Matt Wray ’17 launches Travel Sports app LENZ

Recent Malvern Prep graduate has launched a Travel Sports Consumer Guide called LENZ. LENZ is the first platform in travel sports that publishes crowdsourced reviews of previous customer experiences in tournaments and teams they have participated in. Matt Wray ‘17 co-founded the platform after spending the last 6 years of his life in the industry. The other half of the founding partners also have Inter-Ac ties, as LENZ Co-Founder Mike Palumbo (25) is the Head Pitching Coach for the Haverford School varsity baseball team. 

“In other industries such as travel, automobile, and restaurants we see platforms that allow for consumer intelligence for consumers to feel confident in their purchasing decisions,” said Wray. “Before LENZ, this type of platform lacked severely in the travel sports space, in an industry where the same amount of industry dollars are being spent by families.”

LENZ uses anonymous customer feedback paired with a proprietary algorithm to score organizations on factors such as their level of competitiveness, customer care, and pricing. The LENZ scores will help guide teams, athletes, and families through their journey in travel sports. 

The mobile compatible platform is available in 7 states in the region, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Ohio. The inception of the idea came in February 2021, with development finishing in late June. 

The 1.0 platform is now available to all users with co-founder Palumbo saying “LENZ wants to be the difference for that large percentage of kids who don’t love the travel team they play for or the tournaments they play in. We feel that LENZ fills the information gap that youth sport currently faces allowing parents and children alike to be aware of all options available to them”.

Wray and Palumbo have both used this opportunity to influence young entrepreneurs following in their steps in high school and college to use their network to leverage whatever passion they have. 

“I knew since I was 14 I wanted to start my own business. I didn’t know what, I didn’t know when, but I continued to try new things, meet new people and expand my network any chance I got.” Wray said. “I will always credit the structure of my entrepreneurial spirit to Malvern, as there was a social entrepreneurship “shark tank” style class that changed my whole perspective on my passion to start a business.” 

LENZ believes there is a better experience possible for every boy, girl, and parent who participates in travel sports. By leveraging the LENZ rating formula to assess organizations on a variety of factors, athletes and families will be matched with travel sports organizations that best align with their - encouraging longer participation and a more satisfying travel sports experience.

It’s time to see travel sports through a different LENZ!