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Despite the great steps taken, women in sports still occupy a secondary place, whether on the field or the business side. There are fewer women as directors, owners, or trainers. Karina Martinez decided to do something about this, embarking on a business adventure and a movement that pushes Latina athletes forward.
© @karimmartAlongside her friend and partner Jennifer Yepez-Blundell, Karina founded Drafted in 2023, the first Latin-owned business that focuses on athletes and fans of sports. "It's been a lot of years of us seeing brands create something for Latinas yet never inviting us to be a part of it. A lot of the time they throw products at us without knowing what we want as consumers," said Karina in an interview with BeLatina.
"We wanted to do things differently and make sure that the Latina consumer of sports was involved in every step"
© @draftedKarina was born in Asuncion, Paraguay, and was adopted by Cuban immigrants, and raised in Southern California. As a young queer person, she found shelter in sports, allowing her to feel welcomed and part of the team. She inherited her passion for soccer from her father, even though soccer is just one of the athletic pursuits she followed in her life.
"Years ago, coming out of the closet wasn't as accepted as it is now, so being a part of a sporting team gave me the chance to be like everyone else for an hour, helping me forget the inner battle I was fighting."
In 2019, before creating Drafted, Karina founded The Avana House, a public relations agency. A year later, she met Jennifer, another former athlete and sports lover.
© @karimmart"Knowing what we know of finances and social media, particularly when discussing Latinas, we were surprised that no companies or communities were taking advantage of us in the sports industry. We had the opportunity to be the first to do it," said Karina.
