About Us
Inner Sanctum is a company founded by women for women. We’re part of the movement we’re helping to shape.
Collectively we bring decades of experience across media, marketing & communication, commercial strategy, audience growth and digital innovation — all with a laser focus on unlocking the full commercial potential of women’s sport.
We’ve worked on both sides of the table, building brands, brokering partnerships, developing audience strategies, and working directly with athletes to build personal brands that deliver value beyond the game.
We know how today’s fans behave, how brands want to show up, and how sporting codes can build commercially sustainable women’s programs. We’re also proud to be ex-athletes, media insiders, and mothers, with a deep personal connection to the growth of women’s sport, and a commitment to ensuring the next generation of female athletes/coaches and leaders have a more level playing field.
Nicole leads with bold marketing and brand expertise, combining her deep understanding of fan behaviour and engagement with hands-on modern athlete management. She’s worked across major and emerging partnerships, crafting integrated marketing campaigns and activations that connect brands authentically with audiences who expect more.
Clare brings commercial strategy, innovation and digital smarts, helping brands and rights holders navigate the evolving sponsorship landscape, build smarter audience attraction strategies, and leverage technology and AI to future-proof how women’s sport is communicated, marketed and monetised.
Inner Sanctum is an agency built from the ground up for the new era of women’s sport, combining insider knowledge, commercial acumen, and modern athlete/coach management to ensure brands, sporting codes, organisations don’t just keep up — they lead the way.
Meet the Founders
Clare Starling
Co-Founder & Director
As a mother of two young girls, Clare is passionate about championing women in sports and creating equitable opportunities. With over two decades of strategic leadership experience driving digital transformations and pioneering innovative marketing strategies at major media brands like News Corp Australia, Clare brings invaluable business acumen to Inner Sanctum Sports Management, along with a formidable network of corporate contacts across various industries.
Her distinguished career was hallmarked by spearheading complex commercial initiatives that significantly enhanced profitability and audience engagement. Now, Clare channels this expertise towards empowering the next generation of female athletes.
Clare understands the unique challenges women face in professional sports. Drawing from her own journey navigating male-dominated corporate environments, she is an unwavering advocate for her clients. Clare is passionate in providing strategic guidance to build sustainable, financially rewarding careers.
Her holistic approach, rooted in authenticity and business pragmatism, equips athletes with the tools to command their narratives, cultivate influential brands, and inspire future generations.
Nicole Comerford
Co-Founder & Director
With a passion for empowering female athletes that burns as fiercely as her competitive spirit, Nicole brings a unique blend of sporting prowess and business acumen to her role as Co-Founder and Director of Inner Sanctum Sports Management.
A former competitive swimmer and water polo representative for Papua New Guinea and Australia, Nicole understands the dedication and sacrifice required to excel in the athletic arena. Her own journey as an athlete has instilled in her an unwavering commitment to championing the dreams and aspirations of the next generation of female sporting talents.
Complementing her athletic background is Nicole's impressive 20-year career driving growth and profitability through strategic leadership roles in media, marketing and sport. Her extensive experience at News Corp Australia & Queensland Rugby Union, where she spearheaded product strategy, brand development, and high-stakes sponsorship negotiations, has honed her ability to navigate complex corporate environments and secure lucrative opportunities for her clients.
With an unparalleled combination of athletic grit and business savvy, Nicole is poised to elevate the careers of her clients to unprecedented heights, shattering glass ceilings and propelling the next generation of female sporting icons to the pinnacle of success.
Where is meaning in our name
For athletes and coaches, the “inner sanctum” is more than a place — it’s a trusted space where truths are shared, strategies are built, and success is shaped. It’s where vulnerability and strength coexist, where trust and insight drive performance, and where the real work happens, far away from the public eye.
Within these walls, strategies are born, doubt is silenced, and courage is stitched together from whispered truths and hard-won lessons. It is a world unseen by most, but for those who have bled, sweat, and fought together, the inner sanctum is a fortress of trust, sisterhood, and unwavering support.
At Inner Sanctum Sports Management, we carry this spirit into everything we do. Whether we’re helping brands invest authentically in women’s sport, advising sporting codes and organisations on how to grow sustainable women’s programs, or guiding female athletes and coaches as they shape their futures, we work from inside the movement, in the places where strategy meets sacrifice and where real value is forged away from the spotlight.
Because whether you’re an athlete, coach, a brand, or a sporting code, the “inner sanctum” is where the real work happens — and we are the trusted hands to help you navigate it!