“For the last decade of my corporate career, I have always seen the impact of the Latino audience, especially the Latinos,” shares Yepez-Blundell, a second-generation Mexican-American cultural strategist and former DII Softball player. “I think, for us being women, we are so overlooked. And especially through the lens of sport, we are these passionate fans, we are these passionate consumers, but no one speaks through us through the lens of sport. And that's a beautiful thing about drafted. We are her. We are our audience and we're coming to her and we're speaking to her in culture and to her values and to her passion points. It's been a really beautiful period as we grow as an emerging brand to see the effect and the impact that we've been able to have this far.”

DRAFTED aims to become one of the most industry-disrupting sports platforms, providing community and insights that have never been touched before.

Breaking barriers, breaking stereotypes, and promoting gender equity, are at the forefront of DRAFTED as both Yepez-Blundell and Martinez leverage sports for women empowerment.

“I've always searched for places that I can express who I am, especially through the world of sports in a way that's safe in a way that makes me feel included,” shares Martinez. “And I think that was really the impetus of drafted, how do we build that feeling into a company? How do we create those safe spaces and make these women feel seen for the first time. When you walk onto the field or you embark on a new journey and a team, when you feel seen and feel welcomed, it makes a world of a difference.”

For Martinez and Yepez-Blundell, DRAFTED is more than just promoting physical activity or social skills. It is about a sense of belonging where girls and women can create those opportunities, not only for themselves, but for others as well.

“Data shows that young girls who play sports are ten times more likely to become leaders,” shares Yepez-Blundell. “From that perspective, it's a huge pipeline for empowerment for young girls, it's an opportunity to learn how to navigate being in a team, how to be a leader, how to, you know, all of these things that are so important in being a great person and a great leader later in life. And so that's incredibly important to us, and how do we build that into the fabric of what we're doing. But when it comes to drafted, the tie in is, we're able to rewrite the way that we came in, particularly Latinos have been seen in media and the stories that are being told because they're being told from us.”

Martinez shares how the response from the community has been overwhelmingly supportive and, at some point, emotional for both.

“I don't think we realized just how much people needed this until we started to build it,” she shares. “Our audiences are so attuned to us and is so responsive to us because we've made sure that we created that trust and that loyalty from the very beginning, and it's paid off in our growth. “

Reaching about 15,000 community members, DRAFTED is growing at a rapid pace. Both Martinez and Yepez-Blundell envision a future where Latinas are engaged in the world of sport and are integral players and leaders.

“We want a future where Latinos are woven into the very fabric of sport,” shares Yepez-Blundell. “We hope that Latinos come to our community and come to DRAFTED for that empowerment, for that access. And for that inspiration.”