Mill Valley, CA (October 5, 2017) – Women in Sports Tech (WiST) launches as the leading organization to bring together companies, their executives, young professionals, and students who share a passion for innovative technologies that impact success throughout the business of sport.

Specifically, WiST will offer industry knowledge on emerging trends and new technologies in the exploding sports tech landscape, along with networking opportunities to meet industry leaders and innovators, expanding business partnerships and identifying new opportunities in sports tech. For students, WiST will provide career development resources and support to launch, navigate and/or advance their careers via mentors, WiST Fellowships, online seminars and job postings.

WiST founder Marilou McFarlane, whose career has focused in sports tech and digital media for much of the last 2 decades, says, “With Forbes projecting the sport industry to exceed $73B by 2019, venture funding has exploded in businesses spanning sports tech verticals such as talent identification/recruitment, sports performance and assistive technologies, digital media and content, fan/community engagement and experience, as well as technologies impacting sport/league/team businesses. We’re thrilled to help make this connection between the businesses and start-ups who seek a more diverse workforce and passionate students and professionals eager to join their forces.”

As early WiST advisor, professor and head of the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School’s Center for Sport Business Dr. Deborah Stroman elaborates, “WiST’s mission is to shine light on the landscape of sports tech businesses, inspire innovative women to follow their passion into a sports tech career and empower our members to ascend to leadership roles within these companies. Our community is comprised of business experts in various stages of accomplishment and expertise. WiST champions not only college students but also entrepreneurs, product designers, hardware/software engineers, data scientists, programmers, content creators and marketers – all committed to the development of growth opportunities for women throughout the sports tech landscape.”

Joseph DeSimone, co-founder and CEO of Carbon, Inc., lauded the ambitious initiative: “I salute the founders of Women in Sports Tech for their efforts to promote women in technology. Our approach at Carbon and my longstanding values parallel their mission to bring together people with diverse backgrounds and expertise. In addition, the creation of WiST will enable many promising young women interested in sport business to learn about new products and discoveries, share networks, and build quality relationships with senior leaders. This unique convergence of women, sport, and technology in a supportive organization is long overdue.”

About WiST

WiST is a non-profit organization that provides an easy avenue for sports tech businesses to recruit women for key positions within their companies, from interns to executive leadership roles, while providing a pathway for highly motivated college students to discover and explore opportunities within the field and earn scholarships in the form of WiST Fellowships. To learn more, go to www.womeninsportstech.org.

Contact: info@womeninsportstech.org