Among all the billionaire investors who have entered women’s sports over the past few years, one stands out. She’s not in the closely-watched WNBA, and some of her investments are outside the U.S., so her name might not be as familiar as those owners. But Michele Kang just made a move that should cement the impact her investment will have on her own sport—soccer—and beyond.
Kang owns the Washington Spirit, the London City Lionesses, and the OL Lyonnes in France. She made a splash, too, with her $4 million gift to USA women’s rugby. More quietly, she has been investing in understanding the needs of female athletes—from large-scale studies of women’s health to backing a brand making shoes (or boots, in soccer) for female athletes to programs for youth and coaching.
Earlier this year, she took this work out of her own organization, Kynisca, and partnered with U.S. Soccer. (With the U.S. Soccer brand name, it’s easier to get researchers and study participants on board, she told me.) A total of $55 million will go toward these efforts, including the new Kang Women’s Institute, which she launched yesterday.
Only 6% of sports science studies women. It’s caught at an unfortunate intersection—the lack of historical investment in women’s sports and the under-investment in overall women’s health research. “It’s an overall bias in society,” Kang says. But it could be what moves the needle for women’s sports—on the field or court, and as a business.
