Emma May-Bradley is a marketing, communications, and operations executive with over 20 years of experience driving growth for global brands in consumer goods, media, and sports. She is the Co-Founder of Playmakers Nashville, a non-profit focused on advancing and empowering women working in sports across Middle Tennessee. She also leads marketing and sports strategy for Rebel Girls, a girl empowerment brand using storytelling to inspire the next generation.
From 2022 to 2023, Emma served as President and Board Advisor for the Washington Spirit (NWSL), where she oversaw a full organizational transformation. Under her leadership, the club grew from 4 to 45 employees in a single year, saw an 85% increase in attendance, and achieved a 110% growth in merchandise revenue. Her leadership helped transition the 2021 NWSL Championship team into a fully professional, scalable organization.
Before joining the Spirit, Emma spent nearly four years at Nike, Inc. (2019–2022), where she progressed through senior leadership roles, including Sr. Director of Global Athlete Marketing. She launched Nike’s first athlete-focused content studio, led Serena Williams’ retirement campaign, and played a key role in driving a 525% increase in WNBA revenue over three years.
Earlier, at Turner Sports (2014–2019), Emma rose to Vice President of Marketing, where she led initiatives for the Emmy-winning Inside the NBA/NBA on TNT franchise, launched BR Live, and helped grow NBA League Pass subscriptions by 135%. Her previous roles in culture and sports marketing at Red Bull, Nissan North America, and Athlon Sports further shaped her expertise in building brands with cultural relevance.
Emma grew up playing all kinds of sports but focused on soccer starting in middle school, serving as her high school’s starting goalkeeper for four years. Watching the U.S. Women’s National Team win gold at the 1996 Olympics in Athens, Georgia cemented her love for the sport. She remains a passionate sports fan and is known for always having a game on, regardless of the sport or league.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Middle Tennessee State University.
Our Exclusive Interview with Emma May-Bradley
Who is Emma May-Bradley outside of sports? What drives you personally when you’re not building brands or organizations?
I’m a pretty chill human. I love my husband John & pup Rizzo more than anything in the world. I love to garden, travel all over the world, eat all the best food, and be a good friend to those I love. Mostly I want to make a positive impact in the world around me and do my best to treat my community with love.
When you stepped into the role at the Washington Spirit, the club was at a turning point. What mindset did you bring to lead through that transition?
Most importantly I wanted to build a foundation that could last for years to come, a foundation that was built around trust & teamwork and a foundation that put the players & fans first in everything we did. I also wanted to ensure that we created the best live sports environment possible and had a little fun while doing it.
You oversaw massive growth at the Spirit, from staff size to fan engagement and revenue. What do you think made those changes stick?
I think the Spirit organization is committed to investing in doing right by their players and the fans and that is a foundation that will lead to success in all areas, from revenue to fan engagement. I also hope that I was able to share with our fans, players and the entire organization that how we treat our players, fans & internal team matters deeply. Every decision is meaningful, and at the end of the day, to do the right thing, always.
How did your background at Nike and Turner Sports shape the way you approached storytelling and strategy in women’s soccer?
For over a decade now I’ve been obsessed with the idea of fandom and putting the fan at the center of every decision I make. This was the lens that I used both at Turner and at Nike, if we focus our efforts on our fans then the business will follow. If we make decisions based on our own personal desires, we will lose. It’s why being an empath, being always curious and understanding your fan is the most important piece to growing business.
Who have been the most influential figures in your sports career, and what lessons did you take from them?
I’ve been so lucky to work with amazing people everywhere I’ve been but the person who has influenced me the most is the late Oscar Pope. My team hired Oscar as a marketing specialist to work on the NBA on TNT/NBA TV marketing team and every single day he blew me away with his passion for our fans & our product, his positivity, and his humor. He inspired me daily to be grateful for the job we got to do and reminded me always to have a bit more fun.
What are your future plans professionally? Are there areas in sports or beyond that you’re looking to explore next?
Right now I’m really focused on doing work that is impactful for our society as a whole. Whether it’s starting a non-profit to empower & advance women who are working in the sports industry, sharing my story with high-school & college women so they too can dream of working in sports, or helping to build Rebel Girls Sport so we can inspire the most confident generation of girls ever. Sports, in its most pure sense, makes the world a better place and there is no better than the beautiful game. My hope is that I will continue to lead teams who love what they do, find fulfillment in the work, and create immense impact.
