BOS Nation FC, the Boston-based NWSL expansion team set to debut in 2026, has hired Commanders Chief Brand & Strategy Officer Amina Bulman as its first CRO. The new role marks a homecoming for the Boston native and Harvard Business School graduate, who before joining the Commanders in 2020 worked for the Obama Foundation and McKinsey & Co.
“Boston has always been home for me, and it’s not that often that you get a chance to build a new team in your hometown at a moment when women’s sports are taking off,” Bulman told SBJ. “The NWSL is like the fastest growing league in the country right now, and it just felt like an opportunity that was too good to pass up.”
A key part of Bulman’s role will be to “reimagine” the team’s brand after a rocky debut last year that elicited backlash regarding both the team’s launch campaign (featuring the slogan “Too Many Balls”) and the team name itself. She played a major role in the Commanders’ rebrand that went into effect for the 2022 NFL season.
“Additional details TBD, but our goal is to build a brand that folks are excited about and to have a brand and a name and an identity you know, that fans are excited to wear on their jersey for the next 100 years,” Bulman said. “Similar to the work that I did with the Commanders, we need to be thinking about how we build something that really speaks to not only this generation, but the next generation of soccer fans.”
Bulman said she has taken several lessons from the Commanders rebrand that she plans to draw on in Boston, including the importance of engaging the community in the branding process, giving fans ways to engage with the brand once it’s revealed and building a legacy under the new brand. Much of the latter, of course, comes down to the players on the pitch.
“Nothing was better for the Commanders brand than Jaden Daniels,” Bulman said. “What folks really remember is those moments that are special or unique or once-in-a-lifetime that we can give them, and associating your brand with that is a critical way for fans to feel like they own it.”
In addition to branding, BOS Nation faces a significant challenge on the stadium front as it combats legal challenges to its public-private plan to renovate city-owned White Stadium. A trial brought by opponents of the project begins March 18.
“I’m excited about both the premium offerings that we’re going to be building, as well as the F&B opportunities and the chance for folks to visit a team store,” Bulman said. “There’s a lot of exciting fan engagement opportunities and a chance to build something with women’s soccer and the fans of women’s soccer in mind.”
