Co-Founder & Head Of Operations of The GIST, Roslyn McLarty
Roslyn is a co-founder and head of operations and finance at The GIST, a women-led and operated digital sports media company with a mission of leveling the playing field in sports. Roslyn leads the team’s operations, finance, audience growth, analytics, and technology. Roslyn and her team have been accelerated through programs with Facebook, Comcast NBCUniversal, Techstars, and the Trailblazer Venture Studio involving Billie Jean King, and were named Forbes 30 Under 30 in their media category. Prior to going full-time with The GIST, Roslyn worked in deals at PwC and graduated with a Commerce degree from Queen’s University (where she met her two co-founders!).
How did The GIST come to be?
When my co-founders, Ellen, Jacie, and I got together, we made an observation: Although we’d been athletes and sports fans our whole lives, no one in sports media was talking to women—or about them. Knowing we were not alone in this, we decided to take on the male-dominated sports industry and level the playing field—literally.
We chose to channel our obsession with athletics into creating a space where ALL people are welcome in the larger cultural conversation around sports.
The GIST—created by fans for fans of all levels, genders, and beyond. Featuring balanced coverage of women’s and men’s sports, told through a new lens and with a different perspective, no topic is off limits. And fan-first content covers issues that affect everyone in the athletic space.
Since 2019, we’ve grown The GIST into a community of over 850K, including 25+ women and non-binary folks who are making sports fun and accessible for all. In this newly defined arena, there’s always room on the roster for new players and everyone is welcome to play the game.
What sets The GIST apart from other media outlets?
One of the key reasons why we stand out from other media outlets is that we’ve always started with the “why” behind the newsletter: the mission of leveling the playing field, the notion of bringing a conversational female voice to a traditionally male-dominated space, and the fact that we were serving an untapped, underserved market.
The GIST is all about bringing long-absent female voices and perspectives to the forefront, which allows us to provide a refreshing angle on sports in comparison to the traditionally male-dominated sports space. And with that comes equal coverage for both men’s and women’s sports. Get your NFL and your USWNT news in the same place.
In comparison to traditional media, we’re also talking to all sports fans. We want to be that witty, sports-obsessed best friend that you turn to learn more. We provide curation and context so that the newsletter is a meaningful read no matter someone's background or experience.
At the same time, our newsletter is fun and lighthearted — we’re the opposite of the exclusive or dry format that you’re used to seeing in traditional sports columns. We want to welcome people into the sports community, not push them away from it.
We hold ourselves to very high journalistic standards, producing high-quality and thoughtful content in each and every newsletter, while also having an irreverent voice and inclusive takes.
What core values have you established for your company?
The core values we’ve established as a company are progressiveness, equality, inclusivity, and community and we define those as follows.
Progressiveness: Our fan-first content is all about what matters to them, widening the conversation and including perspectives that haven’t previously been given a voice. We talk about issues that affect everyone in the athletic space (both on and off the field), and no topic is off the table.
Equality: Balanced coverage of women’s and men’s sports is only half the answer in a space that’s kept women on the sidelines. With sports as a main driver of culture, we believe in and are dedicated to making it accessible to everyone, leveling the playing field in the process. Inclusivity: It’s not just what you say that matters but how you say it. We deliver sports highlights and news for everyone—from seasoned fans to first-time watchers. We don’t just inform, we invite everyone to join the exciting world of sports.
Community: We’re not just building a sports community, we’re growing the entire sports fanbase by reaching athletes and casual fans who’ve traditionally been excluded. Our safe, supportive spaces are for learning, sharing, and getting “into it” with other fans who meet you at your level.
