The Phoenix Mercury All-Star will elevate conversations about financial literacy and pay equity across Public’s community of over one million investors.
WNBA star Skylar Diggins-Smith has long been an advocate for both equality and equity for women in the worlds of labor and entrepreneurship. And her mission to close the gender pay gap took a major step forward on Tuesday.
The Phoenix Mercury veteran has announced a new partnership with investment platform Public.com to promote financial education.
“I’ve been interested in building my financial literacy for a long time, and have spoken out about pay equity in the WNBA,” Diggins-Smith told Boardroom. “With investing in particular, as a new mom I’ve started to think a lot more about building generational wealth and building a future for my son. I want to invest in his future and learn a lot more about the public markets, and help other people get started investing for the long term, too.”
“After doing everything I can to one-up competition on the court, I’m excited to partner with Public to one-up the competition on the court, I’m excited to partner with Public to level the playing field for young women of color investing in the markets for the first time,” Diggins-Smith said. “Conversations about pay equity and the wage gap, which I’ve seen firsthand, are never easy, but I hope to inspire this next generation of investors to talk more openly about these topics.”
Inside Diggins-Smith’s Public.com Deal
- The Mercury guard will contribute to conversations about finance and entrepreneurship with Public’s digital community of over one million investors. Accessible through the Public app, you can find her at @SkylarDigginsSmith.
- Fans who start a portfolio on Public will be eligible for free stock giveaways as part of Diggins-Smith’s partnership.
- She will make special appearances on Public Live, the brand’s in-app audio platform, to her own personal story through the amateur game to the WNBA, including her origin story as an investor.
- Diggins-Smith will advise college athletes via One Team, Public’s dedicated platform for NIL and financial literacy that launched in August
Public places a specific focus on diversity and inclusion. The knowledge needed to properly invest is rarely freely given to various minority groups; Public aims to change that.
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Isis Haywood, the company’s Director of Marketing, Brand Partnerships, and Collaborations, explained this commitment to Boardroom.
“Public’s community is one of our best facilitators for education and diversity of thought,” she said.” With 40% women, 45% people of color, and 90% first-time investors, our community looks and feels differently than what you might think about when you hear ‘investing app.’ We are creating an approachable place for investors to learn, share ideas, and discuss not just stocks, but broader business trends and cultural events. We also have a variety of features, from Long-Term Portfolios to Safety Labels on potentially risky stocks, to help first-time investors navigate the markets.”
Diggins-Smith is one of seven WNBA players making the league’s max salary, which was $221,450 for the 2021 season. She boasts over 1.5 million followers across social media and several key sponsorships, including with Puma and BodyArmor (the latter of which was just acquired by Coca-Cola in a massive transaction). Her reach is wide and getting wider, so she wants to continue to do her part as an advocate for women’s rights at the workplace and beyond.
“For me, I’m really excited to partner with Public because I want to help more people, especially women of color, talk about investing, pay equity, and money in a more transparent way,” she said. “I’m passionate about helping other women of color build their financial literacy, and given Public’s mission to make the public markets work for all people and create an inclusive, diverse community, I think it made perfect sense.”
