{"id":83040,"date":"2025-12-05T18:19:14","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T18:19:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/83040\/"},"modified":"2025-12-05T18:19:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T18:19:14","slug":"tech-trio-powering-padels-rise-in-bay-area-the-mercury-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/83040\/","title":{"rendered":"Tech trio powering padel\u2019s rise in Bay Area \u2013 The Mercury News"},"content":{"rendered":"

From the tech world to the padel courts, three friends \u2014 Jessica Talbert, Katie Lampert and Neil Chainani \u2014 left their careers in tech and fintech to pursue a new dream: building a local sports community around one of the world\u2019s fastest-growing games, padel. (Talbert and Chainani, now married, are expecting their first child.)<\/p>\n

Think of padel as tennis meets squash. It\u2019s played in doubles on a smaller, enclosed court where players can hit the ball off the glass walls for fast, continuous rallies. A massive hit in Europe and Latin America, the sport is now taking off in the United States.<\/p>\n

With courts rare in the region, they launched Park Padel in November 2023 with public courts at San Francisco\u2019s Embarcadero, followed by their flagship club in South San Francisco in November 2024. With ambitious plans to expand across the West, the trio reflected on their lessons in entrepreneurship, community, and why Silicon Valley wasn\u2019t the end-all, be-all for them.<\/p>\n

\"FromFrom left to right, founders Katie Lampert, Jessica Talbert and Neil Chainani pose for a photograph at Park Padel in South San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Q: You all came from established tech and fintech careers. How did that turn into starting a business around a niche sport like padel?<\/p>\n

Jessica: Katie and I went to undergrad together and played rugby. We\u2019d always talked about starting a business\u2026 Later, Neil and I worked together at Lyft in research and data science, and we\u2019d also talk about starting something one day.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until the summer of 2022, when all of us happened to be traveling in Europe, that we discovered padel. We saw it first in Lisbon \u2014 under the bridge, which actually reminded us of San Francisco \u2014 then again in Rome, and finally in Spain, where we spent a week learning how to play.<\/p>\n

People were obsessed with it \u2014 total beginners and semi-pros playing side by side, all having fun.<\/p>\n

\"Co-founderCo-founder Neil Chainani, left, high-fives Juan Carlos Rosa, from San Francisco, as they play a game at Park Padel in South San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Q: Was anyone playing padel in the Bay Area back then?<\/p>\n

Neil: Hardly anyone in California\u2026 but the Bay Area felt like the perfect mix \u2014 great weather, a big Latin American and expat population, and people who love trying new activities that aren\u2019t just centered around alcohol.<\/p>\n

Jessica: And there were no courts here! We wanted to play, so we figured we\u2019d have to build them.<\/p>\n

Q: How did you introduce the sport to the Bay Area, especially with pickleball already booming?<\/p>\n

Neil: Our first location, in Embarcadero Plaza, was really our marketing strategy. They\u2019re the most public courts in the country \u2014 tons of foot traffic from the Ferry Building, commuters, and people living in FiDi (Financial District) looking down from their apartments.<\/p>\n

Jessica: Every day, people would stop and ask, \u201cWhat is this? Is it pickleball?\u201d And we\u2019d explain \u2014 or invite them to try.<\/p>\n

Neil: We love pickleball, but it was important to make that distinction. Padel is its own sport, with a different pace and level of play.<\/p>\n

Jessica: We think of our community in waves: first, the people who already knew padel and couldn\u2019t believe there were finally courts; second, the curious \u2014 travelers or tennis converts; and now, a growing wave of people who just want a fun, social, active way to meet others.<\/p>\n

\"Co-founderCo-founder Neil Chainani warms up at Park Padel in South San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Q: What\u2019s the biggest difference between pickleball and padel?<\/p>\n

Neil: The ball can come from any direction, so it activates your brain differently. There\u2019s a special kind of joy when you pull off a shot off the wall that you didn\u2019t think would work \u2014 it surprises you and keeps you hooked.<\/p>\n

Jessica: The walls are really what set it apart from pickleball.<\/p>\n

Neil: That also raises the ceiling for athleticism. It\u2019s easy to pick up \u2014 you can have a great time within an hour \u2014 but it has infinite room to grow. It\u2019s fast, fun, and incredibly watchable, even on TikTok and Instagram.<\/p>\n

Q: How have your tech backgrounds influenced the way you run Park Padel?<\/p>\n

Katie: Each of us brought something from tech that turned out to be really valuable. Jessica comes from user experience \u2014 figuring out what makes a product \u201csticky\u201d and how to talk to customers about what they\u2019d like to see in a club like this.<\/p>\n

Neil comes from data science, so he handles the numbers and builds tools to make sure everything runs efficiently. I come from people and talent, so I focus on team-building, culture, and ensuring a great experience for both employees and members.<\/p>\n

Jessica: We\u2019ve also had to learn so much from scratch \u2014 real estate, construction, hiring. We also focus on professional development for staff members who might\u2019ve been hired right out of college.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s been interesting about this moment is how much AI has helped small businesses like ours operate like bigger ones. Neil builds internal tools that help with programming, scheduling, and membership systems.<\/p>\n

\"PlayersPlayers play at Park Padel in South San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Q: Why did you choose South San Francisco for your second location?<\/p>\n

Jessica: We wanted a flagship \u2014 a beautiful space with a lounge, showers, locker rooms, and room for tournaments. Indoor made sense so people could play year-round, but finding buildings with high enough ceilings is hard.<\/p>\n

Katie: Lobs are a big part of the game, so ceiling height is critical. South San Francisco has a lot of warehouses that worked perfectly. Plus, we\u2019re in the heart of the biotech cluster, so it\u2019s ideal for corporate events \u2014 and we\u2019re close to the airport, which makes it convenient for travelers.<\/p>\n

Q: What did your friends and family think when you left your careers?<\/p>\n

Jessica: They asked, \u201cYou\u2019re not actually leaving your job, right?\u201d And I said, \u201cOh no \u2014 I have to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katie: We actually got Embarcadero off the ground with support from friends and family, so we were lucky to have people who believed in the vision.<\/p>\n

Jessica: They didn\u2019t know what padel was \u2014 there was nowhere to show them. Our first round was really a leap of faith: they were betting on us. Sometimes we remind each other of how cushy our old jobs were \u2014 but this is so much more fulfilling.<\/p>\n

\"AA group gathers to play in a tournament at Park Padel in South San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Q: How have you built a community around the sport?<\/p>\n

Jessica: It\u2019s the most important part. This place is nothing without the people. Community-building is hands-on \u2014 we\u2019re here all the time, meeting members and matching them up for games.<\/p>\n

Every time I\u2019m at the club, I think of it like hosting a party. My favorite thing is seeing members who met here hang out outside the club \u2014 going to concerts together or bringing friends back to play. That\u2019s when you know it\u2019s working.<\/p>\n

Q: What have you learned as entrepreneurs in these first two years?<\/p>\n

Katie: There\u2019s no time to dwell on the past. Every day brings new challenges. There are low lows, but also incredible highs.<\/p>\n

Jessica: Fight for your highs. Believe they\u2019ll come, even when things are tough. And don\u2019t do entrepreneurship alone. I love that my co-founders are strong in areas I\u2019m not \u2014 it lets us lean on each other when needed.<\/p>\n

Q: Any regrets leaving your old jobs?<\/p>\n

Jessica: Besides the salary? (laughs)<\/p>\n

Katie: I honestly haven\u2019t looked back. After COVID, people were craving connection \u2014 a place beyond home and work to belong. Creating that space has been incredibly rewarding. No day is the same, and that makes it all the more fulfilling.<\/p>\n

Jessica: It\u2019s an engaging way to live. You\u2019re constantly learning and meeting new people.<\/p>\n

Q: What advice would you give to others thinking about starting a business?<\/p>\n

Katie: Find people who challenge you \u2014 who push back, discuss, and help you reach better decisions.<\/p>\n

Jessica: Hold strong opinions loosely. Back up your ideas, but if someone has a better one, go with it. You don\u2019t win by winning an argument \u2014 you win when the business succeeds.<\/p>\n

\"MerchandiseMerchandise for sale at Park Padel in South San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Q: What\u2019s next for Park Padel?<\/p>\n

Jessica: We\u2019re looking at a spot in the East Bay that we\u2019re really excited about, and planning to open around 100 courts over the next five years \u2014 we have 13 now. We love the Bay Area, we\u2019re deeply invested here, and we want to become a household name before expanding across the West.<\/p>\n

Q: Anything you\u2019d like to highlight about your South San Francisco location?<\/p>\n

Jessica: We have showers, locker rooms, a dedicated workspace if you need to take calls, fitness equipment, recovery tools like Hyperice and Normatec, and even a ping-pong table. We host tournaments every third Saturday, plus socials\u2026 where players of all levels can drop in.<\/p>\n

Katie: And our staff \u2014 they\u2019re amazing\u2026 We invest heavily in them because they make the experience what it is.<\/p>\n

Names:
Jessica Talbert, CEO and Co-Founder
Katie Lampert, COO and Co-Founder
Neil Chainani, CFO and Co-Founder<\/p>\n

Education:
Jessica \u2014 Stanford University; B.A. 2011, M.B.A. 2018
Katie \u2014 Stanford University; B.A. 2011
Neil \u2014 University of Maryland; B.A. 2015, Harvard University; M.S. in Data Science 2016<\/p>\n

Residence:
San Francisco Bay Area<\/p>\n

Five things about Jessica, Katie and Neil:
\u2014 Jessica and Katie played together for the Stanford Women\u2019s Rugby team as undergraduates.
\u2014 Jessica and Neil, who are married, are expecting their first child in December.
\u2014 Neil moonlights as a designer and created much of Park Padel\u2019s website and signature swag.
\u2014 Jessica prefers to spend her downtime reading nonfiction \u2014 The Name of the Wind is her favorite book.
\u2014 Katie is a certified barre instructor and hopes to bring that practice to the padel courts one day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From the tech world to the padel courts, three friends \u2014 Jessica Talbert, Katie Lampert and Neil Chainani…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":83041,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[47215,47224,47221,47222,47223,143,145,144,33451,47214,47220,47225,47216,47218,47217,12902,47219],"class_list":["post-83040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-oakland","tag-bay-area-padel","tag-bay-area-startups","tag-jessica-talbert","tag-katie-lampert","tag-neil-chainani","tag-oakland","tag-oakland-headlines","tag-oakland-news","tag-padel","tag-padel-courts","tag-park-padel","tag-pickleball-vs-padel","tag-san-francisco-padel","tag-silicon-valley-founders","tag-south-san-francisco-padel","tag-sports-business","tag-tech-entrepreneurship"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=83040"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83040\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/83041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=83040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=83040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=83040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}