The Kickoff

2026: The Year We Build the Home Women’s Sports Deserve

Why the next twelve months will define the future of sports culture in Columbus.

In the world of sports, the "pre-season" is where the foundation is laid. It’s a time of intense preparation, strategy, and building the trust necessary to win. For Raise the Bar, 2025 was our pre-season. We built the digital tools, we grew our "huddle" of supporters, and we refined our mission.

But 2026? 2026 is the kickoff.

The Tipping Point

We aren’t just opening a bar because we love sports. We’re opening it because we are at a global tipping point. Viewership for women’s sports is breaking records every single month, yet the physical infrastructure—the places where we gather to watch those records be broken—hasn't kept up.

In Columbus, we have world-class athletes, a legendary sports culture, and a community that shows up. But until now, we haven't had a permanent "home" where women’s sports are the main event, not the afterthought.

More than sports

We often talk about the Peterson and Runyan study, which found that simply witnessing women succeed creates a "virtuous cycle." When society sees women in positions of power—on the podium, in the arena, or leading a business—it shifts the collective belief about where women belong.

Raise the Bar is designed to be a physical engine for that cycle.

• It’s a space where a young girl sees a professional basketball game on the big screen and realizes her dreams are valid.

• It’s a space where a business leader sees the ROI of women’s sports sponsorship in real-time.

• It’s a space where the "Leadership Pipeline" is strengthened every time the sound is turned up for a game.

Competition + Cooperation = Community

This year, we are modeling a new kind of sports culture. In 2026, we want Columbus to be the city that proves competition and cooperation are not opposites. We will compete for the win on the screens, but we will cooperate at the tables. We are inviting local breweries, women-owned businesses, and neighborhood teams to help us build this. When we cooperate to build the space, the competition on the field becomes more meaningful. It becomes a celebration of what’s possible when a community invests in its own.

The 2026 Roadmap

This year, our focus is clear:

1. Securing the Ground: Finalizing our physical location in Columbus.

2. Expanding the Huddle: Growing our donor base to ensure this space is built by the community, for the community.

3. The Grand Opening: Creating a "third place" that feels like a firehouse, a locker room, and a family dinner all rolled into one.

How to Join the Kickoff

This bar isn't a finish line; it’s the start of a new era for Columbus. We are changing the culture of who gets to lead and who gets to be seen.

• Become a Founding Member: Your donations this quarter are critical to securing our doors.

• Collaborate: Are you a local business owner or a team organizer? Let’s talk about how we can cooperate to make 2026 legendary.

• Keep the Conversation Going: Use The Equity Scorecard to practice your advocacy. Every time you speak up for the game, you’re helping us build the bar.

2026 is the year we stop waiting for a seat at the table and build our own. Let’s get to work.