Latest news with #womeninsports
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Tipt Ventures Is Reimagining The Sports Economy By Centering Women
Tipt Ventures is an investment platform grounded in the belief that women will be a driving force in ... More the transformation of sports. Back in 2022, Fielding Jamieson and Ami Galani began a bold journey together investing at the intersection of women and sports. Jamieson and Galani worked together on the Trailblazer Venture Studio, an industry-first platform backed by R/GA Ventures, Elysian Park Ventures, Billie Jean King Enterprises, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Trailblazer's thesis was simple but powerful: women are the biggest growth opportunity in sports. 'We kept seeing under-exploited opportunities surrounding women,' said Jamieson. 'Women as fans, women as athletes at any level (youth to professional), and women as general consumers in the sports world.' Jamieson and Galani's early bet on women through the Trailblazer Venture Studio paid off. With investments in companies like Togethxr, The Gist, LOVB, and Ida Sports, the Trailblazer portfolio validated a powerful idea: that women aren't just participants in sports, they're central to its future. Now, Jamieson and Galani are doubling down on that thesis. Three years later, Jamieson and Galani have teamed up again to launch Tipt Ventures, which is an investment platform grounded in the belief that women will be a driving force in the transformation of sports. Tipt invests in companies addressing the significant gaps in a sports economy that has historically underserved women in five key focus areas: media & content, athlete & fan experiences, data & analytics, performance science, and collegiate & pre-collegiate (or youth) sports. Their strategy focuses on backing businesses that serve (and center) women as athletes, fans, consumers, parents, and operators. Jamieson and Galani believe that businesses putting women at the center of the sports economy will not only reshape it, but will help take it to new heights. 'We want to touch on all of the ways that women engage with sports,' said Jamieson. 'We're focused on all the touchpoints surrounding the field, whether that field is a five-year-old's softball game or the Super Bowl. There's an entire economy that enables those moments to happen, and we want to invest in the companies powering them.' Importantly, Tipt's lens is not exclusive to women's sports. Instead, the fund targets the entire sports economy and uses women as a focal point for identifying opportunities both in women's sports and when it comes to women's sports engagement across all sports. Jamieson and Galani believe women represent an untapped economic engine in the sports world as a whole. "Women have historically been underserved and undervalued in the sports economy,' said Jamieson. 'That is starting to change in a pretty meaningful way.' Tipt's first investment? IDA Sports, which is the first soccer cleat built specifically for the biomechanics of the female foot. Historically, female athletes have worn cleats designed for men, leading to discomfort and increased injury risk. IDA solves this with a product built from the ground up for women. 'If you provide an experience for a woman or a young girl finding a cleat that actually fits her foot so she actually wants to play more soccer and stay on the field longer, that's a huge win – for us both from a business investment and from a society perspective,' said Jamieson. Both Jamieson and Galani believe that investing at the intersection of women and sports proves that doing good can live alongside being profitable Tipt just hit a major milestone: a successful first close in a challenging fundraising environment. In a venture market where around 3% of funds raised in venture capital go to women-led firms, Tipt's successful first close is a major validation of the firm's thesis. Key early investors include the founder and CEO of a women's professional league, current and former C-Suite sports executives across leagues and teams, media, legal, and retail. Notably, Tipt is proud to have a diverse and gender-balanced LP base. "Based on the success of the companies in the Trailblazer Venture Studio, we knew there is a strong case to look at sports beyond ownership,' said Galani. 'Ultimately, sports is an engagement economy; it is consumer, content, and enterprise. From that lens, sports is a valuable beachhead strategy that can harness the economic power of women." Galani and Jamieson's career experiences are uniquely complementary, positioning the duo to lead this next wave of investment in the sports economy. Galani brings a deep blend of operational, legal, and investment expertise to the firm. Before launching Tipt, she led early investments in companies such as GameChanger, Canopy Team, OnePlan, and Ida Sports. She previously served as Interim Head of Business Operations for the Professional Women's Hockey League in its earliest days as part of her work with Elysian Park Ventures, and as Chief of Staff to the CEO and Vice President of Business Development at DICK'S Sporting Goods. Galani is also a strategic advisor to Elysian Park Ventures. On the other side of the Tipt coin, Jamieson brings deep expertise in sports innovation and early-stage investing. Prior to co-founding Tipt, she led innovation efforts at NBCUniversal, Comcast, and R/GA Ventures, where she directed both the Trailblazer Venture Studio and the Global Sports Venture Studio, working with global sports organizations across leagues, teams, and brands. Together, Galani and Jamieson offer a rare combination of investment and startup expertise, corporate leadership, and visionary thinking. With decades of experience and a proven track record of identifying overlooked opportunities in the sports industry, they are uniquely positioned to redefine what the future of the sports economy can look like when women are at the center.
CBC
20-07-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Cricket's popularity is growing in Waterloo region, especially among women
Cricket has been gaining in popularity in Canada for the past few years. In Waterloo region, the sport has garnered more attention especially among women. CBC K-W's John Dalusong joined two local cricket teams during their practice, and he spoke to a few players about the growth of the sport in the region and why they love it so much.
Forbes
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Snapchat & TOGETHXR Team Up To Empower Women Athlete Digital Creators
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - JULY 16: Michelle Alozie of Nigeria poses for a portrait during the official ... More FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 portrait session on July 16, 2023 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images) Snapchat and TOGETHXR have joined forces in a first of its kind partnership to address one of the most persistent inequities in sports: the gender gap in media exposure and earning potential. The initiative, called Snap the Gap, is a content accelerator program designed to help up and coming women athletes grow their personal brands, expand their audiences, and unlock sustainable revenue through Snapchat's creator tools and storytelling platform. Launched by TOGETHXR, the media and commerce company founded by sports icons Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim, Simone Manuel, and Sue Bird, the program reflects both organizations' shared mission to change the game for women in sports, both on and off the field. Snapchat & TOGETHXR Snap The Gap SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JUNE 3: Erica Wheeler #17 of the Seattle Storm celebrates with fans after the ... More win against the Dallas Wings at Climate Pledge Arena on June 3, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) 'We are thrilled to partner with Snapchat on Snap the Gap, a first of its kind female athlete creators program on the platform,' said Paula Hughes, TOGETHXR's Chief Digital Officer. 'This collaboration lowers the barrier to entry for revenue opportunities for the athletes, who not only excel in competition, but who are also shaping culture and growing communities across women's sports.' The program supports nine standout athletes, each selected for their athletic excellence and cultural influence. They include: Snapchat & TOGETHXR Align Mentorship And Monetization OTTAWA, ONTARIO - MARCH 25: Sarah Fillier #10 of the New York Sirens celebrates her goal against the ... More Ottawa Charge during the third period of their PWHL game at The Arena at TD Place on March 25, 2025 in Ottawa, Ontario. (Photo by) These athletes will receive direct mentorship from Snapchat and content development support from TOGETHXR. The goal is to turn their athletic journeys into compelling, monetizable storytelling, allowing them to grow their audiences, build their brands, and unlock new revenue streams. 'At Snapchat, we've seen how powerful it can be when athletes share their journeys in their own words,' said Emma Wakely, Snapchat Sports and Media Partnerships Manager. 'With mentorship, tools, and a platform built for real storytelling, we're helping them shape the future of women's sports on their terms.' This effort comes at a pivotal moment. Women's sports are experiencing unprecedented momentum, yet female athletes continue to receive a fraction of the media coverage and sponsorship opportunities that male athletes enjoy. Programs like Snap the Gap aim to shift that reality by giving athletes the tools and support they need to own their narratives and grow their careers outside of competition. Snapchat's sports footprint makes it a powerful partner. Snapchat & TOGETHXR An Athlete Owned Future TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 2: KK Arnold #2 of the UConn Huskies during the 2025 NCAA Women's Final Four ... More Media Day at the Tampa Convention Center on April 2, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Justin Tafoya/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) 'Snapchat is a platform I use often, and I'm excited to continue to grow my brand doing something that I genuinely enjoy,' said Alozie. 'Snapchat and TOGETHXR are making it possible for women's sports and women athletes to gain visibility and opportunity by showcasing who we are both on and off the field.' As the landscape of women's sports continues to evolve, Snap the Gap offers a compelling blueprint for what's next: a future where athletes are not only celebrated for their performance, but also empowered as storytellers, brand-builders, and leaders in a new era of digital media.
BBC News
13-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Football saved my life, says Afghan national team captain
The former captain of an Afghan national women's football team has said the game saved her life, after fleeing the country when the Taliban seized Nawroozi, 27, and her teammates from the Women's Development youth team left Afghanistan in 2021 along with many other citizens, after fearing for their safety as a women's sports a coach at Harrogate Town AFC, Ms Nawroozi wants to share her passion for the game with other refugee women and girls in North Yorkshire, by setting up a free said: "If I wasn't a football player, I'd never have chance to get out. Football saved my life." When Ms Nawroozi first decided to take up football, her father was supportive - but her mother needed a bit more convincing."She said 'if you play football, you won't marry anybody'. It was important to her that I got married to a good person," she said."I didn't listen because I really wanted to do it. But she's really supportive now."She knows I love football, and she knows how football has helped all of our lives."When the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan, Ms Nawroozi and her family did not leave the house for five days, while they worked out what to do next to stay safe. She emailed a footballer who had left the country 10 years earlier, who then put her in touch with Leeds United club offered to help secure visas and travel arrangements out of Afghanistan, via Afghan team and their families were due to fly out of Kabul, but security warnings stopped them reaching the airport, hours before it was struck by a bomb. Eventually, they successfully made it to Pakistan but the arrival came with mixed emotions for Ms Nawroozi."All the way from the border to the hotel, I was crying. I feel I lost my heart, I feel I lost my mother, I feel I lost my everything," she final leg of the journey to the UK was still proving to be a challenge - and help came from an unexpected reality TV star Kim Kardashian came to the refugees' aid, covering the cost of chartering a plane to Stansted Airport, and paying for the squad's onward travel and accommodation. However relieved and grateful she may have been, Ms Nawroozi admitted she had never heard of the celebrity before."I didn't know who Kim Kardashian [was] and I thought, 'maybe she's a really rich woman," she explained."I didn't know she's a celebrity. She's a really good woman."Today, Ms Nawroozi is still involved in the sport she settled in North Yorkshire, she works with Harrogate Town AFC as a coach for community groups associated with the this year, the club announced she was its Premier League Communities Captain for 2025. Ms Nawroozi said it was hard to "build from zero" during her first year in the UK."The hardest thing was that we left our country forever [and] we need to accept that," she said."But now I love it; I love my job, my friends and colleagues."Alongside her coaching, Ms Nawroozi is studying her GCSEs at Harrogate College, with the ambition of attending the University of York as a psychology dream is to set up a football team for refugees in the county later this year, so they can enjoy the sport free of charge."I don't want them to just play football, I want them to learn to be a good player, to build a good future," she added. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Female cyclist who refused to share podium with 'hidden' trans rival defends protest that left crowd stunned
Female cyclist Julie Cutts Peterson has defended her decision to 'take a stand' against a transgender rival during a recent event. Peterson came second in a women's national championship race in Wisconsin last week after being beaten by Kate 'KJ' Phillips, who was born a biological male. In response, Peterson refused to take to the podium - alongside Phillips - and later insisted that she 'did not want to race against a man'. The statement, according to Peterson, drew shock from the fans in attendance but now the veteran cyclist has defended her actions on the day. In an interview with Fox News, Peterson explained that both herself and race leader Debbie Milne had been overtaken by 'KJ' in the final sprint. 'Out of nowhere came third-place KJ and beat us both in the sprint. After the race, I was angry because I knew what had happened,' she explained. 'I've raced hundreds of races against women, thousands in group rides - sprinting against men - and I knew, in that sprint, that was a man's sprint'. She continued: 'At the finish line I was upset. I said 'I did not want to race against a man'. In my mind I was like, 'I can say that, I have freedom of speech.' 'I was raised believing in the Bible where men are created by God and God created women from men, I was born and raised in America, where I learned my pronouns, and I took science classes that taught me about XX and XY and I believe that most Americans and people worldwide would support men not being in women's categories. 'There is no amount of makeup, money, or marketing that can change that Y-chromosome, and that's why we are taking a stand'. Peterson also insisted that the transgender athlete's name was not on the registration list on the day - which was previously revealed by fellow race competitor Milne. In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Milne said that she believes Phillips' presence in the race was 'hidden' from competitors beforehand. Milne, who ultimately finished seventh in the event, said she spent $400 and drove 13 hours from Greenville, South Carolina to attend the race. While she saw a photo from a competitor showing that Phillips had apparently registered on June 16, Milne doesn't believe USAC was 'transparent' and doesn't want to race again until that changes. The Daily Mail has reached out to USAC and Phillips for comment. Debbie Milne traveled 13 hours for the race and said she was not aware Phillips was competing 'I should have been able to see it. I should have been able to look someone up and decide if I'm even going to make the trip until they get the policies worked out,' she said. 'I'm a board certified sports dietician. It's been established that there's a biological advantage if someone is born male... I love people... But the fact is that the person I raced today was born a biological male. 'And if I had known that, I could at least not just decide that I don't want to invest my money and my time in this, until the policies follow what the science has indicated at this point.' As per the USAC's latest policy on transgender athletes from last year, which separates athletes into Group A and Group B, transgender athletes are allowed to compete under specific guidelines. For Group A (higher-level) athletes, an 'elite athlete fairness evaluation' must be reviewed and approved by an independent medical panel, with athletes having to meet certain testosterone thresholds to compete. For Group B athletes, they must submit a 'self identity verification request', which is reviewed by the organization's technical director. National championships (except for those which are governed by USAC's parent organization, UCI) are treated as Group A events, meaning that Phillips - in theory - would have to qualify as such. Milne, who has been in touch with the Independent Council on Women's Sports (ICONS), said that race organizers did not acknowledge to her or other cyclists afterwards that Phillips' name was seemingly not on the registration, and that she didn't hear an explanation given as to why that happened. Phillips, whose Instagram bio reads 'sport is for EVERYONE', previously wrote in the comments on a Zwift Insider profile about her that exclusionary 'rhetoric actually hurts women's cycling... it perpetuates patriarchy and misogyny.' 'I have been competing in sports for longer than many other women, 20 years within the IOC guidelines (yeah, I was the 1st US trans athlete under the 2004 IOC rules when I played rugby; I am way proud of that), and sadly the uptick in pushback came when gay marriage was no longer the issue de jour,' she wrote last year. 'There is a faction out there that just can't stand seeing change. Now the focus is on trans/non-gender conformity, which has hit the list of hyped controversy and hate, and the followers of this thought won't or don't want to take the time to see that there isn't a problem…that MORE women (WTFNB [women, trans, femme and non-binary] included) are better for all sports.' Milne's comments come as the University of Pennsylvania agreed to resolve alleged Title IX violations over the school's transgender former swimmer, Lia Thomas. The Department of Education said that the school will ban trans athletes from women's competitions and erase Thomas from the school's record books.
