Jennifer Sey: From Levi’s Executive to Champion for Women’s Sports
Five years after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, the ripples of that global event continue to reshape lives. For Jennifer Sey, the pandemic served as a catalyst for profound personal and professional transformation. Once a high-ranking executive at Levi’s, she now stands as a vocal advocate for women’s sports, driven by a commitment to truth and the protection of female athletes.
Sey’s journey began with a successful career at Levi’s, where she served as the global brand president of the iconic San Francisco company. However, her trajectory took an unexpected turn when she voiced concerns about the impact of prolonged school closures on children. In 2020, as schools remained shuttered, Sey spoke out about the potential harm being done to students, including her own children. Her stance drew the ire of her colleagues, but she refused to back down. Eventually, in 2022, she was forced out of Levi’s for what she describes as "simply speaking the truth."
Far from being silenced, Sey has channeled her experiences into a new mission. Drawing upon her background as a former national gymnastics champion, she has become a fierce advocate for preserving women’s athletics and ensuring that spaces remain exclusively for women. In March 2024, Sey launched her own clothing brand, XX-XY Athletics, with the explicit goal of raising awareness about the challenges posed by allowing transgender athletes to compete on women’s teams. The brand serves as a platform to advocate for the rights and opportunities of women in sports.
In a recent interview, Sey reflected on her journey and her current advocacy work. She noted that it has been five years since she left the Democratic Party, now registering as an independent. Although she voted for Trump in the last election, she is surrounded by Democrats including her parents and siblings. She emphasizes her familiarity with their perspectives and acknowledges their strong convictions.
Sey expressed her honor at being invited to a recent event acknowledging women who have been working hard over the past few years. The event brought together hundreds of women, many of whom she knew, creating a supportive and empowering atmosphere.
When asked about her willingness to collaborate with others on the issue of women’s sports, Sey stated unequivocally that she would stand "shoulder to shoulder" with anyone committed to fighting alongside her. While she acknowledged supporting and voting for Trump, she emphasized that even without that support, he is doing the right thing on this issue. She was proud and honored to be present at the event.
Sey critiqued the NCAA’s policy on transgender athletes, arguing that its very title reveals its intentions. She believes the policy is not primarily focused on protecting women’s sports. She considers the policy deeply flawed, citing two major concerns. First, it fails to establish a clear boundary for who can participate in women’s sports. Second, it allows transgender athletes to participate on teams aligning with their gender identity and receive all the benefits except for competing. This, in Sey’s view, means that transgender athletes can receive scholarships, be in the locker room, practice with the team, and travel with the team essentially being full members except for actual game competition. She suggests these loopholes are intentional, arguing that the policy makers are speaking out of both sides of their mouth and not genuinely committed to protecting women’s sports. She believes many others share her perspective.
Reflecting on her personal background, Sey emphasized the value and benefits she derived from competing in sports as a child, even though her experience in gymnastics was marred by an abusive culture. Despite the negative aspects, she believes she gained more than she lost and is deeply committed to protecting opportunities for female athletes.
Sey described her transition from a long-standing corporate executive to an entrepreneur as a direct result of being "ousted" from the corporate community for her dissenting views on COVID-19 policies. Realizing that she was unlikely to be "uncanceled," she decided to forge her own path. As the primary breadwinner in her family, she needed and wanted to work. She was inspired by the idea that many Americans felt alienated by "woke capitalism" and saw an opportunity to combine her athletic background and corporate expertise to create a brand that could resonate with this audience. She had a hunch that such a brand could change the cultural conversation and achieve significant success. She recognizes the real impact brands can have on shaping our thinking about important issues.
Sey believes that normalization is the first step toward winning the fight for women’s sports. She hopes her brand can play a crucial role in making it normal to stand up and defend the idea that "girls’ sports are for girls." She views this as a commonsense issue that should not be controversial.
Despite the challenges and difficulties of starting a business in her mid-50s, Sey has no regrets. She had envisioned retiring in San Francisco, where she had lived for over 30 years, and from Levi’s, where she had worked for 23 years. However, she remains steadfast in her commitment to free speech, truth, and children. She feels compelled to speak out, wishing someone had stood up for her when she was training in an abusive environment as a child. She believes adults have an obligation to protect children, not just their own.
She believes her stance on COVID policies has been proven correct. For Sey, the truth is too important to remain silent. The bullies and harassers thrive only when good people remain silent. She believes that if the majority stood together, locked arms, and declared their support for truth, biological reality, and women and girls, the cultural conversation would change overnight, and policies would follow suit. She urges people to support those already speaking out and to join the cause, emphasizing that the truth is of paramount importance.
