We sat down with Atlanta City FC’s Vice President and Chief Business Officer, Deandra Duggans, to learn more about the NWSL’s newest team’s brand identity, what fans can expect from the squad, and more about how Duggans’ background in sports perfectly prepared her to help bring women’s soccer to Atlanta.

TOGETHXR: Deandra, how did you get into sports? Did you play as a kid? Which sports did you love? Give us the rundown. 

Deandra Duggans (DD): Basketball was my sport of choice — I thought I was going to be the next Sheryl Swoopes. I played all kinds of sports: flag football, soccer; anything that was competitive or kept me busy and focused, I was into it. In high school, I played basketball and softball. Sports has always been my outlet.

I didn't know that [sports] would be a career path for me, to be quite honest. When I went to college, I went to be a veterinarian. I totally changed paths my sophomore year. I spent time exploring career paths, and I've always loved sports, but I didn't know the business behind it. I knew marketing was a career path, but I didn't really know what it was. I'm a first-generation college student, so I didn't have much guidance there.

I spent some time exploring, talking with advisors, and taking a few classes, and I found a way to combine two things that I love: sports and marketing. I took some marketing classes and combined the two, so that's how I created my degree.

TOGETHXR: You spent some time at Georgia State for your graduate program. Was that part of the allure coming to this position — getting to come back to Georgia? 

DD: When I went to grad school, I was very sure of what I wanted to do with my career. I chose the program at Georgia State because it was in Atlanta, and it was a city where every major professional sports team was represented. Also, the WNBA was coming in 2008, so I got a chance to see and be a part of that while working at [then] Philips Arena.

It was just the perfect place. The program provided opportunities and internships to get my feet wet, learn a lot, and immerse myself in the business. I always say that Atlanta really kicked off my career. I think I interned with every team in the market here, and I interned at the Georgia Dome, too.

Coming back to Atlanta was quite a full-circle moment. It’s familiar territory, but also an established sports town. It’s super diverse, super inclusive, and has so much to do. Also, it was about believing in what Arthur Blank and AMB Sports and Entertainment (AMBSE) want to build here, with adding another women's sports team to the portfolio. That really was a huge draw for me.

TOGETHXR: You’ve worked in professional sports for quite some time now, going from the NFL to the WNBA, and now into the NWSL. Thinking back on your time with the Baltimore Ravens and with the Las Vegas Aces, is there anything you learned in those positions that will help you coming into this role? 

DD: With every stop, you take what you can learn and take it to the next opportunity.

I learned so much with the Ravens. It brought me to the Aces, and it really taught me how to do things at a very high level. The NFL is amazing at telling the stories behind the athletes. So taking that to the Aces and really trying to build a brand around who the players are to push their stories forward, championing them as people first and athletes second, was something I took from the NFL.

I also learned how to do the foundational things — how to set systems up and get things moving. How do we approach our creative? How do we approach media days? How do we approach building the brand? I learned a lot of that with the NFL, with the Ravens. 

I think we did pretty well in the four years that I was [with the Aces]. We had some incredible success. Obviously, it wasn't just me — we had an amazing team there. We did some great things to help propel that team and the city, and establish it as a really great sports town. We were the first professional sports team to win a championship in Nevada, and making history in that way, with that organization, was really special.

From the Aces, I took a lot of learnings through the lens of women's sports. It was about understanding the motivation behind fans and consumers—what moves people and what fans actually care about. Also, ways to platform these athletes to move the league forward. That's really what we want to do here. There are so many parallels between the WNBA and the NWSL. It's really a standard of excellence in doing things at the top level.

Everything that we're trying to do here with this club is very representative of how they've done things with every club within the AMBSE portfolio. [We want to] push the league forward, expand the sport, and do great things in the community.

TOGETHXR: What was it about this team or this position that made you decide the NWSL was the next stop on your professional journey? 

DD: It really is about the personal and professional challenge, and the excitement around the NWSL. I know that the NWSL wants to be the premier women's soccer league in the world. 

I think that they're already there. It's an exciting time to be a part of this league right now. Everything from the competitive play on the pitch to the athletes finding their star power. All of those things were pretty compelling for me.

TOGETHXR: What are the goals and duties for your position with Atlanta City FC?

DD: As VP and Chief Business Officer, my duties include day-to-day business strategy for the club, including all marketing, sales, sponsorship, digital, and community functions of Atlanta City FC — basically everything that's not on the soccer operations side. It's really about building the entire team, staffing, and getting us ready for the first kick in 2028.

TOGETHXR: This is such an exciting time with the brand, the crest, the colors, all announced. Could you give us a little bit of insight into what the creative process was like? 

DD: Most importantly, we wanted to make sure that it was a club that represented Atlanta. As I mentioned before, Atlanta's diverse and a city where everybody feels like they belong, so we wanted to make sure that was represented in the club identity and the name, and in everything we do.

We went through a general brand development process. One of our core values at AMBSE is listening and responding, so that was important for us. We conducted surveys and held focus groups with city civic leaders. The mayor was part of that process, along with city business leaders, other team executives, our fans, and current NWSL deposit holders.

We got an understanding of what people wanted to see out of this club — some common themes that they wanted to see in the brand. We listened to best practices from other NWSL teams, learning as much as we could about how they operate, and listened to the advice they shared.

We took all of that information collectively and worked with our creative team to develop an incredible brand identity that we are super proud of, and we think Atlanta will be proud of too.

It's not just a logo. It has a story behind it. It's very intentional. It includes all these elements that are super important to the city of Atlanta. The Phoenix is the centerpiece of the brand identity and what that means to Atlanta as a city that was burned to the ground and rose from the ashes. If you drive around Atlanta, you'll see symbols of the Phoenix in many different places. So that's something that the city of Atlanta identifies with, the people identify with, and it's very reflective of the resilience of everybody here.

A city of resilience, a city of people who are super creative and ambitious, and one that is constantly changing. We wanted all of those things to kind of be reflected in the identity and give us some opportunities to also be flexible with how we express the brand.

We're super proud of what came out of it. It's rooted in history — respecting the past, recognizing all the folks that came before us — not just in sports and not just in soccer, but all the people that built this city. 

TOGETHXR: We know that the new branding and merchandise is a huge part of the club’s identity. Are there any specific merchandise items that you’re excited for people to see?

DD: We couldn't do everything that we wanted, but we wanted to make sure that we had pieces that were on trend and reflective of our branding—not just a logo on a shirt. We have several things with the crest on the shirt, but we wanted to dive deeper — how do we make merchandise that feels like everyday wear, a collection fans can wear to support the team wherever they go? 

So, it's obviously prioritizing women. We definitely have some men's items and unisex items as well. We used different materials, like Sherpa. We have the TOGETHXR shirt, which I think everybody would love. We have signature pieces with Peace Collective. There's a jacket that really emphasizes the Phoenix beautifully, and we use our tertiary logo, ATL CTY, a lot for a more minimalistic look.

We have some plushies for the kids. We also have a vast number of kids' clothes, like shirts and hoodies. That was one of the learnings that we got from other clubs — to make sure that we had a variety and a large inventory, because one thing we know about women's sports is that the fan base really loves merch. They want to make sure it's exclusive and feels unique to the club.

This is the first of many things to come. There are so many things we really want to do with it that will be expressed through the kit, through our collections, and so many other fun things that we can't speak about yet — but it'll all come to life in a really amazing way.

TOGETHXR: There’s still another year until the team takes the field. What can fans expect between right now and that first kick? 

DD: We have a lot of big moments ahead of us as we launch the club. We have to get out there and introduce ourselves to a community of fans that have been ready for a women's soccer team to come to market. We're excited to be able to do that and have some one-on-one interaction with the community.

We want to make sure we are galvanizing and engaging the youth girls' soccer market here in the Atlanta area — and not just Atlanta proper. We want to make sure that we are accessible as a team for all of the Southeast. As far and wide as we can get (without encroaching on territory), we want to do it, because we know youth soccer is on the rise.

Young girls now imagine themselves in the sport and playing at a professional level. Now they have a team in their backyard where that story becomes real for them.

We want to make sure that we are out there and that we have visibility in the marketplace, participating in the events that really matter for the city. We want to bring in more staff — the best of the best. Bring in the Avengers, so to speak — to really do some incredible things.

We’re not necessarily competing with other teams [right now]. We're really competing against ourselves. I think we have the expectation on our shoulders to be excellent. We want to make sure we fill Mercedes-Benz Stadium and show the world what soccer looks like in Atlanta.

TOGETHXR: If you had the chance to draft a player from another women's sports league onto the Atlanta City FC team. Who would you go for? 

DD: This is really a no-brainer. I'm going to say A'ja Wilson.

TOGETHXR: Okay, I love it. Give us a few more, since that answer came so easily.

DD: She'd be incredible. I think she's the best player in the world. She'd probably be the best player in the world at any sport. I'm biased in that regard. So we have A’ja... I think I'm going to pick Rhyne Howard. She's just her. Versatile. I'm gonna bring somebody back from retirement. I'm going to get Megan Rapinoe because I love Megan Rapinoe. Jordan Chiles. She may be a bit on the short side, but I think she's fast, and she could be a little swifty. Who would be my fifth? Taylor Townsend — she's from Atlanta.

TOGETHXR: What do you think fans can expect from this club in 5 words or less? 

DD: Inclusivity. Competitiveness. I don't want to say fun [because] it's such a basic word, but we're gonna have some fun. Rooted in community, I’m making that count as one word, and… influential. 

TOGETHXR: What has been your favorite part of building this club? 

DD: Oh, man. There are so many fun parts. Working with the team that's here. I think the first thing AMBSE told me was, ‘If you need help, we're here,’ and they really meant that. Everyone across the board has stepped in to help to make sure that this is a success. It’s been super fun to be part of something where people are standing on what they say. It’s a team and family environment.

TOGETHXR: Everyone's always hyping up Atlanta, so we'd love to know: what are some of your favorite qualities about the city?

DD: I am re-familiarizing myself with Atlanta. When I say it's constantly evolving, it's different from when I was here in grad school.

It's really the people. It's everybody here in Atlanta. You just don't really run into a stranger.

There are so many places to explore, from food to music to entertainment. I live right near Piedmont Park, so that's pretty fun. I love walking through there. I love the Botanical Gardens. The art scene is amazing. The sports scene is amazing. Last weekend I went to an Atlanta Dream game and an Atlanta Falcons game in one weekend. I went to a Black Girls Soccer event right before the Dream game. I went all over the city and experienced everything. It's a great place to live. It's a great place to work. It's always moving. I love Atlanta.