Masai Ujiri, the former Raptors president and current Sustainable Development Goal Advocate for the United Nations, on Tuesday became a principal owner of the WNBA’s expansion Toronto Tempo. In collaboration with the Tempo, Ujiri is also launching Tempo Rising, a mentorship platform for women-identifying and non-binary coaches at both the entry and advanced levels. Ujiri will provide leadership and coaching expertise alongside Tempo GM Monica Wright Rogers and Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello.
“As an honorary Canadian, I’m excited to be part of the Tempo team as I believe they are building something truly historic — a franchise that represents not only Canada, but the future of basketball,” Ujiri said. “I believe deeply in the vision behind the Tempo: creating female leaders, elevating women not just on the court, but across the organization, and building championship culture from day one. This is more than just a new team — it’s a defining moment in women’s basketball globally.”
Ujiri — who was the NBA’s executive of the year in 2013 and was president of the Raptors during their championship season of 2019 — joins an ownership group that includes Chairman Larry Tanenbaum, Chairman of Kilmer Sports Ventures, and a second principal owner in Serena Williams.
In his role with the United Nations, Ujiri has continued his humanitarian work in Africa, which began when he was director of Basketball Without Borders and launched Giants of Africa in the early 2000s. He exited the Raptors front office in 2025.