How NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman led the league out of crisis

At 16 years old, Jessica Berman was one of those rare teenagers who knew exactly what she wanted to do in life: lead a professional sports league.

Nearly 30 years later, the New York City native has not only achieved her dream — becoming the commissioner of the National Women’s Soccer League in 2022 — but she’s helping to pave the way for a new generation of women in sports.

Berman told CNBC the league is at “pivotal and transformative” inflection point. “This is a movement where the world is recognizing the value of women and the value of investing in women and girls,” she said.

Berman, who was named to CNBC’s inaugural Changemakers list, began her career as a labor and employment lawyer at the Proskauer Rose law firm following internships at the National Hockey League and in college sports. She helped to negotiate the end of the 2004-2005 NHL lockout with a new 10-year collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players.

She spent the next 13 years rising in the NHL ranks, holding positions ranging from vice president of community development to deputy counsel for the league, working alongside Commissioner Gary Bettman.

In 2019, Berman became the first female deputy commissioner of a men’s professional sports league, joining the National Lacrosse League. Less than three years later, she was tapped to run the NWSL and tasked with turning around an organization in crisis.

Berman took the helm at the women’s soccer league after allegations were made of emotional abuse and sexual misconduct across several teams.

Just months after Berman was named commissioner, findings were released from a yearlong independent investigation, led by former U.S. deputy attorney general Sally Yates, which found systemic abuse in the NWSL. The…