Cricket Impact Group (CIG) today announced that the Seattle Orcas have joined the San Francisco Unicorns as presenting partners of the 2026 Cricket Impact Lunch, creating a unique collaboration between three organizations committed to accelerating the growth of cricket across the United States.
The partnership brings together two of Major League Cricket‘s leading franchises alongside Cricket Impact Group, the organization dedicated to advancing the business, educational, and social impact opportunities surrounding cricket. Together, the organizations share a vision of strengthening cricket’s commercial ecosystem, expanding participation opportunities, and creating meaningful connections between the sport, business leaders, investors, brands, and communities.
The collaboration is particularly significant on the West Coast, where cricket continues to experience rapid growth among participants, fans, and commercial stakeholders. By bringing together two leading Major League Cricket franchises around a shared business and impact initiative, the partnership signals a collective commitment to supporting the long-term development of the game in one of cricket’s most important growth markets in North America.
The Cricket Impact Lunch, taking place at Eve’s Waterfront,Oakland on Saturday, July 18 ahead of the Major League Cricket Championship Final at the Oakland Coliseum, has quickly established itself as one of the leading business and leadership gatherings in American cricket. The event will feature an exceptional lineup of speakers including former India international Harbhajan Singh, former England captain Michael Vaughan, and former England World Cup winner and Cricket Impact Group Co-Founder Liam Plunkett.
The event is expected to attract senior executives, investors, entrepreneurs, sponsors, sports industry leaders, and cricket stakeholders from across the United States and around the world.
The announcement comes at a pivotal moment for cricket in the United States. With cricket set to return to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 and Major League Cricket continuing its rapid expansion, leaders across the sport are increasingly focused on creating sustainable pathways for commercial growth, community engagement, and long-term investment. The Cricket Impact Lunch provides a platform for those conversations while bringing together influential voices from across sport, business, and media.
“This partnership is about far more than a lunch,” said Adam Hall, Founder and CEO of Cricket Impact Group. “It is a reflection of what is possible when organizations come together with a shared vision for the future of cricket. The San Francisco Unicorns and Seattle Orcas have demonstrated genuine leadership by recognizing that the growth of cricket requires collaboration, investment in communities, and meaningful engagement with the business world. Together, we are building a platform that can help accelerate the sport’s growth for years to come.”
The Cricket Impact Lunch continues to create connections between cricket and industries including technology, finance, media, tourism, education, and social impact, while helping shape the conversations that will define the future of the sport in North America.
“Partnering with Cricket Impact Group and the Seattle Orcas for this event reflects our belief that cricket’s future in North America will be built through strong relationships across the sport,” said David White, CEO of the San Francisco Unicorns. “The Cricket Impact Lunch provides an important platform to connect business leaders, investors, and cricket stakeholders who can help drive sustainable growth and create lasting impact both on and off the field.”
“We are proud to join this collaboration and support an event that brings together influential voices from across cricket and business,” said Sean Cary, CEO of the Seattle Orcas. “By working together, we can unlock new opportunities for the sport, strengthen community engagement, and help accelerate cricket’s momentum throughout the United States.”
As part of the partnership, the three organizations will work together to strengthen relationships between cricket and the business community while exploring opportunities to expand the sport’s impact at the grassroots and community level. Looking beyond the event, Cricket Impact Group, the San Francisco Unicorns, and the Seattle Orcas intend to explore future collaboration around business networking initiatives, youth engagement programs, educational opportunities, and community impact projects that support the continued growth of cricket throughout the United States.
The partnership reflects a shared belief that collaboration across the cricket ecosystem will be essential to unlocking the sport’s full potential in North America and ensuring that cricket’s growing momentum translates into long-term success both on and off the field.
For more information about the Cricket Impact Lunch including sponsorship details visit:
