Renata Simril

President & CEO, LA84 Foundation | Founder & President, Play Equity Fund

The Power of Sport beyond spectacle

Renata Simril is President & CEO of the LA84 Foundation and Founder & President of the Play Equity Fund, where she is a nationally recognized leader in play equity, Olympic legacy, youth well-being, and sport for social impact. Since joining LA84, the legacy organization of the 1984 Olympic Games, she has expanded its role into one of the nation’s leading sport-based philanthropies by advancing equitable access to sport, play, and movement for young people across Southern California and beyond. Under her leadership, LA84 and the Play Equity Fund have helped convert major sporting moments—including the FIFA World Cup 2026, Super Bowl LVI, the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship, and other championship events—into partnership opportunities for lasting community benefit through policy, investment, storytelling, and collective impact.

Simril’s career spans government, media, real estate development, pro sports, philanthropy, and public service, including senior leadership roles with the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Dodgers, Forest City Enterprises, and the City of Los Angeles, where she served as Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Housing. She currently serves on the California Governor’s Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-Being, as well as the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission. Her work has been recognized by the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition, Sports Illustrated, Sports Business Journal, UCLA, and the Los Angeles Business Journal. She began her career as a Military Police Officer in the U.S. Army, and holds degrees from Loyola Marymount University and the University of Southern California. Simril is a third-generation Angeleno, and wife and mother of two sons.