Women’s sports bar concept The Sports Bra has secured investment from two-time Women’s National Basketball Association champion Renee Montgomery as the brand accelerates its franchise expansion across the United States.
The investment adds momentum to the fast-growing hospitality brand founded by chef and former basketball player Jenny Nguyen. Nguyen opened the first location in Portland in 2022 after years of frustration with the lack of venues regularly showing women’s sports. What started as an idea shared among friends evolved into a business concept following a successful crowdfunding campaign that generated strong community support before the doors even opened.
The Sports Bra has since built a national profile as a sports bar dedicated entirely to broadcasting women’s competitions, from professional basketball and soccer to tennis and college sports. The concept taps into the rising popularity and commercial growth of women’s athletics, which has attracted increasing attention from investors and media partners.
Montgomery, who won WNBA championships with the Minnesota Lynx in 2015 and 2017 and later played for the Atlanta Dream, joins the brand as both an investor and strategic creative adviser. She is currently a co-owner and vice president of the Atlanta Dream, bringing experience as both a professional athlete and sports executive.
The brand began actively pursuing franchising in 2024 and launched its franchise inquiry platform later that year. In 2025, the company signed agreements for new locations in Las Vegas, Indianapolis, Boston and St. Louis as part of its early expansion pipeline.
The Sports Bra has also attracted backing from Alexis Ohanian, a prominent investor in women’s sports ventures and a founding investor in the brand.
With new capital and high-profile supporters, The Sports Bra is positioning itself to scale nationally as interest in women’s sports continues to grow among fans, broadcasters and commercial partners.
