Ep. 36: Bridging Cultures Through Football | Maria Rodriguez & the Steelers

Maria Jose Rodriguez’s journey is about more than sports, it’s about identity, belonging, and building community across cultures.Born and raised in Honduras, Maria shares what it was like leaving home and finding a new sense of belonging through sports. From working in Formula 1 to her time at TCU, she eventually found her way to the Pittsburgh Steelers, where she started as an intern and spent eight years growing into a manager role.In this episode, Maria, former International Content Manager for the Steelers and Host of the EMpoderadas Podcast, opens up about the challenges of being a Latina woman in the sports industry, the pressure of losing parts of herself along the way, and how reconnecting with her identity and mentors ultimately became her greatest strength.She also shares how she worked to connect players, fans, and communities from different backgrounds proving that the love of a team can bring people together no matter where they come from.This conversation is about more than career growth, it’s about the WHY behind what you do, representation, and the power of staying true to who you are.Check out her podcast: EMpoderadas Podcast