Michele Kang, founder and CEO of Kynisca, has pledged $30 million to U.S. Soccer over the next five years, marking both the largest philanthropic investment in U.S. Soccer’s women’s and girls’ programs and the most substantial donation ever made to U.S. Soccer by a woman.
The historic investment aims to create over 100,000 new opportunities for women and girls in soccer, focusing on scaling competitive opportunities for youth players, expanding talent identification, and fueling professional development for female players, coaches, and referees.
“Women’s sports have been undervalued and overlooked for far too long,” said Kang. “I am committed to raising the standard of excellence in women’s soccer — both on and off the pitch — by delivering the resources female athletes need to reach their full potential and surround them with the professional support they deserve. I hope this investment serves as ‘seed capital’ and spurs other donors to follow suit.”
The donation will enable U.S. Soccer to double its National Team camps for youth teams and expand its digital talent identification platform to include 12 times more players in the Youth National Team pipeline. Additionally, it will support professional development for an additional 70,000 female coaches and referees, effectively doubling their current numbers in the sport.
“Michele Kang’s gift will transform soccer for women and girls in the United States,” said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone. “It will impact generations of women and girls in our game, including players, coaches, and referees. I know firsthand the power soccer can have in someone’s life and thanks to Michele, we will be able to provide more support and opportunities for women and girls.”
Incoming U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Emma Hayes emphasized the timing of the gift: “I believe a gift like this will change the trajectory of the sport. We’re in a pivotal moment for soccer in the U.S. and this will help us support more female players, coaches and referees in the game.”
This investment builds upon Kang’s existing commitments to women’s sports. Through Kynisca, the first multi-team global organization dedicated to women’s soccer, she owns the Washington Spirit, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, and London City Lionesses. She has also invested in Just Women’s Sports and IDA Sports, and supported the USA women’s rugby sevens team.
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