How to build a billion-dollar sports team from scratch (Golden State Valkyries’ Jess Smith)

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

September 24, 2026

Duration

37m

Channel

Masters of Scale

Watch on YouTube

▶ Open ↗

📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

The Golden State Valkyries brand is boasting a unicorn valuation in just its second season. President Jess Smith talks with Masters of Scale host Jeff Berman about building the brand from scratch, the rise of women’s professional sports, and why so many women in the C-Suite are former athletes. Chapters: 00:00 Introducing Jess Smith 04:02 Lessons from Angel City FC 05:50 How the Valkyries built a distinct brand 09:41 How investment in women's sports turned momentum into a flywheel 14:44 Building the Valkyries from scratch 19:37 Balancing player power, brand, and community 24:06 What billion-dollar growth teaches any start-up 27:50 How the Valkyries think about ticket pricing 31:57 Why keeping girls in sports still matters 33:38 Jess Smith takes questions from a fan 📫 THE MASTERS OF SCALE NEWSLETTER 35,000+ read our free weekly newsletter packed with insights from the world’s most iconic business leaders. Sign up: https://hubs.la/Q01RPQH-0 🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts: https://mastersofscale.com/ApplePodcasts Spotify: https://mastersofscale.com/Spotify 💻 LEARN MORE Our website: https://mastersofscale.com 🚀 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/showcase/11096326 Facebook: https://facebook.com/mastersofscale Instagram: https://instagram.com/mastersofscale X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/mastersofscale TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@mastersofscale 💡ABOUT US On Masters of Scale, iconic business leaders share lessons and strategies that have helped them grow the world's most fascinating companies. Founders, CEOs, and dynamic innovators (from companies like Uber, Airbnb, Apple, and Disney) join candid conversations about their triumphs and challenges with a set of luminary hosts, including founding host Reid Hoffman — LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock partner. From navigating early prototypes to expanding brands globally, Masters of Scale provides priceless insights to help anyone grow their dream enterprise. #mastersofscale #leadership #leadershiplessons #entrepreneurship #entrepreneur #tech #technology #valkyries #goldenstatevalkyries #wnba #wnbateam #sports #prosports #prosportsteam #womensports #womenssports #sportsbusiness #business #businessgrowth

🎤 SPEAKERS

• Jess Smith

  guest

  President of the WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries, leading the team’s launch, brand, partnerships, and growth strategy.

• Jeff Berman

  host

  Host of Masters of Scale who interviews founders and operators about building and scaling organizations.

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Masters of Scale, featuring Jess Smith and Jeff Berman, How to build a billion-dollar sports team from scratch (Golden State Valkyries’ Jess Smith) explores Building the Valkyries: capital, brand identity, and women’s-sports flywheel Jess Smith describes building the Golden State Valkyries as a start-up effort inside an established sports organization, requiring rapid hiring, infrastructure commitments, and clear identity definition before going to market.

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