We are thrilled to announce that after a successful takeover period, the Women's Sports Alliance has completed its transition and is now officially powered by 17 Sport.
17 Sport is a certified B Corporation sports impact company dedicated to leveraging the transformative power of sports for social good. As an organisation, 17 Sport addresses some of the world's most pressing challenges and aims to make a positive impact through sport.
Already ahead of the game, 17 Sport are committed to solving gender inequities in the world and on behalf of adidas have designed (and are implementing) a pan-European gender equity program focused on building the capacity of the sports industry to better serve women and girls. The project kicked off in early 2020 and is set to run beyond 2028. As an additional accolade, 17 Sport co-founder Fabien Paget worked closely with Serena Williams for many years on helping her to source meaningful and mission driven partnerships with companies that aligned with her brand.
17 Sport’s commitment to gender equity, and level of experience in all team members, makes for a perfect long-term home for the Women’s Sports Alliance and a place that will aid the growth and impact of the work that we do for female athletes.
During our integration phase, the Women’s Sports Alliance team have been consolidating our operations within the 17 Sport organisation. With the experienced team and global resources of 17 Sport, we are excited for the opportunities this partnership presents.
By combining our efforts, we aim to enhance our impact in women's sport by elevating, informing, and uniting female athletes on a global scale, as well as being the go-to organisation for brands who are looking to build partnerships with female athletes.
The Women's Sports Alliance, founded in 2020 by former footballer Jordan Guard, has a history of organising value-adding events for female athletes, amplifying the voices of elite female athletes through film work, and collaborating with leading brands on strategies, campaigns, and activations centered around female athletes.
Jordan Guard, Founder of WSA, shared, "Trusting the process and aligning with an organisation capable of supporting our global expansion and facilitating our impact on female athletes has been an enriching experience. I am proud to finally announce that the Women’s Sports Alliance has a new home and I’m looking forward to continuing our work in the lead up to, and post the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games."
Neill Duffy, Co-founder of 17 Sport, expressed his excitement about this partnership and said “The work that Jordan and the Women’s Sports Alliance has done to date has been impressive. We want to enable WSA to thrive under our roof.”
Additionally, the Board Members of WSA have shown their support for this new partnership.
Chair and former adidas VP Sales, Phil Benton said “as an advisory board we are thrilled to see the support and development that 17 Sport will bring to the next stage of the exciting journey for the Women’s Sports Alliance. We see many new opportunities in tandem with 17 Sport to help further elevate and enhance the impact of female athletes and are very excited for the future.”
Lucynda Davies, Chief Brand Relationship Officer, JD Sports said “The acquisition of the WSA by 17 Sport represents a fantastic and exciting opportunity. With an aligned ethos and commitment to drive change for the female athlete community but now with the power and support of 17 Sport we are set to fast forward the reach and impact that we can achieve. Personally, I am very much looking forward to getting started and working with like minded individuals to achieve our hugely important goals.”
Donna Stelling, International Sports Advisor based in Australia added “I'm thrilled to announce our partnership with 17 Sport. This exciting development aligns perfectly with our shared values of fostering positive change and our commitment to advancing women's sports. Together with 17 Sport, we will harness our collective expertise and expanded resources to empower female athletes. By joining forces, we will amplify our impact and accelerate our mission of becoming the largest female athlete community in the world."
Jon Buckthorp, former Vodafone and current Commercial Director at Differentiated concluded “I’m delighted that the WSA joins the ranks of 17 Sport and thousands of like minded folks in the BCorp community doing good things for people, places and planet. I’m looking forward to supporting the board and accelerating efforts to create the world’s premier female athlete community.”
We look forward to the journey ahead as we embark on this new chapter, driven by a shared commitment to advancing women's sport with 17 Sport.
To get in touch with a question, or to enquire about working together, please contact WSA Founder, Jordan Guard on jordan@17-sport.com or 17 Sport co-founder, Neill Duffy on neill@17-sport.com.