AUTHOR & SPEAKER
Ricardo is a fellow UA faculty member who has inspired me with his passionate and innovative approach to leadership, decision making, STEM education, and inspiring our youth who are our leaders of tomorrow.
VADM (Ret) Richard Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS, 17th Surgeon General of The United States, laureate professor, University of Arizona
Ricardo Valerdi is an engineer, social entrepreneur, sports scientist, and engineering professor. He has helped a variety of organizations make better decisions including SpaceX, U.S. Army, Major League Baseball, and the National Collegiate Athletics Association.
He is a nationally recognized expert in decision making whose unique blend of sports insight and engineering precision has shaped the way elite organizations—from Major League Baseball to the U.S. military—approach complex choices. With a career that bridges the worlds of professional athletics, cutting-edge technology, and high-stakes operations, Valerdi brings a rare perspective to the art and science of making great decisions.
Beyond his work with technology-centric organizations, he is a passionate advocate for STEM education for young learners. He founded a non-profit, Science of Sport, which has impacted over 700,000 students by reframing math and science through the lens of sports.
Whether advising Fortune 500 companies, mentoring students, or consulting with championship-winning sports organizations, Valerdi is known for making decision science accessible, engaging, and actionable. The Five-Tool Team draws on stories from sports, history, and personal experience to show how small, intentional choices can lead to big wins—on the field and in life.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
As part of the mission of Regalo Press, a donation is being made to Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation, as chosen by the author. The Dbacks foundation helped kickoff Ricardo’s non-profit, Science of Sport. Find out more about this organization click here.