On a bright, blustery day in front of Boston City Hall, the primary ownership group of the newest NWSL expansion team gathered alongside Mayor Michelle Wu to announce its intentions to operate a professional women’s soccer team in the city. Joining the group for the event was Monarch Collective managing partner Jasmine Robinson, a former San Francisco 49ers investment and business operations manager and someone with experience in venture capital funding in sports and media. Monarch Collective, an investment fund that includes Angel City co-founder Kara Nortman among its members, counts this Boston expansion team as its first investment.
Robinson spoke to The Athletic before the announcement to discuss why she and Monarch decided to come on board as investors, her view of the evolving women’s soccer landscape and Boston’s next moves as it prepares for its 2026 debut.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
How did you get involved with Monarch and then with Boston?
Kara (Nortman) and I were connected through my former colleague at the 49ers, (president) Paraag Marathe, who had gone to business school with Kara. We were connected and spent a lot of time talking about like, ‘What’s the right strategy in this market?’ and ‘Are we compatible…
