Harrison Browne

First Transgender Professional Athlete
Division 1 NCAA Hockey Player and 2017 NWHL Champion
Outspoken Advocate for LGBTQ Rights

Harrison Browne was the first transgender athlete in North American professional sports.

During his three seasons in the NWHL, Harrison was a trailblazer and pioneer for LGBTQ rights. He helped form the first ever transgender policy in professional sports to aid both transmen and transwomen in their participation. He is also the appointed Inclusion Leader for the NWHL advisory board. Through his efforts, Harrison was recognized in 2016 by The Hockey News as one of hockey’s 100 Top People of Power.

Throughout Harrison’s decorated hockey career, he has represented Team Canada in the 2011 U18 Championship and won a silver medal in Stockholm, Sweden. He also represented Team Ontario during the 2011 Canada Winter Games where he also won a silver medal.

The Oakville, Ontario native started his NCAA Div. 1 college hockey career playing at Mercyhurst University for his award winning rookie season. Harrison then transferred to the University of Maine to continue playing and finish out the remaining three years of his college career. After graduating, Harrison joined the NWHL as a member of the Buffalo Beauts where he was named to the 2017 All-Star team and won the championship.

Since 2016, Harrison has worked with the You Can Play organization to continue to advocate for LGBTQ rights and athletes within the NWHL. Harrison has also worked with various Gay Straight Alliance leaders and participants within schools and local communities.

My Story: Trailblazing Through Professional Sports

Harrison tells his story as a transgender male in Women’s Hockey, the first openly trans athlete to ever play in professional sports.

Remarks by Harrison Browne

Harrison can customize a keynote talk on one of many topics such as sports culture, diversity and inclusion, LGBTQ issues, and health.

Leadership: How It Can Make or Break Your Team

As an elite athlete Harrison has been surrounded by leadership for almost the last 2 decades. He has observed and experienced the framework that goes into what makes a great leader well… great! It does not matter whether you’re an employee or an athlete – leadership is essential in motivating and empowering individuals to take pride in their work and complete tasks to the best of their abilities. Harrison will take you through his journey and map out the qualities of the great leaders in his life and how they were able to bring out the best in those around them.  

The 5 Pillars of Diversity and Inclusion

Why is Diversity and Inclusion important in the workforce? The answer to this question is that there are many different cultures, lifestyles, and ethnic groups out there and the only way we can attempt to view the world from all perspectives is to have representation within. Diversity is strength and Harrison will map out how to ensure your organization is strong from the inside out. He will share his experiences as a transgender individual in the work force and highlight the importance of being proactive rather than reactive in this expanding business world where inclusion is crucial to success.

Teamwork and How to Actually Make the Dream Work

Immersed in the world of elite athletics, Harrison has two decades of experience watching high performance teams come together and win. He has done everything from winning a world championship to coming last place in his college division. Every milestone reached and game lost has been due to teamwork or lack thereof. Whether it’s on the ice, court, or the office all successful endeavours rely on teamwork and collaboration. As an expert in his field, Harrison will guide you through all the ins and outs on the importance of teamwork and how to achieve success together.