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Women in Business: The Confidence to Stand Out
Track & Field Olympic icon ALLYSON FELIX is a powerful advocate for women in business, as a leader in equity and founder of Saysh – built by women, for women. In this compelling and motivational talk, Felix shares what has led to her success in business: staying true to her core advocacy work for women and finding the confidence to stand out.
Striving for Greatness
ALLYSON FELIX is the most decorated Track & Field Olympian in history as a nine-time Olympic medalist, six-time Olympic Champion, and a World Record Holder. Felix got these by constantly pushing to be better, and she teaches audiences how to strive for greatness as well. An empowering and inspiring speaker, Allyson motivates audiences to pursue their goals no matter the obstacles.
Advocacy and Equality In Sports and In Life
An advocate in many areas of life from pregnancy discrimination in athletics to advocating for underserved children and fighting for maternity rights, ALLYSON FELIX shares about her experience with racism and discrimination even as a professional athlete. As she gears up for the Tokyo Olympics, Felix remains at the forefront of the fight for equality for all in sports and in life.
Olympic legend Allyson Felix brought inspiration and authenticity to PCMA’s 2023 Convening Leaders conference
Opening the annual PCMA Convening Leaders conference this year, ALLYSON FELIX brought inspiration to a moderated conversation that set the tone for success for the entire event. PCMA’s annual CL gathering is a must-attend affair, highlighting both educational and entertaining opportunities for business leaders. Felix – the most decorated American track & field athlete in Olympic history – delivered world-class lessons in perseverance, grit, and courage with her signature warmth and authenticity.
Sought after for her wide-ranging insights – from peak performance on the world stage, to pushing boundaries in business, to standing up for what’s right – Allyson consistently receives stellar reviews. ATG Global Entertainment was blown away: “The event with Allyson Felix was a great success! She presented such a genuine, focused, inspirational story that displayed her journey of ups and downs; her great lessons and appreciation of what teamwork can bring. A true champion.” And Trellance raved, ”Everything went beautifully. Allyson was wonderful and everyone loved meeting her!”
Read more about Allyson Felix’s conversation at PCMA >>
Watch Allyson Felix accept the 2022 Muhammad Ali Legacy Award >>
Allyson Felix is a powerful advocate for women – especially mothers – with her childcare initiative for athlete moms
The most decorated Track & Field Olympian in U.S. history, ALLYSON FELIX, continues to make strides for moms and for maternal health. Since the legendary runner penned her 2019 New York Times op-ed about her experience with pregnancy discrimination, she has continued raising her voice and advocating for all mothers. Most recently, the Saysh Founder and entrepreneur partnered with her sponsor Athleta and the Women’s Sports Foundation to create The Power of She Fund: Child Care Grants. The program has committed $200K to professional athlete mothers with the goal of covering childcare costs as they pursue goals in their respective sports while balancing motherhood – just like Felix has done.
Felix shared in a press release, "As a mom and an athlete, I know first-hand the obstacles women face in sports," the six-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time World Champion continued, "It was important to me and to Athleta that our partnership reflects that I am more than just an athlete. In fact, part of my contract includes provisions for my daughter, Camryn, to join me whenever I am competing. But not everyone has access to this type of support from a partner or sponsor. These grants are about showing the industry that all mom-athletes need this same comprehensive support to be able to participate in their athletic endeavors." Felix has been sought after for her insights at the highest levels, from a CDC Conversation for the series ‘Hear Her’ discussing maternity health to a one-on-one with Vice President Kamala Harris on the Maternal Health Day of Action.
In celebrating her legacy, athlete icon Allyson Felix looks forward to what’s next
Legendary athlete, entrepreneur, and sports icon ALLYSON FELIX has officially retired from running and is looking forward to what’s next. Celebrating what The New York Times has called her “unmatchable legacy,” Felix steps away from the arena as the most-decorated Track & Field Olympian in U.S. history, and an athlete activist who continues to make groundbreaking advancements for maternal health. The Wall Street Journal notes that she will continue serving on the board of the nonprofit &Mother, which supports athletes in their pursuit of motherhood. The Washington Post describes her journey becoming a mother, and “launching the fights that she believes will define her career,” from writing a New York Times op-ed about pregnancy discrimination that rocked the sports world, to testifying before Congress about the systemic disparities faced by Black mothers. As the Saysh sneaker brand Founder told Elle, “My career became more about what I could do off the track. For me, that meant securing maternal protections in sports.”
Felix, a riveting and motivational speaker, went on: “My passion and desire started with running, but it grew into something more than I could have ever imagined. I want to channel that drive, give back to the running community, and — in a greater sense — help other women who aspire to do great things.”
Allyson Felix continues advocating for women as a business founder with her new shoe company, Saysh
The most decorated U.S. Track & Field Olympic Athlete of all time, ALLYSON FELIX has long been an advocate for women and mothers in sports. She famously sought new sponsorship with Athleta after leaving her high-profile Nike sponsorship over what she felt were a lack of maternity protections. Then she donated her winnings from the Olympic Trials and the Tokyo Olympic Games to Right to Play, an organization which increases sports access in different areas of the world, and also teamed up with Athleta and the Women’s Sports Foundation to create a fund to assist moms in sports pay for childcare expenses while traveling.
Felix is now applying that advocacy and passion to her newly launched shoe company, Saysh – built by women, for women. TIME profiled Felix’s new venture, pointing out that what makes Felix successful in business by staying true to her core advocacy work for women, and knowing how to create a brand that aligns with women’s needs. “It’s really about meeting women where they are,” Felix, told TIME. “It’s for that woman who has been overlooked, or feels like their voice hasn’t been heard. That was the biggest thing when I spoke out, was hearing from other women across industries. And having such a connection there, feeling like it’s so much bigger. There’s just that power in the collective.”
Time also honored Felix with being one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2020 and 2021.
Allyson Felix reigns as the most decorated American Track & Field Olympian of all time. She officially retired from her competitive running career in the summer of 2022, with a mind-blowing, thirty-one global medals at the Olympics and World Championships, and titles as both a World Record Holder and a Master’s World Record Holder.
In 2020, Felix broke records after winning her bronze and gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics - her fifth and final Olympic games. She continued to make history during the games, by sporting racing spikes created by her company – lifestyle and footwear brand, Saysh – becoming the first Track & Field athlete to do so. Publicly launched post Games in June 2021, Saysh not only aims to create an encouraging and supportive community for women, but it also designs and manufactures athletic-inspired footwear made for and by women, unlike most brands, whose shoes are created based off of men’s feet and footwear. Running in her own spikes on the largest stage in the world, Felix exemplified that she is about more than just medals – she was running for change, equity and acceptance for women and girls everywhere. In keeping with its mission to empower and serve women, Saysh sought out women-led, women-funded partners for the brand’s recent Series A fundraising round, which brought in $8 million and included the Gap Inc.-owned Athleta brand. Current products include the Saysh One, the Saysh Two and the Scarf by Saysh.
Off the track, Felix is a fierce advocate for maternity rights for all women. In 2019, she wrote an opinion piece for The New York Times that called out Nike, her former sponsor, for not providing guaranteed protections for pregnant athletes and new moms. (Felix gave birth to her daughter Camryn in 2018.) The public reaction to the piece put pregnancy discrimination in athletics in the spotlight, and the practice was heavily criticized. More female athletes came to Felix’s side, offering up their stories. During the 2020 Olympics, Felix alongside her new sponsor Athleta, created the Power of She Fund: Child Care Grant – a fund to assist mom-athletes with childcare while competing at the games.
Felix has always been passionate about children and serves as a member of the Right To Play board hoping to raise awareness for underserved children in developing regions.
Felix currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter
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