It all begins with an idea.
Founders Karina and Jennifer–both former athletes, lifelong sports fans, and accomplished professionals–realized no matter how much clout or experience they racked up, they’d never be taken seriously in the world of sports. Be it ignorance, bias, or the good old racism/misogyny combo, people in the industry have an idea of what experts in the field should look like, and it’s not two young Latinas. Jen and Karina knew they’d never get true playing time because the game wasn’t built for them. So they decided to build their own damn team.
Fueled by their personal lived-experiences, passion and expertise, they got to work. They assembled a team of industry vets who understood the importance and power of the Latinx sports fan. DRAFTED aims to become one of the most industry-disrupting sports platforms, providing community and insights that have never been touched before.
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Karina Martinez
CO-FOUNDER
Karina was born in Asuncion, Paraguay, adopted by Cuban immigrants and raised in SoCal, so the hyphen has always been her home. Since the beginning of her career she has been working at the intersection of culture and storytelling having previously founded a cultural communications agency. Growing up as a young queer kid, sports played a pivotal role in her upbringing and with DRAFTED she hopes more people feel seen and heard in the world of sports.
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Jennifer Yepez-Blundell
CO-FOUNDER
As a second-generation Mexican-American, former DII Softball player, and Cultural Strategist, Jennifer's unique journey shaped her philosophy and approach to diversity-of thought and inclusion. Her competitive spirit led her to enter the startup world to build representation in Sports and address the systemic issues she experienced first-hand in being an athlete + fan. Her passion for change runs deep as a Mom to two-young daughters.