I am fortunate in that I have the opportunity to lead the team at Nike that manages programs that support partnerships around the world that are using sport to fight the issues communities care about.
My team focuses on nurturing social and environmental innovation through the lens of sport in a way that enables communities to collaborate with each other, unlock new resources, create advocacy platforms, and to engage with a broad range of stakeholders to expand the reach of sport for all.
It’s not just about grant giving or sending product from an office in the United States – I have spent the last 5 years getting in the field visiting communities in city, urban and rural environments; in the developed and developing countries (and those in-between) to learn how we can all be at our most effective with the skills and resources we have to make real, positive change through sport.
I think that the real heroes in this conversation are those people in communities around the world that have made the commitment to create positive social and environmental change through sport, to support youth. They are a source of incredible ideas and innovations that simply need help to build their capacity in order to make their work more visible to a wider audience.
I want to change the perception that sport is simply a pastime or a preserve for those that can afford to play. We know that is sport is a core element of the social fabric of communities around the world – it brings together youth, helps resolve conflict, fosters teamwork, creates healthier communities, builds the self esteem and confidence of individuals; therefore we should be creating access to these benefits to a wider audience.
I have been on the Nike team for around 5 years in various roles around Corporate Social Responsibility in Europe and the United States that included leading Nike’s global emergency relief program, the Nike Reuse A Shoe program for EMEA and the global product donation program.
Each of these roles involved the mobilization of community partnerships and NGOs, using offline and online resources to engage with consumers and external stakeholders to address social issues affecting youth in the community.
In the past two years I have been based in the United States and have been responsible for working with our global business units to bring to life our commitment to support greater access to sport for excluded youth that are fighting issues such as gender inequity, economic exclusion, racism, environmental degradation and HIV/AIDS.
