At the 2025 espnW: Women + Sports Summit in Ojai, California, Toyota and espnW recognized the 10th class of Toyota Everyday Heroes. The program honors individuals who are making an impact for women and girls through sports in their communities. This year’s honorees, Jessica Carter of HER Sports and Amberly Klam of Texas Fury, were awarded $15,000 grants during a ceremony led by Toyota Ambassador Jess Sims and podcast host Sarah Spain.
“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 address challenges that prevent girls from participating in athletics. Since starting with a virtual webinar during the pandemic, HER Sports has grown to serve about 400 girls. The nonprofit offers basketball and flag football leagues, a development program called Hustle Academy that combines athletics with emotional wellness, an annual community festival with clinics and vendors, and an awards event recognizing female athletes and coaches.
Amberly Klam started Texas Fury in Austin after noticing few opportunities for girls to play competitive flag football locally. Founded in 2017 following her daughter Ashlea’s interest in the sport, Texas Fury now fields teams across multiple age groups competing in NFL FLAG Leagues throughout Central Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio. Many players have continued on to college scholarships or national flag football teams.
In 2024, Toyota became the presenting partner of NFL FLAG—the largest youth flag football league in the United States—to help increase access to flag football for boys and girls nationwide. This partnership has supported more than 300,000 young players through over 690 local leagues backed by more than 700 dealerships.
Toyota has been a presenting sponsor of the espnW: Women + Sports Summit for thirteen years. During this year’s summit, attendees could also see displays of the new 2026 Toyota RAV4 and the 2025 Toyota 4Runner.
The Everyday Heroes program has previously honored leaders from organizations such as The Moxie League (Morgan Crawford), TrackGirlz (Mechelle Lewis Freeman), Girls With Sole (Liz Ferro), Lady Mavericks Wheelchair Basketball (Darlene Hunter), Play Like a Girl! (Dr. Kimberley S. Clay), Baseball For All (Justine Siegal), among others.
Toyota employs nearly 48,000 people in the U.S., with operations including design, engineering, assembly at eleven manufacturing plants—one of which began assembling automotive batteries for electrified vehicles in North Carolina in 2025. The company also supports educational initiatives through its Driving Possibilities program targeting underserved communities near its U.S. sites.
espnW is a global brand focused on engaging women through sports content across digital platforms as well as events like this summit.
