New story, same legend!
New story, same legend!
OL Lyonnes
Club
Owner
Nationality
American
Her credo: to give female players and teams the way to perform at the highest level, while inspiring the next generation.
Michele Kang is a South Korean-born American entrepreneur with degrees in economics from the University of Chicago and management from Yale. She founded the technology company Cognosante in 2008 before investing heavily in women’s soccer. Her holdings include the Washington Spirit, OL Lyonnes, and the London City Lionesses. In 2024, she created Kynisca Sports International, the first multi-club organization entirely dedicated to women’s soccer, with a strong focus on sports research through the Kynisca Innovation Hub to optimize the performance of female athletes. She is a strong advocate for the recognition and economic viability of women’s sports.
We will offer girls and women around the world the opportunity to access high-level sport, to reach their potential in the best conditions and to play football in elite world clubs.
2025
She becomes president of Olympique Lyonnais and CEO of Eagle Football Group. She had been a member of the OL board of directors since 2023.
2023
She became the owner of OL Lyonnes (then Olympique Lyonnais Féminin), the most decorated club in Europe with eight Women’s Champions League titles, to promote this unique model in France and Europe. Her goal: to make Lyon the beating heart of women’s football worldwide. At the end of the year, she also became the president of London City Lionesses FC in England.
2022
She bought the American club Washington Spirit and laid the foundation stone for Kynisca, her visionary project: a global network of elite women’s clubs, inspired by Kynisca, the first female Olympic champion of Antiquity: https://www.kynisca.com/
2021
She takes action with the creation of the Washington Coalition, a first step towards giving athletes the place they deserve.
2020
A scandal of moral and sexual abuse erupts in women’s soccer in the United States. Michele Kang takes a public stand, defends the players, and advocates for a healthier, safer, and more respectful environment.
2019
Invited to the White House to celebrate the victory of the American women’s national team in the World Cup, she met and spoke with the players. This encounter would prove decisive for what followed and for her vision, which would emerge a few years later, particularly after a scandal that triggered a real turning point.
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