The North Carolina Courage is pleased to announce an additional group of investors who have joined the team’s ownership group. This exciting news comes on the heels of the January 2021 announcement that four-time Grand Slam tennis champion, Naomi Osaka, had joined the Courage ownership group. All of the Courage owners are dedicated to supporting and growing the Courage and the National Women’s Soccer League and backing the organization’s efforts to continue to support positive social change.
The newly added owners are a talented collection of achievers across a variety of industries. They include local business executives and philanthropists Ashlie and Michael Bucy, sports marketing executive Sara Toussaint, orthopaedic surgeon R. James Toussaint, and leading Raleigh-based diversified communications company Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc.
“We are thrilled to welcome these new investors to the Courage ownership group,” Steve Malik, owner and chairman of the North Carolina Football Club said. “Their collective values of commitment to women’s soccer and dedication to promoting social justice align perfectly with the principles of our club. Each new owner brings unique experiences and perspectives, from their commitments to providing playing opportunities to all, to their investments in women’s sports across the world. These new owners will help accelerate our mission, and we look forward to growing together and finding success on and off the field.”
Sara Toussaint and her husband R. James Toussaint M.D. join the North Carolina Courage as part of their continued mission to invest in organizations that create more opportunities for women and underrepresented talent. Sara’s expertise in brand marketing, strategic partnerships, and consumer engagement spans a wide range of industries including financial services, higher ed, law, and sports. She was named a 2018 Sports Business Journal “Game Changer” due to her work with Major League Soccer, the Mexican National Team, and Major League Baseball. Sara also sits on the boards of Latinx in Sports and Play Like a Girl! – a nonprofit dedicated to keeping girls in sports while introducing them to STEM fields. James is an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in traumatic, degenerative and sports-related foot & ankle disorders. His notable career in the medical field includes treating victims of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings to providing care in his birth country, Haiti, following the 2010 earthquake. Leveraging previous finance roles, James is also an angel investor in a number of startups. The Toussaints’ diverse personal and professional backgrounds combined with their passion for the game will be incredible assets to the future of the club.
Michael and Ashlie Bucy are both from North Carolina and share the club’s commitment to ensuring North Carolina women’s soccer remains synonymous with world class excellence. Michael is a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company and leads the Firm’s Global Rapid Transformation Practice. He was an All-ACC soccer player for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) and a State Champion with the Raleigh Caps and Sanderson High School. Ashlie, also a UNC grad, has spent her career working at the intersection of the technology start-up, political and nonprofit communities. Currently, she is leading an initiative through The Bucy Foundation in partnership with StreetSoccer USA, North Carolina FC, the NC Courage and local community organizations to bring urban soccer fields to Triangle neighborhoods to provide better access to safe, unstructured play. The couple have three young children who are all engaged in affiliated NCFC Youth soccer programs.
Capitol Broadcasting Company (CBC) has supported the club and NCFC Youth in the Triangle area for decades. Their dedication to the game has been evident for years, starting in the mid-1990’s with their ownership of the Raleigh Flyers professional soccer team, to their efforts in creating and revitalizing WRAL Soccer Park, one of the best youth soccer facilities in the country. This family-owned diversified communications company, based in Raleigh, owns three television stations including WRAL-TV (NBC) and FOX 50-WRAZ (FOX) and nine radio stations in the Raleigh–Durham and Wilmington areas of North Carolina, as well as the Durham Bulls Triple-A minor league baseball team, real estate interests including the American Tobacco Historic District in Durham and Rocky Mount Mills in Rocky Mount, and Professional Builders Supply (an equity partnership). CBC has also been the local broadcast partner of North Carolina FC and NC Courage for over a decade. Learn more at capitolbroadcasting.com.
The Courage ownership group now includes the following (the newest members are in bold):
- Steve Malik
- Naomi Osaka
- Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc.
- Ashlie Bucy
- Michael Bucy
- Sara Toussaint
- R. James Toussaint
About the North Carolina Courage
The North Carolina Courage are the back-to-back champions of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the highest division of women’s professional soccer in the United States. Formerly the Western New York Flash, Steve Malik relocated the team to North Carolina in 2017 and named the team the North Carolina Courage, giving a nod to the Carolina Courage of the WPS, the first professional women’s soccer team in the state. The Courage are coached by two-time NWSL Coach of the Year, Paul Riley. The team defeated the Portland Thorns 3-0 to become the 2018 NWSL Champions. The team then beat the Chicago Red Stars 4-0 to win back-to-back titles. Riley’s team has won three-consecutive NWSL Shields and also won the 2018 Women’s International Champions Cup. On January 22, 2021, tennis superstar Naomi Osaka was named an owner of the team.
The Courage kick-off their 2021 NWSL Season on the road this Saturday, May 15 against OL Reign. The team returns home for a sold-out match against Orlando Pride on Saturday, May 22 at 7 p.m. For more information on NC Courage season tickets, click here.
Thanks to the North Carolina Courage for this Capcom story & graphic.
