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Angel City FC Empowers Women's Football Players with Business Funding.

Angel City FC Empowers Women's Football Players with Business Funding.

Angel City FC is making a significant impact by supporting ten current and former professional women’s football players with funding and resources to launch or grow their businesses after their playing careers.

Through its Player 22 Program, Angel City FC provides these athletes with the financial backing, one-on-one coaching, and extensive business education they need to succeed. The program offers a 12-month support package, including over 200 hours of video-based learning and access to essential startup tools and resources via IFundWomen’s workshop library.

This initiative is part of Angel City FC's 10% sponsorship model, where 10% of all sponsorship revenues are dedicated to impactful programs. Key partners like HubSpot, Justworks, PNC Bank, Johnnie Walker, and Payscale play a crucial role in making this program a reality.

In collaboration with IFundWomen, Angel City FC recently announced the ten recipients of the Player 22 Small Business Grants Program, furthering their mission to empower women in business and expand opportunities in the workforce.

Meet the 2024 ACFC Player 22 Grant Recipients:

  • Amy Schweizer > Tiny Troops Soccer: Tiny Troops Soccer offers classes to kids whose parents are in the military, promoting a community of active, healthy children who are equipped to deal with the stressors of military life and making new friends.
  • Courtney Jones Louks > Hustle Beauty: Hustle Beauty is the only athleisure-focused beauty brand creating long-lasting, protective, multi-functional products at an accessible price point. Made for all types of active lifestyles, Hustle keeps beauty routines simple, so women can focus on their daily hustle.
  • Donna-Kay Henry > Dkay Henry Soccer Training: Dkay Henry Soccer Training provides technical training for beginning to advanced players, focusing on building confidence, mental strength, and technical skills in a fun, positive, and encouraging environment.
  • Izzy Hunter > Sensi Fit: Sensi is a smart cone that tracks the movement of athletes during drills that are drawn in an app.
  • Jasmyne Spencer > Jas It Up: JAS IT UP is a Black-woman-owned business. Its mission is to educate and inspire people to lead an eco-conscious and socially aware lifestyle in an effort to uplift communities, empower youth, and protect the future on this planet.
  • Jillian Loyden > The Keeper Institute: The Keeper Institute is an all-encompassing training school that aims to educate young aspiring goalkeepers in every component of the game. The mission is to develop great goalkeepers and better people.
  • Leah Gallegos > People’s Yoga: People's Yoga is a woman of color-owned yoga studio offering group classes at their flagship location, school programming for TK–6th grade, community events, and an annual certified teacher training program. 
  • Melissa Ortiz > Kickoff Coffee Co.: Kickoff Coffee Co, bridges the two passions of football and top-quality specialty coffee, while giving back to foundations around the world that use football as a tool for social justice and development.
  • Sabrina Flores > FLO2.0: FLO2.0 is a coaching and mentoring brand catered to the athlete who embraces the day-to-day journey. The business is more than the time spent on the field learning soccer skills: it’s about building character and learning lifelong lessons to impact the person as a whole.
  • Yael Averbuch West > Techne Futbol: Techne Futbol is a football training app that guides players in training on their own and lets them compete with friends, teammates, and the broader Techne community on leaderboards.

Educational Support for Career Transitions

Administered by the California Community Foundation, this program also helps former football players transition into new careers as they retire from the sport. It offers professional education in areas like coaching, refereeing, media, and front office roles, preparing athletes for successful careers beyond the pitch.

How You Can Contribute

  • Donate: Make checks payable to the California Community Foundation, specifying "Angel City FC Player 22 Program" in the memo, and send to 221 S. Figueroa Street, Suite 400, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
  • Shop: Purchase ACFC’s Player 22 merchandise, with 10% of proceeds supporting the fund.
  • Online Donations: Make a secure, tax-deductible donation online.

Honoring the Number 22

The Player 22 Program is named in tribute to ACFC's inaugural 2022 season and the 22 players on the field during every match. To honor this, Angel City FC has officially retired the #22 jersey. With each purchase of this jersey, 10% of the revenue will go towards helping former NWSL players build careers in the sports industry.

Angel City FC officially retired the jersey in a ceremony before their July 30, 2022, game against OL Reign, solidifying their commitment to empowering athletes both on and off the field.