Portland Thorns FC
Michele Kang is an American businesswoman, investor, and philanthropist known for her groundbreaking contributions to women’s sports, health information technology, and philanthropy.
As the majority owner and CEO of Kynisca, Kang leads the first multi-team global organization focused on professionalizing women’s football, proving its commercial viability, and increasing its cultural impact. In 2022, she became the first woman of color to own a National Women’s Soccer League team, acquiring the Washington Spirit. In 2023, she expanded her reach by becoming the majority owner of OL Lyonnes and London City Lionesses. Since launching Kynisca in 2024, Michele has made multiple impactful investments and donations in the women’s sports ecosystem, including teams like USA Women’s Rugby, U.S. Soccer and organizations reinventing the blueprint for equipment like IDA Sports.
Prior to this, Kang founded Cognosante in 2008 to transform the U.S. healthcare system, growing it into a trusted provider of technology solutions for key federal agencies and state health programs.
In addition to her business ventures, Kang is deeply involved in philanthropy. She currently serves on the boards of the Washington National Opera, the Blair House Foundation, The Society of the Four Arts, and The University of Chicago.
For her philanthropic work and revolutionary entrepreneurship across fields, Kang has been recognized numerous times amongst her peers. In 2025, Sports Pro named her one of the top 10 influential figures whose work will shape the sporting agenda over the next 12 months. Kang has also been named a Power Player in Women’s Sports by Sports Business Journal and one of the 50 Most Influential Figures in Sports by Sports Illustrated. She is the recipient of the 2023 Horatio Alger Award and was inducted as a Hall of Fame Laureate by Junior Achievement of Greater Washington in 2022. She has also received the EY Entrepreneur of The Year® for the Washington, D.C. region and the U.S. Award for Services. Along with U.S. senators, high-ranking government officials, and top executives of Fortune 500 companies, Kang was named an inaugural member of 100 Women Leaders in STEM in 2012 and one of the Top 100 CEO Leaders in STEM in 2016.
Kang earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from The University of Chicago and a master’s degree in public and private management from Yale School of Management. Born in South Korea, she has consistently challenged the status quo, using her success to help others reach their potential.
