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Chicago Sky Co-Owner Nadia Rawlinson on How a ‘Hard Left Turn’ in Her Career Led Her to the WNBA (Exclusive)

Nadia Rawlinson’s path to becoming a co-owner of the Chicago Sky represents an unconventional yet deeply personal career shift. After decades in Silicon Valley—most recently as Chief People Officer at Slack and Chief Human Resources Officer at Live Nation Entertainment—the 47-year-old executive took a sharp turn into sports in 2023, joining the WNBA franchise as operating chairman and co-owner.

Raised in Lake Forest, Illinois, during the height of Michael Jordan’s Bulls dynasty, Rawlinson credits her lifelong passion for basketball as a guiding force, even recalling skipping school to attend the team’s 1997 NBA Championship parade. Her return to the Midwest aligns with her belief that sports thrives on human connection, a philosophy honed in tech’s corporate culture-building roles.

Beyond leadership, Rawlinson has prioritized player safety, launching a groundbreaking partnership with Moonshot, an online security firm, to protect WNBA athletes—a move reflecting her commitment to both the game’s growth and its people. With the Sky still chasing a return to championship form after their lone title in 2021, her blend of corporate experience and hometown pride positions her as a pivotal figure in the league’s evolution.

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