Women in Soccer

What Women in Soccer does

Women in Soccer (WIS) is a US-based nonprofit organization founded in 2020 that operates a free professional network connecting women and people with underrepresented gender identities to job opportunities, professional development resources, and community within the soccer industry. The organization, legally named the Women in Soccer Foundation, is headquartered in New York with approximately 15 employees and has reached members in 42 of 50 US states as of December 2021. WIS serves three member segments through free tiered memberships: Community Members (industry newcomers), Expert Members (current soccer professionals), and Ally Members (supporters committed to equity). The co-founders are Courtney Carroll Levinsohn and Rachel LaSala, with Grace Ahrens appointed as Executive Director in January 2024.

WIS's core platform is a web-based membership system featuring Playercard profile pages, a member-only jobs board, a Slack community space, and an editorial news platform. The organization complements its digital infrastructure with live programming including the Coffee & Progress virtual event series, the annual WIS Career Fair, the USL Changemakers Awards (2021 and 2022), and the PITCH IT entrepreneurship competition. Content products include a YouTube channel featuring the documentary short 'Coach', member spotlights, and resources such as the WIS Guide to Coaching Resources. The WIS Leadership Scholarship, launched in partnership with the Global Institute of Sport in 2024, extends the offering into education by funding one member's MSc Football Business tuition.

Operating as a free network, WIS does not generate revenue from membership fees. The organization pursues a community-led go-to-market approach relying on organic content marketing, social media presence across Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook, and YouTube, and strategic partnerships rather than paid acquisition. Key institutional partners include USL (flagship), Common Goal, Women Onside, Equal Playing Field, Soccer Without Borders, the US State Department, Kickoff Coffee Co, Talisman & Co, and the Global Institute of Sport. WIS does not disclose financials, funding rounds, or revenue figures, and operates as an independent nonprofit with no parent company.

Name

Women in Soccer

Legal name

Women in Soccer Foundation

Website

https://womeninsoccer.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Women in Soccer is a free nonprofit professional network founded in 2020 that connects women and people with underrepresented gender identities to job opportunities, professional development, and community within the soccer industry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Soccer Industry Professional Network

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Messaging-Led Community Platforms (Chat/Group Communities) (MPACAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Full-Service Athlete Talent Agencies (Contract Negotiation & Career Management) (MPAKAMAA)

Keywords

• Professional networking platform
• Soccer industry community
• Gender equity programs
• Career development resources
• Membership-based network

Headquarters

HQ city

Not explicitly disclosed

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Free Membership Network: WIS operates as a free network for women and people with underrepresented gender identities in soccer. Revenue model appears to be free membership funded through partnerships, sponsorships, and potentially future premium services. The organization runs events, career fairs, and awards programs in partnership with organizations like USL.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Women in Soccer (WIS) is a free professional network connecting women and people with underrepresented gender identities to job opportunities, professional development resources, and community within the soccer industry. The network operates via a web-based member portal featuring Playercard profiles, a member-exclusive jobs board, a Slack community space, and programming including virtual events (Coffee & Progress), an annual Career Fair, and editorial content (WIS News, YouTube productions). Members self-select into Community, Expert, or Ally membership tiers, all offered at no cost.

Product overview

Women in Soccer (WIS) is a free professional network for women and people with underrepresented gender identities working in or aspiring to work in soccer. The core product is the WIS Network, a membership-based platform featuring Playercard profiles, an exclusive jobs board, a Slack community, and access to WIS's editorial news content and YouTube channel. Three membership tiers serve distinct segments: Community Member (industry newcomers), Expert Member (current soccer professionals), and Ally Member (supporters committed to equity). WIS complements its platform with live programming including the Coffee & Progress virtual event series, the annual WIS Career Fair, and the USL Changemakers Awards. Content products include WIS News (editorial journalism), the documentary Coach, and member spotlight profiles. The PITCH IT entrepreneurship competition and the WIS Leadership Scholarship (in partnership with the Global Institute of Sport) expand the ecosystem into economic opportunity and education. All offerings are free to members, unified by the mission of advancing gender equity in the soccer industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Coffee & Progress: Virtual networking event series connecting members with FIFA leaders and industry experts
• Playercard
• Coach (documentary)

Products and services

• Women in Soccer Network (WIS) Free professional network providing Playercard-based member profiles, a member-exclusive jobs board, Slack community space, and access to editorial content, virtual events, and career programming for women and people with underrepresented gender identities who work or want to work in soccer.
• Coffee & Progress Events Recurring virtual event series hosted by WIS that connects members with industry leaders and FIFA officials, covering topics such as player safety, mental wellness, allyship, and volunteer opportunities for tournaments including FIFA World Cup 26.
• WIS Career Fair Annual career fair encouraging and recruiting women and marginalized individuals to work in soccer, including coaching-specific career events with recruiter meetings, panel discussions, and post-event multi-media resource toolkits.
• USL Changemakers Awards Annual awards program co-presented by WIS and USL recognizing women and people with underrepresented gender identities who work for the USL and have improved soccer industry culture, with categories including Visionary, Innovator, Rising Star, Community Champion, and Captain.
• PITCH IT Entrepreneurship Competition Pitch contest co-run by WIS and USL awarding prize funds to entrepreneurs and organizations using soccer for social impact, with the goal of supporting plans for positive social change through the game.
• WIS Leadership Scholarship Full-ride tuition scholarship offered through a partnership with the Global Institute of Sport (GIS), awarded to one WIS member to pursue GIS's MSc Football Business program and develop leadership in the soccer industry.
• Coach Documentary Documentary short produced by WIS co-founder Courtney Carroll Levinsohn profiling founding member Tracy Hamm, a trailblazing coach denied the opportunity to pursue a top-tier license, documenting obstacles women face in soccer coaching.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Global Institute of Sport (GIS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2024Partnership to offer the first Women in Soccer Leadership Scholarship, providing one WIS member with a full-ride tuition scholarship to GIS's MSc Football Business program, supporting leadership development in the soccer industry.
• Equal Playing FieldcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023Co-hosted the 2023 Equality Summit in Sydney, Australia alongside Women Onside and the US State Department, three days before the FIFA Women's World Cup Final, discussing critical issues facing women, girls, and equity in football.
• Common GoalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 July 2023WIS joined Common Goal and USWNT players to release a powerful statement on mental health ahead of the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023, led by USWNT defender Naomi Girma. Partnership focuses on tackling mental health issues in soccer.
• Women OnsidecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2022Co-hosted the 2022 Equality Summit in London, bringing together sports leaders from around the world to review challenges and opportunities in women's soccer. WIS provided 'Guided Networking' sessions at the summit.
• USLcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2021Flagship partnership with USL encompassing multiple initiatives: co-presentation of USL Changemakers Awards (2021, 2022), PITCH IT entrepreneurship contest for soccer social impact entrepreneurs, W League partnership for player pathways, participation in USL Winter Summit, and annual career fair specifically recruiting women and marginalized individuals for USL opportunities.
• Kickoff Coffee CominorGTM or Marketing PartnerKickoff Coffee Co sponsors Coffee & Progress events, providing coffee for virtual sessions. Founded by soccer people for soccer people, with profits going to initiatives promoting equity in the game. Co-founded by WIS member Melissa Ortiz.
• US State DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in co-hosting the 2023 Equality Summit in Sydney alongside Equal Playing Field and Women Onside, discussing critical issues facing women, girls, and equity at large in football.
• Talisman & CominorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored WWC23 Starting XI Behind the Teams campaign, providing exclusive industry access content profiling 11 industry leaders working to make the Women's World Cup possible.
• United Soccer CoachesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWIS endorsed Sarah Dwyer-Shick for United Soccer Coaches Board of Directors, supporting increased diversity and equity representation in the coaching industry.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Women's Sports Foundation: Established US nonprofit advancing gender equity across all women's sports with research, advocacy, and leadership programs. Overlaps with WIS in mission but operates across all sports, not soccer-only.
• Kick It Out: Established UK football equality and inclusion organization addressing discrimination across the game. Operates at league scale with reporting and policy work analogous to WIS's advocacy layer.

Direct peers

• Athlete Ally: US-based nonprofit advocating for LGBTQ+ inclusion and equity in sports, with ambassador and community programs. Comparable as a community-led equity platform operating inside the sports industry.
• Women in Football: UK-based network for women working in football (soccer) with similar membership, jobs board, events, and advocacy mission. Most directly comparable peer; founder Ebru Köksal was the inspiration for WIS's launch.
• Women in Sport (UK): UK charity focused on increasing women's and girls' participation and visibility in sport, with research, advocacy, and network programs. Similar equity-and-sport mission and organizational model.
• Common Goal: Global football-led initiative connecting players, clubs, and organizations to social impact projects including gender equity. Direct peer on the football-equity mission and existing WIS partner.
• Women Onside: Australian/UK advocacy network advancing gender equity in football, co-host of WIS's 2022 London and 2023 Sydney Equality Summits. Closely aligned mission on women's football leadership.
• Equal Playing Field: Global initiative using football to drive gender equality, co-host of WIS's 2023 Equality Summit in Sydney. Comparable advocacy-first model and football-focused equity programming.

Emerging players

• Women in Sports Tech: Network advancing women in the business and technology side of sports. Adjacent audience and similar community-jobs-event model, but sports-wide rather than soccer-specific.
• Women Who League: Emerging digital community and podcast focused on women in sports business and league operations. Narrower scope but directly competing for the same women's-soccer-career audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/womeninsoccerus
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@womeninsoccer
• Facebookfacebook.com/womeninsoccerus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/womeninsoccer
• Instagraminstagram.com/womeninsoccer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Women in Soccer