Leveling the Playing Field: Alexis Ohanian and Midge Purce on Women’s Sports and the Future of Media

Alexis Ohanian is a tech founder and venture capitalist. He is the Co-Founder and former Executive Chairman of Reddit, one of the largest websites in the U.S. currently valued at more than $25B. In 2020, he founded Seven Seven Six, a new firm built like a technology company that deploys venture capital with over $1B in assets under management. He is the founding control owner of Angel City Football Club and Los Angeles Golf Club, and the founder of Athlos. In 2022, he launched the 776 Foundation to support marginalized individuals and announced a $20M commitment to climate action through his new 776 Fellowship Program. He's written a national bestselling book, Without Their Permission, and also created the Business Dad Podcast to interview fathers about what it means to be a dad in today’s world balancing family and career.

Forward, U.S. Women’s National Team & NY/NJ Gotham FC; Creator, The Offseason

Midge Purce is a star forward for the U.S. Women's National Team (USWNT) and the National Women’s Soccer League’s NY/NJ Gotham FC. Renowned for her exceptional skill and leadership, she recently capped off a remarkable season by earning MVP in the 2023 NWSL Championship where she led her club to its first ever league victory. Purce's impact extends beyond her on-field accomplishments, with her off-field advocacy and media innovation, making her one of the most influential figures in women's soccer today. In a groundbreaking move for women's sports media, Purce created, showran, and executive produced The Offseason, the first-ever exclusively women's sports reality docuseries. The show drew over 250 million views in its first season. A Harvard graduate, Purce made history as the youngest member elected to Harvard's Board of Overseers, serving a six-year term through 2026. In 2020, she founded the Black Women's Player Collective (BWPC), a nonprofit dedicated to advancing opportunities for Black women in soccer. Purce was also a key figure in the negotiating team that secured the landmark equal pay agreement for the U.S. Women's National Team in 2022. Her tireless advocacy for gender equality in sports has been instrumental in driving progress both on and off the field.

Staff Writer, The New Yorker

Louisa Thomas is a staff writer at The New Yorker, where she writes the weekly Sporting Scene column. She is also the author of several books, including Louisa: The Extraordinary Life of Mrs. Adams, a biography of John Quincy Adams's wife, and the co-author, with her husband, John Urschel, of Mind and Matter: A Life in Math and Football. She teaches creative nonfiction writing at Harvard.