The vibe in the Washington Spirit clubhouse hits differently these days and everyone will tell you it’s because of Michele Kang. The tech entrepreneur and philanthropist took over ownership of the Spirit a little over a year ago. Today, she has a plan for global women’s soccer domination.

When asked to describe Kang in one word, Spirit players said, “boss,” “queen,” and “unstoppable.” Kang stands in stark contrast to the previous majority owner of the team, and former owners of other professional sports franchises in the region.

Owning a professional soccer team was never a thought to Kang until she was encouraged to watch the 2019 Women’s World Cup. The U.S. beat the Netherlands 2 –0. But it wasn’t the big win or the game itself that drove her to get involved. It was the women.

“I became aware of all the challenges that the league in general, as well as the team, the Spirit, particularly faced. This was a lot about the gender equality in all aspects,” says Kang, on the pitch at the Inova Performance Complex in Leesburg, Virginia. The Spirit currently shares this training center with D.C. United.

Kang was born in South Korea but came to the U.S. 40 years ago in search of what she calls her “American dream.” Since then, Kang has become a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist through Cognosante, the healthcare information technology company in Falls Church that she founded and still runs.

Now, as the owner of the Spirit, Kang is determined to elevate the women’s game both on and off the field. Spirit striker Ashley Sanchez says Kang’s player-focused leadership approach should be the new benchmark in team ownership.

“I think it’s making all the other owners, and investors raise a level, and really put their money where their mouth is, and just have a vision that’s bigger than what anyone has seen like in women’s soccer, or women’s sport in general,” Sanchez says.

There are a number of gender-based issues that Kang has set out to change in the world of professional soccer, and they’re problems that women have been dealing with for decades.

“There is some serious investment required at the basic level. Like training players, our players, training women as women. Our players are not small men, yet a lot of women’s sports teams borrow their training manuals from men’s teams,” Kang says.

Kang also says she’s committed to building an infrastructure that supports women athletes to the degree that women require. And not just here in D.C. Kang’s move to purchase Olympique Lyonnais Féminin the most successful women’s soccer team in modern history, is part of her effort to launch an international women’s soccer network. Kang will head the first-of-its-kind group of soccer clubs, which includes the Spirit. She says it’s clear to see that the “beautiful” women’s game is growing in popularity and participation at a rapid pace around the world.

“This should not just be a U.S. phenomenon, as you can see from the World Cup. This is global. I want every young girl around the world to grow up watching all of these incredible players pursuing their dreams in an environment that’s comparable to what their next door boys expect and enjoy,” says Kang.

The 2023 Women’s World Cup, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, broke a number of viewership and attendance records. More than two billion people watched the World Cup this time around, shattering the previous record of 1.12 billion in 2019. The championship match between Spain and England reached 263 million unique views. The semi-final match between Australia and England had nearly 12 million pairs of eyes on it in the Land Down Under. That means nearly half the population of the continent as a whole watched that match.

Kang will start her efforts to elevate the women’s game in D.C. Using her health technology background, she is working with scientists and researchers to design a state of the art training center that will include women-focused medical, fitness, nutrition, and health specialties. Kang says once this center is up and running, the next goal (pun intended) is to expand to as many places as possible. And her players, like forward Trinity Rodman, are keenly aware of and support her vision.

“It’s not about owning as many teams as she can or buying the most stuff. I think it’s genuinely like the quality. I think she wants the game to be built from the quality within each club,” says Rodman.

Once the Olympique Lyonnais Féminin deal is done, Kang has her sights set on teams in other countries where women’s soccer has gained momentum – England, Asia, and South America are all on her radar. When asked to describe herself in one word, Kang modestly said “very passionate.”

Okay, that’s two words. But still, that passion is palpable.