Mini Series Podcast episode! In this episode, our hosts sit down with Meg Montgomery, Senior Director of NFT Marketplace, and Yaro Plashenko, Director of Engineering, to discuss DraftKings' newest Marketplace vertical. Since its recent launch last year, the vertical has made several significant strides, including launching our first ever in-house NFTs.

We're back with another DraftKings Life Mini Series Podcast episode! This time, we travel across the globe to speak to Shay Mardan in Tel Aviv and Signe Yama in Boston on the Casino and iGaming vertical. Shay is the Senior Director of Engineering on the Casino side, and Signe is the Senior Director of iGaming Marketing and Operations.  In this episode, our hosts sit down with our guests to discuss the future of Casino and iGaming at DraftKings.

The DraftKings Life Podcast is back with the first installment of a 4 part 'Mini Series'. We will be talking to folks on each of our four verticals at DraftKings. Today, we kick things off with our Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) vertical, the first product we ever built and launched at DraftKings. Our podcast hosts chat with Kellie McSweeney, Director of CRM, and Zachary Maybury, Senior Director of Engineering, on the DFS team.

On this episode of the DraftKings Life Podcast, we sit down with Beth Beiriger and Mike Hermalyn, SVP of Marketplace Operations and SVP of Business Development, respectively, to discuss our newest vertical, DraftKings Marketplace. We break down what NFTs are, the launch of DraftKings Marketplace, and the types of career opportunities that have opened up in this new vertical. Tune in! 

The DraftKings Life Podcast is back for a new season! Season 4 starts off with a very exciting guest, co-founder and President of Product and Technology, Paul Liberman. We dive into the founding story of DraftKings, how Paul has helped expand the engineering and tech teams, and learn that you don't need to be a sports fan to work at DK. Tune in!

The DraftKings Life Podcast is back with an episode to feature our Pride Business Resource Group in a round table discussion with Patrick Cleary, Liz Hare, Sabina Panayotova, and JB Hruska! We learn more about how the group got started, celebrations from the past month, and how DraftKings employees bring their authentic selves to work. Tune in!

This week on the DraftKings Life Podcast, we’re highlighting one of our fastest growing teams--VIP.  We sit down with two leaders on our VIP team to learn about the teams’ focus and how they are working with our customers every day.  Curious about what skills and experience we look for in the interview process? Tune in to get the inside scoop about starting a career on our VIP Team!

This week on the DraftKings Life podcast we chatted with Lauren Tropeano, VP of Talent Management, about her time at DraftKings. We learned about her career, effort the people's team is making to support remote work, what culture means to her, internal mobility and more. 

We enjoyed having Brandon Miller, Director, Customer Experience, on the DraftKings Life Podcast this week. Brandon shares his experience working for DraftKings back in 2014, how the CX team supports multiple products, hiring initiatives this year, and more!

We conclude Women’s History Month’s celebration by welcoming our newest executive to the podcast, Jen Aguiar, Chief Compliance Officer. Jen shares how she got started in Compliance, goals for her new role, and how she met co-founder and CEO, Jason Robins. Tune in!

We are back with another exciting episode of the DraftKings Life Podcast. This week we interview two female leaders from our Women’s Business Resource Group at DraftKings, Mia Tantillo and Sarah Juselius. We learn about their roles in the company, how they started the group, and initiatives around Women’s History Month!

On this episode of the DraftKings Life Podcast, we celebrate Women’s History Month with a special guest, Jamie Shea, VP of Sportsbook Operations. We debunk myths about working in sports betting during the episode, learn about Jamie’s favorite woman in sports, and how she helped launch the first DraftKings Sportsbook App.  

We continue our celebration of #blackhistorymonth on the DraftKings Life Podcast with the co-chair of the DKShades Business Resource Group, Anthony Cooley! Tune in to learn how Cooley got involved with DKShades, what’s on the horizon for 2021, and a 2-minute drill round for the ages!

We’re celebrating Black History Month on the DraftKings Life Podcast this month! Bianca Sullivan, Inclusion, Equity + Belonging Specialist, joined us to talk about our Business Resource Groups, playing D1 Lacrosse at a Historically Black College, and a pair of new company holidays! 

Season 3 of The DraftKings Life Podcast is kicking off with two special guests, your hosts, Jason Jones and Meg Powers. Listen in as they give a behind-the-scenes look into their DraftKings experience. They touch on internal mobility, advice to candidates, and how the podcast got started.

The final episode of 2020 and Season 2 of the DraftKings Life Podcast is a special one, featuring two DraftKings employees that you may recognize. Listen in to learn more about Emerson Lotzia and Jessie Coffield, On-Camera Talent, and their journey at DraftKings. 

We’re excited to bring you a bonus episode featuring our 2020 Hackathon winners. Tune in to learn how their winning idea was formed, roadblocks overcame, and what it was like working together remotely.

On this episode of the DraftKings Life Podcast, we interviewed Chrissie Gorman, VP of Strategic Initiatives. We learned about her career path, involvement in DraftKings’ public offering, and what she learned from Duke’s Men’s Basketball coach, Coach K, in her previous life as a Co-founder and CEO. 

This week we sat down with Monika Hristova, R&D Team Leader, all the way from our Sofia office in Bulgaria. Monika focuses on what it is like to be a woman in tech and a leader at DraftKings. We also learn more about her life outside of work and her passion for trail running, mountain biking, and reading. Check it out!