Erika L. Binger – Visionary Woman Founder to Watch — 2026

Women Story
Jan 24
3 min read

Building Community Power Through Wellness, Water Safety, and Access

Category

Community Wellness · Fitness & Aquatics · Youth Development · Education · Nonprofit Leadership · Women-Led Social Impact Organizations

Erika L. Binger

Founder & Founding Director, V3 Sports

📍 Based in: Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

“Access to wellness is not a privilege — it’s a right. When communities have safe spaces to move, learn, and belong, everything changes.”

Why She Matters in 2026

In a time when conversations around health equity, youth safety, and community infrastructure are more urgent than ever, Erika L. Binger stands out as a visionary who didn’t wait for systems to change — she built one.

Through V3 Sports, Erika has spent nearly two decades reimagining what a community wellness center can be: not just a gym, but a lifesaving, confidence-building, future-shaping ecosystem rooted in access, dignity, and cultural relevance.

Her work addresses a critical and often overlooked issue in the U.S. — lack of access to swimming education and wellness facilities in underrepresented communities, particularly communities of color.

Company Overview

V3 Sports

Industry: Wellness & Fitness Services · Community Education · Aquatics

Website: https://www.v3sports.org

LinkedIn Profile URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erika-l-binger-3084916/

Mission: To elevate the community through wellness, fitness, and education.

What She’s Built

V3 Sports — More Than a Gym

Founded by Erika L. Binger, V3 Sports is a nonprofit community-based wellness organization serving North Minneapolis — a neighborhood historically underserved in access to safe, high-quality fitness and aquatic facilities.

What began as a vision has grown into a world-class, community-inspired health and wellness center that supports people across all ages and stages of life.

V3 Sports offers:

Culturally informed swimming lessons and aquatics programs
Fitness facilities and group classes
Youth education and out-of-school learning
Community gathering and connection spaces
Health, confidence, and life-skill development

At the heart of V3’s mission is water safety. Drowning disproportionately impacts communities of color, and Erika made it a priority to confront this reality head-on — not with charity, but with access, excellence, and respect.

Impact by the Numbers

Nearly 800 active members
10,000+ hours of swim lessons delivered
Partnerships with organizations like Boys & Girls Club, serving over 80 youth members
Serving thousands of families since inception
A growing staff of 50+ employees, many from the local community

The V3 Center Vision

Genesis Pool with adaptive, culturally responsive aquatic programming
Hydrotherapy pool for rehabilitation, seniors, and new swimmers
5,500 sq. ft. fitness floor
Classroom and community spaces
Café with nutritious options

Four multi-purpose courts
Olympic Trials Pool (used to select the U.S. Olympic Swim Team)
Walking/running track
Regional tournament and event destination

This expansion is designed not just for athletics — but to stimulate the local economy, support entrepreneurs, and bring visitors into North Minneapolis.

Founder’s Role & Philosophy

Erika serves as Founding Director and Coach, leading with a belief that social capital, emotional health, physical wellness, and education must coexist.

Her leadership style is deeply community-centered:

She listens first
Builds with, not for
And insists on excellence because the community deserves nothing less

Her work has earned the trust and praise of civic leaders, Olympians, educators, and families alike.

Awards & Recognition

🏆 Girl Scouts Courage Award

🏆 NAACP Community Award

🏆 Top Ten Fitness Center

🏆 Betting On US – Maven

🏆 Women in Sports & Entertainment – Inspiration Award

Why She’s One to Watch in 2026

Erika L. Binger represents a rare kind of founder — one who blends vision, perseverance, and community accountability over nearly two decades of sustained impact.

She is:

Redefining what equitable wellness infrastructure looks like
Saving lives through culturally informed water education
Creating safe, affirming spaces for youth and families
Proving that nonprofit leadership can be bold, innovative, and scalable

As communities across the U.S. search for models that genuinely work, V3 Sports stands as a blueprint — and Erika Binger as one of the most important leaders behind it.

That’s why Erika L. Binger is a Visionary Woman Founder to Watch in 2026.