How do you turn passion for soccer into a thriving media brand and a trip to the World Cup?

In this episode of One Cool Story: Tales from the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC), journalism senior Sophie Fowler sits down with Jackie Gutierrez, SOJC journalism master’s alum and founder of Women Kick Balls, a website dedicated to women’s soccer coverage.

Jackie shares how she crowdfunded her dream trip to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand, why she launched a coffee business inspired by soccer, and how she built a community for fans and journalists around the world.

You’ll also hear her One Cool Story behind the site’s name—and her one piece of advice for women breaking barriers in male-dominated fields.

Listen to hear:

• How Jackie turned her UO master’s experience into a global platform.
• Tips for women in sports media and entrepreneurship.
• The story behind her dual passions for coffee and soccer.

Subscribe to the One Cool Story podcast: https://journalism.uoregon.edu/podcast Learn more about the UO Multimedia Storytelling Master’s program: https://journalism.uoregon.edu/academics/graduate-programs/multimedia-storytelling Apply to the UO School of Journalism and Communication: https://sojc.link/SOJC-apply Get to know more about Jackie: https://journalism.uoregon.edu/news/jackie-gutierrez