Flying high – how Angelina Lawton combines partnership with passion to empower the next generation.

Many entrepreneurs begin their journey with an idea to overcome frustration.

Ten years ago, Angelina Lawton was leading corporate communications for the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning and saw how much help was needed for teams and people to communicate. PowerPoint was the default presentation tool, and she knew that there had to be a better way to create results for everyone involved.

With this belief, Angelina took the leap in 2011 to start her own firm, Sportsdigita, which now has grown to become an industry-leading technology company, helping more than 400 sports teams and global brands such as Visa drive sales revenue with Digideck, a dynamic presentation platform that enables teams to create stunning, media-rich, and fully customized presentations.

Angelina believes: “You can bring things to life and show the passion of a franchise or a company – everything is about storytelling and being able to showcase that passion. We are giving people a forum to be able to express themselves.”

Self-expression is something that Angelina is getting used to, especially after being named one of the 30 Most Powerful Women in Sports by Forbes.

“When I found out, I was on vacation with my family in Mexico and I just remember suddenly seeing everyone start congratulating me on Twitter and I had no clue! It was one of the best days of my life just because I knew what it was going to do for the company.”

Angelina is passionate about women being in positions of power in the workforce and wants to see more women in revenue-generating roles, especially in the technology industry.

Being an advocate for the next generation is one way for her to contribute to this shift, and she recently partnered with her 16-year-old daughter, Gabby Lawton, to start a club called “High Flyers” at Edina High School which will mentor young women as they prepare for college and careers. The club will offer advice for selecting classes, building a LinkedIn profile, securing internships, and educating young women about entering the business world.

“That word ‘power’ gives me a chance to advocate for what I would love to see for women going forward – potentially people will listen a little more,” Angelina says.

Talking with Angelina feels like she’s linking arms with you, helping you stride ahead. Partnership is at her core – her entire business is built around bringing people together to make everyone more successful.

“We share a common passion for being at the cutting edge of sports and technology. I feel like we have a true partnership where we both get something really fantastic out of it. I love (Atomic Data’s) focus on community, their business, and their employees.” 

One of Sportsdigita’s partners, IT services firm and Passion Collective sponsor, Atomic Data, is also a technology partner to major sports franchises such as Minnesota United. Angelina says they have a common goal: “We share a common passion for being at the cutting edge of sports and technology. I feel like we have a true partnership where we both get something really fantastic out of it. I love their focus on community, their business, and their employees.”

What keeps her motivated after 10 years? Family.

“My father is a big part of my motivation and passion – he was a very successful entrepreneur who started and sold many companies. He’s 82 and still an inspiration to me. Also, I've got three children, and I love to be able to set a great example for them, especially my daughter.”

Her work family is just as big of a motivator: “Honestly, it's not a job for me here. Having to work from home for a while during Covid was really hard on me because I get so energized and I love this company so much!”

And as for the future? “When you're an entrepreneur, you're just trying so hard to make it and I want to get to a point where I can really start to give back. We're getting close – when we get there, that will be really fun.”

Learn more about Sportsdigita’s story here.