MMA
TURN-ON Financial Technologies Launches Fan-Funded Series and Adds DJ Mode to Advisory Board TURN-ON Financial Technologies Names DJ Mode to Advisory Board, Launches Fan-Funded Series to Empower Athletes and Artists
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — ENABLE financial technologies announced today two major events that highlight its long-term vision for behavioral trading in sports, music and culture. The company has appointed Efrain “DJ Mode” Mercedamusic director for Fresh York Football Clubits advisory board while launching Fan-funded seriesa first-of-its-kind trade activation model designed to transform community support into true economic capital for athletes, amateur athletes, independent musicians and emerging artists.
The double announcement highlights TURN-ON’s core philosophy: sports and music have always connected culture, and now they can also transfer capital.
DJ Mode Merced joins TURN-ON’s advisory board
Merced brings over two decades of experience as a cultural strategist and sonic architect in the global entertainment industry. His clients include brands such as: Cadillac, Pepsiand major sporting events such as USA Tennis Open Championships.
As music director for Fresh York Football ClubMerced designs the club’s entire sonic identity on match day, shaping the atmosphere for thousands of fans from the moment they enter the stadium until the final whistle.
His role at TURN-ON goes far beyond an honorary title. Merced will facilitate develop the platform’s sonic identity, experiential activation framework and cultural architecture to ensure that every interaction in the ecosystem reflects the emotional connection that fans experience at live sporting and music events.
Stadiums are filled with sports. Music fills the same stadiums. TURN-ON builds financial infrastructure for the same communities that power both.
“TURN-ON exists to change the way people participate in the economy of shared moments, enabling culture, connections and values to move together. Music and sports have always lived at this intersection. Now financial infrastructure can do so, too.”
Efrain DJ Mode Merced / Advisory Board / TURN-ON Financial Technologies
Merced emphasized that culture, not technology, ultimately determines the success of platforms.
“Most people focus on technology first, but the real driver of a recent category is culture. If there’s no cultural moment, technology doesn’t matter. The key is to build something that feels natural to how people already connect with music and sound, and then reinforce that experience, rather than forcing an entirely recent behavior.”
Efrain DJ Mode Merced / Advisory Board / TURN-ON Financial Technologies
Where sports, music and commerce intersect
The TURN-ON strategy focuses on the shared economic reality between athletes and artists at the local level.
Martial arts athletes often train without endorsement contracts. Independent musicians tour on minimal budgets. Teenage athletes rely on families and local communities to cover travel, equipment and competition costs. Artists and visual creators often build devoted audiences without access to the financial infrastructure to support their development.
In each case, social support already exists, but the tools to transform this support into real economic support have traditionally been confined.
The Fan-funded series aims to solve this problem.
The founder’s perspective
CEO of TURN-ON Thomas Yu brings extensive experience in global combat sports management. Yu previously served as president of the Pan American Division World Association of Mixed Martial Arts and co-founder World Confederation of Mixed Martial Artshelping to create the infrastructure of MMA federations in Latin America.
Yu says the fan-funded series was created directly from his experience seeing athletes struggle to finance their careers.
“There are many things that TV and social media never show. Sleepless nights. Figuring out how to pay for proper training, proper equipment and proper nutrition. The stress this puts on parents, family, uncles, aunts and grandparents who want to facilitate but have confined resources. As a former president of the WMMAA Pan American Division, I can tell you that national aid for a selected national team will never be enough. In fact, even after athletes are selected to represent their country, they still have fundraisers money to supplement their trip. The Fan Funded Series eliminates this problem. Our programmable gifting tool provides peace of mind like nothing else.
Tomas Yu / CEO / TURN-ON Financial Technologies
Yu also explained why the company brought Merced on to the advisory board at this stage of the platform’s development.
“TURN-ON is not your typical fintech platform. We are disrupting the paradigm. Culture is not a marketing layer for us, it is at the core of what we build. Yes, money moves people. But so does pop culture. And music has, since the beginning of time, moved the masses in a way that nothing else can. Like sports, music is part of culture and together we can make a much greater impact. Coming from the heart of culture, Fresh York, Efrain lives and breathes this world. No I couldn’t think of anyone better to bring on board to facilitate lead the disruption and make sure the disruption reaches the players, athletes, musicians and artists who have been waiting for it.
Tomas Yu / CEO / TURN-ON Financial Technologies
How a fan-funded series works
The Fan Funded Series enables supporters – fans, family members, coaches and community members – to send financial support through the TURN-ON platform using programmable gifting technology.
Once sent, the funds appear in your digital wallet connected to the TURN-ON trading network. Recipients can spend instantly at participating local businesses, including:
- Gyms and training facilities
- Restaurants and food service providers
- Regeneration and wellness centers
- Hardware dealers
- Recording studios or innovative production spaces
Merchants only collect 0-2% handling feeswhile TURN-ON does not take a percentage of the transferred capital.
The result is direct economic participation, not symbolic support.
Broadcasters can also determine how their contribution should be used – whether for training, travel, equipment, studio time or recovery – ensuring transparency between fans and audiences.
Who does a fan-funded series serve?
Fan-funded fighters
Combat sports athletes in MMA, boxing, Muay Thai, wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu – from the amateur circuit to international competition – who have sturdy fan communities but confined financial infrastructure.
Athletes financed by fans
Youth teams and independent players whose families traditionally rely on local fundraising to cover the costs of participation.
Musicians financed by fans
Independent artists and touring musicians who want a direct community support channel without platform commissions.
Fan-funded artists and creators
Visual artists, filmmakers, photographers and digital creators whose communities want to invest in their work and development.
Latin America as a strategic starting point
TURN-ON’s established relationships in Latin American MMA federations provide a direct path for expansion in one of the most passionate but under-funded sports markets in the world.
Yu says these connections give the company a significant advantage when bringing a fan-funded series to market.
“Latin America is not a market we’re trying to enter. It’s a home-field advantage. We already have relationships. We already have trust. We’re providing infrastructure to communities that have had passion for decades but never had the financial tools.”
Tomas Yu / CEO / TURN-ON Financial Technologies
Launch timeline and partnership opportunities
The TURN-ON function is currently enabled pre-start phasebased in Albuquerque, Fresh Mexico, based in Albuquerque, Fresh Mexico Scheduled to launch in the Southwest U.S. in summer 2026.
We encourage combat sports promoters, federation leaders, athlete managers, gym owners, music industry professionals and the artistic community interested in participating in the Fan Funded Series activation to contact the company in connection with the development of its network.
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