Jess Smith

President, Golden State Valkyries

Jess Smith is entering her first season as President of Golden State’s WNBA Team. Smith, who has over 18 years of experience in professional sports, oversees all WNBA business operations and reports directly to Warriors President and Chief Operating Officer, Brandon Schneider. Smith joined Golden State from Angel City Football Club, where she served as Head of Revenue from 2020-24. In that role, she oversaw partnerships, ticketing, commerce, operations, data and analytics, broadcast and strategic alliances. Smith, who has a passion for creating revenue streams with intent, revolutionized the sports industry partnership approach with Angel City’s model, where 10% of sponsorship revenues are invested into local community initiatives focusing on equity, essentials, and education. Smith was responsible for launching the ‘Fan Fueled Player Fund,’ where players receive 1% of net ticketing proceeds for advertising ticket sales with their names and likeness. Under her leadership, Angel City renewed over 90% of the team’s season ticket members heading into the 2024 NWSL season.