Just over a year ago Alexis Ohanian, tech entrepreneur and founder of Seven Seven Six, became a minority shareholder in Chelsea Women, bringing with him a wealth of experience, energy and passion for women’s sport. Speaking exclusively to the We Are Chelsea podcast, he reflected on his first year with the club.
Ohanian sat down with Chelsea Women commercial manager and former goalkeeper Carly Telford to discuss his journey into women's sports, the future of the game, his work behind the scenes at Chelsea and who he is away from CFCW.
'I wouldn't say it was a no-brainer, but it was pretty close to a no-brainer,' said Ohanian on his investment in Chelsea Women.
'You have the most popular sport in the world, with an iconic legendary club, that has a track record of greatness on the men's and the women's side. You have a chance of building something that is new, because it is a new organisation, but ultimately has every question de-risked and solved for it.
'So that's why I invested tens of millions of dollars and why I think brands would be wise to be a part of this.'
Ohanian, who is married to US sports legend Serena Williams, sees plenty of opportunity to increase the exposure of Chelsea Women overseas.
'So much of what got me excited about Chelsea Women was the potential to build a brand back in the States,' he said on the podcast.
'I obviously think the world of this club, and I think there is a reputation here and a storyline that a lot of Americans are going to get behind. People are used to cheering for women's soccer in America because we love winning, and Chelsea Women win.'
You can watch the full episode with Alexis below!
The We Are Chelsea podcast is brought to you by Skoda, the CFCW official car partner and proud supporter of women's sports.