Get to know us
The GIST is a women-founded and operated sports media brand that’s leveling the playing field in sports. Whether it’s a newsletter, podcast or social post, we’re all about providing a fresh and fun perspective on sports.
Our story
Launched across North America in 2019 by three college friends — Jacie deHoop, Ellen Hyslop and Roslyn McLarty — The GIST is all about changing the game in the male-dominated sports industry where less than 14% of journalists are women and less than 4% of coverage is on female athletes.
Three years later, our all-women, 20-person team works day in and day out to change those stats, providing equal coverage on men’s and women’s sports.
What we do
Think of us as your witty, sports-obsessed best friend. We’re a multimedia destination that's made by and for sports fans who don’t fit (or maybe don’t want to fit) the traditional avid sports fan mold.
We entertain and inform our 700k+ audience with our free, 4x-weekly sports news newsletter, 3x-weekly women's sports biz newsletter, our highly popular podcast The GIST of It and our daily social media posts. And, if you catch us at the right time, you can also snag some coveted GIST merch.
Subscribe to our free, 4x-weekly sports news email and 3x-weekly sports biz newsletter
Listen to our podcast, The GIST of It
Follow us on socials — @thegistusa, @thegistca
So, what do you get?
The Team
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Hometown: Carlisle, ON
Favorite sport to play: Soccer, always!
Favorite sport to watch: I love football, women’s soccer (yes, specifically women’s) and hockey
Favorite athlete: Christine Sinclair
Go-to snack: An apple
A fun fact about yourself: I was a chaser on my university’s varsity quidditch team and am low-key high-key obsessed with Harry Potter
Hometown: Kingston, ON
Favorite sport to play: Tennis, baby!
Favorite sport to watch: Love watching basketball
Favorite athlete: Venus Williams
Go-to snack: Almonds, preferably chocolate covered
A fun fact about yourself: My go-to karaoke song is “Not Ready to Make Nice” by the Dixie Chicks
Hometown: Ottawa, ON
Favorite sport to play: Soccer
Favorite sport to watch: Basketball. Toronto Raptors ‘till I die.
Favorite athlete: Serena Williams
Go-to snack: All the coffee (if that’s considered a snack?)
A fun fact about yourself: I make playlists for all my different moods, like a true Cancer
Hometown: Vaughan, Ont.
Favorite sport to play: Curling. Shout out to the Royal Canadian Curling Club!
Favorite sport to watch: Nothing beats a Saturday afternoon baseball game at the Rogers Centre. Basketball when I’m watching on TV.
Favorite athlete: Clara Hughes.
Go-to snack: All the cheese.
A fun-fact about yourself: I was captain of my highschool basketball team. I am 4'11".
Hometown: Cherry Valley, MA
Favorite sport to play: Softball
Favorite sport to watch: Baseball and anything Boston #NewEnglandvsEverybody
Favorite athlete: Current: Chris Sale, Retired: Jess Mendoza
Go-to snack: Cheetos — has to be the crunchy kind!
A fun-fact about yourself: I have dual citizenship in the US and Finland.
Hometown: Irvine, California
Favorite sport to play: Running, either with friends or with a good podcast
Favorite sport to watch: Basketball (sweet assists are my jam) and artistic gymnastics
Favorite athlete: Kyla Ross aka Kyla Boss
Go-to snack: White cheddar popcorn
A fun-fact about yourself: I want to visit all 50 U.S. states someday — 17 more to go!
Hometown: Lancaster, PA
Favorite sport to play: Beach volleyball
Favorite sport to watch: If it’s March or April, I’m picking college basketball. If it’s early December, college volleyball. The rest? I’ll take any football I can get.
Favorite athlete: This changes on the reg, but currently Kelsey Robinson and Zion Williamson
Go-to snack: Apples with peanut butter
A fun-fact about yourself: I play the NYT daily mini crossword puzzle religiously and my PR is 12 seconds.
Hometown: Cerritos, CA
Favorite sport to play: Running...very slowly
Favorite sport to watch: Soccer, football, fútbol — all of the above
Favorite athlete: N’Golo Kanté
Go-to snack: Takis Fuego forever
A fun-fact about yourself: I once wore clear glasses frames because I considered Jürgen Klopp my style inspiration. (Give me a parka, a baseball cap, some New Balance kicks and we’re basically twins.)
Hometown: Gurnee, IL (near Chicago)
Favorite sport to play: Boxing — I was a captain of my college boxing team
Favorite sport to watch: Anything and everything Notre Dame
Favorite athlete: Serena Williams, Patrick Kane, and Sue Bird (my cat, Birdie, is named after her)
Go-to snack: Orville Redenbacher’s Naturals popcorn — best microwave popcorn you’ll ever eat
A fun-fact about yourself: After Chicago won the Stanley Cup in 2015 (#dynasty), I went to the victory rally at Soldier Field, got overheated, and had to be carried out on a stretcher. When I got home that night, my parents (who didn’t know what happened) saw a clip of me being carried out on Chicago's 6 o’clock news. So I’m basically famous.
Hometown: Toms River, NJ
Favorite sport to play: Tennis
Favorite sport to watch: NCAA Football (Go ‘Canes!)
Favorite athlete: James Blake / Serena Williams / Simone Biles
Go-to snack: Lay’s Original Potato Chips, I can devour a family-sized bag no problem (but I try my darndest not to).
A fun-fact about yourself: I earned my black belt by the age of 16, after training for nearly 9 years. It was the best and most rewarding experience of my young life.
Hometown: Sherwood Park, AB (Canada)
Favorite sport to play: running, baseball or volleyball
Favorite sport to watch: Anything live/in person but on TV, soccer or volleyball are my faves
Favorite athlete: Christine Sinclair or Serena Williams or Hayley Wickenheiser
Go-to snack: Chocolate covered blueberries...or anything chocolate
A fun-fact about yourself: I have a few careers under my belt: I’m a trained architectural technologist, journalist, editor, girl empowerment program creator/facilitator and AFLCA certified group fitness instructor.
Hometown: Moreno Valley, CA
Favorite sport to play: Soccer
Favorite sport to watch: Also soccer, specifically, any team in the NWSL.
Favorite athlete: Ali Krieger
Go-to snack: Any type of sour candy.
A fun-fact about yourself: My real name was supposed to be Jacqueline, but when my mom had me, she forgot how she wanted to spell it and named me Jackie instead since it would be shortened to that anyway. Thanks, Mom.
Hometown: Decatur, Illinois
Favorite sport to play: Volleyball
Favorite sport to watch: Volleyball, specifically indoor women’s.
Favorite athlete: Kerri Walsh Jennings
Go-to snack: Reeses’ (but really anything that combines chocolate and peanut butter!)
A fun-fact about yourself: I lack absolutely any kind of dance rhythm, but I can continue hula-hooping until I get too tired to keep going.
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Favorite sport to play: Basketball (beach volleyball is a very close second)
Favorite sport to watch: College basketball (go Hoosiers!), football at any level
Favorite athlete: I’m an Ohio girl, gotta root for my boy LeBron! Skylar Diggins is also one of my heroes.
Go-to snack: Nutella….just give me a spoon! (don’t judge)
A fun-fact about yourself: I’m currently living in Berlin, Germany and can speak a small bit of Deutsch but it’s very much a work in progress.
Hometown: Portland, OR
Favorite sport to play: Soccer.
Favorite sport to watch: It’s a big tie between soccer, basketball and college football.
Favorite athlete: Tobin Heath (her footwork is next level!)
Go-to snack: A bowl of pretzels mixed with chocolate chips.
A fun-fact about yourself: I’ve always wanted to live in a lighthouse.
Hometown: Newmarket, ON
Favorite sport to play: I really dig volleyball, played as a libero on the varsity team in university
Favorite sport to watch: Basketball, forever campaigning for Toronto to get a WNBA team
Favorite athlete: Simone Biles and Steph Curry
Go-to snack: Love me some chocolate covered almonds
A fun-fact about yourself: I went to my first Raptors game at four months old and was also there to witness Kawhi’s shot, we the Champs baby!
Hometown: Spokane, WA
Favorite sport to play: Running, only because jumping rope isn’t a sport!
Favorite sport to watch: Football (go Seahawks) and futbol (USWNT all the way).
Favorite athlete: Bobby Wagner
Go-to snack: Sour Cream & Onion Pringles
A fun-fact about yourself: I used to have a British accent.
Hometown: New York, NY
Favorite sport to play: Tennis
Favorite sport to watch: Soccer
Favorite athlete: Serena and Venus Williams
Go-to snack: Anything with chocolate
A fun-fact about yourself: I taught myself how to turn off my sense of smell.
Hometown: Bowling Green, OH
Favorite sport to play: Softball/baseball
Favorite sport to watch: Soccer, softball/baseball and all college sports (Spartans Will!)
Favorite athlete: Current: Crystal Dunn, Sue Bird
Retired: Lisa Fernandez, Mia Hamm
Go-to snack: Jeni’s ice cream or Trader Joe’s chocolate-covered PB pretzels. Or one topped with the other!
A fun-fact about yourself: I bungee-jumped 150 meters (the world’s highest bungee at the time) from a parasail, backwards, into shark-filled waters. 100% would recommend.
Hometown: Brantford, Canada
Favorite sport to play: Basketball and golf. I like shooting threes and driving the golf ball into hazards.
Favorite sport to watch: Some Sunday afternoon NBA action sandwiched between a Formula One race and Sunday Night Football. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does *chef’s kiss*
Favorite athlete: Serena Williams, Lewis Hamilton and Tom Brady aka the GOATs
Go-to snack: Stale sour keys — terrible for the permanent retainer, good for the soul.
A fun-fact about yourself: Outside of my childhood home where I lived for 18 years, I haven’t lived in one house/apartment for more than a year. I’m very adept at living out of a suitcase; I’ve traveled to 22 countries and lived in three.
Hometown: Waterloo, ON
Favorite sport to play: Volleyball
Favorite sport to watch: Basketball
Favorite athlete: Eluid Kipchoge
Go-to snack: Anything with peanut butter on it
A fun-fact about yourself: I never learned how to tie my shoes properly, I still do the two bunny ears method
Hometown: Oakville, ON
Favorite sport to play: Running or kayaking
Favorite sport to watch: Hockey or F1
Favorite athlete: Tuukka Rask, David Pastrnak, Marie-Philip Poulin
Go-to snack: All-Dressed Ruffles >>>
A fun-fact about yourself: I spent part of my childhood living in England!
Hometown: Montreal, Canada
Favorite sport to play: Basketball & Golf
Favorite sport to watch: Hockey & UMich Sports - Go Blue!
Favorite athlete: Clara Hughes
Go-to snack: A Montreal Bagel (and yes Montreal specifically)
A fun-fact about yourself: I’m the world’s Best Worst Karaoke singer.
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Favorite sport to play: Figure Skating
Favorite sport to watch: Baseball and Hockey
Favorite athlete: Tessa Virtue
Go-to snack: Movie theatre popcorn or Reese’s
A fun-fact about yourself: One of my goals is to travel to every MLB stadium to watch a game!
Hometown: Ottawa, ON
Favorite sport to play: Soccer - I miss being out on the field!!
Favorite sport to watch: Hockey - my first birthday consisted of me being wheeled out to the Ottawa Senators Theme Song.
Favorite athlete: Tessa Virtue - She is such an inspiration.
Go-to snack: Can never go wrong with a solid fruit salad.
A fun-fact about yourself: I’ve been to over 60 concerts in my lifetime. Absolutely buzzing to get back in the stands.
Hometown: Banff, AB
Favorite sport to play: Really hard to pick but spikeball & skiing atm. Also is flirting a sport? Is hot tubbing for 3 hours a sport? 1000%
Favorite sport to watch: Freeride/big mountain skiing
Favorite athlete: Katie Burrell (professional leisure athlete)
Go-to snack: Fake nachos aka saltine crackers with melted cheese and salsa. Sounds kinda gross but it slaps
A fun-fact about yourself: I own two pairs of roller blades and one pair of heelys because wheels on your feet = fast and fast = fun
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Favorite sport to play: Basketball or beach volleyball down by the pier!
Favorite sport to watch: The W baby! Or anything basketball, NBA, college, you name it.
Favorite athlete: Diana Turasi, Sue Bird or Tim Duncan, like, I could name at least 11 more.
Go-to snack: Gotta say I’m a big chips or popcorn kinda gal. Especially homemade popcorn with fun toppings!
A fun-fact about yourself: I’ve traveled to 6 of the 7 continents - next up: Antarctica!
Hometown: Montreal, QC
Favorite sport to play: Basketball
Favorite sport to watch: Basketball (ball is life) and hockey (Go Habs Go)!
Favorite athlete: Kevin Durant, Carey Price and Scottie Barnes
Go-to snack: Double-layered movie theatre popcorn – I’ll go to the movies just to pick some up
A fun-fact about yourself: I can name all 50 American states in alphabetical order. I’m Canadian.
Hometown: Trenton, Ont.
Favorite sport to play: Hockey! But also give me a frisbee and a nice park day and I’m set
Favorite sport to watch: Football, love the short season and full Sunday lineups
Favourite athlete: Current: Bianca Andreescu. Retired: Tie Domi. Don’t @ me
Go-to snack: Toast? I like toast a lot. Bread not as much though.
A fun fact about yourself: When I was young (real young) my dream job was being a garbage-woman because I wanted to hang off the back of the truck as it drove around.
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Favorite sport to play: Hockey
Favorite sport to watch: Women’s hockey Canada vs USA 😈 or WNBA
Favorite athlete: Current: Marie-Philip Poulin, Retired: Hayley Wickenheiser
Go-to snack: Popcorn with ketchup seasoning
A fun-fact about yourself: I dress up as a different Britney Spears every Halloween
Our Story
It all started on a Thursday night in February 2017 when co-founders, Ellen Hyslop, Jacie deHoop and Roslyn McLarty, were catching up over dinner and wine (because, of course). The three had been friends since college, and at the time were working in finance in Toronto.
Ellen, an avid sports fan, could barely contain her excitement over the Toronto Maple Leafs’ big win the night before. She explained to Roslyn and Jacie that the Leafs’ win meant they were headed to the playoffs. In 2017, this was a BFD: the team hadn’t made the playoffs in four years and most people thought the team would be in serious rebuild mode for a few more years.
Ellen’s passion was contagious and her storytelling had a conversational and millennial voice that felt like a breath of fresh air in today’s typical (read: primarily male) sports culture, and it left Roslyn and Jacie wanting to know more — something they didn’t normally feel when hearing about sports from traditional outlets.
Roslyn and Jacie weren’t exactly avid sports fans. While they played competitive sports growing up, it didn’t translate to fandom. It’s difficult to pinpoint why, but it just never felt like it was something for them.
So the team did a bit of digging to find out why so many women feel like sports just isn’t for them. And while it’s no secret that the world of professional sports is male-dominated, the numbers are pretty alarming:
- Less than 14% of sports journalists are women
- Only 4% of sports media content is dedicated to female athletes
- Of C-suite executives in the four major sports, less than 2% are women
It became clear that sports content is created for the avid male fan. And this lack of gender diversity manifests itself in many ways.
It’s not that Roslyn and Jacie weren’t interested in knowing more or being part of the sports community — they would feel the city’s energy and want to join in on the fun when their teams were in the playoffs — but staying up to date on sports felt like a ton of work...and not that much fun. The traditional sports media outlets give a lot of info and assume you already know the backstory to it all.
As an avid female fan, Ellen found her knowledge and fandom constantly being challenged (rolls eyes), and, unlike her male counterparts, she wasn’t automatically invited to be part of the brackets and pools.
And this is really too bad because sports really are an incredible social connector in our society. They have a unique ability to unite people, regardless of age, gender, race, religion, socio-economic class — you name it. How often do you hear, “You watch the game last night?”
So, they decided to do something about it.
