This is a cohort-based startup intensive designed specifically for women athlete founders building companies in the women’s sports ecosystem. The program combines structured fundraising preparation, targeted business development support, curated access to investors and strategic partners focused on women’s sports, and sessions with relevant industry experts to help founders prepare for their next stage of growth. All investors, strategic partners, and experts are thoughtfully curated by our team and are aligned in their belief in women-athlete founders.

The program is open to founders building directly within women’s sports as well as those developing products or services that leverage women’s sports as a primary distribution channel (consumer packaged goods, femtech, and health and wellness).

There is a $600 upfront program fee, and founders are responsible for travel to Berkeley, CA for the required in-person component during week eight, where they will present their companies to invited investors and strategic partners. Accommodations and meals during this in-person component are provided. The program does not take any equity from founders.

The program is designed to deliver meaningful value beyond the program fee. Founders receive:

• Weekly 1:1 guidance and dedicated support, including strategic coaching on business development outreach and fundraising preparation

• A hands-on curriculum with feedback-oriented sessions covering pitch refinement, go-to-market strategy, revenue strategy and financial modeling, and legal considerations

• Targeted introductions to aligned investors and potential business development partners, with the goal of facilitating informed conversations and future opportunities (while investment or partnerships are not guaranteed)

• Peer support within a cohort of women athlete founders, creating opportunities for shared learning, accountability, and relationship-building with founders navigating similar challenges

Women athletes are proven leaders, and their skills translate directly to entrepreneurship. As women athlete entrepreneurs ourselves building in the women’s sports space, we know firsthand that there is a gap in helping women athletes access fundraising preparation, aligned networks, and actionable investor feedback. This program exists to close that gap by preparing women athlete founders for investor conversations, expanding access to aligned capital and partners, and ensuring every founder receives meaningful feedback. It was intentionally designed for the athlete mindset, combining structured reps, actionable feedback, and built-in opportunities for connection that replicate the support, accountability, and camaraderie of a team environment.

Women-led companies have a strong track record of performance. Startups with at least one female founder generate $0.78 in revenue for every $1 invested (BCG), and companies with female founders demonstrate strong capital efficiency, long-term performance, and durability. Research shows these companies perform 63% better than male-founder peers (SheAngelInvestors citing First Round data), and women-owned firms that secure funding tend to stay in business longer and deliver stronger ROI (EY, Study on the societal value of women-led businesses). Women athletes, in particular, bring a proven leadership foundation: a 2015 EY and espnW study found that 94% of women in C-suite roles played sports, with more than half competing at the collegiate level.

The program runs for eight weeks, from March 23 to May 15, 2026, and requires approximately 4–6 hours per week. Many of us have been entrepreneurs ourselves and understand what it takes to run a business. We are intentional about using founders’ time well, which is why our work together focuses on founder priorities. Weekly sessions are centered on the areas where founders need the most support, whether that’s business development, fundraising, pitch refinement, go-to-market strategy, revenue strategy, financial modeling, and legal support. Time spent in the program is time spent building founders’ companies and advancing each team’s goals.

The majority of the program is virtual. However, participation includes a required in-person component during week eight (May 11 - May 13), when founders will travel to Berkeley, CA to showcase their companies to investors and strategic partners. Founders will be expected to cover their own travel costs, while accommodations and meals during the in-person program are provided. Founders must be available for travel during this time.

This program is designed for pre-seed and seed-stage companies with a live product, service, or clearly defined minimum viable product (MVP) and existing traction, such as early revenue, customers, or validated user engagement. Companies should be preparing to raise capital and/or pursue strategic partnerships within the next one to six months. Founders who are already actively fundraising are strongly encouraged to apply, as are those preparing for their first raise.

This program is designed for founders who play(ed) women’s sports at the collegiate, national, Olympic/Paralympic, or professional level. Club athletes are also welcome if no varsity alternatives were available at the time. All virtual programming and program-related resources will be accessible on LaunchBreak. If/when selected for this upcoming cohort, founders will be asked to create a free account on the platform.

The program is open to founders from anywhere in the world. It is primarily virtual, and session times will be scheduled based on the cohort’s locations to accommodate different time zones. Any founder who applies must be able to travel for the required in-person component of the program, which will take place May 11 - May 13 in Berkeley, CA.

Founders receive structured preparation for fundraising and business development, including pitch development, ask refinement, and early-stage financing education. The program focuses on practice, feedback, and clear positioning to help founders engage confidently with investors and strategic partners.

The program facilitates curated introductions to aligned investors and potential business development partners, along with intentional opportunities for feedback on pitches and company positioning. While investment or partnerships are not guaranteed, the program is designed to improve readiness, access, and the quality of fundraising and business development conversations. Founders also benefit from peer support within a cohort of women-athlete founders.

Yes. Participation in similar programs, accelerators, or incubator programs does not automatically disqualify you, as long as there are no conflicts with this program’s schedule or terms.

Here‍ is where you can preview all the application questions. The video submission is optional.

Once you submit your application, our team may reach out with follow-up questions or to schedule a brief call. Outreach will occur on a rolling basis, so we encourage applicants to apply early. Applications close on February 22, and selected founders will be notified by March 8.

No. LaunchBreak, MRH Consulting, and Earlystone are not providing investment advice and do not endorse, certify, guarantee, or take responsibility for any founder, startup, product, or service. Founders participate independently, and their businesses operate entirely on their own.

Any opinions, statements, products, services, or business activities of founders are their own and not those of LaunchBreak or MRH Consulting. Participation in LaunchBreak’s Women-Athletes Startup Intensive should not be interpreted as approval, validation, investment advice, or a recommendation.

LaunchBreak and MRH Consulting does not conduct due diligence on founders’ businesses and is not responsible for their performance, legality, or outcomes. Anyone engaging with a founder or their business does so at their own risk.

If you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out to mira@launchbreak.com.