Stef Zeh founded Section Z in 2023 out of a desire to leverage the power and excitement of sports to create a more equitable future for girls and young women.

A serious accident in 2020 caused Stef to reflect on her life, her legacy, and the role sports played in shaping the person she is today—an entrepreneur and founder of a female-owned business in a male-dominated industry, a former high-end fashion designer, and an award-winning radio personality and host.

From day one, Stef's vision for Section Z was bigger than attending games. She wanted to build an immersive community where girls could connect with one another, discover new possibilities, develop as leaders, and feel like they belonged. But she also knew Section Z had to earn its street cred first—by showing up, building relationships, listening to girls, and creating meaningful experiences in the real world.

Section Z did exactly that. In its first year alone, the organization brought more than 1,500 girls from underserved communities to live sporting events while developing leadership curricula and programming centered around confidence, competence, collaboration, and character. Along the way, girls have been introduced to careers they may never have known existed—from professional athletes and physical therapists to engineers, executives, broadcasters, and astrophysicists.

Now, Stef is bringing the next piece of her original vision to life with the launch of the Section Z Community app—an inclusive digital space designed to extend the connection beyond a single game, event, or program. It gives girls a place to stay connected, discover opportunities, explore careers, learn from women across sports and other industries, and become part of a community built specifically with them in mind.

Stef's long-term vision is to establish a dedicated Section Z in sports stadiums and arenas across the country, connected by a digital community that gives girls access to people, experiences, resources, and one another—no matter where they live or what their socioeconomic background may be.

The technology behind the Section Z Community also has a special connection to Stef and the organization's beginnings. Jake, who leads the technical side of the app, was living with Stef when the idea for Section Z was first taking shape—and his connection to women's sports goes back much further. His mom was Stef's high school field hockey and travel softball coach, and as both a coach and an official, she raised Jake around girls' and women's sports. He grew up seeing firsthand the impact that coaches, teammates, families, officials, and allies of all genders can have in creating opportunities for female athletes. Bringing Jake into the Section Z Community felt like a natural extension of that shared history—and a reminder that advancing opportunities for girls and women is something everyone can be part of.

"I've heard so many women say, 'If opportunities like this had been around when I was younger, my life might have been different.' I want girls to see how quickly the landscape is changing and understand that there is a place for them in it. Regardless of where they come from or what resources they have, they deserve the opportunity to see what's possible, build meaningful connections, and believe they have a chance. I created Section Z to do just that."

— Stef Zeh, Founder, Section Z