DivInc & Women in Sports Tech Launch Partnership to Support Diverse Founders in Sports Tech Industry
Women in Sports Tech (WiST) joins the DivInc team as program partners for Spring 2022 DivInc’s 5G Sports Tech Accelerator presented by Verizon.
We are proud to announce our programming partnership with Women in Sports Tech (WiST) for the inaugural 5G Sports Tech Accelerator made possible through support from title sponsor, Verizon.
DivInc’s 5G Sports Tech Accelerator in partnership with Verizon supports startups using technology to drive health & wellness, fan experience, the future of media, fantasy & sports betting, esports, and gaming innovation.
WiST is a nonprofit organization that drives transformative growth opportunities for women, from the classroom to the boardroom, at the intersection of sports, technology and innovation. WiST develops and delivers innovative programs, original content and a global community that provide tangible value for women and employers alike.
“With an expected market growth of over $36 billion by 2028 in the sports technology industry, it’s essential we provide our founders with the critical access, networks and resources they need to be able to take advantage of this digital transformation. We established this partnership with WiST to begin, and continue, providing support to position our founders for success.”
ASHLEY DEWALT, DIVINC MANAGING DIRECTOR IN HOUSTON
DivInc partners with community organizations and nonprofits like WiST to assist in recruiting diverse founders and subject matter experts to serve as mentors, advisors, coaches, and investors for the accelerator. These strategic partnerships are a key component to the success of DivInc programs as they bridge the gap between underrepresented talent and the industry they are entering.
“As the sports technology industry explodes with incredible opportunity, we are so excited to partner with Ashley and the team at DivInc to provide equitable access to opportunities and to strategic investment. Together we will work to support, mentor, and foster confidence, courage, and community for diverse founders who are creating businesses that change the game.”
MARILOU MCFARLANE, CEO & FOUNDER OF WIST
In total, 10 companies will be accepted to the 12-week program which will run from April through June 2022 and will be hosted at The Ion in the heart of Midtown Houston. Upon completion of the program, each participating company will receive $10,000 non-dilutive seed funding provided by Verizon.
The Spring 2022 5G Sports Tech Accelerator in partnership with Verizon is also supported by Houston premier partners, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., The Ion, and Mercury, along with supporting sponsor, Intel, and additional programming partners HTX Sports Tech, The Cannon Sports & Media, and Sports Innovation Texas.
Learn more at www.divinc.org/sportstech.
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Media Contact:
Cherise Luter
Marketing Director, DivInc cherise@divinc.org
About DivInc:
DivInc is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to generate social and economic equity through entrepreneurship by equipping underrepresented founders with access to the critical resources they need to build investable companies. Founded in Austin in 2016,
DivInc has supported 73 companies. Learn more at https://www.divinc.org.
About WIST:
Women in Sports Tech (WiST) is a nonprofit organization that drives transformative growth opportunities for women in sports tech and innovation, at all stages of their careers, from the classroom to the boardroom. WiST develops and delivers innovative programs, original content and a global community that provide tangible value for women and employers alike.
Its flagship initiative, the WiST Fellowship program, provides grants for highly motivated college and graduate school students to pursue summer internship projects in sports technology. Additional WiST programs include the WiST Next Gen Resource Hub for high school students, the original content series WiST Presents, and the WiST NETWORK Career Hub, the single source for diverse hiring in the sports tech industry.
WiST is supported by donations from numerous corporations and organizations and partners with accelerator programs such as Comcast Sports Tech, MassChallenge, and DivInc to provide mentorship and educational experiences for founders of sports tech startups.