The Sports Bra founder receives state business award

Jenny Nguyen has attracted national attention after opening The Sports Bra bar, the first women’s sports bar in Portland. Nguyen’s trailblazing vision is being recognized and honored by an Oregon business organization.

Nguyen has been selected as the final Oregon Visionary Award Nominee for 2024 by the Oregon Business & Industry (OBI) organization, an advocate for businesses in the state. The Oregon Visionary Award, OBI’s highest honor, “recognizes people, employers and organizations that strengthen Oregon’s economy and contribute significantly to shared prosperity by developing solutions to significant problems.”

The Sports Bra, a sports bar located in Northeast Portland, is dedicated to promoting women’s sports and shows only women’s sports on its five television monitors. Nguyen, a Portland native, came up with the concept in 2018, and following a Kickstarter campaign that raised twice its goal in only 30 days, The Sports Bra opened in March 2022 and has “experienced wild success,” according to OBI.

OBI noted The Sports Bra also supports women in the food and beverage industry by sourcing ingredients from women-owned businesses. The Sports Bra has announced plans to expand with the help of Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit and husband of tennis great Serena Williams.

Nguyen will be recognized at OBI’s annual “Vision Oregon Event,” which will take place at the Portland Art Museum on Oct. 23.