PORTLAND, OR — RAJ Sports and The Collective aren't looking for a seat at anyone else's table when it comes to women's sports. They're busy building their own and making room for other changemakers and visionaries.
Team owners, athletes, investors and executives gathered around a table for the Women's Sports Brunch during the second annual Epicenter Week in Portland, Oregon, bringing together a "really interesting group of women who are not just talking, but actually doing things to move the industry forward," Lisa Bhathal Merage, governor and co-owner of the WNBA's Portland Fire and NWSL's Portland Thorns, said in her opening remarks on Friday, Aug. 2.
As leaders in sports gathered at Han Oak in Portland, attendees shared ideas, built connections and bonded over their collective goal of making sure the momentum around women's sports continues to grow.
"The Collective has always created tables of inclusion and belonging with women and men from across all sorts of different industries that benefit women, but also benefit women's sports," Thayer Lavielle, managing director of The Collective at The Team, told USA TODAY Studio IX. "To be able to sit down with new friends and new faces with new ideas and new conversations is really refreshing."
Conversations, like the ones held over the weekend, have yielded ideas that came to fruition during Epicenter Week. Bhathal Merage said The Collective's 2025 WNBA All-Star party in Indianapolis inspired the Women's Sports Brunch. Similarly, a conversation over lunch two years ago sparked the idea for the Kaiser Permanente Performance Center in Portland, the first dual-sport practice facility built for professional women athletes that'll serve as the home of the Thorns and Fire.
"We're making history," said Karina LeBlanc, 2013 Thorns champion, Olympic bronze medalist and RAJ Sports executive vice president of strategic growth development. "To the women before us who weren't even allowed to play, to the women who fought, to the next generation who now believe in what's possible, thank you for showing up for all of us."
LeBlanc added, "Epicenter Week, for those of you who don't know, was created to bring game changers to Portland. Game changers who didn't just want to check (boxes), game changers who actually wanted to have conversations that mattered, conversations that elevated, collaborated and activated."
'Seeking our value'
Lindsay Colas, the executive vice president of women's sports and Olympics, kicked off the opening remarks at the head of the table. Colas is a pioneer in the women's representation space. WNBA legend Diana Taurasi credited Colas with being one of the first to believe in women’s sports from a marketing standpoint, saying Colas "was willing to push boundaries when everyone else was afraid."
Colas likes to refer to herself as a "radical optimist" who didn't want to follow the market, but create it. It's the same fearlessness and tenacity that will push the industry forward.
"It was just about seeing what I thought (women's sports) could be and just continuing to forge towards it and finding people who wanted to ride in the same way," Colas said. "Just because I wasn't hearing yes in that moment didn't mean that it was always going to be a no. It was just not yet. And so you had to continue to ask and continue to push and continue to organize and look for people who are like-minded
"Seeking our value is part of what we're trying to advocate for, for women athletes."
Women athletes' value extends far past the court or field they play on.
"They are seasoned executives off the court of their own brands," Lavielle said. "We've proven that people are watching. We've proven that people are interested. We've proven that these women are incredible athletes on the field and wildly talented off the field ... we just need to continue to press on the gas to keep everything moving."
Women athletes' talent, personality and style have become part of the cultural conversation, from tunnel outfits that turn arenas into runways to unique personalities that fuel social media engagement. Circe Wallace, executive vice president at The Team, said storytelling is an avenue that can be tapped to drive growth.
"Fans are really interested in women's stories. And the ability to transcend sport through those stories, the fans want more," said Wallace. "They like aspects of how women dress and other aspects of their lifestyle, how they eat, how they train...there's an interest in more in-depth storytelling off the court and the field, as well as all of the fun dramas that are happening in the sports themselves."
Colas added: "The brands who are connecting with athletes to center their voice, to hear their stories, to tell their stories, to get their feedback, they're finding a lot of benefit. And so I'm seeing that more brands are starting to understand that and they're really listening and building campaigns around athletes on exactly who they are because that authenticity, it's become a buzzword."
'This is why we do this'
LeBlanc likened the collaborative spirit of the Women's Sports Brunch hosted by RAJ Sports and The Collective to the Olympic village.
"I remember walking to the Olympic Village and Serena and Venus (Williams) were there," recalled LeBlanc, who competed for Team Canada in five World Cups and two Olympic Games, winning a bronze medal at the 2012 Games. "I just sat down with them. And you start the conversation ... We understand the big assignment. That's what this room is about. That's what (Epicenter Week) is about."
LeBlanc said RAJ Sports' investment in infrastructure through the Kaiser Permanente Performance Center reaffirms to players they "matter" and team ownership "values what they're doing." LeBlanc thinks about the resources her 6-year-old daughter Paris will benefit from as a result of their willingness to push for more.
"I hope you have a young girl that you can look at and understand this is why we do this," LeBlanc added. "That next generation will think being a professional athlete and playing two sports, training at the practice facility is absolutely normal because of the work we all do."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Women's sports leaders gather at The Collective brunch to shape next era
