When Buick reached out to us—an international brand—my first question to them was what’s their outlook on trans rights? What is General Motors’ stance on trans athletes? On trans employees? Do they have the same rights as everyone else in the company? We knew that they were a big partner for March Madness, but we’re a small brand, and we have things that are very close to our hearts that need to align in order for us to sign on the dotted line.

Amid rising viewership and increased visibility and opportunity for athletes, what role has The Sports Bra—and bars that have followed its lead—played in the progress of women’s sports?

I would never say that The Sports Bra caused anything, but we’re one domino in an absolute ocean of dominoes that have been falling for more than 50 years since Title IX.

The Sports Bra has really given a proof of concept. In men’s sports, for example, people, businesses, companies, corporations, leagues and teams are willing to invest dollars in potential. When it comes to women’s sports, I don’t feel like we’ve gotten that luxury: It has always been proven. If you can prove it, then maybe we’ll put something behind it, and that sets the starting line 10 miles back for women and women athletes. 

We opened the doors to a space where people have easy access to women’s sports, and then bam, day one, 3,000 people showed up. We’ve tapped into something that has been needed for a long time, so we help to prove that the fan base is out there. Now we’re seeing other bars open and seeing exactly the same turnouts, the demand for more spaces like that. 

How have your thoughts on expanding The Sports Bra changed over time?

A year ago, I thought to myself, “I’ve exceeded all my own expectations. Could I live with just one spot and be happy? Absolutely, I’m living my best life, right?”

But then when I thought about [the fact that] we have 40 seats. People fly in from all across the globe, they bring their luggage from the airport and they want us to be the first stop. 

When I think about making people go to a tiny spot in Portland, Ore., to get that feeling, it doesn’t feel fair. It feels like everybody, every single person, deserves to feel seen, represented, celebrated. I want to be able to create more spaces, more opportunities for the next generation to come in and see a future for themselves.