Brittany Brown - Ed McGuinn Humanitarian Award Recipient

Brittany “Britt” Brown will be honored with the Ed McGuinn Humanitarian Award, a recognition that reflects not only her professional excellence, but a lifelong commitment to opening doors for others, at the annual CityLax Gala May 6 at the New York Athletic Club.

“Britt’s story is one of access, opportunity, and paying it forward,” said CityLax CEO Rich Lisk. “She’s the kind of role model every student-athlete should look up to — not just for what she accomplished on the field, but for how she translated those lessons into meaningful success beyond it. What’s most powerful is how she’s used that success to create opportunities for others through her continued philanthropic impact.”

Today, Brown serves as Vice President in Corporate Debt Finance at Wells Fargo’s Corporate & Investment Bank, where she plays a key role in executing across asset-based lending and CLO issuance on one of the largest sell-side platforms in the country. Her career has been defined by versatility and an ability to navigate complexity — from her early days as a Trading Analyst rotating across structured credit products including ABS, CLO, CMBS, and RMBS, to managing principal risk on the agency RMBS desk, and later leading strategic trading platform transformation across multiple asset classes.

She has also contributed to firmwide governance initiatives, working within the Markets division on Risk Control Self-Assessment programs before stepping into her current leadership role in private credit.

But long before her success on Wall Street, Brown’s journey began on a soccer field (that’s right, a soccer field after a soccer game) in the Bronx — when CityLax co-founder and DOCS lacrosse coach Mat Levine asked a single question.

“Our lacrosse team had a practice on the same field Britt just finished playing soccer on,” said Levine. “She was in goal and we needed a goalie that day, so I approached her and her parents and asked if she could stick around and play goalie for us. I don’t even remember if we won or lost, I just remember the athleticism. Afterwards I asked her, ‘Does Britt want to play lacrosse?’ The rest is history.”

A standout goalkeeper, Brown went on to become a two-time High School All-American, winning the 2011 New York State Championship at Riverdale Country School and the 2012 New England Class B Championship at The Berkshire School — where she earned four varsity letters and captained both the lacrosse and basketball programs.

After beginning her collegiate career at the University of Virginia, Brown transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, where she started in goal from day one and never looked back.

Over two seasons she compiled 23 wins, 232 saves, and 1,757 minutes played — becoming one of the most decorated goalkeepers in the Ivy League. She earned 2017 IWLCA First-Team All-Region honors, Second-Team All-Ivy recognition, and three Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week awards, leading the league in save percentage at 56.2% and ranking among the nation's best. She was part of back-to-back Ivy League Championship teams, helped the Quakers reach two NCAA Tournaments including the Elite Eight in 2016, and was in net for historic wins — including Penn's first-ever victory at Northwestern.

More importantly, Brown graduated from Penn as the first person in her family to earn an Ivy League degree, with a B.A. in History with a Concentration in Economics.

She later competed professionally in Athletes Unlimited lacrosse in 2021, representing the sport at its highest level.

“Britt represents everything CityLax stands for,” added Levine. “From the moment she first picked up a stick, you could see her drive, but what’s most remarkable is how she’s carried that forward. She’s taken the opportunity she was given and turned it into impact for others. That’s what makes her truly special, and why this recognition is so well deserved.”

Giving back is not something Brown does alongside her life — it is the foundation of it.

“I started at DOCS right as Mat and Gavril were bringing CityLax into New York City public schools,” said Brown. “In many ways, I grew up alongside CityLax, and I’ve never lost sight of what access and opportunity can mean. I don’t know where my life would be without that moment, and that’s exactly why I’m so committed to making sure other kids have that same chance to discover what’s possible.”

Brown serves on the CityLax Board of Directors, stewarding the mission that once opened the door for her and ensuring it remains open for the thousands of New York City public school students who come after. She made a major personal donation to the Penn Women's Lacrosse program's new locker room — a direct investment in the next generation of Quakers and a tribute to the program and coach, Karin Brower, who believed in her when she had stopped believing in herself.

She has coached the next generation of goalkeepers at Myers Park High School and with Queen City Stars — now Ultimate Lacrosse — the Charlotte club program, pouring into young athletes the same mentorship and belief that shaped her own journey.

She is also a highly engaged donor with Time Out Youth, the largest LGBTQ+ youth organization in Charlotte, supporting programming for young people navigating identity, belonging, and community.

Brown holds an additional degree from Wake Forest University's School of Business and resides in Charlotte, NC with her wife, Kate, daughter, Clementine, and three dogs.