Allyson Felix has created what she wished existed, centering women in a major way with her new sports management firm.
The retired Olympic legend and sprinter has launched Always Alpha, the first management firm dedicated exclusively to women’s sports, supported by Dolphin.
Founded by Felix, her longtime business partner and brother, Wes Felix, and sports executive Cosette Chaput, the firm “aims to empower modern women who are breaking barriers, owning their voices, and creating a better future on and off the field of play,” Dolphin shared in a press release.
“Young athletes often ask me how I’ve diversified and consistently grown my business across marketing, media, entrepreneurship, venture, entertainment and impact,” Felix said in a statement. “Wes and I did it ourselves piece by piece, out of necessity — because there wasn’t another option for transforming our vision into reality.”
She added, “With Always Alpha, we’re taking everything we learned and creating the modern management firm I used to dream of existing to help the next generation of talent do the same and build the future they in turn dream of too.”
Felix is reportedly the most decorated track and field athlete in history, winning 20 World Championships and 11 Olympic medals, according to Dolphin. She has dedicated her time off the track to advocating for change, particularly for women.
In 2022, she had another first — winning Olympic gold wearing her own shoe brand, Saysh.
As AFROTECH™ reported, Felix raised $3 million in seed funding to establish Saysh from scratch. She launched the lifestyle brand after Nike told her to “know her place” and dismissed her for advocating for herself and other pregnant athletes.
In an open letter in 2021, Felix shared that she had been a runner her entire life and was afraid to stop and pursue other passions, unsure of her identity outside of the sport.
“Like many women, I was afraid that starting a family would be a ‘death sentence’ for my career,” she wrote. “I did it anyway. During my pregnancy, I faced a gender injustice that I couldn’t run away from. My employer did not support my maternity and my colleague’s maternity in a way that I could be proud of. I was told to know my place. That runners should just run that it’s just business.”
Noting that women shouldn’t have to choose between being a “professional and being a mother,” Felix added, “I used my voice to fight for maternal protection for female athletes.”
She is also passionate about the rights of expectant mothers and through her footwear brand gives them a free pair of shoes since their feet change sizes throughout pregnancy, AFROTECH™ previously reported. In July 2024, she received a $20 million grant from Melinda French Gates to help her continue advocating for the well-being of pregnant women.
Gates contributed to Felix’s efforts as part of a $1 billion commitment to support individuals and organizations that help women and families through her philanthropy venture called Pivotal.
Felix also teamed up with Pampers during the 2024 Olympics to ensure a nursery was available for Olympic moms. The collaboration followed their joint effort in 2022 to advocate for Black maternal health.
The athlete expressed feeling “humbled” for receiving the gift and mentioned that she was eager to use the funds to support organizations working urgently for Black mothers and providing care for those at the highest risk for complications.
Speaking on her latest business venture, Felix told Variety, “…I see Always Alpha as a chance to use the lessons I’ve learned alongside a dynamic team to help guide the next generation in creating the right next chapter for them whether it be motherhood, entrepreneurship, impact work, investing, broadcasting and multimedia (books, podcasts, documentaries) or something entirely new.”
