As part of the Rams' celebration of Women's History Month, the organization is sharing inspiring stories of female staff changing the game for future generations.
Concluding the series is Stadium Operations Coordinator Zhanee Simpson.
Zhanee Simpson can come up with countless examples of influential women in her career, and in a variety of roles.
"Influential women have built me," Simpson said. "I've been fortunate enough to have influential women woven throughout my career. They've pushed and uplifted me in ways I never knew were possible – from an old hiring manger not letting me back out of an interview process post internship because I felt I was under-qualified, to the suite attendant that encouraged me to chase my dreams every chance she got."
That empowerment has helped lead her to where she is today as Stadium Operations Coordinator for the Rams. She has been with the organization for nine months.
In her role, she works with the Rams' Stadium Operations team, acting as a liaison between the Rams and SoFi Stadium and assisting with the execution of various department needs. Those needs include overseeing Rams SoFi Stadium access, assisting with the operational execution of Rams events at SoFi Stadium, and helping to build gameday guides, among others.
On gamedays, she serves as the Rams Event Command Lead and handles the Rams' business side credential process.
Simpson's typical gameday begins roughly 7 hours before kickoff. When she arrives at the stadium, the first thing she does is set up the box office for credential pickups and ensure any gameday requests are complete. From there, she moves on to Event Command, where she's stationed for the remainder of the game and communicates between Rams staff and major stakeholders such as security, guest experience, Los Angeles Fire Department, Inglewood Police Department, housekeeping, etc.
"Throughout the game, I am in constant communication with Rams staff behind the scenes," she said. "I act as a buffer between Rams staff and the stadium. Spills, security needs, and more are reported to me so I can communicate what is needed to the appropriate individuals."
Simpson said she has two favorite parts of gameday.
"My all-time favorite part of game day is the time around kickoff when the texts and calls slow down, and for a moment, I can look up and take everything in," she said. "I take a deep breath, look around at everyone in command, watch the cameras as the fans pour into the stadium, and take in the fact that I helped make that day happen in my small way.
"Believe it or not, my second favorite part of gameday is when the game is over. Fans are making their way out, postgame experiences are taking place, and you can see the joy on everyone's faces. It makes all the hard work we put in each day beyond worth it."
What motivates Simpson is people and their experiences.
"There's nothing like seeing someone experience something for the first time and being able to say you had a hand in making that happen," Simpson said. "They may never know who I am or what I do, but seeing their happiness and joy make me want to be better and do better to ensure that the next person gets to experience something just as great if not better."
Similar to the countless examples of influential women in her career, being surrounded by so many brilliant ones who she gets the opportunity to learn from every day is what brings forth a unique perspective in the workspace.
"With that, I believe my past work experience contributes more to my perspective in the workplace than my identity as a woman does," she said.
Young people seeing women like her in her position is important for Simpson because it shows them that they can do it too. Having that example makes their goals and dreams that much more attainable.
"I've found that no matter how big your dreams are or how far away something feels from your grasp, seeing someone like you puts you a million steps closer to reaching your goal because you can better visualize it," Simpson said. "Seeing someone like you do something you've dreamt of doing changes your brain chemistry; it confirms that your dreams aren't too big or too far out of reach."
Although football has long been a male-dominated sport, Simpson said she's seen more representation in all departments during her time with the organization. Moving forward, she wants to see more voices amplified throughout the NFL.
"There are so many powerful women that people don't know about, and it would be great to see them highlighted more often," Simpson said.
Amplifying voices also aligns with how Simpson said Women's History Month should be celebrated, especially trailblazers.
"We should be celebrating Women's History Month by amplifying voices," Simpson said. "We should spend this time recognizing those who have paved the way for us to be where we are today while acknowledging how far we still must go. This month is the perfect time to listen to the voices of women who may feel like they don't have a voice. There are so many women that have crawled so I can walk, and the next generation can run; it would be great to uplift them and show the world that women are resilient."
