Fast company logo
|
advertisement

PREMIUM

How Natalie Portman and her Angel City FC cofounders are changing the game for women’s soccer

Professional women’s soccer has been undervalued and under-resourced. The high-profile owners of L.A.’s new NWSL team are rewriting the rules of the game.

How Natalie Portman and her Angel City FC cofounders are changing the game for women’s soccer

Angel City FC cofounders (from left) Kara Nortman, Natalie Portman, and Julie Uhrman brought the National Women’s Soccer League to L.A. [Photo: Jessica Chou; Hair: Bryce Scarlett at The Wall Group; makeup: Sabrina Bedrani for Dior Beauty at The Wall Group; stylist (Portman): Ryan Hastings; Dior clothing]

BY Julia Herbstlong read

Just blocks from Amazon Studios in Santa Monica, next to a startup that’s developing high-protein, low-carb bagels, is the headquarters of one of L.A.’s buzziest new brands. Inside, it’s light and airy, with standard-issue startup touches like exposed pipes and industrial light fixtures, plus a few dogs peeking out from under desks.

But there are a few details that you won’t find anywhere else: a plastic-wrapped flat of neon-colored Gatorade near the front entrance and a wall dominated by photos of women—goofy candids of Angel City FC soccer players, their fans, and the new team’s mostly female staffers, many of whom are gathered around desks nearby.

The conversations they’re having on this February morning are undoubtedly unlike anything being talked about at neighboring offices too. News has just broken that members of the national women’s soccer team, which represents the U.S. internationally and won the 2019 World Cup, have agreed to a historic $24 million equal pay settlement with the sport’s national governing body, U.S. Soccer Federation. In addition to awarding back pay to current and former players, U.S. Soccer also committed to equalizing compensation between the women’s and men’s national teams.

“It’s a big statement for women’s sports,” says Angel City president and cofounder Julie Uhrman, sitting on a folding chair in a sunlit yard next to her club’s office. The women’s national team gets more viewers and attention than the men’s team, she points out, and it drives fans to purchase more merchandise. “Seeing that finally recognized in pay equity is long overdue.”

advertisement
WorkSmarter Newsletter logo
Work Smarter, not harder. Get our editors' tips and stories delivered weekly.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Privacy Policy

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julia Herbst is a senior editor for Fast Company's Work Life section, where she covers the future of work, equity and inclusion, and workplace culture. Previously she worked as a writer and editor at Los Angeles magazine and BREAKER magazine More


Explore Topics