Building women’s professional sports in Canada, with Calgary Wild FC CEO Lara Murphy

This conversation originally aired on Women Are Players Too, where it quickly became our most popular episode of the season. Recorded at the end of the Northern Super League’s inaugural season, this episode captures a defining moment for women’s professional sports in Canada, when the scale of what had been built was coming clearly into focus.

This episode features a conversation with Lara Murphy, CEO and co-owner of Calgary Wild FC, Alberta’s first professional women’s soccer team, and the co-founder of Calgary’s only female-run commercial construction company. 

Long before stepping into professional sport, Lara had already established herself as a respected business leader, board member, and community builder in Calgary, known for her hands-on leadership and commitment to creating opportunity.

In this conversation, Lara reflects on a path shaped by sport, construction, and entrepreneurship, and on the journey from volunteer to CEO at a pivotal moment for women’s sports. She shares what it means to build something that didn’t exist for the generation before her, the responsibility that comes with being first, and the influence of visibility on the next generation of girls who can now see a future in professional sport.

This episode is about leadership, community, and legacy, and why women-led movements in sport are reshaping not just the game, but culture itself.

This season of our podcast is brought to you by our sponsor, TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/wie // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale