Kevin Nagle, chairman and CEO of Republic FC, works out of an El Dorado Hills office filled with high-end sports art and memorabilia, the highlight of which has to be a large mural reproducing the famous image of Muhammad Ali standing over a vanquished Sonny Liston in their fabled “Phantom punch” title fight of 1965.

It’s quite a sight in the waiting room of the venture capital firm that Nagle runs. The piece speaks to Nagle’s passion for sports, as do the vintage jerseys of Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky and other items. But Nagle’s connection to athletics is about more than just entertainment. Sports helped to fill painful voids in his life and create a framework for professional success that delivered him from a difficult childhood.