The Business Case For Women's Sports

Caroline Fitzgerald
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Welcome to the GOALS podcast, The Business Case For Women's Sports, presented by Ally, where we explore every corner of the women’s sports industry from the field to the front office. Hosted by Caroline Fitzgerald, this podcast features interviews with leaders in women's sports that dig into topics like data insights, marketing strategies, and sponsorship deals. We believe that it’s good business to invest in women’s sports, and our #GOAL is to prove it.

  1. Ep. #180 Why Simmons University Is Launching A Master's Program Focused On The Business Of Women’s Sports, ft. Dean Astrid Sheil & Justine Pouravelis

    12/22/2025

    Ep. #180 Why Simmons University Is Launching A Master's Program Focused On The Business Of Women’s Sports, ft. Dean Astrid Sheil & Justine Pouravelis

    In episode #180 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, Caroline sits down with Dean Astrid Sheil and Justine Pouravelis from Simmons University – the leaders behind the nation’s first Master’s of Management degree focused on the business of women’s professional sports. This first-of-its-kind program was created to fill a decades-long gender gap in sports management education, giving women the academic foundation, industry insight, and confidence needed to lead in a rapidly scaling women’s sports economy. One of the program’s most distinctive features is its powerhouse Advisory Board, made up of industry leaders from the PWHL, Bleacher Report, DraftKings, KLUTCH Sports, the NC Courage ownership group, and more – intentionally bridging the gap between academia and the real-world needs of the women’s sports industry. In this episode, hear: Why women’s sports deserve its own academic pathway.The role academia plays in building confidence and leadership pipelines.Why this moment is exactly the right time to invest in women’s sports and launch this program at Simmons University. More from GOALS Follow GOALS on Twitter: @goals_sports_Follow GOALS on Instagram: @goals_sports_Follow GOALS on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/goals-sportsShop: goals-sports.com/shop

    30 min
  2. Ep. #179 Challenging the Status Quo: The “underdog” Approach to Growing Women’s Sports ft. Megan Hughes Allison

    12/09/2025

    Ep. #179 Challenging the Status Quo: The “underdog” Approach to Growing Women’s Sports ft. Megan Hughes Allison

    In episode #179 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, Caroline sits down with Megan Hughes Allison, the President of underdog venture team – a next-generation sports marketing and live-events agency built to challenge the status quo. At underdog, Megan & her team are helping brands, leagues, and innovators reimagine the sports industry through a challenger mindset – with women’s sports as a key fixture of their mission. In this episode, Megan shares: 💪 Why underdog venture team is betting big on women’s sports as an undervalued, high-potential marketplace.📈 The key white-space opportunities brands should be leaning into right now.🤝 How agencies and investors can ensure long-term, sustainable growth in women’s sports.💡 Why “being an underdog” can be an advantage in business – and in life.More from GOALS Follow GOALS on Twitter: @goals_sports_Follow GOALS on Instagram: @goals_sports_Follow GOALS on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/goals-sportsShop: goals-sports.com/shop

    28 min
  3. Ep. #178 How ZGiRLS Gives Girls The Mental Tools To Thrive In Sports & Beyond, ft. Jilyne Jarvis

    12/02/2025

    Ep. #178 How ZGiRLS Gives Girls The Mental Tools To Thrive In Sports & Beyond, ft. Jilyne Jarvis

    In episode #178 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, Caroline meets Jilyne Jarvis, the Co-Founder and Executive Director of ZGiRLS, which is a nonprofit that offers a confidence-building program for girls ages 11-14 from female professional athletes and Olympians. At ZGiRLS, the belief is simple: confidence is a skill, and every girl deserves the chance to build it.💪 The team at ZGiRLS believes that girls aren’t born doubting themselves, but somewhere along the way, many start to.  Through a curriculum co-created by Olympians, psychologists, and mental-health experts, ZGiRLS gives girls tools to understand and navigate their thoughts, build a growth mindset, and advocate for themselves while communicating what they need. In this episode, hear Jilyne share more about the work of ZGiRLS, why the program is so effective being delivered by professional & Olympic female athletes, and how ZGiRLS uses sport as a lens to build confidence that carries into every facet of life.⚡️ More from GOALS Follow GOALS on Twitter: @goals_sports_Follow GOALS on Instagram: @goals_sports_Follow GOALS on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/goals-sportsShop: goals-sports.com/shop

    29 min
  4. Ep. #177 Digging Into STN Digital & Zoomph’s 2025 WNBA Social Rankings & Insights Report, ft. David Brickley

    11/25/2025

    Ep. #177 Digging Into STN Digital & Zoomph’s 2025 WNBA Social Rankings & Insights Report, ft. David Brickley

    In episode #177 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, Caroline sits down with David Brickley, CEO & Founder of STN Digital to dig into the organization’s brand-new WNBA Social Rankings & Insights Report created in partnership with Zoomph. After witnessing the WNBA’s incredible growth across social media, STN Digital and Zoomph teamed up to quantify the league’s digital impact, analyzing more than 20,000 pieces of team content from the 2025 season to reveal which clubs and campaigns drove the most engagement, impressions, and media value. Highlights from the report include: 💥 Indiana Fever ranked No. 1: $55.04M Social Value, 38.73M engagements, 1.17B impressions.🚀 Dallas Wings led all teams in growth: +505% engagements, +251% impressions, +344% Social Value YoY.🖼️ Static > Video on X & Facebook: photo posts nearly doubled engagement.🔁 WNBA x NBA collabs soared: 5 of the top 6 Instagram team posts were crossover moments.In this episode, hear Caroline & David discuss the report’s findings and talk about why the WNBA’s social impact is yet another proof point the league is trending up.📈 More from GOALS Follow GOALS on Twitter: @goals_sports_Follow GOALS on Instagram: @goals_sports_Follow GOALS on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/goals-sportsShop: goals-sports.com/shop

    24 min
  5. Ep. #176 How 3XBA Is Building The Future Of 3x3 Women’s Basketball, ft. Alanna McDonald

    11/18/2025

    Ep. #176 How 3XBA Is Building The Future Of 3x3 Women’s Basketball, ft. Alanna McDonald

    In episode #176 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, Caroline sits down with Alanna McDonald, Co-founder and President of 3XBA, which is the premier women’s 3x3 basketball tour and youth development pipeline in the U.S. Launched in 2024, 3XBA is taking a global approach to growth by building a FIBA-sanctioned ecosystem from the ground up.  The league is centered around Olympic development, youth participation, and sustainable career pathways, creating new opportunities for women athletes at every level. In this episode, Alanna shares: 🌎 How 3XBA is fueling the global rise of women’s 3x3 basketball.🏀 Why 3XBA’s youth-to-pro structure is critical for Olympic development.🤝 How partnerships with USA Basketball, AWSN, Baden, Moolah Kicks, and Rough & Tumble Pub are driving growth for the league.More from GOALS Follow GOALS on Twitter: @goals_sports_Follow GOALS on Instagram: @goals_sports_Follow GOALS on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/goals-sportsShop: goals-sports.com/shop

    35 min
  6. Ep. #175 How Hudl Is Using Tech To Grow Women’s Sports, ft. Michelle Henry

    10/31/2025

    Ep. #175 How Hudl Is Using Tech To Grow Women’s Sports, ft. Michelle Henry

    In episode #175 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, Caroline sits down with Michelle Henry, the Senior Vice President of Product at Hudl – a global sports technology company primarily used by sports teams to record, analyze, and share video of games and practices.  Today, Hudl is used by 99% of U.S. high schools, with women & girls as the fastest-growing audience on the platform.  In her role, Michelle leads at the intersection of tech & sport, helping Hudl power a more equitable and accessible sports experience for all athletes – especially women and girls. In this episode, hear Michelle share how Hudl’s schoolwide packaging helps make sports tech more equitable for female athletes, and why video storytelling is a proven game-changer for women & girls in sports.  More from GOALS Follow GOALS on Twitter: @goals_sports_Follow GOALS on Instagram: @goals_sports_Follow GOALS on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/goals-sportsShop: goals-sports.com/shop

    18 min
  7. Ep. #174 How USTA Coaching Is Building a New Era of Tennis Coaching, ft. Megan Rose

    10/28/2025

    Ep. #174 How USTA Coaching Is Building a New Era of Tennis Coaching, ft. Megan Rose

    In episode #174 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, Caroline sits down with Megan Rose, the Managing Director and Head of Business Development Operations at USTA Coaching. The newly launched USTA Coaching is on a mission to educate & serve tennis coaches to create inspiring tennis experiences for players of all levels. From developing new pipelines to diversifying the coaching workforce, Megan and her team believe coaches are fundamental to growing tennis and achieving the USTA’s goal of reaching 35 million players in the U.S. by 2035.  In this episode, Megan shares: 🎾 How USTA Coaching is inspiring, supporting, and educating coaches at every level.💡 How tennis has been a leader when it comes to gender equity in sports.🔑 Why investing in women coaches is a key to unlocking the next generation of players and fans.More from GOALS Follow GOALS on Twitter: @goals_sports_Follow GOALS on Instagram: @goals_sports_Follow GOALS on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/goals-sportsShop: goals-sports.com/shop

    23 min
  8. Ep. #173 How the Women’s Sport Trust Is Building A More Visible, Viable, And Unstoppable Future For Women’s Sports, ft. Tammy Parlour

    10/21/2025

    Ep. #173 How the Women’s Sport Trust Is Building A More Visible, Viable, And Unstoppable Future For Women’s Sports, ft. Tammy Parlour

    In episode #173 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, Caroline sits down with Tammy Parlour, the CEO and co-founder of the Women’s Sport Trust, which is a pioneering UK charity that has been driving systemic change in women’s sports since 2012. Tammy and her small-but-mighty team are working tirelessly to remove barriers for women’s sports in the UK. Through groundbreaking research and athlete programming, the Women’s Sport Trust is shaping the future of women’s sports in the UK, driving new investment, visibility, and opportunities for women athletes at every level. In this episode, Tammy shares: 📊 How the Women’s Sport Trust is using research to prove and grow the audience for women’s sports.💡 Why visibility is the gateway to progress in women’s sports. 🌍 The differences (and lessons) between the U.S. and U.K. women’s sports ecosystems.📈 Why women’s sports is one of the few industries where commercial growth and cultural impact go hand-in-hand.More from GOALS Follow GOALS on Twitter: @goals_sports_Follow GOALS on Instagram: @goals_sports_Follow GOALS on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/goals-sportsShop: goals-sports.com/shop

    27 min
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About

Welcome to the GOALS podcast, The Business Case For Women's Sports, presented by Ally, where we explore every corner of the women’s sports industry from the field to the front office. Hosted by Caroline Fitzgerald, this podcast features interviews with leaders in women's sports that dig into topics like data insights, marketing strategies, and sponsorship deals. We believe that it’s good business to invest in women’s sports, and our #GOAL is to prove it.

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