READY 2023 Wrap Up!
As we come to the end of 2023, READY founder and Chief Catalyst, Lucy Mills, would like to take this opportunity to share personal reflections and gratitude.
Hello READY Read subscribers, friends, and collaborators!
A new year will bring change for many of us. At the start of 2023, I had recently made the difficult decision to leave FC Barcelona to take the plunge and go all in with READY. I was starting the year going into the unknown…
At the time of leaving FC Barcelona, READY was 8 months old. Along with friends, including the brilliant Preeti Shetty and Aisha Nazia, we were running READY as an educational initiative to ignite curiosity and learning about Web 3.0 (blockchain) in sport – especially for women working in the industry and women’s sport. The bold name READY referred to us “getting READY for the future”.
During this first phase of READY in 2022, we produced a beginner level course on Web 3.0 in Sport, delivered training workshops, organized networking events, and ran pro-bono educational sessions among our contacts and friends working in sport and sport for development. We involved 600+ people in our activities, received global coverage and invitations to speak at prestigious conferences, and gained recognition and interest from both the world of tech / blockchain and the world of sport.
The arrival of 2023 marked the start of the second phase of READY: the creation of the company, Ready Sport Global.
As well as expanding the READY Web 3.0 and Women’s Sport Hub, we embarked on offering education and consulting services on innovation and emerging tech in sport, collaborating with athletes, sports organizations, agencies, universities, and tech / blockchain companies. From designing and delivering bespoke educational content on innovation, to creating and implementing future-ready professionalization strategies for women’s sport, we have steadily grown our reach and impact.
Ready Sport Global 2023 review in numbers
1 Company HQ setup. Spain – hurrah!
2 Courses. Web 3.0, and AI – with free versions for greater accessibility.
3 Universities. Design and delivery of modules on sport, innovation, and social impact with tomorrow’s leaders: former athletes and MBA students in UK and France.
4 Sports. Exciting consulting projects in football, basketball, triathlon, and rugby.
5 Events. Networking and knowledge exchange socials in UK and Spain.
6 Countries. Exciting consulting projects in Europe, Asia, Latin America.
7 Teammates. Experts in sport, tech and social impact - myself, along with Preeti Shetty, Leanne Bats, Magdalyn Miller, Sadaf Tayebi, Kahlia Hogg, and Ekta Sharma.
8 Masterclasses. With diverse groups, for companies and at international conferences on Web 3.0, AI, and innovation.
9 Clients. Athletes, federations, leagues, NGOs, universities.
10 Pro bono sessions. With NGOs, women’s sports organizations, and collectives.
As a founder of a start-up company, I am often in uncharted waters that are full of “life-first” moments. It has been enriching to connect with and learn from other individuals on their own entrepreneurial journey, in many different ways; subscribing to their blogs, teaming up to co-organize events, or having informal Zoom chats with LinkedIn connections. I am grateful for all the wonderful conversations and exchanges with people in all corners of the world.
And then there are 3 individuals in particular who I’d like to give a shout out to. They are 3 legends that simply must be on your radar! They have believed in me, helped me grow, and together we are collectively building a company that has strong foundations and ethics, offers expert content and value, and nurtures a culture of positivity, humility, and fun.
Magdalyn Miller (Author of book, Magnify Impact)
Preeti Shetty (The Telegraph Top 50 Most Influential Women in Sport in 2023)
Leanne Bats (Pioneering President at RugbyDAO)
Finally, thank you for subscribing to the READY Read – the dedicated home for all things Web 3.0 and Women’s sport, where we spotlight projects, trailblazing women, and share news and recommendations. We hope it’s a useful monthly resource for you – and on that note, if you have any feedback or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at team@readysportglobal.com.
Happy new year / bon any nou!
Lucy x