The week of the Super Bowl always generates a strong lineup of football-related events, yet one event this year particularly highlighted the NFL’s commitment to embracing diversity amidst a climate where many businesses are scaling back their efforts. This was the second annual ‘Women Raise The Game’ Champions Super Bowl brunch, held at the Le Meridien Hotel in New Orleans, showcasing a remarkable lineup of speakers and award honorees. Recurring themes emerged throughout on-stage interviews, panels, and award presentations.
A key theme at the Women Raise The Game event emphasized the importance of diverse leadership in enabling leagues, organizations, and businesses to connect with a broader audience. During “The Business of Sports” panel, NFL Vice President of Global Brand and Consumer Marketing Sarah Bishop noted the necessity of diversity in her sector, articulating that it is integral to the league’s strategies. “Diversity generally, I think obviously, couldn’t be more important than it is now,” she stated. “You need diverse perspectives, opinions, and voices around the table. It makes us all better. It makes us all stronger,” she added. She highlighted that her department is focusing on telling diverse stories that resonate with various audiences, including elements beyond traditional game narratives, such as music, fashion, and flag football participation, all aimed at illustrating that football is for everyone.
Bishop also affirmed the necessity of highlighting the league’s, its players’, and coaches’ contributions to their communities, stating that “connecting through purpose” is incredibly important, especially for the younger generation. She mentioned that the NFL has garnered significant success by focusing on the human stories behind the players, using what they call ‘helmets off’ storytelling to showcase players as individuals, which has effectively connected with target groups like youth, women, and Latino audiences.
Examples of personal connections and storytelling’s power were emphasized by Talia Thompson, a Native Hawaiian and Samoan filmmaker, who discussed her documentary Pacific Roots: Our Football Legacy during the first panel “No Limits: Expanding The Opportunities.” She credited her cultural connections for enabling her to tell the stories of Polynesian players who have significantly influenced the league, stating, “It’s been such an honor and a privilege to be that storyteller for my people.” Tamala Barksdale of the Women Raise The Game also noted the importance of having a diverse media presence in sports to ensure stories are told from multiple perspectives, thereby enriching the narrative landscape.
Event MC Holly Robinson Peete remarked on the progress made regarding female representation in sports media, particularly pointing out improvements in platforms like ESPN’s First Take, where female hosts are increasingly given opportunities to share their insights rather than merely serve as decorative figures. This echoed sentiments expressed by others at the brunch, emphasizing the necessity of employing diverse voices in sports coverage, as noted by Christina Chang, a partner at Nixon Peabody LLP, who highlighted the additional challenges that women and minorities face in reaching influential roles in sports due to existing barriers and the current political climate.
During the brunch, several women were honored for their contributions, including Constance Schwartz-Morini, co-founder of SMAC Entertainment, and Zaileen Janmohamed, president and CEO of the Bay Area Host Committee, who reflected on the critical support she received to advance her career. The focus of the day was clear: opportunity and success must be extended to a new generation of women in sports. Jennifer King, the first Black female to coach full-time in the NFL, articulated her commitment to being an inspiring figure to others, while Diana Flores, a representative of Mexico’s national flag football team, expressed the importance of earning respect in male-dominated spaces. Throughout the event, the powerful message of “sending the elevator down” emerged, emphasizing mentoring and encouraging those who follow, as numerous women shared their experiences of navigating the traditionally male-centric world of sports, including Marissa Solis, who recounted a pivotal moment early in her career that motivated her to uplift others.
As the event concluded, it underscored a collective commitment to promoting not only personal success but also fostering an inclusive environment where women of all backgrounds can achieve their potential in sports and entertainment.
