Travis Hansen BIO
Travis Hansen is the founder of Tesani Companies (est. 2013), a private equity firm that has launched Eddy, TIG, Lift, Tech9, and Irvine while acquiring and operating multiple businesses across tech, finance, and services. He also co-founded the Sunshine Heroes Foundation with his wife, LaRee, in 2007, a nonprofit that has impacted children in over a dozen countries.
Before his business career, Travis was an elite athlete. He played collegiate basketball at Utah Valley State and Brigham Young University, where he earned Defensive Player of the Year, All-Conference, and All-District honors. His legacy on the court led both Orem Junior High and Mountain View High School to retire his jersey, #24. He was also the first-ever inductee into Mountain View’s Hall of Fame.
He was drafted in 2003 with the 37th pick with LeBron James and Dwayne Wade and played in the NBA for the Atlanta Hawks. And later played ten seasons in the Euroleague for Tau Ceramica (Victoria, Spain), Dynamo, Khimki (Moscow, Russia), and Real Madrid (Madrid, Spain). His career achievements in basketball include 4x All-Euro Team & All-Euro Defensive Team, 2006 Copa Del Rey Champion, Two-time MWC Champion, 4x All-Russian Super League Team, and VTB United Champion in 2011. In September 2011, Travis retired from professional basketball. He Is the Author of “The Next Few Years Will Change Your Life”, a book published by Deseret Book, released in December of 2012.
Hansen’s business and civic achievements include recognition as BYU’s 2015 Young Alumni Distinguished Service Award, UVU’s distinguished Alumni in 2024, being named one of the most remarkable entrepreneurs by Utah Valley Magazine, Utah business named Tesani companies one of the best companies to work for 8 years in a row. Travis received a B.S. in Health Science from Brigham Young University and a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University.
After serving an LDS mission to the Chile Santiago West mission, he married the former LaRee Merrell. He is the father of five children. Travis and his family are active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in which Hansen has served as a full-time missionary, high councilor, elders quorum president, bishop, and currently serving in a stake presidency.