Q&A with Mary Cannon, Co-Founder of CityPickle

Mary Cannon is a Co-Founder of CityPickle, New York's first pickleball club. Mary worked at Goldman Sachs from 1997 to 1998 in Global Banking and Markets (formerly known as Investment Banking) in New York.

1. You recently launched your first company, CityPickle, in August 2021, which is now home to the largest pickleball installation in the Northeast. Tell us about the inception of CityPickle. What inspired you to build this business?
My husband, who is also a GS alum, and I first played pickleball on a couples’ trip to South Carolina during the pandemic and were instantly smitten. As a (still) devoted tennis player, I appreciated how anybody can hop on a pickleball court, learn the sport quickly, and enjoy exciting rallies immediately. Pickleball is fun and social which is exactly what people are craving right now. Particularly coming out of Covid, people are seeking connectivity in real space, and pickleball is the perfect answer. 

2. You co-founded CityPickle with another female entrepreneur, Erica Desai. How did you two find each other and what made you decide to team up to make this idea a reality? What have you learned since launching your first business?
Erica and I are tennis partners and have been friends for 13 years. Erica similarly “discovered” pickleball while on a family vacation outside of NYC. We shared the same frustration of having no dedicated place to play in the city and decided to solve for that by starting CityPickle. CityPickle debuted at Hudson Yards in October 2022 and was an instant success, verifying that the demand for pickleball in NYC was sky-high. We then moved to the TWA Hotel at JFK where we activated the nation’s first airport pickleball court on the original TWA tarmac. CityPickle has now partnered with Wollman Park Partners (Related, Equinox and Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment) to bring 14 courts to Central Park for the six-month off-ice season. This is the largest pickleball offering in the Northeast and includes court rentals, lesson, clinics, and leagues. It is also the perfect venue to host an event, from corporate team building to birthday parties.  

Our first permanent indoor location will open in late June in Long Island City. Our four climate-controlled courts and full bar and restaurant will be NYC’s first indoor pickleball club.

The learnings never stop! That may be my favorite part of our venture. I now understand more than I would have ever imagined about such a wide variety of topics - from trenching a concrete slab for water lines to securing a liquor license. My most important lesson is that building a team of hard working, sincere people is everything.

3. What are your aspirations for CityPickle’s future?
We aspire to put a paddle in every city dweller’s hands in dense, urban markets where it is challenging to play outside all year. We are working hard to open four indoor locations in NYC and beyond within the next 24 months. We also want players, whether first-timers or elite athletes, to have fun and associate our brand with increased joy in their lives.

4. What advice do you have for others who are interested in starting their own business?
I am hesitant to give advice since our success is yet to come. I do know that I work non-stop but love it so much I can’t stop. My husband and three teenagers are “all-in” too and have been tremendously supportive and accepting of my love affair with pickleball. Hiring passionate, hard-working team members, investing in compelling branding from the start, and “taking every call” has served us well. We’ve used public relations strategically to establish CityPickle as the leading urban pickleball brand. Our PR efforts have resulted in over 5 billion earned media impressions to date. 

5. What did you learn at Goldman Sachs that has helped you in starting your first business?
So much! I joined GS from college as a Real Estate Investment Banking Analyst in 1997 - the busiest time ever for REITs. As an Analyst, my job was to make sure every little detail was accurate and that attention to detail that I honed at Goldman has served me well. I also appreciated how I was included on every conference call, even as the most junior team member. We, including Analysts, Associates, and Vice Presidents, would assemble in a Managing Director’s office and (mostly) listen to calls. At age 22, I learned both how to conduct business professionally and the importance of teamwork and collaboration.

6. How have you leveraged your GS network since leaving the firm?
To begin, I married a fellow Analyst!

My husband and I have many dear friends from our time at Goldman. I have received valuable counsel from countless Goldman alums, across all divisions, as we grow CityPickle. There are also a number of Goldman alums who are instrumental to the growth of pickleball, including the interim Chief Executive Officer of Major League Pickleball. MLP’s celebrity owners like Tom Brady, LeBron James and Kevin Durant have helped propel the sport’s popularity. My CityPickle partner and I are minority owners in Durant’s Brooklyn Aces and have strategized about growing the sport in New York City and beyond.