[This week GOOD Sports will be commemorating the 45th anniversary of Title IX.]
Title IX is now 45-years-old. The impact that the law has had on women’s sports is nothing short of tremendous.
It’s no secret that leaders in the boardroom and those on the field have a lot in common. Leading a team to victory through communication, determination, and hard work are all traits of both effective athletes and CEOs.
A recent study highlights this athlete-CEO collection showing more than 50 percent of female executives were once college athletes. According to the Harvard Business Review, the study by the EY Women Athletes Business Network and espnW “surveyed more than 400 female executives in five countries.” They found that “52 percent” of those top executives played sports at the “college or university level.”
For women’s sports day, GOOD’s highlighting the plethora of high-powered CEOs who owe some of their extraordinary drive, leadership, and stamina to their time competing as an undergraduate at their alma maters. Check out a few of the greats in the slideshow above.

















Volunteers at the St. Francis Inn pray together before serving a meal on July 19, 2021.
Police close down a section of Kensington Avenue to clear a homeless encampment on May 8, 2024.


Left: A robotic arm. Right: Rice grains.Photo credit:
A diagram on kidney stones.myupchar/ 
A couple engages in a serious conversationCanva
Christy Lam-Julian, a mother in Pinole, Calif., reads to her son in April 2025.
Children who read bedtime stories with their parents are likely to benefit from a boost in creativity – especially if they consider questions about the books.