Good morning! Supreme Court declines to hear cases against abortion clinic buffer zones, podcast company Audiochuck raises $40 million, and the NFL’s 9th annual Women’s Forum kicks off today. Have a wonderful Wednesday!
– Fair play. When the NFL launched its first Women’s Forum in 2017, just one head coach and two club owners participated in the event, which aims to connect women working in college football roles with leaders in professional football. The women selected for the first cohort were excited for the opportunity, though a little unsure of exactly what the Forum had to offer.
Fast forward to today, and owners, coaches, and managers all view the Women’s Forum as one of the top recruiting events for finding new talent. In fact, each of the NFL’s 32 clubs is set to participate in the 9th annual event, which kicks off today at the 2025 NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Over 450 women have participated in the Forum over the years, and 250 women have secured jobs in the league, the NFL says. Past participants include Salli Clavelle, the NFL’s first Black female scout, and Isabel Diaz, the Indianapolis Colts’ first full-time woman coach.
Even more impressive are the strides the NFL has made overall in improving female representation in the same timeframe: The league has 15 full-time female coaches, the most of any professional men’s sports league in the world and a 47% increase from the 2021-2022 season. Every team has women in the scouting room or in player personnel roles. The Philadelphia Eagles’ Autumn Lockwood—also a former Forum participant—made history this year as the first Black woman coach to be on a Super Bowl-winning team.
Sam Rapoport, the NFL’s senior director of diversity and inclusion, helped launch the first Women’s Forum eight years ago, and says it is gratifying to see her hard work pay off. Even more satisfying, she says, is the knowledge that the NFL continues to stand behind and support diversity efforts.
“That’s what happens when you have an intentional effort aimed at something that you know the league is passionate about and has been passionate about for a long time,” Rapoport tells me.
Its mission is more important than ever as diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in corporate hiring come under fire by the Trump administration. But the NFL isn’t backing down, says Rapoport, noting Commissioner Roger Goodell’s recent comments reaffirming the league’s commitment to diversity.
And like so many other DEI efforts, the intent of the Forum isn’t to be a “celebratory event for women,” says Rapoport. Rather, it’s to put highly qualified applicants who might otherwise not be given opportunities on a team’s radar.
“The only thing we are proposing is, there is a group of people who are underrepresented, who make up almost half of the NFL fan base who don’t have access to the front door to get into professional sports, where men do,” she says. “What we’re asking is, give these women an opportunity to get a job.”
It’s all part of a broader cultural shift, says Rapoport, in which fans and players alike are being energized by women’s sports—and women working in sports. Just look at all of the recent investments in women’s sports leagues, or the NFL’s exploration of professional flag football leagues for men and women.
The Forum typically includes a couple days of panel discussions, presentations, and networking events, where the 40 hand-selected participants can meet and learn from professional football staffers.
The clubs clearly see the benefit, Rapoport says. The Forum has turned into something of a talent competition, with teams coming prepared to make offers to potential hires on the spot. Apart from hiring, Rapoport points to other small victories, like ensuring female referees have the uniforms they need to be comfortable on the field. All that said, the Forum has only scratched the surface of what it hopes to do long-term, says Rapoport.
“We’ve done a great job at getting more women into the pipeline, as it pertains to people that deserve it and earn it,” she says. “Where our work is now is making sure that [the NFL] creates an environment that allows for everyone to do their job as well as they can.”
Alicia Adamczyk
alicia.adamczyk@fortune.com
The Most Powerful Women Daily newsletter is Fortune’s daily briefing for and about the women leading the business world. Today’s edition was curated by Nina Ajemian. Subscribe here.
ALSO IN THE HEADLINES
- Free speech. The Supreme Court declined to hear two cases against “buffer zone” ordinances limiting protests near abortion clinics. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented, with Thomas filing a written dissent expressing his desire to overrule precedent established in the 2000 Hill v. Colorado case. Guardian
- Podcast power. Ashley Flowers raised $40 million from the Chernin Group to expand her podcast company Audiochuck, now valued at around $250 million, to a media company. Flowers is the creator of Crime Junkie, the second-most-popular podcast in the country, behind Joe Rogan. Meanwhile, Alex Cooper's Unwell Network parted ways with influencer Alix Earle. Bloomberg
- DEI casualty. Trybe, a new women’s conference from the team behind the retail conference Shoptalk, canceled its first event, citing changing policies among sponsors and attendees’ companies amid Trump’s anti-DEI agenda. The gathering had been set to bring together more than 1,000 attendees in Las Vegas in May. Business of Fashion
- Workplace bias. Today, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments from Marlean Ames, a woman bidding to revive her discrimination lawsuit claiming the Ohio Department of Youth Services had an anti-straight bias; the department denied this bias in court filings. Her case could impact how discrimination cases are handled, as she argues that it’s unconstitutional for men, straight people, and white people to have a higher standard to prove workplace bias. Washington Post
- Rothy’s record. Shoe brand Rothy’s saw its best year on record, with 17% in sales growth last year and under the leadership of CEO Jenny Ming, an Old Navy cofounder who stepped into the Rothy’s role in January 2024. With Ming, the company expanded into wholesalers like Amazon, focused on its stores, and outperformed the U.S. footwear market. CNBC
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
Kathleen Kennedy is reportedly stepping down as president of Lucasfilm.
Ephicacy Consulting Group, a clinical data analysis provider, named Tara Gladwell CEO. Most recently, she was president and COO of Rho.
PayPal appointed Jamie Miller as chief financial and operating officer. She most recently served as the company’s EVP and CFO.
HireRight, which provides workforce solutions, named Reema Malhotra EVP of operations. Previously, she was SVP of people at S&P Global.
Investment firm BGF appointed Rosaleen Blair as a non-executive director on its board. Blair is the founder, former CEO, and current chair of Alexander Mann Solutions.
ON MY RADAR
Attacks on DEI assume a level playing field where none exists—and threaten America’s future prosperity Fortune
The singular charm of Parker Posey New York Times
Growing up Zaya Wade Seventeen
PARTING WORDS
“I like that I feel confident enough to fall on my face with an idea.”
— Actor Zoë Kravitz on writing and directing—and not being afraid to fail
