Since the announcement in January, Colorado has been abuzz about Denver being awarded the newest National Women’s Soccer League team, set to begin play in 2026.
Between powerhouse additions to the ownership and investor groups and the groundbreaking on a new state-of-the-art performance center in Centennial, Coloradans have made it clear that professional women’s sports are long overdue in the area.
The club also unveiled plans for a future stadium district in downtown Denver, which will represent the largest investment in women’s team sports infrastructure in history.
The exclamation point came on June 3, when Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback (and obvious Denver legend) Peyton Manning joined the club as a Denver NWSL investor.
The Sheriff announced his involvement in a cheeky video of him FaceTiming his brother, NFL legend Eli Manning, a minority owner of Gotham FC in New York.
But the five-time NFL MVP and two-time Super Bowl winner’s addition is just the icing on a star-studded cake of owners and investors for the new soccer club.
See the full list below, with details pulled from DenverNWSL.com.
Olympic Alpine Skier Mikaela Shiffrin
A Colorado legend is joining the Denver NWSL group as an investor. Shiffrin has 101 World Cup victories, is a two-time Olympic champion, an eight-time World Champion and a five-time Overall World Cup Champion.
“I’m beyond thrilled to join the ownership group of Denver NWSL and support something so meaningful in the community I call home,” Shiffrin said in a statement. “The sport culture in Colorado is rich and deep, and — most notably — the growth of women’s sports is one of the most exciting movements in our culture today.”
General Manager Curt Johnson
With seven major NWSL trophies under his belt, Johnson already has a decorated resume in the sport.
According to Jeff Kassouf at ESPN, “Johnson left the North Carolina FC and North Carolina Courage organization in December after 14 years combined with the men’s and women’s teams. As chief soccer officer, he oversaw the rise of the Courage’s NWSL dynasty that included back-to-back NWSL Shields and NWSL Championships in 2018 and 2019.”
Johnson is a two-time NWSL champion, a three-time NWSL Shield Winner and a two-time NWSL Challenge Cup Winner.
President Jen Millet
A Colorado native, Millet is Denver NWSL’s first employee.
According to the club’s website, Millet joins Denver NWSL from Bay FC, where she served as chief operating officer for the National Women’s Soccer League’s (NWSL) 14th expansion franchise. Millet will return to the Mile High City to lead all of Denver NWSL’s business operations, including partnerships, ticket sales, marketing, and venue operations.
Founder Rob Cohen
Cohen is the chairman and CEO of IMA Financial Group, Inc., a top-25 North American insurance brokerage specializing in risk management, insurance, wholesale brokerage and wealth management headquartered in Denver.
In 2001, Cohen founded the Denver Sports Commission, whose mission is to proactively identify, pursue and attract regional, national and international amateur and professional athletic competitions and events to Denver. The commission has helped bring notable events such as the All-Star Games of MLB, NBA, NHL, Women’s Final Four and Hockey Frozen Four to the greater Denver area.
Cohen also served as a founding member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Foundation (USOPF) and is the chair of the Games Hospitality Committee. He most recently was on the Salt Lake City Bid committee, which was awarded the Winter Olympic Games for 2034. He has served on the board for the United States Olympic Museum and has attended 15 different Olympic Games in his lifetime.
Alternate Governor Mellody Hobson
Hobson is co-CEO and president of Ariel Investments, LLC (“Ariel”), the first and oldest African-American-owned mutual fund company in the United States. Ariel is the parent company of Project Level, which is investing in the Denver NWSL franchise.
Led by Hobson and former Washington Commanders President Jason Wright, Project Level’s mission is to ‘level’ the playing field in women’s sports through investment and ownership. In 2022, Hobson made history as one of the first Black owners in the National Football League, as part of the Denver Broncos’ Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group. She is also a shareholder of the Chicago White Sox, the Women’s National Basketball Association and League One Volleyball.
The Borgen/Moritz Families
Working closely with Cohen and in alignment with the team at For Denver FC on the nearly two-year journey, siblings and founders Jon-Erik Borgen and Kaia Borgen Moritz were key contributors in the early movement and eventual bid to bring an NWSL team to Denver.
Together with their spouses, Brooke Borgen and Misha Moritz, and the recent addition of sister Randi, the Borgen family has a distinguished legacy of financial, athletic and philanthropic impact and success in Colorado. This community-focused investment through their FirstTracks Sports Ventures, LLC, represents their passion for women’s athletics, elevating opportunities for all and their commitment to bringing the first professional women’s soccer team to Denver.
Molly Coors
It’s not Denver pro sports if Coors isn’t involved.
Coors is a fifth-generation Coloradan. She played collegiate lacrosse at Connecticut College and worked for AllianceBernstein for 14 years (in the U.S. and abroad) from 2008 to 2022.
Coors is also on the Young Guns Committee for the National Western Stock Show.
Brooke Woody
Another connection from North Carolina, Woody entered the women’s sports arena with a minority ownership stake in the NC Courage.
She recently served on the board of the Community Impact Fund, is a director of a local foundation and volunteers at a community food bank.
Neelima Joshi and Dhiren Jhaveri
Two powerhouse investors also joined the group. Denver NWSL’s page details their experience below.
Joshi is a Colorado native and seasoned finance professional with experience in corporate finance, community leadership and non-profit board governance. Currently, she serves on the Board of Directors of the Food Bank of the Rockies. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Biennial of the Americas, an organization which was established by the Colorado Governor’s office to promote cultural exchange, innovation and collaboration throughout the Americas.
Jhaveri is the founder, chairperson and CEO of Kuvare, a global technology-enabled financial services platform with $46B in assets that provides insurance, reinsurance and asset management solutions. Additionally, Kuvare has a strong commitment to community enhancement, infrastructure development and sports-related investments. More information can be found at denvernwsl.com.
Cordillera Investment Partners
According to Denver NWSL’s website, Cordillera Investment Partners is an investment management firm focused on investing in niche, non-correlated assets. Its investments are generally in sectors that are misunderstood, undercapitalized and uncorrelated with traditional assets. Cordillera manages approximately $1.8 billion of capital on behalf of endowments, foundations, family offices, wealth advisors and other institutional investors.
The Soin Family, led by Vishal Soin
Raj Soin and Vishal Soin represent two generations of entrepreneurial leadership and philanthropic commitment of the Soin Family. More here.
For Denver FC Capital Partners (SPV)
Founded in 2022 by Ben Hubbard, Tom Dunmore, Jordan Angeli and Nicole Glaros, For Denver FC launched the movement that ultimately brought professional women’s soccer to Colorado.
The club’s site reads, “For Denver FC’s work was instrumental in the early stages of Denver’s pursuit of an NWSL franchise, helping lay the foundations for Denver’s successful bid by generating deep grassroots enthusiasm, exploring infrastructure solutions, and engaging Rob Cohen and other key members of the ownership group. In early 2025, Hubbard, Dunmore, Angeli and Glaros were joined by Stacy Carter to form ForDenverFC Capital Partners, which includes Yoav Lurie and Lana Kimayeva, Jodi Asarch, Sebastian Somen, Thomas and Carrie Hutchinson and others.
Follow Denver NWSL on social media channels for updates on stadium-building, partnerships and more. All other information can be found at denvernwsl.com.