The Players Lab Initiative will propel TMJ’s renowned women’s football representation services to a new level in strategic personalized marketing and communication efforts and commercial opportunities for its growing talent portfolio.
May 21, 2025 (Fort Worth, TX) – TMJ introduces the newly developed Players Lab initiative to specialize in personalized athlete marketing that will enhance the services the agency provides to its portfolio of women footballers.
Alex Casanova will oversee the multi-faceted initiative as Director of Athlete Marketing, with Amelia Lopez promoted as the new Director of Communications, and Mariaesther Romero promoted to Director of TMJ Catalyst, a division dedicated to identifying commercial opportunities for TMJ Athletes.
Alex Casanova brings over 10 years of marketing experience, most recently with the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) where he successfully helped rebrand Mexico’s dynamic new crest in 2021. He rose through the FMF ranks from Community Manager to Content & Digital Marketing Lead, growing one of the largest social media sports followings in the world. Committed to advancing Women’s Football, Alex established the first comprehensive budget and content creation team dedicated to all Senior Women’s National Team events. This vital support was later extended to official Women’s Youth Level tournaments. Alex has attended over 100 national team matches, two FIFA World Cups, and three Concacaf Gold Cups. He is a graduate of UVM – Universidad Europea de Madrid, studying Sports Marketing.
“Every step of my career, and especially this past year with TMJ, has given me a front-row seat to the incredible boom in women’s football,” Alex commented. “I’ve seen firsthand the immense, individual brilliance just waiting to shine in each player. So, leading this Players Lab initiative where I can pour all my energy into helping our players build their unique brands? That’s not just a job for me, it’s a deep personal passion. It’s a chance to connect with their journeys and champion their stories.”
Amelia Lopez is a USC Annenberg alum with 8 years of experience in digital journalism, sports media studies and communications. She started her career writing for Yahoo Sports during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, provided on-the-ground reporting during the 2018 FIFA World Cup for FutMexNation where she is an Executive Producer, and on-site content production during the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She’s been featured in Sports Illustrated for her knowledge on the Los Angeles sports landscape, Telemundo Deportes and The Athletic for her coverage of the Liga MX Femenil, the “Soccer Cooligans Show” collaborated with the Premier League in 2021 and 2024, and was part of the Marketing & Digital strategy team for TMJ for three years, organically growing its social media to over 30,000 followers. In addition to leading communications, Amelia manages marketing activations for TMJ’s Think Fuera multicultural clients that span from men’s international soccer to historically Black colleges and universities in the United States.
“It’s very exciting to showcase the incredible portfolio of talented human beings the agency represents,” Amelia shared. “Knowing I’ll be working to amplify the unique stories of these global women footballers, TMJ’s mission, and the wonderful TMJ team members that make it all possible while continuing my work within the U.S. multicultural market… I can’t think of a better challenge to take on.”
Originally from Venezuela, Mariaesther Romero graduated from Florida International University in Miami majoring in International Business. She has been an integral part of the TMJ team since 2020 leading TMJ Catalyst, TMJ’s business development arm where she is responsible for over 300 global brand partnerships for TMJ talent, including major activations and productions on sports events like NWSL Championship, Liga MX Femenil Finals, and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Leveraging her passion for women’s football combined with a strategic mindsight and fan insights, Mariaesther enthusiastically creates successful programs to deliver TMJ business partners’ objectives.
“Being part of women’s football when very few people paid attention, ignited a deep responsibility to give my all to these athletes,” Mariaesther shared. “Now that I am stepping into this Director role, that sense of responsibility has only grown in the best way possible. With my team, we’ve built an dynamic commercial strategy around our Players Lab. I’m very proud of the growth we’ve achieved so far and I truly believe we’re only scratching the surface.”
“The spotlight on women’s sports is brighter than it’s ever been with women’s football at the center of a high beam. There aren’t many people in the world that demonstrate the level of insights, experience, and care Alex, Amelia, and Mariaesther bring to TMJ Athletes,” said Sara Toussaint, TMJ Co-CEO and Head of the Catalyst division. “The energy of this trio when they collaborate on Players Lab projects is electric and I can’t wait to share and celebrate our wins in the years to come!”
