We have sponsored BP podcasts, met with the late Brandon Turner in Maui, etc.

Most are going to screen for: lowest priced, top listed on Google (many top listed PMs in your local area pay to be sponsored, so their actual listing is much lower), volume or size of business, and those who are willing to break their own processes to simply tell you what you want to hear (e.g., I'll list your property $300 above the AVG even though the CMA shows that's overpriced and I won't tell you that it's going to sit vacant).

I have had much greater success with passive syndications - there are active parts - I need to find and vet sponsors, analyze deals, research markets and learn about different asset classes (some of which you mentioned in your initial post). 

That was my rookie mistake to not vet the actual sponsor better.  

I'm not affiliated with them or sponsored by them in any way, they're just easy to work with and will shop your deal around to try to get you multiple loan offers.

Anyone have any tips to show sponsors I'm for real or know anyone who would be interested in sponsoring a deal? 

And if with visa, they have had some kind of sponsor for that especially if coming for work, so can get some documentation from that of being cleared etc.. 

The lead sponsor is super important and that varies from deal to deal.

If that's the case, it may be simpler to just talk with the syndication sponsors to see if they'd make an exception for you.In general, mixing money across your natural financial boundaries has some risk, so creating partnerships like the one you describe should not be done without due consideration.

The sponsor's largest source of revenue is in the promote, which in most cases isn't realized until the sale.