Keri Shahidi, Mechalle Brown, Shetellia Riley Irving (from left to right)
League of Industry Moms
Mother-child partnerships in professional sports and entertainment are reshaping the investment scene. Now a trailblazing network of professional athletes’ mothers, League of Industry Moms, is changing how silent investment partners are creating the new way wealth management works in sports. These maternal figures serve as vital guardians for these elite performers’ financial futures, as a hidden force behind many multi-million dollar deals.
The Breakdown You Need To Know:
Mothers play a pivotal role in shaping the financial decisions of professional athletes and entertainers, offering guidance, support, and sometimes direct management of their finances. This is why Twanna Harris, Founder of League of Industry Moms, started what she notes is an investable company to recognize the quiet but powerful influence mothers have in shaping their children’s careers and legacies. Harris honored great mothers during Super Bowl week including Keri Shahidi (Yara Shahid’s mom), Mechalle Brown (Jaylen Brown’s mom) and Shetellia Riley Irving (Kyris Irving’s mom).
“From Deloris Jordan securing Michael Jordan’s Nike deal to Robin Burrow supporting Joe Burrow’s confidence during his most vulnerable moments, to Jason Weaver’s mother, Marilyn Haywood, ensuring her son maintained ownership over his royalties from The Lion King. These stories highlight the strategic foresight mothers have when navigating high-stakes industries,” said Harris to CultureBanx.
Mastering The Business Playbook:
When we look at leading women like Felicia Jones, NFL quarterback Lamar Jackson’s mom, who is his manager, and has been since he entered the league. She played an integral part in landing his monster $260 million, five-year contract with the Ravens ahead of the 2023 season.
Even though most of these moms journeys are often unseen, their sacrifices unspoken, the impact is undeniable. Case and point, NBA star Kyrie Irving’s mom, Shetellia Riley Irving, is also his agent. She told CultureBanx that “the silent mothers and mother figures are the true power brokers…their collective wisdom, resilience, and unwavering love is the true foundation behind every athlete and entertainer’s story.”
Revenues for the NFL, NBA, and MLB were $20 billion, $13 billion, and $11 billion respectively in 2023, according to Statista. However, it’s more important than ever to note that Fox Business reported the hard truth shows that 78% of professional athletes face financial difficulties within three years of retirement.
Guiding Championship Wealth:
Mothers are the silent powerbrokers who ensure their children not only succeed but thrive in ways that prioritize equity, ownership, and long-term impact. Mechalle Brown, mother of NBA star Jaylen Brown, along with Keri Shahidi, mother of actress Yara Shahidi, are powerbrokers who play a major role in their successful children’s careers and were honored during Super Bowl weekend by the League of Industry Moms.
These women excel as sophisticated financial advisors and contract negotiators, like Deloris Jordan’s advocacy for Michael Jordan’s Nike deal, which created a blueprint for athletes to demand a bigger stake in the brands they help build. League of Industry Moms are not only shaping the financial futures of their children but also setting industry-wide examples for how to claim a larger share of the revenues these industries generate.
This legacy of brilliance and strong financial management continues to inspire mothers like Kia Brooks, LSU Women’s basketball star Flau’jae Johnson’s mom, who is setting a new standard by teaching her daughter to prioritize equity and ownership. Flau’jae’s recent NIL deal with Unrivaled, which includes both equity and ownership, is a direct reflection of the models of influence that these incredible mothers have created.
Teaching Money Management Early:
Childhood experiences build the foundation for financial success and parents play a major role in that. They can learn simple money concepts by age six, according to Nimble. Specifically, young athletes and entertainers develop critical thinking skills between ages twelve and adulthood that help them avoid irrational spending which can help them as theory transition into professional athletes face unique financial challenges, including:
- Fluctuating incomes requiring careful budgeting
- Short career spans necessitating early retirement planning
- Complex tax implications that need specialized knowledge
Investment Opportunities Multiply:
The League of Industry Moms operates in a unique space that celebrates and amplifies this collective genius, positioning mothers as thought leaders, advocates, and changemakers. Harris stated “athletes and artists often mirror what they see, and when they see their mothers advocating for equity, playing the long game, and building generational wealth, it shifts how they approach their careers.”
By blending cultural capital, emotional intelligence, and strategic vision, mothers create opportunities for their children to shift from participants to stakeholders. They significantly influence the financial trajectories of professional athletes, offering support that can lead to prudent financial management and advocating for systemic changes.
Situational Awareness:
Athletes’ and entertainers’ moms have become powerhouses across the professional landscape. They’ve turned basic support roles into smart business partnerships. Leading them to be crowned silent gatekeepers who protect their children, while building strong brands that shape professional sports’ future. Their influence helps their children succeed way beyond the reach of sports.