REACHING FOR THE SKY

Nadia Rawlinson describes herself as a “chief optimism officer,” who strives to create workspaces where people can thrive and reach their full potential. She is now bringing her perspective, her expertise, and her positive attitude to the business of basketball. In January, the Lake Forest native, 44, was named Co-Owner and Operating Chairman of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky women’s basketball franchise.

The Sky won its first WNBA Championship in 2021, and it was recently valued at $85 million, the second-highest valuation in the league next to the Seattle Storm. Plus, viewership for WNBA games as a whole is on the rise. In other words, it’s a great time to get in the game. “There’s great momentum happening in women’s sports right now, and it’s pretty exciting,” says Rawlinson who will now be on the frontlines to push the team to even greater heights.

In the newly created position of Operating Chairman, Rawlinson hopes to enhance player support; improve the fan experience, grow revenue streams, and improve capital infrastructure, including building a new practice facility.

Rawlinson has led the creation of Sky’s new, all-female group of minority investors. In fact, “co-owner” was the title Rawlinson originally had in mind when she considered getting involved with the team last year, but principal owner Michael Alter had even broader plans for her. “He said he appreciated that I was a business executive at the intersection of tech, media, and entertainment and thought I’d bring great value to the franchise in an operating role.”

Alter certainly knew what he was talking about. Rawlinson brings some big-name business experience—high-profile roles at Slack Technologies, Live Nation Entertainment, and Google, for starters—but she arrived at her human resources career in an unusual way: via an MBA from Harvard Business School. “I can count on one hand how many people in my graduating class went into HR,” Rawlinson says.

For Rawlinson, it was a typically atypical move. “I thought I could offer something that was different from most people who worked in that function,” she recalls. “I have found my individuality and confidence in doing things that most people would not automatically choose.”

Some of her confidence might stem from being one of just a few Black students at Lake Forest High School. “I don’t want to say that I’ve been underestimated, and I’m sure maybe I have been, but it’s more that I wanted to prove that what I was doing was possible,” she says.

Along the way, Rawlinson has since shifted out of proving mode. “There’s nothing left to prove. It’s just to be. And that’s been very freeing and has created richer opportunities.”

One thing Rawlinson was not, was an athlete, but she knows that a large percentage of female business leaders played sports at some point in their lives. “It’s the teamwork, commitment, drive for excellence, and resilience that prepares them so well,” she says. “So, I have a deep appreciation for those with that competitive spirit and athleticism, and for women in particular who really exemplify the discipline that it takes to play at the professional level.”

Rather than sports, Rawlinson credits her parents for nurturing her drive and passion. Her mother was an educator, then served in nonprofits helping domestic violence victims. Her father was first an educator, then moved to the corporate world, eventually rising to the C-suite of Fortune 500 companies. “It was about valuing education and striving for excellence, no matter what while staying authentic to who you are,” Rawlinson recalls. She’s kept that philosophy top of mind throughout her career, despite often being the only Black woman in the room, because she says, “We’re here to make sure we’re the best we can be, reaching our potential, whatever that may be.”

After following jobs around the country, Rawlinson and her husband are now back in her hometown. “It’s been a really meaningful homecoming in ways I didn’t expect,” she says. In between attending Chicago Sky games, she’s been able to enjoy Lake Forest life, continuing her Pilates practice at Superior Pilates, checking out the farmers market, and dining at Sophia Steak, Le Colonial, Hometown Coffee & Juice, and Deer Path Inn. “What’s so wonderful is that it’s the same in all of the best ways it was when I grew up here in the 1990s.”

Besides her new day job, Rawlinson sits on the Stanford University Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors for J.Crew Group, Vail Resorts, and is an Advisor with Google Ventures. An impressive lineup for a woman who as a high schooler snuck out of her house to attend the Chicago Bulls Championship parade. Maybe the passion for basketball then has brought her to this point now. “I hope the Sky can continue to be part of the Chicago culture, just like the Bulls were for me growing up.”