More Than a Bar: Why Every Movement Needs a Home Base

In Columbus, we call it Raise the Bar.

I’ve spent most of my life in places built for teamwork—firehouses, locker rooms, and community gyms. Those are the places where people have your back. In sociology, they call these "Third Places"—the social "living rooms" of a city that exist between home and work. They are the anchors that hold a community together.

But for women’s sports fans, we’ve been "homeless" in the public sphere for way too long.

The Crisis of the "Corner" 

We’ve all experienced the "Corner of the Bar" phenomenon: 30 screens on, but not one showing the women’s championship game unless you beg for it. And even then, the sound is muted. When you mute the game, you're telling the fans they don't belong. You're breaking the ladder before we can even start to climb.

Building the Foundation 

In the firehouse, eating together as a crew is more than just sharing a meal—it’s a daily ritual that builds trust, camaraderie, and a sense of family. Sharing meals together or "Commensality"—is the social glue that brings people together and builds trust within a group. You can't climb a ladder if the base is wobbly. We are building Raise the Bar to be the steady base for Columbus—a place where the sound is on, the tables are shared, and the environment is built for our equity.

The Huddle: We are in our "Brick-by-Brick" phase. Your donations are what make this home base a reality.