The institute is being established through substantial investments from Michele Kang – billionaire business leader and owner of the Washington Spirit, London City Lionesses, and OL Lyon – whose growing influence has helped accelerate the professionalization of women’s sports.
Kang made headlines in November 2024 when she pledged $30 million to U.S. Soccer, one of the largest philanthropic commitments the organization has ever received. She expanded that contribution in April 2025 with an additional $25 million aimed at integrating the Kynisca Innovation Hub – part of her broader women’s sports enterprise- into Soccer Forward’s research network. Together, these investments laid the groundwork for the new institute.
The Kang Women’s Institute will evolve directly from the Soccer Forward Foundation’s Research & Innovation Group, which already oversees U.S. Soccer’s sports science, health, and performance studies. The institute will also work in partnership with the NWSL’s foundation and collaborate with the USL to ensure that emerging best practices reach every level of the U.S. game.
With its launch, the institute has already begun a series of ambitious initiatives:
- A comprehensive national study assessing the current and future needs of female athletes, from youth leagues to the professional ranks.
- The development of a unified framework, co-created with the NWSL and USL, that defines standards for player safety, training methodology, and holistic development.
- New tools and resources designed to support the physical and mental health of women and girls in soccer, including research on injury recovery, coaching improvement, and return-to-play pathways after pregnancy.
By embedding this work within U.S. Soccer’s long-term strategy, Kang aims to transform how the sport understands and supports the female athlete. Her vision for the institute is to produce actionable research that helps coaches, clubs, and governing bodies build environments where women can thrive—ultimately reshaping the future of women’s soccer in the United States and beyond.
This article was created with the assistance of AI and has been reviewed and edited by our editorial team.
