A personnel addition and a rebranding to report, as Fran Weld–former SVP of Strategy & Development for the San Francisco Giants–joins the newly dubbed Canopy Team (formerly known as Elysian Park Planning) as CEO.
Yes, we did cram a lot into that lede, so let’s take a step back and run through the announcements. First: Canopy is indeed the former Elysian Park Planning, the women-led planning and development firm launched by Founder & Chairwoman Janet Marie Smith. She’s the EVP of Planning & Development for the Los Angeles Dodgers who first made an impact as part of the team creating Oriole Park, the groundbreaking retro home of the Baltimore Orioles, and later overseeing renovations/expansions of Fenway Park and Dodger Stadium.
Canopy Team is also announcing an East Coast expansion, opening a new office in Baltimore and celebrating the appointment of Weld as CEO. The group is also adding new team members and several new professional sports venues to its roster, with clients like the University of Florida’s Athletic Association and Major League Baseball. Canopy Team members have worked on some of the most notable sports venues across the globe including Stamford Bridge, PNC Park, and legacy programming for a 2022 FIFA World Cup stadium in Qatar, as well as more intimate venues for teams like the Worcester Red Sox, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, and Bowie Baysox.
“Our team has a rich history of serving as innovators and thought leaders in the civic design space. We are an umbrella across all aspects of the built environment, from architecture to sustainability and operations,” Weld said via press release. “We have a deep bench of experience across sports and venue types, and pride ourselves in providing inspired expertise for large-scale capital projects from start to finish. We look forward to many more years of creating vibrant spaces that build community and culture all across the globe.”
Canopy is also one of the first nine companies named to join The Trailblazer Venture Studio. Trailblazer is a collaboration between Billie Jean King Enterprises, Elysian Park Ventures, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and R/GA Ventures.
“I could not be happier to see Canopy succeed and highlight the important perspective that women and women-led companies bring to the professional sports space,” said Ilana Kloss, CEO of Billie Jean King Enterprises, via press release. “With Janet and Fran’s leadership, Canopy will help its clients reach their maximum potential.”