Nadia Rawlinson goes from Live Nation to helping Chicago Sky reach nearly $100M value in just a year

In 2023, Nadia Rawlinson expanded her business portfolio after purchasing an equity stake in WNBA’s Chicago Sky. She is currently not only a co-owner of the team but also operating chairman.

“I’m also operating chairman, but I lead and manage our board of advisors and take on a lot of the strategic opportunities and decision-making that we probably didn’t have the capacity to do before,” she explained to Market Watch. “I manage how we think about growth. How do we think about the fan experience differently? How do we think about a capital raise, which we have never had in the history of our franchise until last year?”

Today, the Chicago Sky is valued at around $95 million following her smart investment decision. Prior to its current valuation, 10% of the team’s stake was sold to a group of eight investors, which included Laura Ricketts, co-owner of MLB’s Chicago Cubs, and Mary Dillon, CEO of Foot Locker, per Sportico. This happened six months after Rawlinson joined the team in 2023.

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What is more, Rawlinson and the team’s minority owner, John Rogers, also invested an undisclosed amount. This took the team’s value to about $85 million, which was the second-highest after the Seattle Storm, as per the WNBA. The value of the team is now around $95 million.

The inflow of cash in the form of investment allowed the Chicago Sky officials to start improving the player experience, marketing, staffing, and the team’s training facilities.

“This is a long-term investment and play that we’re making, and these people believe in the future we’re trying to get to,” Rawlinson said of the additional owners at the time. “Everyone believes their contribution, not just financially but their own expertise and advice as well, will increase the overall value of the franchise.”

Before venturing into women’s sports, the Lake Forest, Illinois native had executive experience with tenure at companies like Live Nation Entertainment, Slack, and American Express. Her collective experience in managing these top firms guided her steps into women’s sports.