Kara Nortman ’97, Momo Wolapaye To Be Honored At Gary Walters ’67 PVC Awards Banquet
May 16, 2025 | General
Kara Nortman '97, a women's rowing alum who has gone on to a successful career as a venture capitalist and leading investor in women's sports, and Momo Wolapaye, a widely respected University administrator with an extraordinary commitment to the undergraduate student experience, will both be honored as major award recipients at the Gary Walters '67 Princeton Varsity Club Awards Banquet this Thursday, May 22, in Jadwin Gymnasium. Nortman is the 2025 recipient of the Class of 1967 PVC Citizen-Athlete Award, presented by the PVC for selfless and noble contributions to sport and society. Wolapaye is the 2025 recipient of the Marvin Bressler Award, given to that member of the Princeton family who, through heartfelt support of the University's student-athletes and coaches, best embodies a belief in the lifelong lessons taught by competition and athletics as a complement to the overall educational mission in the spirit of Marvin Bressler, a Princeton professor of sociology from 1963-94.
Kara Nortman '97, Class of 1967 PVC Citizen-Athlete Award recipient
Kara Nortman, a former Princeton rower from the Great Class of 1997 and current Managing Partner of Monarch Collective - the first investment platform exclusively dedicated to investing in women's sports - is this year's Class of 1967 PVC Citizen-Athlete Award recipient, presented by the Princeton Varsity Club for selfless and noble contributions to sport and society. Nortman will be honored at the Gary Walters '67 PVC Awards Banquet on Thursday, May 22, in Jadwin Gymnasium.
"We are thrilled to honor Kara Nortman '97 with this year's Class of 1967 PVC Citizen-Athlete Award," says Ford Family Director of Athletics John Mack '00. "Kara has spoken to the incredible impact that Princeton Athletics and Princeton Rowing had on her as an undergraduate, and how it has influenced her professional journey ever since. Kara has accomplished so much in her career and truly been a leader in growing women's sports on so many levels. She is an incredible representative of Princeton Athletics and we look forward to honoring her alongside our senior student-athletes at this year's PVC Banquet."
Nortman earned an AB in Politics from Princeton and later an MBA from Stanford University. While at Princeton, Nortman walked on to the women's open rowing team as a First Year and competed for the Tigers for all four years. As a senior, Nortman was coached by current head coach Lori Dauphiny in a season that saw the Tigers capture the Ivy League championship and qualify for the NCAA championships, starting a streak of 27 consecutive NCAA appearances for the program.
In 2023, Nortman announced the creation of Monarch Collective, an investment platform focused on women's sports teams, leagues, and adjacent rights opportunities. Monarch Collective's strategy centers on investing in established leagues such as the NWSL, with current investments in Boston Legacy FC, the San Diego Wave, and Angel City Football Club. Nortman and her co-
Managing Partner, Jasmine Robinson, raised $250 million for Monarch's inaugural fund, making it the largest dedicated women's sports fund in the market.
Nortman is also co-founder of Angel City Football Club, which has quickly risen to become the most valuable women's soccer team in the world since its inception in 2020. The franchise played its first NWSL match in 2022. Nortman's growing interest in the space dated back to the 2015 Women's World Cup, where, in attendance, she saw a disconnect between the stadium's palpable excitement and the lack of accessible merchandise for fans. Her efforts and investment over the past decade – including that with Angel City FC, Monarch Collective, etc. – have strived to spotlight and harness the potential of women's sports at-large.
Prior to Monarch, Nortman was a Managing Partner at Upfront Ventures, where she worked for eight years. Before joining Upfront, Nortman spent close to seven years at IAC where she co-headed the M&A group and later served in operating capacities as the SVP and General Manager of Urbanspoon and Citysearch. She served on the board of IAC's mobile technology incubator (Hatch Labs), where she incubated Tinder.
Earlier in her career, Nortman worked at Battery Ventures, Microsoft and Morgan Stanley. She is also a founding member of All Raise, a VC-led Nonprofit dedicated to increased diversity in funders and founders, and she advised the Women's National Soccer Team Players Association during their pay equity fight.
Nortman has stayed engaged with Princeton Athletics during her professional career. She was featured (alongside classmate Angie Long '97) in the Jake McCandless '51 PVC Speaker Series in Spring 2021 as part of Princeton's year-long celebration of 50 years of Women's Athletics. Additionally, Nortman participated in a recent Reunions panel discussion with several Princetonians who hold ownership roles within NWSL franchises (feature story).
Nortman resides in Los Angeles with her husband and three daughters.
Momo Wolapaye, Marvin Bressler Award recipient
Momo Wolapaye is Assistant Dean for Student Life for Whitman College, one of Princeton's seven active residential colleges for undergraduate students.
In his role in Whitman College, Wolapaye serves as the primary crisis case manager, available to talk with students about concerns around well-being and can refer them to appropriate campus resources. Wolapaye works with relevant campus partners to provide social and community development programs, develop student leaders, address student concerns, uphold community standards, respond to problems and conflicts, and identify resources that can best support students to ensure their continuing success. Wolapaye originally joined the Whitman College team in 2014 as the Director of Student Life.
"Momo Wolapaye embodies the spirit Marvin Bressler through-and-through and is extremely deserving of this recognition," says Ford Family Director of Athletics John Mack '00. "He is an incredible supporter and resource for not just those in Whitman College [where he serves as a Dean for Student Life] and on our football and basketball teams [where he is an Athletic Fellow], but for all Tiger student-athletes and coaches. His relationships are genuine and meaningful and touch every corner of campus. On top of that, you can't go to a home competition without seeing Momo in the stands cheering on the Tigers. I am thrilled to celebrate him with our entire Princeton Athletics family at this year's PVC Banquet."
Wolapaye obtained his A.A. and B.A. from Waldorf University and an MBA from Capital University. After his initial schooling, He made the switch from Banking, Finance and Management to Student Affairs, serving as the Residence Hall Director and Assistant Director of Orientation and Campus Center at Otterbein University. He later returned to his Alma Mater (Waldorf) to serve as Director of Residence Life before joining the Dartmouth College staff as a Community Director.
A former collegiate soccer player and avid supporter of all Princeton varsity teams, Wolapaye formally serves as an Athletics Fellow for the football and men's basketball programs, helping to provide broad-based campus support and mentorship to those programs and student-athletes.
Wolapaye resides in Princeton with his wife Vanilla Bing-Wolapaye and five year old daughter Xhiah.