When the 2023 XFL season kicks off Saturday, Feb. 18, it will mark the first time that a woman or Latina will serve as the owner of a professional sports league.

Dany Garcia is co-owner of the XFL, alongside her business partner and ex-husband, Dwayne Johnson.

Her acquisition of the XFL is yet another layer to Garcia’s career as a groundbreaking visionary. Her career has brought her a long list of titles — chairwoman, entrepreneur, founder, investor, producer, and philanthropist, among several others. 

Born to Cuban immigrants in New Jersey, Garcia grew up with parents striving to achieve The American Dream. 

She is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Business, where she majored in international marketing and finance and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. 

Shortly after graduating, she began her career in finance at Merrill Lynch. 

Garcia started her entrepreneurial journey in 2002, when she launched JDM Partners, LLC, a wealth management firm. She continues to be an active angel investor, using her wealth of knowledge and experience to identify and invest in groundbreaking entrepreneurs and business start-ups. 

She is also the founder, CEO and chairwoman of The Garcia Companies. In that role, she oversees a vast portfolio and utilizes her keen expertise to foster growth for brand within the business, entertainment, sports, entrepreneurial and food spaces. 

In each endeavor, Garcia’s passion for bettering the lives of others shines through.

Last fall, she launched #LatinxTheMosaic, bringing together prominent figures, influencers, actors, filmmakers and trailblazers for an honest dialogue confronting racism, colorism and celebrating Black influence within the Latinx community. 

In partnership with Hello Alice, Garcia also created a program dedicated to the entire Latinx community, providing grants to Latinx small and new business owners to keep their entrepreneurial dream alive amidst the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Her XFL co-ownership is an extension for her love of professional sports combined with her expertise. The goal is to develop the league into a brand that becomes a multimedia experience that athletes, partners and fans will embrace and love.

The XFL was originally launched in 2001 as a joint venture between then-World Wrestling Federation and NBC, led by former chairman Vince McMahon and NBC executive Dick Ebersol.

It ceased operations after only a single season. 

In 2018, McMahon announced that the XFL would be revived and rebuilt, with plans of a 10-week regular season starting in February 2020 — the weekend after Super Bowl LIV.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the league announced it would be canceling the rest of the season. Shortly afterward, it suspended its operations and McMahon filed for bankruptcy. 

In August 2020, it was announced that the XFL would be sold and relaunched. Eventually, a $15 million sale was agreed upon by Johnson, Garcia, and Gerry Cardinale of RedBird Capital Partners. 

The deal effectively made Garcia the first woman and first Latina to own a professional sports league, breaking a barrier that has long excluded those like her.

The 2023 XFL regular season is scheduled to run from Feb. 18 through April 23, 2023. The playoff are then scheduled to run from April 29 through May 13, 2023.