Last night, the 2025 espnW: Women + Sports Summit in Ojai, California, presented by Toyota, honored the 10th class of Toyota Everyday Heroes. The program recognizes individuals who support women and girls in their communities through sports. Each honoree received a $15,000 grant and was recognized on stage by Toyota Ambassador Jess Sims and podcast host Sarah Spain. Toyota has sponsored the summit for 13 years.
During the three-day event, attendees could see new models such as the 2026 Toyota RAV4 and the 2025 Toyota 4Runner through interactive displays and activities.
“Toyota is proud to honor Jessica Carter of HER Sports and Amberly Klam of Texas Fury as the 2025 Everyday Heroes for their outstanding work using sports to create opportunities and empowerment within their communities,” said MJ Kroll, senior manager of media at Toyota Motor North America. “As they break down barriers, foster inclusion and advance Toyota’s mission of mobility for all, we are inspired by their dedication and thrilled to celebrate their impact.”
Jessica Carter founded HER Sports in Troy, Virginia to help girls gain access to athletic opportunities she had experienced herself. Since its start during the pandemic with a virtual webinar, HER Sports has grown to serve about 400 girls with programs including basketball and flag football leagues, a development academy focusing on wellness, an annual community festival with clinics and vendors, and awards recognizing local female athletes.
Amberly Klam established Texas Fury in Austin in 2017 after noticing limited options for girls interested in competitive flag football. Inspired by her daughter Ashlea’s interest in playing flag football, Texas Fury now fields teams across several age groups that compete locally and nationally. The organization operates nearly year-round across Central Texas regions including Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio. Several participants have gone on to play college flag football on scholarship or join national teams.
In support of youth sports access, Toyota became presenting partner of NFL FLAG—the largest youth flag football league in the U.S.—in 2024. This partnership aims to increase participation among boys and girls nationwide while supporting self-esteem, fitness, and teamwork. To date, more than 300,000 young players have been impacted across over 690 local leagues supported by more than 700 dealerships.
Past recipients of the Everyday Heroes award include leaders from organizations such as The Moxie League (Morgan Crawford), Girls With Sole (Liz Ferro), TrackGirlz (Mechelle Lewis Freeman), Play Like a Girl! (Dr. Kimberley S. Clay), Baseball For All (Justine Siegal), among others.
Toyota employs around 48,000 people directly in the United States with manufacturing operations at eleven plants where more than 35 million vehicles have been produced over nearly seventy years. In North Carolina beginning in 2025,the company began assembling automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.
The company’s Driving Possibilities initiative focuses on educational programs developed with historically underserved communities near its U.S.-based sites.
espnW is a multiplatform brand dedicated to inspiring women through sports coverage online as well as via events like this summit.
