Dany Garcia© GettyImages

Dany Garcia

The first female owner of a prominent professional sports league in the U.S.


SEPTEMBER 28, 2023 1:41 PM EDT

Sports and business are two things that Dany Garcia is well acquainted with, and the proof of this is the numerous achievements she has in these two fields. The businesswoman and professional athlete became the first woman owner of one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States: the XFL. As if that was not enough, this intelligent and powerful Latina has also triumphed in the entertainment industry and the world of investments.

© GettyImages

Dany, a first-generation Cuban American, openly acknowledges that her achievements in business are deeply rooted in her upbringing. Embracing her parents’ belief in the United States as a land of boundless opportunities, she internalized the values of diligence and commitment. She left her native New Jersey to move to Florida, where she graduated in Marketing and International Finance from the University of Miami. After working at an investment company, she founded her firm, marking the beginning of her successful business career.

As the founder, CEO, and President of The Garcia Companies, Dany oversees a diverse portfolio of companies focused on business, entertainment, sports, entrepreneurship, and food. While not an easy task, her intelligent and innovative vision has guided her in the growth of these enterprises. Seven Bucks Productions, the production company she co-founded with her ex-husband, partner, and friend Dwayne Johnson, has contributed to the success of a long list of blockbuster films, including “Jumanji: The Next Level,” “Hobbs & Shaw,” “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” “Black Adam,” “Shazam!” and more.

© GettyImages

In 2020, Dany acquired the XFL, a professional American football league, with Johnson and RedBird Capital as partners. With this move, she became the first woman to possess an equal or majority stake in one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States. In the same year, she launched the initiative #LatinxTheMosaic, bringing together different personalities to discuss diversity and racism. She also created a program to support the Latino community through financial grants after the COVID-19 pandemic.