Tom Brady, D.J. Khaled, Jordan Chiles among celebs donning the oversized caps
When Noggin Boss' Gabe Cooper traveled to New York in June for Fanatics Fest, the mission was to connect with notable athletes and influencers to see if they would wear the company's oversized hats.
The plan exceeded Cooper’s expectations by the length of several football fields.
Among the athletes and pop culture stars Noggin Boss was able to corral was six-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady, who proudly wore the hat with his company’s logo (TB) in front of thousands of fans and social media followers.
This was the latest in a series of nationwide achievements for Noggin Boss, one of the top companies in Canyon Ventures, Grand Canyon University’s startup business accelerator. The company was co-founded by Cooper, a GCU Colangelo College of Business graduate, and business partner Sean Starner.
“We were doing a collaboration with Lids (an athletic hat company),” Cooper said. “We were featured inside their activation, and our team customized Noggins in real time. The customer would pick their Noggin, pick their team, and it would be made before the customer paid at the register.
"Lids had the most prominent location, and everyone had to walk by our retail space to get to all the other major vendors."
Fanatics Fest, sponsored by Fanatics global sports apparel and merchandise company, is a fan convention featuring hundreds of famous sports, music and internet influencers. This year’s event at the Javits Center drew more than 125,000 attendees, according to the Sports Business Journal.
Brady was the signature celebrity among a diverse cast of Noggin Boss hat-wearers that included DJ/record producer D.J. Khaled, rapper/songwriter Ice Cube, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Allen Iverson, Olympic gold medalist gymnast Jordan Chiles, U.S. gold medalist basketball player and coach Dawn Staley and wrestler/actor Logan Paul.
“We just knew that if we could connect with them, it would be the cherry on top,” said Cooper, who helped start Noggin Boss in 2019 and gained exposure with an appearance on the entrepreneurial competition show “Shark Tank” in December 2022.
“We were also blown away, though, with how well it was received across all the celebrities. We couldn't have asked for better impact.”
An added perk was when 39-year-old teacher Matt Dennish of York, Pennsylvania, sported a Philadelphia Eagles Noggin Boss hat after finishing third in the first Fanatics Games sports skills competition.
Dennish took the stage with the likes of Brady and UFC star Justin Gaethje, who finished second. Dennish won a prized LeBron James rookie card and sold it to Brady for $250,000, and a signed Brady card and jersey.
“As far as being in New York, the sports rivalries and fans from all around the U.S. that come to this event, it's pretty special to watch Noggins get featured on the main stage at the very end,” Cooper said. “That's a script you can't even really write and another door that only God could open.”
Cooper maximized his trip to New York. Noggin Boss finalized a deal to sell hats at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy.
“They saw what we did with the Olympic team (in the 2024 Summer Games),” Cooper said. “So we're actively in the process of getting new designs made. And, obviously, they've got some confidential celebrities that will have an opportunity to have some custom (Noggin Boss hats).”
Noggin Boss continues to capitalize on its licensing agreement with the NFL. It is producing Chrome Dome hats for men and Bling Boss hats for women. Chrome Dome pre-sales already have sold out and will be shipped days before the start of the NFL regular season. The Bling Boss hats will be available weeks into the NFL season.
Both caps also can be purchased for NBA, NHL and selected college teams, Cooper added.
Noggin Boss’ busy summer has fortified its partnership with Canyon Creative, a student-run design agency operated by GCU’s College of Arts and Media.
Canyon Creative is expected to handle much of the editing and production from that New York trip, as well as promoting the company's Chrome Dome and Bling Boss products, thus giving students valuable experience.
“Canyon Creative is excited to partner with Noggin Boss on a series of short-form videos that support and elevate their digital marketing efforts,” said Chris Murphy, Canyon Creative director and the college's associate professor of design. “It’s a fun, bold brand with incredible momentum, and we’re thrilled to help bring their story to life in fresh, engaging ways.”
Videographer Sam Jerrell, a senior majoring in digital film with an emphasis in production, relishes the opportunity to work with Noggin Boss.
"I'm incredibly excited for our partnership with Noggin Boss as it presents an excellent opportunity for me to learn to implement my creative skills in a pre-existing brand, expand my video editing skills and gain practical experience with a full-time, professional marketing team,” Jerrell said. “Noggin Boss' partnership will provide foundational, real-world learning opportunities that simply can't be replicated in the classroom."
Cooper, who earned his master’s degree at GCU in administration with an emphasis in management and operations, hasn’t forgotten his educational roots. Last year, Noggin Boss funded two scholarships for Canyon Creative and CCOB.
GCU News senior writer Mark Gonzales can be reached at [email protected]
***
Related content:
GCU News: Noggin Boss throws its hat into the Olympic ring
GCU News: GCU's Noggin Boss company caps climb with NFL licensing contract
