A little over two years ago, we started PWRFWD as a platform made to empower athletes and fans to build community through NIL.

We created a marketplace, partnering with a few hundred athletes, including marquee WNBA players like Elizabeth Cambage, Seimone Augustus, and A’ja Wilson to bring unique products to their fans. Beyond the obvious value this provided to the athletes, we were blown away by how much it meant to fans to simply have a path to purchase products created by their heroes.

When we started building PWRFWD, most people had no idea what an NFT was. As their popularity began to surge, athletes and fans asked us how we would incorporate digital products into the marketplace. After months of immersion in the space --participating in projects, lurking, studying, discussing what we liked (and what we didn’t) -- our team came to two conclusions…

• NFTs in sports have mostly been treated as “a new property to sell.”
• Community drives success. For an NFT project to work, it requires a clear mission that resonates with holders.

The former didn’t sit right with us. The latter has been core to our business since inception. In fact, through our own self-discovery exercises, it became clear that what we were building aligned perfectly with core tenets of web3:

Community: We know our community is our brand.
Authenticity: We are really about this life.
Inclusivity: We hear you, we see you.
Transparency: We have nothing to hide.
Growth: We have ambitious plans, and that’s okay.

The work we’ve done to date has been impactful. But, like most startups, we’ve evolved tremendously in a very short amount of time. In looking at PWRFWD through the lens of web3, it became clear that it was time to dive head first in this direction.

I told you all of that to tell you this: We’re going all in on women’s hoops, and NFTs are going to help us do it.

Next month, we’ll relaunch PWRFWD in its new form.

We’ll drop a collection of NFTs that grant holders membership status and access to a variety of perks (more on that in the coming weeks). Beyond the utility we’ve lined up (which is chef’s kiss), our community will…

• Drive an immediate tangible business impact on professional women's basketball.
• Create opportunities for and awareness of WNBA talent.
• Show up at every WNBA game.
• Boost WNBA viewership.
• Become a catalyst for WNBA expansion.

Worried about continued access to PWRFWD’s athlete owned products? Don’t be.

Following the initial minting, we’re partnering with athletes and brands who share our vision to release additional drops. These collaborations will continue to build on the story behind the core concept, stoking the passion of the PWRFWD community and bridging the gap between the digital and physical worlds with high quality goods.

We’ve been passionate about women’s hoops from the jump. We know this is a fast growing category within sports. And we’re excited to be hyper focused on this path.

I’ll continue to share more leading up to the minting. In the meantime, if you want to get in the mix, join our Discord server here.*

*Be prepared for a bunch of Women’s March Madness talk!