MLR Champions New England Free Jacks Announce Major Partnership with Koa Labs

by | Feb 3, 2025 | Blog, Featured News, News, Partnerships

MLR Champions New England Free Jacks Announce Major Partnership with Koa Labs

The entrepreneurial spirited Koa Labs will feature on the players’ match jerseys to symbolize a shared commitment with the Free Jacks of making the world a better place through grit, innovation, and connecting community 

Back-to-back Major League Rugby (MLR) Champions, the New England Free Jacks, are thrilled to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Koa Labs, the famed Boston-based startup fund dedicated to supporting first-time founders that are fostering innovation. As an official “jersey caretaker” partner of the Free Jacks, Koa Labs will feature prominently on the back of the players’ match kit and will collaborate with the team to advance shared values of excellence, community improvement, and a mission-driven approach to entrepreneurship through hospitality activations and off-site events.

“Koa is thrilled to partner with the Free Jacks as they pursue their third consecutive MLR Championship in 2025.  The Free Jacks culture is truly a role model for high performing, innovative organizations.  Koa shares the Free Jacks core values of teamwork, resilience and ambition,” said Andy Palmer, Koa Labs Founder.

Founded with a mission to empower first-time entrepreneurs in Cambridge/Boston, Koa Labs has supported more than 200 founders, 80+ from underserved communities, and helped to create four+ unicorns across more than 130 investments. Koa Labs’ approach is to support innovative world class entrepreneurs who are building significant independent companies.

Deliverables and Partnership Highlights

Through this partnership the two organizations aim to foster meaningful connections between mission-driven founders through in-person gameday collaborations among the burgeoning Free Jacks business community and to amplify the Free Jacks’ off-field community initiatives.

“The jersey is everything in rugby. As Andy [Palmer, founder of Koa Labs] knows so well, it is the symbol of the players’ commitment to leaving the position, the field, the team in a better place than we found it,” said Free Jacks co-founder and CEO, Alex Magleby. “Given their track record and tremendous support of first time founders it is an honor–and quite symbolic given our beginnings–to include Koa Labs on our jersey. Moreover, we are really excited to dig into this collaboration and increase the connectivity between both of our rapidly growing business communities.” 

As the Free Jacks embark on another championship campaign, this partnership with Koa Labs will play a pivotal role in advancing shared goals of excellence, inclusivity, and community impact. Together, the New England Free Jacks and Koa Labs look forward to building a lasting legacy both on and off the field.

About the free jacks

The Free Jacks are greater Boston’s explosive and excitable professional rugby team competing in Major League Rugby (MLR), the premier North American professional competition, representing all the greatness of the six New England states on and off the field. The Free Jacks aim to create unforgettable in-person experiences at their home in Quincy, MA, and deliver dynamic digital content that delights and excites fans as a community-centric, world-class entertainment company. The core brand in the portfolio is The New England Free Jacks, the humble, hard-working, free-spirited MLR Champions. We never forget that life is better together, on and off the pitch. For more information, please visit www.FreeJacks.com.

About koa labs

Koa Labs is a Boston-based startup fund with a mission to invest in founders from underserved and underrepresented communities. By driving innovation, supporting social impact, and championing diversity, Koa Labs empowers entrepreneurs to turn ideas into reality while prioritizing inclusivity and accessibility. For more information, visit www.KoaLabs.com.

 

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Written By:

Oliver Gilpin

Director of Brand and Creative @ New England Free Jacks

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