Leveling the Field: Women Changemakers in Sports and Culture

2024 has been hailed by many as the “Year of Women’s Sports,” marked by standout performances in women’s basketball and a memorable Olympics. While it was a banner year, many remember and have contributed to decades of breaking ground and making changes in women’s sports and the culture around them.

Join a dynamic panel of trailblazers whose work spans athletics, design, education, and art. Featuring soccer icon Brandi Chastain, Olympian and artist Savanah Leaf, Valkyries CEO Jess Smith, and renowned footwear designer and educator Cheresse Thornhill-Goldson, this discussion will delve into their unique journeys and commitment to reshaping the culture of sports. Together, they’ll explore how they are driving change, challenging assumptions, and paving the way for the next generation of athletes, designers, and creatives. The conversation will be moderated by San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist and author Ann Killion. Don’t miss this inspiring exchange of stories, insights, and ideas.

This program is presented in partnership with Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative (BAWSI).

About the Panelists

Brandi Chastain was a member of the U.S. women’s national soccer team (USWNT) between December 1988 and January 2004. During that time, she served as a trailblazer for women’s soccer as part of the golden decade of the USWNT during the 1990s. She was a member of the 1991 and 1999 Women’s World Cup championship teams as well as the Olympic teams that brought home gold in 1996 and 2004 and silver in 2000. Chastain has served as a soccer analyst on ABC/ESPN and NBC Sports coverage of Major League Soccer and Olympic soccer and remains active on the field. She is co-founder of the Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative (BAWSI), a nonprofit that mobilizes women athletes to serve as role models, and the co-founder of NWSL BayFC, whose inaugural season in 2024 resulted in the most wins in a first expansion year and making the playoffs.

Savanah Leaf is an Olympian and award-winning filmmaker whose work weaves magical realism with poignant social commentary. Her debut feature, Earth Mama, premiered in 2023 at Sundance to critical acclaim before its theatrical release by A24 and Film4. Savanah recently won the BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut Winner, a British Independent Film Award for Debut Filmmaker, and is on the National Board of Review list for best debut films of 2023. Leaf is also a recent recipient of the BFI x Chanel Filmmaker Award. Previously, Leaf directed the short documentary The Heart Still Hums (2020), following the stories of five women as they fight for their children through the cycle of homelessness, drug addiction, and neglect from their own parents. The film won Best Documentary Short at the Palm Springs International ShortFest, BlackStar Film Festival, and Nashville Film Festival and was released with Fox Searchlight Shorts. Leaf’s work is currently on view in SFMOMA’s exhibition Get in the Game: Sports, Art, Culture.

Jess Smith is entering her first season as president of Golden State’s WNBA team. Smith joined Golden State from Angel City Football Club, where she served as head of revenue from 2020–24. Prior to her time at Angel City, Smith served as vice president, sponsorship at the San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) from 2017–20, where she secured the largest academy-specific jersey partnership in MLS history. Before joining the Earthquakes, Smith worked for the Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL) from 2015–16. Smith also spent time working for the Oakland Athletics (MLB) from 2008–15 in roles within ticketing and sponsorship. Smith was named in the 2023 Sports Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list and the 2023 Leaders in Sport Under 40 class for her work with Angel City.

Cheresse Thornhill-Goldson is a global design leader with over seventeen years of professional design experience in the footwear industry. She earned her bachelor of fine art degree in industrial design from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan, and a master of science degree in instructional design and technology from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. She currently leads the adidas S.E.E.D. (School for Experiential Education in Design) program and resides in Los Angeles, California. She also owns and operates No Shoes Creative, LLC design consultancy and enjoys developing aspiring design talent around the world. Thornhill-Goldson’s work is currently on view in SFMOMA’s exhibition Get in the Game: Sports, Art, Culture.

Ann Killion has covered Bay Area sports for more than thirty years. An award-winning columnist and a veteran of thirteen Olympics as well as countless Super Bowls, World Series, and NBA title runs, Ann joined the San Francisco Chronicle in 2012. She previously worked for San Jose’s The Mercury News, the Los Angeles Times, and Sports Illustrated. She is a New York Times best-selling author, having co-written Solo: A Memoir of Hope with soccer star Hope Solo, Throw Like a Girl with softball player Jennie Finch, and two middle-grade books on soccer, Champions of Women’s Soccer and Champions of Men’s Soccer. She was named California Sportswriter of the Year in 2014, 2017, and 2018. She has two children and lives in Mill Valley.

Accessibility Information

Accessibility accommodations such as American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and assisted listening devices are available upon request 10 business days in advance. Please email publicengagement@sfmoma.org, and we will do our best to fulfill your request.