New Investors Join NC Courage Ownership Group
We congratulate the NWSL and NC Courage …. Over the years, the NC Courage has earned recognition across the United States and abroad as a professional women’s soccer team that fields top talent. The NC Courage has hoisted two league titles and three supporters shields since 2017. In 2021, the club’s achievements and commitment to excellence have attracted new investors that want to contribute to the growth of women’s soccer in the region.
The news of additional investors comes following the January 2021 announcement that four-time Grand Slam tennis champion, Naomi Osaka, joined the Courage ownership group.
Related News: Mastercard Named Official NWSL Sponsor
NWSL NEWS: It is always wonderful to see financial investment in the world of American soccer, especially women’s soccer which has lagged behind the men’s game in gaining investors although it certainly has earned the hardware.
The North Carolina Courage has announced that an additional group of investors has joined the club’s ownership group. The new Courage owners provide additional support for growing the Courage and the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). In addition, the group backs the organization’s efforts to support social change.
The new owners include local business executives and philanthropists Ashlie and Michael Bucy, sports marketing executive Sara Toussaint, orthopedic surgeon R. James Toussaint and leading Raleigh-based diversified communications company Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc.
“We are thrilled to welcome these new investors to the Courage ownership group,” said Steve Malik, owner and chairman of the North Carolina Football Club. “Their collective values of commitment to women’s soccer and dedication to promoting social justice align perfectly with the principles of our club. Each new owner brings unique experiences and perspectives, from their commitments to providing playing opportunities to all, to their investments in women’s sports across the world. These new owners will help accelerate our mission, and we look forward to growing together and finding success on and off the field.”
The Toussaints, who are husband and wife, join the NC Courage with the aim to create more opportunities for women and underrepresented talent. Mrs. Toussaint’s expertise in brand marketing, strategic partnerships and consumer engagement span a wide range of industries including financial services, higher ed, law and sports. She was named a 2018 Sports Business Journal “Game Changer” due to her work with Major League Soccer (MLS), the Mexican National Team and Major League Baseball. She also sits on the boards of Latinx in Sports and Play Like a Girl!—a non-profit dedicated to keeping girls in sports while introducing them to STEM fields. Mr. Toussaint is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in traumatic, degenerative and sports-related foot and ankle disorders. Throughout his career in the medical field, he treated victims of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings and provided care in his birth country, Haiti, following the 2010 earthquake.
The Bucy couple is from the state and shares the club’s commitment to ensuring North Carolina women’s soccer remains synonymous with world-class excellence. Mr. Bucy is a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company and leads the Firm’s Global Rapid Transformation Practice. He was an All-ACC soccer player for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). Mrs. Bucy, also a UNC grad, has spent her career in the technology start-up, political and non-profit industries. Currently, she is leading an initiative through The Bucy Foundation in partnership with StreetSoccer USA, North Carolina FC, the NC Courage and local community organizations to develop urban soccer fields in the region.
Capitol Broadcasting Company (CBC) has supported the club and NCFC Youth in the Triangle area for decades. Its dedication to the game started in the mid-1990s with ownership of the Raleigh Flyers Professional Soccer Team and the revitalization of WRAL Soccer Park. The Raleigh-based communications company owns three television stations, including WRAL-TV (NBC) and FOX 50-WRAZ (FOX) and nine radio stations in the Raleigh–Durham and Wilmington areas of North Carolina. The company also owns the Durham Bulls Triple-A minor league baseball team. CBC has also been the local broadcast partner of North Carolina FC and NC Courage for over a decade.
The Courage ownership group now includes the following (the newest members in bold):
- Steve Malik
- Naomi Osaka
- Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc.
- Ashlie Bucy
- Michael Bucy
- Sara Toussaint
- R. James Toussaint
NC Courage opens the 2021 NWSL Season on the road with a matchup versus OL Reign on Saturday, May 15. Kickoff is set for 10:00 am ET.
Media Credit: NC Courage
