Seattle to host first conference for women founders in women’s sports

Seattle will host the first conference built specifically for women founders in women’s sports on Dec. 3, bringing 150 founders, investors and industry leaders together during Sports Venture Week. The event comes as women’s sports revenue surges and venture funding for women founders remains scarce.

Why it matters: - Women’s sports is turning into a major business category, with Deloitte projecting global revenue will top $3 billion in 2026. - The conference is designed to connect women founders with capital, advisors and partners in a sector where women-founded companies still receive a sliver of venture funding. - Organizers say the goal is to help more founders scale the businesses behind the growth in women’s sports.

What happened: - Gametime Hero and Rough & Tumble are presenting The Business of Women’s Sports on Dec. 3 in Seattle. - The one-day conference is being billed as the first event built specifically for women founders in women’s sports. - The event will take place at Rough & Tumble’s flagship location in Ballard as part of Sports Venture Week, Nov. 30 to Dec. 5. - The conference is expected to bring together 150 founders, investors and industry leaders.

The details: - Deloitte projects global women’s sports revenue will exceed $3 billion in 2026, up 340% over four years. - Deloitte also found U.S. college women’s sports revenue grew 4.5 times faster than men’s from 2022 to 2024. - Expansion fees and team valuations are reaching record highs across women’s sports. - PitchBook says companies founded solely by women received just over 1% of U.S. venture capital in 2025. - Boston Consulting Group found women-founded startups generate 2.5 times more revenue per dollar invested than male-founded startups and 10% more revenue over five years with less than half the funding. - Brittany Bell, co-founder and CEO of Gametime Hero, said women’s sports will be one of the biggest business stories of the decade. - Bell said the conference is about helping founders make the connections needed to hire, build and grow. - Jen Barnes, founder and CEO of Rough & Tumble, said the event is meant to close a gap for women founders and investors in one room. - The program includes three panels, curated luncheon and growth sessions, plus a pitch competition for women founders in women’s sports. - The top 10 pitch applicants will present to active investors and advisors. - The top three finalists will compete for a yearlong one-on-one mentorship. - Women founders can apply to pitch by Nov. 15 at thebusinessofwomenssports.com/pitch. - Registration is open at thebusinessofwomenssports.com.

Between the lines: - Seattle is positioning itself as a hub for women’s sports business, not just fandom. - The city is the only U.S. city where teams from all three major women’s pro leagues play within city limits. - That lineup includes the Seattle Storm, Seattle Reign FC and Seattle Torrent. - The Reign is a founding NWSL club. - The Storm are four-time WNBA champions. - Torrent fans twice set the U.S. arena attendance record for women’s hockey in the team’s inaugural season. - Seattle also has semiprofessional women’s tackle football and ultimate teams, plus pre-professional Salmon Bay FC. - The Seattle Times launched a dedicated women’s sports beat this year and called Seattle “arguably no better city in the country for women’s sports.” - Seattle, King County and Washington state recognize October as Women in Sports Month.

What's next: - The conference runs Thursday, Dec. 3, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., followed by a closing cocktail hour. - Pitch finals will take place at 4 p.m. - Press credentials are available, and select speakers, including Jen Barnes and Brittany Bell, will be available for interviews before and during the event. - Sports Venture Week continues through Dec. 5, creating a broader showcase for sports, technology, community and venture in Seattle.

The bottom line: - Seattle is using a fast-growing women’s sports market to build a dedicated founder-investor pipeline, and organizers are betting that access to capital will accelerate the next wave of businesses in the space.