The Business Case For Women's Sports

In episode 208 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, Caroline sits down with Kate Johnson, Google’s Global Marketing Director of Sports, Entertainment & Content Partnerships.
Kate has played a major role in building Google’s investment in women’s sports – from partnerships with the WNBA and NWSL to collaborating with product teams to improve how women’s sports are surfaced in Google Search and investing in more storytelling around women athletes.
In this episode, hear about:
🔎 How Google helped make Search more inclusive of women’s sports – and why discoverability matters for growing fandom
📈 Why Google sees stronger engagement with its products when the company shows up authentically in women’s sports
🤝 How brands can move beyond traditional sponsorships to identify the unique problems they can help solve in women’s sports
As Kate puts it, the business case comes down to “the loyalty and the authenticity factor,” and Google sees a deeper connection with its products when it authentically invests in women’s sports.

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Episode 207 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, was recorded in front of a live audience at the USTA Northern California's 2026 SheRallies: Serve & Sip Summit in Napa Valley.
For this special live episode, Caroline sat down with former World No. 35 tennis player, investor, entrepreneur, and Cartan Capital Founder, CiCi Bellis.
After retiring from professional tennis at just 22 due to injury, CiCi didn't leave sports behind – she built a venture capital firm investing in sports technology, human performance, and women's health.
In this episode, hear about:
🎾 How CiCi transitioned from professional tennis to venture capital
💰 Why she believes women's sports remains one of the most undervalued investment opportunities in business
📈 What she's looking for as an investor – and why the intersection of women's health, human performance, and sports technology represent enormous growth markets
This episode was recorded live on May 29, 2026 as part of the USTA of Northern California's 2026 SheRallies: Serve & Sip Summit.
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In episode 206 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, Caroline sits down with Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi, Director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport at the University of Minnesota.

For more than three decades, Dr. LaVoi has studied the systems shaping women's sports – from coaching and leadership to media representation and gender equity. 

Her research has influenced executives, athletic directors, media organizations, policymakers, and countless leaders across the sports industry.

In this episode, hear about:

📊 Why research is one of the most powerful investments we can make in women's sports

👩‍🏫 Why women still coach fewer women's teams today than they did before Title IX

📺 What decades of research reveal about how women athletes are covered – and why that matters for the future of the industry

As Dr. LaVoi explains, investing in women isn't just the right thing to do – it's one of the smartest business decisions organizations can make.

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In episode 205 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, Caroline interviews Marianne Brooks, Vice President of Partnerships at Canada's Northern Super League (NSL).

As one of the league's earliest hires, Marianne has helped build the NSL from the ground up by helping drive the league’s growth through commercial partnerships.

In this episode, hear about:

⚽ How the Northern Super League went from an idea to one of the fastest-growing properties in women's sports

📈 Why Canada has become one of the most exciting growth markets in women's sports

🇨🇦 Why bringing professional women's soccer to Canada is strengthening the country's entire player development ecosystem

As Marianne explains, women's sports don't need to “clear a different bar” to earn investment – they simply need the opportunity to reach their potential.

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In episode 204 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, Caroline interviews Sabina Ahmed, Assistant Vice President of Sponsorships & Experiential at AT&T.

AT&T has been investing in women's sports for decades and became the WNBA's inaugural Changemaker partner back in 2019. 

Now, as the league celebrates its 30th season, AT&T is once again taking center stage as the presenting sponsor of AT&T WNBA All-Star.

In this episode, hear about:

🏀 How AT&T is bringing WNBA All-Star to life for fans in Chicago and beyond

📱 Why the best sponsorships create experiences – not just brand visibility

✨ How a fan-first strategy builds stronger brands, deeper loyalty, and lasting business impact

As Sabina explains, the brands that will win in women's sports aren't just the ones that sponsor the game – they're the ones that create meaningful connections between fans, athletes, and the sports they love.

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