Women are rising up the ranks throughout professional football, earning positions of power in a space that for too long was ruled almost exclusively by men. We're seeing more and more women breaking barriers in the sport, but what are the stories beyond the headlines? Who are the women shaping and influencing the NFL today? Answering those questions is the aim of the Next Woman Up series. While the conversational Q&As are edited and condensed for clarity, this is a forum for impactful women to share experiences in their own words. Without further ado, we introduce:
Emma Kaptein, New York Giants
Position: Director of Social Strategy
How did you get your start in a career in football?
I am a lifelong Giants fan. When we won those two Super Bowls in 2007 and 2011, I was on cloud nine. That's when my fanhood really kicked in. My dad kept reminding me that those were special moments and that winning Super Bowls is a rare thing in the NFL. I wrote on my vision board my senior year in high school that I wanted to be an NFL sportscaster. I wanted to work in the NFL, and that's a credit to my father. I was a broadcast major at Montclair State University and wanted to do sideline reporting and producing. During college, I got the opportunity to be a production intern for the Giants and I was an intern at CBS Sports, as well. But it was that internship with the Giants -- I realized that I really liked the behind-the-scenes work. That really resonated with me.
Now I work in social media, which I never would have believed when I was in college because I downloaded Instagram as a junior. It was brand new. It's a crazy journey and I was blessed to make that transition in 2017, when marketing and branding really began coinciding with social media. I started dipping my toes in then, and I've found my niche. It's been great to use my experiences in production, video editing, broadcasting and on-camera skills in content creation now. It's beautifully tied in together. I was lucky enough to land my dream job out of college, and I don't take that for granted.
Wow, that is amazing because that doesn't usually happen. What does your role entail?
I oversee the social strategy for all of our social platforms, which include Facebook, X, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Threads and LinkedIn. Eight platforms are a lot, and I'm sure that will continue growing. I oversee and spearhead what goes out on those platforms on a day-to-day basis, along with leveraging our influencer programs. I work with a lot of creators and bring them into the fold. I also work closely with our marketing team on bigger campaign initiatives and with our social media manager, Cristina Sinofsky, who is heavily involved in the day-to-day work. It's a very collaborative role. We have about three brainstorm meetings each week to go over specific concepts for certain platforms. My favorite meeting is probably the game day social brainstorm meeting because there are a lot of different departments involved, including social, digital and production. I really love when everyone gets into one room and throws out ideas. There are no bad ideas, and that's the cool thing about my job. There really is no formula. Part of my job is data-driven, so we look at what does well for us and other teams to see if we can continue making our content bigger and better on our platforms. But it's also about answering these questions: How do we want to tell the story of the New York Giants? How do we want to showcase our players' personalities on and off the field? It's a really fun job that changes every single day, but that's what I love about it.
Are there pressures with working in a market as big as New York? If so, what are they?
I don't think of it as pressure but more so a great opportunity to capitalize on. We have such a big stage and an awesome market. We are a legacy team, so we lean into our history while balancing content for our Gen Z fans and of our current players. We have so many unique personalities on the team. We mic’d up Jameis Winston during training camp, and Ciara came to practice with Russell Wilson. There are so many exciting touch points to showcase our players. So, yes, we have a large market, but that's the beauty of it. All the attention is on us. We have a great market of content creators and influencers, but the legacy aspect of our organization is what separates us.
With social media constantly changing, how do you and your team continue to be innovative?
That goes back to being super collaborative in our brainstorm meetings. We talk every single day and are constantly bouncing ideas off each other. It's really important to keep communication open and make sure everyone has bought into our platforms and initiatives. I think our team is on the same page about growing these platforms, with our biggest focus being TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. We're always looking beyond the horizon at what new things are coming. Whenever we get product updates, everyone is involved, so everyone understands why we make the decisions we do.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
I love how everything is so fluid, but that can be challenging at times. I think it's a beauty and a curse. I might get a notification that a player got hurt at practice, and that might shift our entire strategy for the week or game day. I have to be on my toes, be quick in decision-making, and know time is of the essence. You have to be able to pivot quickly.
Do you think your career success has changed you? If so, how?
I've definitely grown and learned since I started with the Giants as an intern. I'm more confident in myself. I used to have imposter syndrome, and I feel like that is probably a hump you have to get over in your early 20s. I really came into my own. Working with others, putting out fires, leading a group with positivity and thinking of solutions are really important.
Those mentees are lucky to have you in their corner. Let's go back to your career. What are some of your goals moving forward?
Currently, I want to grow our department. I want more people in this space and to leverage our platforms to be bigger and better. I love working with so many great people, and I would love to add more bodies to the mix. Everyone has so many good ideas and is great at out-of-the-box thinking. We ultimately want more people to come to games and support the Giants, so it's about how we get those young people to be Giants fans. When we work with micro influencers and they can influence an 8-year-old in the crowd, that's such a cool moment. I love that we can make an impact on the younger generation.
What are you most proud of?
One thing is that every role that I've had has been created for me. That really showcases my work ethic, passion for Giants football and desire to create the best product out there. I'm super proud of that. One project I've worked on is The Eli Manning Show, which airs on YouTube. He brings in a lot of great guests. We had comedian Pete Davidson on the show. We went to his apartment and made a fake Instagram account for Eli and Pete. It was very collaborative and we worked so hard on that episode. I'm really proud of that one because that episode encompasses what we're all about, trying new things to grow the brand.
You've worked your way up with the Giants for more than a decade. Why do you think you've had so much success?
I think it was my values growing up, and I saw how successful my parents were in their work. They set the tone for paving my own way and making a name for myself. I wanted to be an inspiration for other women to break into sports, show them it's possible to have a seat at the table.
Do you have any mentors? And what advice have you held onto as you've gone through your career?
I didn't have a mentor going into this industry -- though it's something I wish I'd had. I am actually part of a mentorship program at Montclair State and mentor a student every single year. It has been one of my passion projects because I didn't have a program like that nor have anyone guiding me on what to expect in this industry.
From afar, I read Linda Cohn's book and knew that I wanted to be a trailblazer like her. When I interned at CBS Sports, I shadowed Tracy Wolfson and was so in awe of her. Being around those people and reading and their stories, I really felt like anything was possible.
What advice do you give your mentees who are looking to get into a career in this space?
Have confidence and be persistent. You have to be willing to work the extra hours and do jobs you might not be in love with early in your career. Creating relationships is also important. But I think a lot of it comes down to confidence, especially as women in this industry. I do a lot of mock interviews in the program, helping them be confident and able to lead with who they are.
