Women in sports are underrepresented on panels, podiums, and podcasts, often missing out on opportunities to share their perspectives and expertise with a global audience. The Collective Visibility initiative, founded by Vanessa Åsell Tsuruga, has taken a significant step to change that by launching an online global directory featuring over 560 female experts in sports.

This directory, created in collaboration with the Center for Sports and Business at the Stockholm School of Economics, aims to provide an accessible resource for event organizers, journalists, and academics worldwide. With profiles spanning 70 countries and 57 languages, Collective Visibility seeks to eliminate the excuse of “no women to invite” and open doors for more diverse voices at all levels of sports discussion and policy.

“I started this movement with just nine women in my network who, like me, were passionate about contributing to sports discussions. Today, we’re hundreds strong and growing, with a shared goal to ensure that women are no longer absent from the sports conversation, and to ensure diversity among thought leaders in sport,” says Vanessa Åsell Tsuruga, the founder of Collective Visibility.

“A go-to resource for organizers world-wide”

In a comprehensive, user-friendly format, the new directory allows event organizers and the media to search for female speakers by language, area of expertise, and professional role. Whether they are looking for a sports lawyer fluent in Spanish or a diversity expert in East Asia, users can easily connect with qualified professionals who can bring new insights and diversity to their events and publications.

“We decided to grow this list together with a team in Stockholm to make it a go-to resource for organizers worldwide,” says Martin Carlsson-Wall, Director for the Center for Sports and Business. “Our expectation is that this resource will empower women in sports to profile themselves confidently and make themselves known as leading voices on a global stage.”

With options to enter details such as previous speaking topics, preferred roles, and affiliations, the Collective Visibility directory stands out as a comprehensive solution to improve gender diversity in sports speakership. Designed to be inclusive, it offers various professional categories like Athlete, Legal & Compliance, and Media & Broadcasting, along with relevant links to former engagements.

Challenging traditional narratives

By building a bridge between talented female experts and platforms that shape public and academic discussions in sports, Collective Visibility challenges traditional narratives. This directory serves as an invitation for organizers everywhere to include diverse perspectives.

“Ultimately, we want to normalize women’s presence and perspectives in every sports conversation. With this directory, we encourage organizations to make inclusivity a default rather than an afterthought,” adds Vanessa Åsell Tsuruga.

To find a speaker, please visit the Collective Visibility directory. To join the directory as a speaker, visit the sign-up webpage. Follow Collective Visibility on LinkedIn to learn more about the movement and the women who have joined the directory.

For more information, please contact:

Martin Carlsson-Wall
Professor and Research Director, Center for Sports and Business
Tel: +46 730 44 09 00
Email: martin.carlsson-wall@hhs.se

Vanessa Åsell Tsuruga
Founder of Collective Visibility
Tel: +81 70 4460 8914
Email: vanessa.aselltsuruga@gmail.com

Anna Laurell Nash
Executive Director, Center for Sports and Business
Tel: +46 762 341 668
Email: Anna.Laurell.Nash@hhs.se

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Email: ylva.mossing@hhs.se
Phone:��+46 730 97 26 16

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