Three years after making waves in the footwear industry with the launch of Saysh, a shoe brand catering exclusively to women, five-time Olympian Allyson Felix is taking on a new challenge. This time, she aims to transform the landscape of female athletes’ representation through her new venture, Always Alpha, a management firm focussed on securing brand deals for female athletes.
Pioneering Representation for Female Athletes
Always Alpha, which is set to launch under Dolphin, a Nasdaq-listed company in Coral Gables, Florida, will specialize in representing both professional and collegiate female athletes. These athletes are increasingly looking to leverage their name, image, and likeness deals. As Felix shared with Inc., this initiative springs from her own experiences navigating the male-dominated sports industry. Traditional agencies typically offer a generic approach designed for male athletes, prompting Felix and her brother Wes, a former Pac 10 champion sprinter and co-founder of Saysh, to craft their unique path.
A New Home for Female Athletes
Felix’s journey was not without its hurdles. “I took a lot of missteps that were challenging,” Felix revealed to Inc., highlighting the motivation behind Always Alpha. She envisions the company as a supportive hub for female athletes who have felt overlooked by mainstream sports agencies. “For any woman who has felt they have not been focused on, or there hasn’t been a plan specific to them, we hope to be a home for them,” Felix explains.
Timing Is Everything: Launching Amid a Surge in Women’s Sports
The launch of Always Alpha coincides with a surge in interest and investment in women’s sports. With global revenue from women’s elite sports expected to surpass $1 billion for the first time ever by the end of this year, according to a 2023 Deloitte report, Felix feels the timing couldn’t be better. “The world is paying attention,” she notes, pointing to the increased viewership and financial backing in women’s sports.
Challenging the Big Leagues
With Always Alpha, Felix is not just creating another talent agency; she aims to rival giants like Endeavor and CAA. Being part of Dolphin allows her the reach and resources to support her clients effectively from the outset, without the immediate need for external investors. This approach contrasts with Saysh, which followed a more traditional fundraising path, raising $11.5 million through a Series A round.
From Olympian to Entrepreneur: Felix’s Journey Continues
As Felix embarks on her journey with Always Alpha, her confidence is palpable, a stark contrast to the early days of Saysh. “There was a lot of fear of a new industry, a very difficult one, a legacy one,” she recalls. Now, she feels right and natural stepping into this role, aiming to mentor and pave the way for future generations of female entrepreneurs, in general, and female-athlete entrepreneurs, in particular. “I want to pay that forward,” she asserts.
