Playmakers Nashville

What Playmakers Nashville does

Playmakers Nashville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership community founded in 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee, by Emma May-Bradley (Chief Marketing & Content Officer at Rebel Girls) and Erin Ryder (Professor of Practice in Sport Administration at Belmont University). The organization is dedicated to advancing women across all areas of sports — on the field, behind the scenes, and in supporting roles — through a three-pillar approach (Access, Community, Growth) that integrates scholarships, career-long community, education, and celebration. Its primary service area is Middle Tennessee, with membership open beyond the region.

The product surface is organized as a cohort-based, four-tier membership ecosystem: Starters (free for students), Captains ($149/year for 1–9 years of experience), Champions ($249/year for 10+ years / executive), and Legends ($3,500/year corporate membership covering up to 10 employees). Members gain access to the Learning Hub (a members-only digital platform with curated courses, templates, and workshops), the Mentorship Community (one-on-one 'friendtorships' and small-circle mentoring), year-round events, scholarships, and a Champions-only talent visibility database. The underlying technology stack is modest: Neon CRM for membership, donations, and event registration, with Stripe and PayPal as payment processors; the Learning Hub is a members-only content platform rather than a proprietary software product.

The business and revenue model is mission-driven and diversified across four streams: individual membership subscriptions (largely tax-deductible given the 501(c)(3) designation), corporate Legends memberships, tax-deductible donations (including a monthly giving program and ACH/DAF support), and select event revenue. Distribution is primarily self-serve via the website and event-driven, with founding partner organizations (Tennessee Titans, Nashville Predators, Nashville Sounds, Vanderbilt University, Rebel Girls) and additional impact partners (Athletes Unlimited, INSBANK, EY, Music City Grand Prix, Belmont University, Nashville Sports Council) acting as amplification channels. The organization is governed by a 13-member Board of Directors and Advisory Board drawn from major Nashville sports organizations, Vanderbilt, HCA, Belmont, and other local institutions.

Name

Playmakers Nashville

Legal name

Playmakers Nashville

Website

https://playmakersnashville.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Playmakers Nashville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership community that advances women in sports across all career stages through tiered memberships, scholarships, mentorship, and events, serving members and corporate partners in Middle Tennessee.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Community Membership (Nonprofit)

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Community Relations & Grassroots Program Management (MPAKAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE), Amateur & Grassroots Sport Associations (Community/Youth Governing Orgs) (MPAKAFAF)

Keywords

• Women in sports community
• Professional membership organization
• Nonprofit sports education
• Mentorship and scholarship program
• Career development cohorts

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership Fees: Annual subscription-based membership fees collected at enrollment and renewal. Tiered pricing by career stage: Starters (free), Captains ($149/year), Champions ($249/year). First-year introductory pricing with subsidized accessible rates.
2. Corporate Membership (Legends): Annual corporate membership at $3,500/year providing bundled memberships for up to 10 employees, event access, professional development, and brand exposure benefits.
3. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations supporting scholarships, programming, and access initiatives. Organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Tax ID: 33-3042576). Monthly giving program available. Accepts credit cards, DAF, and ACH transfers.
4. Event Revenue: Revenue from event tickets and programming. Most events are exclusive to members, with select events opened to non-members for community building and potential member conversion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Playmakers Nashville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership community that advances and empowers women across all areas of sports through tiered membership cohorts (Starters for students, Captains for early/mid-career professionals, Champions for senior executives, and Legends for corporations), a members-only Learning Hub for professional development, an opt-in Mentorship Community, a Scholarship Program for women in Middle Tennessee pursuing sports careers, and year-round Events programming including networking mixers, panels, and leadership summits.

Product overview

Playmakers Nashville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership community — not a technology product company. Its offering consists of tiered membership cohorts (Starters for students, Captains for early-to-mid-career professionals, Champions for senior executives, and Legends for corporations), a members-only Learning Hub for professional development, an opt-in Mentorship Community, a Scholarship Program for women in Middle Tennessee pursuing sports careers, and year-round Events programming. The tiers operate as a unified membership community rather than a modular software platform; members move across cohorts as their careers advance, and all tiers share access to community, mentorship, and educational resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Starters Cohort Membership Free annual membership for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing careers in sports, offering career exploration, insider access to Nashville sports events, college and career support, community socials, internship connections, and scholarship opportunities.
• Captains Cohort Membership $149/year membership for professionals with 1-9 years of industry experience, providing industry deep dives, strategic relationship building, career advancement coaching, personal brand development, working-mom guidance, community events, and access to the mentorship community.
• Champions Cohort Membership $249/year membership for senior and C-suite executives with 10+ years of experience, offering executive career navigation, leadership presence training, high-level community access, circle mentoring, corporate meet-and-greets, and opt-in talent database visibility.
• Legends Corporate Membership $3,500/year corporate membership providing up to 10 employee memberships across any cohort, complimentary or discounted event tickets, exclusive workshops and executive training, website logo placement, and collaboration opportunities on initiatives and thought leadership.
• Learning Hub Members-only online platform providing curated learning experiences, in-person workshops and panels, online courses, on-demand resources, career-ready templates, worksheets, and guides tailored by career stage.
• Mentorship Community Opt-in mentorship program for Captains and Champions offering one-on-one mentoring relationships, small-circle mentoring, and facilitated connections across the Playmakers community.
• Scholarship Program Scholarship program supporting young women in Middle Tennessee pursuing sports careers, including undergraduate scholarships (up to $3,500), a Nashville Predators x Playmakers undergraduate scholarship ($2,500), and a Continuing Education Scholarship ($5,000) for graduate students.
• Playmakers Nashville Events Year-round programming of in-person and virtual events including networking mixers, panel discussions, leadership summits, community activations, and social gatherings, with most events exclusive to members and select events open to the public.

Quantifiable outcome

• $15,000 in scholarships awarded to 5 young women in inaugural program (2026)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered founding partner, impact partner and community partner.

• Tennessee Titansfounding partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025One of five founding partners of Playmakers Nashville. Tennessee Titans made bold, early multi-year commitment to help launch the organization. President & COO Michelle Kennedy publicly endorsed the mission to advance women in Nashville sports.
• Nashville Predatorsfounding partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025One of five founding partners of Playmakers Nashville. Nashville Predators provided founding scholarship funding and are represented on the board through VP of Brand Strategy Brittany Austin. President & COO Michelle Kennedy publicly endorsed the mission.
• Nashville Soundsfounding partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025One of five founding partners of Playmakers Nashville. Nashville Sounds Baseball Club committed early support with GM & COO Adam English noting the value of Playmakers for staff development.
• Vanderbilt Universityfounding partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025One of five founding partners. Vanderbilt provides community partner support through Athletic Director Candice Storey Lee on Honorary Board. Senior Associate AD Lauren Belisle serves as Board Co-Chair. University endorses mission publicly.
• Rebel Girlsfounding partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Founding partner providing content and media expertise. Co-founder Emma May-Bradley serves as Playmakers Nashville Founder and Chief Marketing & Content Officer at Rebel Girls, creating content partnership synergies.
• Athletes Unlimitedimpact partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Impact partner and founding scholarship sponsor. Provides $3,500 undergraduate scholarship for graduating high school seniors. Danielle Gaw, Director of Partnerships at Athletes Unlimited, serves as Marketing & Communications Committee Chair on Playmakers board.
• INSBANKimpact partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Impact partner providing founding scholarship sponsorship with $1,500 scholarship for graduating high school seniors. Chris Cahill, FVP Director of Commercial Deposits, serves as Finance Committee Advisor on Playmakers board.
• Music City Grand Priximpact partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Impact partner in sports events and entertainment. President Anne Fischgrund serves as Director of Learning & Impact on Playmakers board, bringing automotive/sports entertainment programming expertise.
• Upshot Nashvilleimpact partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Impact partner in sports marketing and strategy. President Nancy VanReece serves on Playmakers Honorary Board, providing strategic communications expertise.
• Belmont Universitycommunity partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Community partner providing academic and sports administration connections. Professor Erin Ryder (Co-Founder) is Professor of Practice in Sport Administration. VP Sharon Brawner serves on Advisory Board. Sports Administration students engage with programming.
• Nashville Sports Councilcommunity partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Community partner in sports industry relations, helping connect Playmakers with broader Nashville sports ecosystem and professional development opportunities.
• EY (Ernst & Young)impact partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Impact partner providing professional services expertise and brand credibility. Supports professional development and mentorship programming.
• Alluvium Strategiesimpact partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Impact partner founded by Megan Curry. Founder Megan Curry serves as Advisor to Marketing & Communications Committee on Playmakers board, providing strategic communications services.
• Athletez PRimpact partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Impact partner and PR firm founded by Megan Curry. Supports media relations and brand visibility for Playmakers Nashville initiatives.
• Nashville Starscommunity partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Community partner representing MLB's Nashville Stars initiative, connecting Playmakers with professional baseball community and youth sports development.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Just Women's Sports: Media and community platform covering women's sports. Comparable in addressing the demand-side gap for women in sports, but operates as a content/community business rather than a cohort-based membership nonprofit.
• Title IX Baby Tigers / Women's Sports Alliance: Alliance-style organizations convening stakeholders to advance women's sports. Comparable ecosystem peer at the mission and advocacy layer, though less cohort-driven than Playmakers.
• Champion Women: Nonprofit advocating for women and girls in sports through education, advocacy, and training programs. Overlaps with Playmakers' mission-driven nonprofit angle, though Champion Women is more advocacy-focused and less community/membership-driven.

Broad incumbents

• Athletes for Hope: 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by a coalition of elite athletes to connect athletes with charitable causes and community service. Comparable as a sport-industry nonprofit with member-network structure, though it is athlete-led rather than career-stage-cohorted.
• Women's Sports Foundation: Founded by Billie Jean King, the Women's Sports Foundation is the most established 501(c)(3) advancing women in sports through research, advocacy, scholarships, and leadership programs. Operates at a national scale and overlaps with Playmakers on the scholarship, mentorship, and leadership-development pillars.

Direct peers

• Women in Sports & Events (WISE): National membership-based organization dedicated to advancing women in the business of sports through networking, mentorship, and professional development. Most direct comparable to Playmakers Nashville's cohort-based, community-led model; the primary differentiator is WISE's national scope versus Playmakers' Nashville focus.
• League of Women in Sports Tech (LWIST): Membership community supporting women working in technology roles across the sports industry through networking, mentorship, and career development. Closely comparable to Playmakers' sport-industry-specific, women-focused, membership/community GTM.

Others

• Sports & Society Program (Aspen Institute): Program of the Aspen Institute that convenes leaders across sport to address youth development, health, and equity. Touches Playmakers' Access and Growth pillars and is a peer in the broader 'women in sport' ecosystem, though its model is thought-leadership/grantmaking rather than membership.
• Wasserman: Global sports marketing and talent agency with a dedicated women's sports practice and DEI initiatives. Adjacent to Playmakers' mission and reachable through the same partner universe (e.g., CAA Sports on the advisory board), but operates as a commercial agency rather than a community/membership organization.

Regional players

• Canadian Women & Sport: National nonprofit advancing gender equity in sport across Canada through advocacy, programs, and community-building. Comparable mission and nonprofit structure, but operates in a different geography and at a national — not city-level — scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PlaymakersNashville
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/playmakersnashville
• Instagraminstagram.com/playmakers.nashville

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles25 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 Playmakers Nashville