Wasserman Agency Launches Women in Sports and Entertainment Division

By Will Thorne

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Sports and entertainment agency Wasserman, which was founded by entertainment exec Casey Wasserman and represents thousands of athletes, coaches and social media influencers, has announced it is launching a new division dedicated to raising the visibility of women in sports and entertainment.

The company’s new arm, named The Collective, will seek to deliver strategies and ideas for talent and brands which will enable them focus on empowering and speaking to women.

“The Collective is the culmination of decades of successful work representing women and helping brands connect to women. We have both a responsibility and an opportunity to utilize our expertise and network to empower women. With the backing of all of Wasserman and Casey, The Collective aims to contribute to that goal while moving our industry forward,” said Thayer Lavielle, executive vice president of the new department.

Separately, the Wasserman Foundation, also founded by Casey Wasserman, has committed $1 million to fund charitable programs encouraging the growth and development of women in sports and entertainment.

Wasserman represents over 150 of the world’s most successful female athletes, including more than half of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, which just returned from a victorious World Cup campaign in France, as well as 26 WNBA players and a number of female Olympians. Recent ESPY Awards female athlete of the year winner Alex Morgan and World Cup top-scoring U.S. midfielder Megan Rapinoe are both on the books at the agency.