Megan Rapinoe: An Advocate Of All Things Progressive

Megan Rapinoe is a professional soccer player and advocate for gender equality and LGBTQAI+ rights. She currently captains both the Reign FC team and the United States women's national soccer team.

In her 18-year long professional career she has lead the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team into winning the 2015 and 2019 FIFA World Cups. Under her wing, the team also won the Gold Medal in the 2012 Olympics.

Rapinoe is the recipient of both the Ballon d’Or and the Best FIFA Women’s Player awards in 2019. In that same year, she signed a sponsorship deal win Mendi, a CBD brand founded by her twin sister Rachel Rapinoe.

“I wanted a healthier, more natural option for pain management, sleep aid, relaxation while flying, and general recovery. Mendi’s mission really stuck with me,” she stated in a recent interview.

CBD For Athletes

Megan joined the company as Board Advisor & Strategic Partner. With her inclusion, Mendi aims to conquer the “CBD for athletes” market, positioning its products as a natural solution to pain management. Mendi’s products are manufactured from hemp, to avoid any possible presence of THC, which can be problematic for professional athletes who are required to take routine drug tests.

As a leader of Mendi’s Athlete Ambassador Program, Megan also expects to leverage the brand’s communications platform to bring consciousness to a wide array of social issues in which she is involved. For Megan, inclusion is one of the main hurdles that the cannabis industry needs to overcome to achieve a state of fairness and equality.

“It is no secret that many people have spent years in jail for cannabis, of those people a disproportionate percentage are people of color. We will use this company and our platform to raise awareness and fight for the legalization of CBD and Cannabis everywhere,” she stated when welcomed on board the company.

As a member of the LGBTQAI+ comunity and a feminist, Rapinoe also expects to use her influence and position to bring gender equality to the cannabis industry.

“I think every single industry needs more females represented, and in particular, emerging markets which the lion share of investment is usually made by men. If this is an industry that is really going to serve everyone, then everyone needs to have a seat at the table.”

Rapinoe has also co-founded a gender-neutral lifestyle brand called re-inc. She is a member of GLSEN (formerly the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network) and Athlete Ally, a nonprofit LGBTQ athletic advocacy group.

About Benzinga Events: The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference series is held throughout the year in North American cities. Each event brings investors face-to-face with top cannabis companies to hear about advancements in the rapidly evolving sector. Benzinga's Cannabis Capital Conference returns to Miami on February 24-25, 2020.