The Power of Progress: One Story, Many Voices at the 2025 Changemakers Summit
For twenty years, SponsorshipX has united the brightest minds in marketing, sport, and purpose, and this November the story continues in Toronto with the SponsorshipX Changemakers Summit. Over three days of learning, networking, and celebration, the Summit will showcase leaders who are rewriting the rules of business and culture while embodying the true meaning of changemaking.
The theme for 2025 is simple and powerful: momentum.
And there is no better symbol of that momentum than the extraordinary rise of the Northern Super League (NSL), Canada’s first professional women’s soccer league.
This is not just a sports story. It is a story about leadership, legacy, and what happens when purpose-driven individuals from sport, business, and the community unite to build something historic.
Chapter One: Building the League
At the heart of the Northern Super League stand two visionary changemakers, Diana Matheson and Christina Litz. Together, they have transformed an idea into a movement that has forever reshaped Canadian sport.
Diana Matheson, the NSL’s Founder and Chief Growth Officer, is a two-time Olympic bronze medalist and one of the most respected figures in Canadian soccer. Known to fans across the country for scoring the game-winning goal in the bronze medal match at the London 2012 Olympics, Diana represented Canada over 200 times on the international stage.
After retiring from competition, she earned an EMBA from the Smith School of Business and a UEFA Master's for International Players, channelling her experience into leadership and entrepreneurship. With the launch of the Northern Super League in April 2025, Diana’s dream of creating a professional home for women’s soccer in Canada became a reality, and her story continues to inspire athletes and changemakers worldwide.
Beside her, Christina Litz, the NSL’s President, brings decades of experience in sports, media, and strategy. Her leadership has guided the League through its landmark debut season, defined by record attendance, major sponsorships, and global visibility. A former senior executive at True North Sports & Entertainment, Woodbine Entertainment, and the CFL, Christina’s ability to balance creativity with commercial success has cemented the NSL as one of the world’s most exciting new sports properties.
“Change doesn’t happen because someone hands you power,” Christina says. “It happens when you build something so strong, so united, that no one can ignore it.”
Rounding out the leadership team, Christine Sinclair, co-owner of the Vancouver Rise, and Jessica Lisi, NSL analyst and former youth international, represent the bridge between generations, from icons to innovators. “When I was growing up, you didn’t know there was a women’s national team,” says Sinclair. “Now girls grow up dreaming of playing for Canada.”
Lisi adds, “Dream it. Do it.” Her words reflect the belief at the heart of this new league, that change begins with vision and victory follows those who dare to dream.
Chapter Two: Building the Future
That same boldness drives every speaker at the Changemakers Summit. Sydney Coombs, Founder and CEO of SCX Talent & Media, helps athletes build businesses that live beyond their playing days. “Change doesn’t happen by waiting for a seat at the table,” she says. “It happens when you build your own and invite others to rise with you.”
Heather Cameron, Head of Brand and Creative at DoorDash Canada, champions inclusion and community impact through storytelling. “Representation is just as important behind the camera as it is in front of it,” she explains, a reminder that inclusion begins with who gets the opportunity to create.
Chapter Three: Fueling Connection
From the pitch to the boardroom, the Changemakers Summit celebrates the leaders who turn passion into progress. Laura Cutsey, Vice President at The Coca-Cola Company, has spent nearly three decades connecting consumers and brands through optimism and authenticity. Her philosophy, “Never say never,” perfectly embodies the SponsorshipX spirit of resilience and reinvention.
That spirit also flows through Adam Seaborn, VP Global Ad Sales at Better Collective, whose favourite quote, “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better,” captures the relentless curiosity that fuels innovation.
Andrew Lafiosca, Managing Director of Nielsen Sports North America, brings precision to partnership. His guiding principle, “Hurry up to go slow,” reminds every marketer that actual progress is measured in sustainable results, not speed.
Storyteller Donnovan Bennett ties it all together, exploring how sport and society reflect one another. Quoting Angela Davis, he says, “I’m no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I’m changing the things I cannot accept,” capturing the courage that defines every changemaker’s journey.
Chapter Four: The Gathering Place
Across Toronto, the Summit becomes a living ecosystem of connection and creativity. At Waterworks Food Hall, delegates will meet in the networking room and lounge to exchange ideas, forge partnerships, and uncover new business opportunities. The Changemakers Cup at Lamport Stadium will bring teams together on the field, creating bonds through play and shared purpose.
As evening falls, the Kickoff Party in the King Street Entertainment District will illuminate the city, a celebration of community, creativity, and collaboration.
The weekend will culminate with an unforgettable milestone, the first-ever professional women’s soccer championship in Canada, hosted by the Northern Super League. Delegates will have the exclusive opportunity to witness history as this pioneering league crowns its inaugural champions, marking a turning point in Canadian sport.
Epilogue: The Invitation
For two decades, SponsorshipX has united visionaries who see partnership as a force for good. The 2025 Changemakers Summit will build on that legacy by offering delegates the tools, insights, and relationships to accelerate their own impact.
You will learn from global leaders, uncover new inspiration, and make career-defining connections. You will build business, explore new ideas, and find your next role, collaborator, or client. And most of all, you will stand among the pioneers of the Northern Super League to celebrate a defining moment for women’s sport, the first professional championship in Canadian history.