Staff WriterIf you thought Suzann Pettersen was done rewriting women’s golf when she holed that icy Solheim Cup putt in 2019, think again. Her latest brainchild, VOXA, has just been crowned Women’s Sports Start-Up of the Year at the ISC Women’s Sport Business Awards 2025, proving that Pettersen’s knack for timing extends well beyond 18th greens.
The ISC Awards, held to celebrate excellence across the women’s sports industry, don’t hand out trophies for showing up. The Start-Up of the Year prize recognises businesses that actually shift the landscape with innovation, leadership, and a whiff of good old-fashioned disruption.
That, in short, is what VOXA has done. Instead of treating athletes as walking billboards, the agency has gone all-in on empowerment, building a home where some of the best players in women’s golf can thrive both on and off the course.
From world No. 1 Ruoning Yin to major winner Sophia Popov, VOXA’s roster is already a who’s who of the women’s game—and it’s only been around since February.
Suzann Pettersen herself summed it up with her usual blunt precision:
“This recognition is a proud moment for VOXA and a powerful signal of the momentum in women’s sport. Our mission is to give athletes a voice, celebrate their stories, and create opportunities that last well beyond their playing careers. Being named Start-Up of the Year shows we’re on the right path and this is only the beginning.”
More Than Just a Logo on a Shirt
Unlike the cookie-cutter agencies of old, VOXA has doubled down on storytelling, pulling fans closer to the athletes and showing who they are once the spikes come off.
Whether it’s through inventive marketing campaigns or grassroots golf initiatives aimed at the next generation, the company’s blueprint feels less like management and more like a movement.
And it’s not just Pettersen making waves. Senior Player Manager Shandi Strong has been named in the ISC’s 30 Under Thirty list—another feather in the VOXA cap.
Strong, who cut her teeth as a PGA Tour intern, has been instrumental in shaping the agency’s athlete-first ethos. Her recognition reflects both her own impact and the wider culture Pettersen is building.
A Roster Worthy of Its Reputation
The client list already reads like a leaderboard: Carlota Ciganda, Gaby Lopez, Shannon Tan, Ashley Lau, and Adela Cernousek, alongside Yin and Popov. Each is benefitting from what VOXA calls its “non-traditional” approach, but what the rest of the industry might simply call “the future.”
And just in case anyone thought the plaudits would stop there, VOXA’s parent company, 54, also bagged an award for Outstanding Achievement in Women’s Sport Media Coverage. Not a bad day at the office.
The Takeaway
In an industry still catching up with its own potential, VOXA has managed to tear up the manual and scribble down something that actually works: give athletes power, give them stories, and give them futures that last longer than their careers.
If Pettersen’s putt in 2019 was the shot heard around the world, VOXA might just be the echo that changes it for good.
