Woman Executive Michele Kang Becomes Pioneer in Female Football Business

In 2019, Michele Kang's life took an unexpected turn when she was invited to a reception on Capitol Hill to celebrate the US women's national football team winning the World Cup. This event sparked a passion within Kang that would lead her to become a major player in the world of women's football.

Kang, who made her fortune in healthcare IT, sold her company, Cognosante, to Accenture Federal Services for an undisclosed sum. The success of Cognosante was evident in its achievements, having won over $300 million in federal contracts over the last two years.

With the proceeds from the sale of Cognosante, Kang embarked on a new venture. She launched Kynisca Innovation, a non-profit organisation, contributing half of an initial seed fund of $100 million. Kynisca Innovation aims to "unlock female athletic potential" through training and education.

Kang's interest in football was piqued after living oblivious to it for decades. In 2022, she took over the Washington Spirit football club, and in 2023, she also purchased Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, a French trophy team. These acquisitions have seen her take ownership of three teams, with plans to purchase more in South Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

Kang initially expected her role in football to be primarily as a role model for players. However, her enterprise has since mushroomed, and she now intends to invest in new stadiums and talent for her global sporting empire.

One of Kang's latest acquisitions is Lyon, a team that has won eight European championships. She also bought the London City Lionesses in late 2023, one of the few women's sides fully independent from a men's team.

Kang believes she's starting at a sweet spot in the evolution of women's football to mainstream entertainment. Only 6% of sports science data is focused exclusively on women, according to Kang, and she aims to address this imbalance in her ventures.

In her own words, Kang describes herself as someone who has never been good at being told she cannot do something. As the first tycoon of women's football, she is certainly proving that she can.