Several prominent local business names are among the ownership group for the Ottawa Rapid FC, the national capital’s new women’s soccer team in the Northern Super League.
The ownership group includes local business leaders such as Kyle Braatz, founder and CEO of Fullscript; tech exec Jason Flick, executive chairman of Northern Forge Studios; David Renfroe, president of Renfroe Land Management; and Chris Riddoch, president of Turning Points Brands Canada.
Braatz is also a minority owner of the Ottawa Senators and was named 2022 CEO of the Year by the Ottawa Business Journal and the Ottawa Board of Trade.
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Also in the ownership group are Ottawa Senators minority owners Seth Boro and Jen Hamilton, and Rapid FC chief sport officer Heidi Bloomfield, alongside Isabelle Perreault, founder and CEO of Differly; Jason Dashnay, founder and wealth coach at Aspire Wealth; Peter Di Maso; Stephen and Tandy Thomas; Giovanni Toscano; Angela Goodfellow; and Ben Hart.
The soccer club was established by Project 8 Sports, the group that led the development of the league, co-led by NSL chief growth officer Diana Matheson and Rapid FC CEO Thomas Gilbert.
“Each one of these investors has our community and the growth of the sport at heart. They are driven by genuine passion and a desire to support women’s sports, creating a pathway to the highest level of the professional game for future generations of soccer players in Ottawa-Gatineau,” Gilbert said in a news release.
The ownership group is “committed to creating a world-class women’s professional soccer club in the nation’s capital and fostering the growth of women’s soccer locally and nationwide through strategic financial investments that ensure the club’s long-term success,” the news release added.
“Since the launch of the NSL, the league has rapidly expanded, welcoming new major investors and sponsors. Ottawa’s ownership group reflects this growth and showcases the long-term financial stability and success the league aims to achieve, having already attracted top Canadian and international talent to its roster and organization,” Christina Litz, president of the NSL, said in the release.
The inaugural Ottawa Rapid season starts on April 27 with a game against AFC Toronto at TD Place.
