American Express and the Women’s Sports Foundation Team Up

When girls and women get involved in sports, they learn critical skills that transcend the field of play. Why does participation in sports have an outsized social and cultural impact, and how do we amplify that impact? This is the focus of a new partnership between American Express and the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF).

Both Amex and WSF have a long history of supporting leaders and empowering them to succeed, in sports and beyond. Amex is announcing $150,000 in philanthropic funding to WSF over two years to advance WSF’s mission as they empower girls and women to reach their full potential. This support comes the same year as WSF celebrates its 50^th anniversary and more than $100 million invested since its founding in 1974 to help girls and women play, compete and lead, on and off the field.  

 “American Express has a longstanding commitment to women in sports through our sponsorships and support for women’s athletics, including at the US Open where we cheer on powerful female athletes on and off the court,” said Jennifer Skyler, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at American Express. “Being part of a team sport can help instill girls and women with confidence, collaboration, strategy and resilience. We’re proud to support the Women’s Sports Foundation in their work.”

During the US Open, Madge Thomas, President of the American Express Foundation, sat down with Danette Leighton, Chief Executive Officer, the Women’s Sports Foundation, to celebrate the positive impact we can make when we empower women, and to preview WSF’s new report, Play To Lead.

The setting for the conversation couldn’t have been more on point: the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, which is named for the 39-time Grand Slam winner, champion for equity in sports, and WSF founder.

Here are some highlights from the conversation:

Madge Thomas: What does it mean to you to be here, 50 years since Billie Jean King founded WSF, reflecting on the impact your organization has made?

Danette Leighton: First, it’s recognizing what a visionary Billie Jean is, all the things she was thinking about 50 years ago through to today. Last year, a huge milestone was celebrated here: achieving equal pay for men and women at the Open. To be in this iconic location and to have this amazing new partnership with American Express — we couldn’t happier.

MT: Let’s talk about how playing sports helps individuals gain critical leadership skills.

DL: Absolutely. Negotiating, teamwork, communication, empathy: You learn these skills in sports and they’re all critical for a leader. So, while not every girl playing sports is going to become the next Billie Jean, I believe that most of them are going to benefit from sports in their life. One interesting stat reported by EY and espnW is that 94% of women in the C-suite in 2015 played sports.

MT: I remember hearing that — incredible. At American Express, we invest heavily in leadership development, and we talk about ambition in action. What are some of the barriers that stop women from participating in sports and gaining access to those leadership pathways?

DL: Sometimes it’s socioeconomic differences or lack of investment. Sometimes it’s parents who aren’t as engaged with their daughters as they may be with their sons in sports.

MT: We’re on the journey with you: American Express just made a $150,000 commitment to the Women’s Sports Foundation. Can you talk about some of the priorities you’re focused on now?

DL: One is our Play to Lead research. We looked at every generation since Title IX to see the impacts of girls’ and women’s sports participation on leadership. The movement in women’s sports right now is not a coincidence — advocacy matters. We want to underscore that sports are not a nice-to-have for girls, they’re a must-have.

MT: How was sports transformative in your own life?

DT: I had an awesome time on the business side of sports throughout my career. I never was an elite athlete, but I played softball in my youth and flag football in college. One of the big life lessons I learned through sport is how to lose. Because then you know what it takes to win.  

MT: You learn how to fail and get back up again. We put a lot of emphasis on resilient leadership at American Express, including in our Leadership Academy, which has trained about 165,000 nonprofit leaders over the past 16 years. I come from a nonprofit background and can vouch for how important it is to learn resilience and have someone invest in your development.

DL: Philanthropy plays a critical role, not just in doing what’s right but also in our economy. I was shocked to learn, coming into this role, that less than 2% of philanthropic giving goes to organizations serving girls and women, according to the Women’s Philanthropy Institute.

MT: But when you invest in girls and women, do you believe there’s a real multiplier effect?

DL: Yes! We are just getting started and we have to keep our foot on the gas.

MT: Let’s talk about that for a second. Beyond what companies can do, what can individuals do to contribute?

DL: Make sure your daughter, sister, or any girl or woman close to you has the ability to play sports. And look at ways you can get involved: Coaching is a great example at the youth level. Attend a women’s sports event in your community. Go to one game, if you’ve never done anything before.

I think a lot of times people don’t realize just how special it is for an athlete to have a packed house. And then that impact, when you see somebody who has a female role model, it makes a difference. It goes back to, “If you can see her, you can be her.”

MT: Thank you for joining me today, Danette. We’re so excited and are looking forward to this next stage of our partnership.

Amex’s partnership with the Women’s Sports Foundation builds on our long history of support for women in leadership. Through the American Express Leadership Academy, we have invested approximately $100 million since 2007 to help more than 165,000 social purpose leaders reach their potential. At Wimbledon in July, we hosted a conversation about the skills that women leaders harness to succeed and pay it forward to the next generation, through sport and beyond.