One on One

The $2.15 billion bailout of the Los Angeles Dodgers isn't the only risky investment Earvin “Magic” Johnson has been involved with in his post-basketball business career.

As a stakeholder of Detroit Venture Partners, a venture capital firm located in the eponymous city, Magic has funded numerous startups. Within the last year, that included Marxent Labs, a St. Petersburg-based mobile application development company.

Brothers Beck Besecker and Barry Besecker, both veterans of the retail marketing world, founded the company in June. CEO Beck Besecker brings the marketing and businesss savvy to the company, while Chief Technology Officer Barry Besecker handles the technical aspects of the firm's products.