Arrowhead event: Teams are stronger with women; How the NFL is moving the ball forward

While nighttime NFL Draft festivities at Union Station put the focus on male athletes chosen to play professional football, Friday morning at Arrowhead Stadium was all about spotlighting women changing the landscape of the NFL and Kansas City.

Kansas City native and NFL Network on-air host Kimmi Chex interviews Wendy Doyle, CEO of United WE, at an event at Arrowhead Stadium during the NFL Draft

“As we talk about champions today, this is what we’re talking about: Women and men, moving the ball down the field,” said Wendy Doyle, CEO of United WE. “Our work for change is about the long game and we need everyone working as a team. … So what does it mean to be a champion? It means using your talents, resources and influence to economically empower women.”

United WE — a KC-based organization that works to advance women’s economic and leadership development, notably by increasing gender diversity of civic boards and commissions — hosted the Champion Breakfast presented by Bank of America, where business leaders, elected officials, and community leaders heard from the NFL about its commitment to advancing opportunities for all women.

“There’s so much work to do,” continued Doyle, who was inducted into the Missouri Public Affairs Hall of Fame in October 2021. “Women still don’t earn the same as men and face unique barriers to entrepreneurship, occupational licensing, and more. There is so much to do and so many ways to advance the ball.

Doyle noted local champions of change, including Kathy Donovan — the event chair and wife of Chiefs President Mark Donovan — and the other United WE board members, the United WE team, former KC Mayor Sly James, KCMO Councilman Kevin O’Neill, Bank of America KC Market President Matthew Linski, and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, who also spoke at the event.

Click here to learn more about United WE.

The NFL panel — featuring the football league’s Dasha Smith, Sam Rapoport, and Kimmi Chex — took the stage to speak about their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and how all can work to champion these efforts in their own communities and workplaces. The trio discussed how they’ve seen the NFL change in their years with the league and how they hope to continue to advance women in the sport.

NFL panelists Dasha Smith, Sam Rapoport, and Kimmi Chex speak during a United WE event at Arrowhead Stadium during the NFL Draft

Chex, a Kansas City native and an on-air host for the NFL Network and Media — fresh off her hosting duties for night one of the draft — noted she was excited to be back in her hometown.

“I’m so proud to be from here,” she shared. “As the NFL talked about the Draft coming to Kansas City, I always knew that the city would show up in ways that the NFL has never seen. And I think last night was a huge testament to that and we still have two more very exciting days in the Draft.”

As far as women in the NFL go, Smith — the vice president and chief people officer — proudly said that 49 percent of the positions in their New York league offices are held by women.

“We’ve made quite a bit of progress,” she added. “We still have some work to do and we’re excited about continuing on this journey.”

Sam Rapoport, senior director of diversity, equity, and inclusion for the NFL, is shown on screen during a United WE panel at Arrowhead Stadium during the NFL Draft

Rapoport — who is the senior director of diversity, equity, and inclusion — noted that 47 percent of the NFL fanbase is women and she’s hoping to see that same number represented across the sport, on the sidelines and in the executive suites.

Seven years ago, to increase that number, Rapoport started the Women’s Forum, which brings 40 women who are currently working in college football roles — the majority of whom are women of color — to the NFL Combine to get the opportunity to meet with owners, general managers, and coaches for two days. Currently, she shared, there are now 235 women in football operation roles — not on the administrative side — such as coaches, scouts, and trainers. Three recent Super Bowl-winning teams have had women coaches.

“We started with the people who cared and allowed them to peer pressure the others, who then started to care,” she explained. “The reason we started doing this was because of a concept I learned from a professor at Stanford. She taught me that, at every organization, 20 percent of your organization is super into DEI and knows just what to do with it, 70 percent of the organization cares but they don’t have the playbook, and 10 percent doesn’t want anything to do with it. She said to focus your efforts on improving the 70 to the 20. That’s where you should spend your energy because she taught me not to spend time on the immovable people.”

Chex applauded Rapoport seeing a hole, going to her boss with a solution, and asking for resources. She implored local business owners and those in positions of power to learn from her story.

“You have to create those opportunities,” Chex continued. “They have to exist and it may not be the easiest thing. It may be expensive. It may stretch resources. It may do all of this, but if it truly matters to you, you have to find a way to advance us.”

As for her advice for other businesses and organizations who want to improve their DEI initiatives, Smith challenged them to be intentional, look at their policies, and have the courage to have hard conversations.

“Getting the male allies within the NFL was the key,” she said. “Everyone has a sister or mother or daughter, and they’re very comfortable now talking about making sure that women have access to opportunity. Don’t be afraid to have that conversation on why making sure that your organization is inclusive is important.”

Fans and food trucks line the streets of Kansas City leading to Union Station Thursday as the NFL Draft approached; photo by Austin Barnes, Startland News

Waking up to Draft realities

Before the panel, Kathy Donovan asked her husband about his thoughts after the first day of hosting the draft. He recalled years ago bidding for the event and hearing rumors that a bigger city was the front runner, so he assured the league commissioner and his CEO at the time that Kansas City would prove to them and the league just how special it is.

Fans journey Thursday to Union Station for the NFL Draft; photo by Austin Barnes, Startland News

“It was so gratifying to be standing at the top of the WWI Museum last night, looking out over all of it before the Draft started,” he continued. “Then back here in the draft room, seeing the shots on ESPN of the drones going over that sea of red and not a single square inch available — and not only Chiefs fans — but fans from all over the country being in Kansas City. From beginning to end, from Patrick (Mahomes) and Travis (Kelce) bringing out the (Super Bowl) trophy … to drafting a kid from Lee’s Summit. It was a wonderful night.”

He also gave a shout out to the city’s small business owners.

“I love the entrepreneurs in this town,” he added. “I mean you literally couldn’t drive down the street without seeing somebody who basically pulled up a pickup truck, opened up the back, and started selling something.”