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Raven Jemison of KC Current on Opening the World's First Stadium for Women's Sports
The differences don't matter when your favorite team is playing
Raven has nearly 20 years of experience across U.S. sports leagues. She serves as president of business operations at KC Current, and she is the first Black president in the NWSL. Raven led the historic opening season of CPKC Stadium as the world’s first purpose-built venue for women’s soccer.
In 2023, she published her first book, More Than Representation: The Cheat Codes to Own Your Seat at the Table. In it, she tells of her struggle and success as a Black, queer woman in the historically male-dominated sports industry.
In 2025, Raven was diagnosed with breast cancer. Today, she is back to work with a renewed sense of purpose and will face reconstruction later this year. Learn more about her here at or connect with her on LinkedIn.
We spent two minutes with Raven to learn more about her background, her creative inspirations and recent work she’s admired.
Raven, tell us …
Where did you grow up, and where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Tuscaloosa, Ala. I currently reside in Kansas City.
What is your earliest sports memory?
Watching Mary Lou Retton compete in the 1984 Summer Olympics. That same year, my mom signed me up for gymnastics after seeing how I was absolutely mesmerized by her performance.
Aside from the one you work for, who are some of your favorite sports team(s)?
As a graduate, I root for every sport at Auburn University. I don’t have a favorite professional team in any sport, but always find myself rooting for the teams I’ve worked for: the Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco 49ers and Milwaukee Bucks (NBA).
Favorite athlete(s).
Serena Williams, Simone Biles, the entire KC Current team, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant
What is your favorite sports movie and/or show?
Among the many: Love and Basketball, He Got Game,Remember the Titans, A League of Their Own
What is your favorite sports podcast or news show?
Your favorite sports video game, if you have one.
What is a recent project you’re proud of?
Opening CPKC Stadium, the first ever purpose-built stadium for a women’s sports team in the world.
Someone else’s work that you admired recently.
The entire PWHL front office. The way they’ve positioned women’s hockey in North America and grown fandom in such a short time is a master class.
What sports can do that nothing else can.
It can unify and bring people together in a way that I’ve never seen before. As cliche as it sounds, the differences don’t matter when your favorite team is playing and we realize we’re more alike than we are different. I wish that mindset transferred to life outside the stadium and arena.
What you’d be doing if you weren’t in the sports space.
Helicopter pilot
2 Minutes With is our regular interview series where we chat with creatives about their backgrounds, creative inspirations, work they admire and more. For more about 2 Minutes With, or to be considered for the series, please get in touch.
