Jewell Loyd On AT&T Partnership And Building Her Business Empire

Why AT&T Fits Loyd’s Business Strategy

For Loyd, saying yes to a partnership starts long before contract negotiations. Every opportunity is evaluated through the lens of authenticity, impact and long-term alignment.

That philosophy made AT&T, title sponsor of WNBA All-Star and Changemaker partner with the league, a natural fit. Specifically, Loyd is featured in the She’s Connected campaign, where AT&T is spotlighting athletes that have their own small businesses, like Loyd’s Dobro Coffee.

The goal of the campaign is to celebrate and support women entrepreneurs and small business owners by providing resources, mentorship, and the chance to win a $50,000 grant.

The initiative mirrors Loyd’s own growing interest in business ownership and using her platform to create opportunities beyond basketball. Rather than lending her name to another campaign, she viewed the collaboration as an extension of values she already lives.

Loyd’s values stem from watching her father own his own business. She said, “I think early on seeing my dad have his own company and seeing what he was able to do, I’ve always had a fascination with just business and running stuff. A lot of that comes from my family and seeing how my family operates, but always trying to understand what ownership looked like.”

She continued and detailed that she is not simply attaching her name to her business ventures, but is deeply involved in the decision-making, “I think a lot of times when athletes are aligned with businesses or partnerships, it’s just their likeness. For me, when I’m aligned with a partner or any business, I’m hands-on. I want to know everything. I want to make it very personal because to me it is.”

Building A Business Portfolio Beyond Basketball

Loyd’s entrepreneurial ambitions and her business portfolio are vast and comprehensive. However, she is deeply attached to the businesses she co-creates, owns, and supports.

Thus, this spirit led to the co-creation and launch of Dobro Coffee, where she has embraced a more hands-on role in helping grow the business, specifically in her hometown neighborhood.

Despite not being a coffee drinker herself, Loyd understands the power of third place, creating connection, community, and a safe place for all to gather. She said, “I don’t think it is actually the building itself. It’s actually what is in it. I always believe people need people and understanding that you can have a safe space, have a creative space, a space that it really is about community.”

She continued, “I see how technology and AI is pulling us away from actually human connection. And so the coffee business is not just coffee. I don’t think any business is actually just that product. It’s actually what you can serve to others. And beyond just the treats and the coffees, we can actually serve love and inspiration, positivity, and creating a safe space.”

AT&T Supporting Women-Owned Businesses

Loyd’s drive to create generational wealth, create connection, and give back to her community are core tenants of AT&T’s She’s Connected campaign, a campaign Loyd feels honored to represent and use her voice for change.

She explained, “What a great campaign, honestly. I think it was a great way to use our voice, our platform, but also create awareness on what things that we’re really, really passionate about. It was a great opportunity. So shout out to AT&T for that.”

She continued, “If it makes sense and if you’re really committed to making a change, that’s usually the people that I really want to work with. And right away from the moment I got on set, the moment I met everybody and everything, I was like, ‘Oh, this is a perfect match’.”

Further, as a Black woman small business owner, Loyd understands the rarity of that reality. According to the 2023 Impact of Women Owned Businesses Report, 14 million women owned businesses in the US in 2023, making up 39% of US businesses. However, Black women, despite a dramatic increase, only make up 14.8%.

Loyd expressed, “It’s not just about the business itself, but it’s marketing Black women, Black women athletes, marketing my voice, my message alongside everyone else who’s a part of this campaign.”

Since 2020, AT&T has spotlighted more than 20 athlete small business owners including Loyd, her teammate and four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, NWSL star Sarah Gordon, WNBA rookie and musical artist Flau’jae Johnson, and professional golfer Rose Zhang.

Alongside AT&T, Loyd and the other athletes are reinforcing the lesson that ownership often creates more lasting value than endorsements alone.

More specifically, as more high-profile athletes like Loyd become business owners, they provide a powerful example for women and girls that leadership, investment and entrepreneurship are just as attainable as athletic success.

For Loyd, business ownership is about more than building her own legacy. It’s about increasing the visibility of women entrepreneurs and inspiring others to see themselves not only as consumers or employees, but as founders, investors and business leaders.

Again, Loyd’s approach reflects a broader shift across women’s sports. As athletes gain greater influence and commercial power, they’re increasingly seeking more than endorsement income. They’re becoming founders, investors and operators, redefining what success looks like both during and after their playing careers.

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