SEED PROJECT ANNUAL REPORT 2016
Š Alessandro Simonetti
We use education and basketball to develop the next generation of African leaders.
Picture
Š Alessandro Simonetti
A LETTER FROM OUR FOUNDER Dear Friends, Colleagues and Supporters, I would not be who and where I am today if I had not had the good fortune to receive the encouragement and support of a young man, Kevin Lineberger, who saw in me a passion to succeed and an ability to play the game of basketball. He suggested to me that there was a way to turn these qualities into an education by applying for an athletic scholarship at university. The rest was up to me – and to the repeated generosity of others who saw me fulfilling my potential. The mission and vision of SEED has never changed – “There is always a chance that to develop a new generation of African leaders using good fortune can come our way. basketball in support of education. That idea, once There is a much better chance, planted, has spread to nearly every region across however, that you and I can Senegal, and recently into The Gambia. We have cultivate good fortune for developed a dynamic life skills curriculum that has someone else. This is how we been recognized by leading international are growing SEED.” development agencies, including USAID. We have — Amadou Fall created a career services network for our more than 110 alumni who are working or studying around the world. We have trained 352 coaches, who have grown their careers. And we have expanded our programs to thousands of young women. Adding the element of good fortune to the life of a young person is never a wasted effort. He or she is forever changed. These student-athletes to whom we are teaching the game of basketball may or may not become basketball players at higher levels, although many do. However, in using basketball as a powerful tool, we engage young men and women in leadership- and community-building experiences. We provide a meaningful reason for them to stay in school and excel. And we create an environment in which they can discover the leader within. What that young man actually planted in me was this concept that each of us has it within ourself to create good fortune for someone else. As you read this annual report, keep in mind that all of this started with that simple transaction. In Appreciation,
Amadou Fall
A LETTER FROM OUR DIRECTORS By every statistic, and in ways that can only be measured through expressions of the human spirit, SEED broke new ground in 2016. In Africa, we served a record number of students, brought SEED programming beyond Senegal into The Gambia, launched our Women's Empowerment Program, trained a record number of coaches and swept the MVP awards at Basketball Without Borders. In the United States, we raised more money than ever, launched a professional mentoring program, and our first SEED girl graduates — Ramatoulaye Sy and Fatou Diagne — arrived to continue their education. SEED alumni are flourishing. Mactar Mbodj returned to his hometown, Pout, Senegal, to start a basketball program, and Remi Ndiaye entered a Masters Degree program in Business Administration while becoming a graduate assistant basketball coach at Dallas Baptist University. These are just a few examples of the impact our alumni are having around the world. All of these activities are elements of SEED’s rapidly expanding capacity to change the trajectory of young African lives. But the best evidence of where truly meaningful growth is taking place can be found in the personal reflections from some of our student-athletes. We are witnessing SEED youth gain a greater sense of who they can become. They are finding their voices, understanding at a deep level their responsibility to a wider community, and feeling the freedom to add their perspectives to the global dialogue.
“The coaches told us that we should not be timid. And that if we had any problems we had to face them. They taught us self confidence. They taught us to be in solidarity by sharing with the group.” — Live Learn and Play female youth focus participant
“My voice might not be loud enough, it might not have any impact or even change peoples’ way of seeing the issues in this world. But I just thought I’d come around and say how I feel about it. Are we just going to ignore the fact that a lot of lives are being taken away every day in Syria? Where is our humanity? Where is our togetherness as human beings?” — Cheikh Djiby Fall, SEED graduate
Nurturing this organic growth is the core of our work. With this Report, we hope to instill in you a feeling of pride in what these young men and women are experiencing and becoming, a pride that connects SEED staff, alumni, students, host families -- and all of us to you.
Noah Levine Executive Director, SEED Project
Mohamed Niang Executive Director, SEED Senegal
© Kevin Couliau
WHY
is SEED critical? Africa has the youngest population in the world, yet the lowest school attendance rates. We have the opportunity to educate and empower a new generation of leaders who will be able to develop their country from within.
In Senegal 7% OF STUDENTS attend university
66% OF YOUTH
do not finish primary school and find themselves without proper job qualifications
39% OF WOMEN are literate compared to 62% of men Statistics according to UNESCO
8,000 STU
participate
programs in 2016 (Sene
HOW
we are filling this gap.
UDENTS
ed in SEED
egal, The Gambia, U.S.)
Our programs are designed to increase school retention and graduation rates, while providing new educational and leadership experiences to ensure that youth have the confidence and skills to make big dreams come true.
At SEED 92% OF GRADUATES
attend university or secure a job from SEED Academy
82% OF SEED STUDENTS graduate middle school
compared to just 49% of their peers
85% OF SEED GIRLS have graduated high school compared to just 35% of their peers Š Alessandro Simonetti
© Steven Counts
THE SKY HAS NO LIMIT A note to her host parents from Ramatoulaye Sy (Masters ’18), the first SEED Girl to attend school in the U.S. I’m writing to tell you how different the world looks to me now, how mature I’ve become, and how strong and confident I am now after my first year in the United States. When I reflect back on my life and my childhood, I was a shy girl who knew what she wanted but wasn’t courageous and confident enough to do it. I always backed up when it was time to step up. I always got scared when it was my turn to act. The only thing that was clear to me was school. I started playing basketball in 2012 and became part of the SEED Family in 2014. Before attending SEED Academy, basketball was just a hobby. I played it because it was fun. I never thought that basketball would become a passion that would completely change my life in all aspects. My first year in the United States, at the Masters School, was amazing and challenging at the same time. It wasn’t easy to live in a country where you’ve never been before. On top of that, my English was not fluent when I arrived, but I learned how to be patient and how to self-motivate. And I was lucky to be part of a welcoming and free community at Masters where everybody is equal no matter what your identity is.
“The biggest thing that I learned this year was to not be scared to fail, but to be courageous enough to keep moving. There is no straight road to success.” — Ramatoulaye Sy
No one wishes to get injured but it sometimes teaches you more than you expected. Tearing my ACL this year was not what I wanted to happen but it motivated me so much and made me stronger than ever. I know that life isn’t always full of joy. People don't realize how lucky and fortunate they are until something bad happens to them. This injury really makes me realize that time is precious. I’ve became more open minded. Now, when I return home, it feels great even if I see Senegal in a very different way. We (in Senegal) must devote more time to find out what’s going on around the world. We can always learn more. The sky is the limit even if the sky has no limit. I want to thank you for supporting me and encouraging me from the first day I stepped foot in the U.S. I wouldn’t be able to have had such a great and unforgettable year without your help, your care, and your support. I truly appreciate it.
PRO Š Alessandro Simonetti
GRAM REPORT
PROGRAM REPORT
SEED ACADEMY Our 2015-16 group of students was the largest in program history (42 students), including 14 new students (4 girls, 10 boys). In the classroom, our students continued to outpace national averages on all major standardized tests, and on the court SEED sent a record number of students to Basketball Without Borders (NBA Camp for top African youth). We also welcomed a new SEED Boys Head Coach, Jules Camara. Born and raised in Dakar, Jules attended the legendary University of Kentucky and starred for several Senegalese national teams before returning home to Senegal to help take the Academy to new heights.
GRADE BREAKDOWN
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE CLASS OF 2016 • 42 students enrolled in Senegal (22 Boys, 20 Girls)
14 11
• 100% received financial aid • 10 students selected to BWB camp for top student-athletes in Africa under 18
6 4
3 2 7th
8th
© Kevin Couliau
2 9th
10th
11th
12th
PG
• 75% of students will move on to the next grade in school
2016 EXIT EXAM PASS RATES GENERAL POPULATION
SEED STUDENTS
83%
75%
49% 35%
BFEM EXAM MIDDLE SCHOOL *
BAC EXAM HIGH SCHOOL
Both students who failed exams this year will re-take the exam in 2017
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Through base-line and end-line testing, we measure our students’ leadership development during the course of the program year.
Communication • 99% of SEED Academy students displayed positive communication skills
Academic Interest • 95% of SEED Academy students displayed improved motivation toward their studies
Positive Relationships • 98% of SEED Academy students developed positive relationships with others
Overcoming Adversity • 85% of SEED Academy students demonstrated the ability to overcome adversity on and off the court
CLASS OF 2016 Middle School, High School, College Graduates
© Kevin Couliau
MIDDLE SCHOOL Adji Coumba Seck, CEM Ballabey Aissatou Fall, CEM Ballabey Cheikh Bamba Dieng, Yavuz Salim Fallou Mback Cisse, Yavuz Salim Salou Ndoye Diop, Yavuz Salim
HIGH SCHOOL Cheikh Faye, Malick Sy Ndeye Ndieme Diallo, Malick Sy Oumy Khalsoume Senghor, Saint Gabriel
U.S. UNIVERSITY Doudou Gueye, South Carolina State Jean Yves Toupane, Gannon University Lamine Dieng, Pitt State Lionel Gomis, Robert Morris University
GRADUATE SCHOOL Daniel Gomis, Oregon State MA
PROGRAM REPORT
LIVE, LEARN & PLAY This past year, we completed our 3-year grant with USAID, the NBA, and John Snow International as the implementing partners of Live, Learn & Play. The groundbreaking program reached nearly every corner of Senegal with youth basketball and life skills programming, and professional development training for coaches and youth mentors. The primary mission of the program was to reach middle school youth through a dynamic life skills curriculum, using the game of basketball as the context to teach the importance of education, gender equity and self-management. The impact of LLP surpassed all expectations, and the results showed significant improvement in youth, coach and parents’ attitudes towards education, sports, and gender equality. In fact, the program model has recently been adopted by the NBA’s flagship youth program, Jr. NBA.
1,620
352
youth engaged in weekly basketball & life skills programming
coaches trained in Senegal & The Gambia
87
16
partner program schools and youth clubs
courts refurbished since start of the program
FOR FULL RECAP: SEEDPROJECT.ORG/SEED-REPORTS
PROGRAM REPORT
RISE SENEGAL Launched in 2013, SEED Rise is an after-school youth development program for 325 boys and girls, grades K-12, from across Senegal. Rise provides basketball clinics, life skills lessons and academic tutoring for youth, while also working with local schools, basketball clubs, and coaches to create infrastructure that systematically aligns with education, leadership and social responsibility. Each student’s primary goals are to stay on track to be promoted to the next grade in school, to graduate high school and to matriculate to university.
85% OF STUDENTS
passed middle school exit exam vs. just 50% of their peers
17 STUDENTS will matriculate to high school our largest group ever
75% OF STUDENTS reported an increase in self confidence
78% OF STUDENTS reported increased motivation towards their studies
Š Folasade Adeoso
PROGRAM REPORT
RISE GAMBIA In January 2016, we partnered with Ascend Together, a Gambian non-profit, to launch Rise Gambia. Implementing our Rise curriculum, which combines academic, basketball and life skills programming, the Ascend team successfully launched the after-school program at two middle schools. Utilizing our life skills curriculum and monitoring and evaluation procedures, Rise Gambia had an incredible impact on students, schools and communities. We look forward to expanding the program in 2017.
WHY RISE GAMBIA? Gambia has one of the youngest populations in the world, but one of the lowest school attendance rates and highest youth unemployment rates in the world. This difficult climate has led to thousands of Gambians fleeing the country over the past few years. We have an opportunity to empower a new generation of Gambians that will have the skills necessary to develop their country from within. • • • •
46% of Gambians are under 14 34% of students attend high school 38% of youth under 30 are unemployed 48% of Gambians live below the global poverty line
IMPACT • 179 students participated in Rise Gambia • Gender equality: 91 girls and 88 boys participated • Employed 12 coaches and tutors For a full program report please visit: www.seedproject.org/impact
PROGRAM REPORT
SEED SCHOLARS Since we launched SEED Academy in 2002, we’ve had 108 students attend our boarding school in Thies, Senegal. We invest in each student to ensure they will either matriculate to higher education or secure a quality job upon leaving the program, while developing a greater sense of community and strengthening their commitment to the development of Senegal. Through ongoing career services and professional mentoring programs, we continue to invest in our alumni once they graduate from SEED.
$7M EARNED
in academic scholarships by our SEED Academy alumni to attend high school or college in Africa and the U.S.
58 ALUMNI have earned scholarships to play U.S. college basketball
31 ALUMNI
have played pro ball in more than 20 countries around the world, including 6 in the NBA or NBDL
High School Graduation Rates GENERAL POPULATION
94%
SEED STUDENTS
100% 83%
35%
Senegal
United States
ALUMNI IN THE SPOTLIGHT
BAYE SAMBA FALL Born and raised in Dakar, Senegal, Baye (pictured left) always had a passion for school. It wasn’t until he picked up the game of basketball at 13 that he realized he could combine these two passions. He was enrolled in SEED Academy from 2008-10 and earned a scholarship to attend Wilson High School (Texas). After completing high school he matriculated to York College on a basketball scholarship. After injuries cut short his collegiate career, Baye re-dedicated himself to his studies with a focus on finance and accounting. It was in the summer of 2015 while interning for SEED in NYC that Baye met SEED Professional Board Member, Todd Burach, through SEED’s professional mentoring program. They quickly formed a bond, and Todd helped Baye over the course of the next year navigate his network and eventually land a Summer Analyst position at JP Morgan. After a successful summer, Baye was rewarded with a full-time offer at JP Morgan upon his graduation from SUNY Brockport University in June ’17.
“I recall heading to the NY Offices of JP Morgan, for my first day at my summer internship the same way I remember coming to the United States six years ago; I was anxious, excited, and felt unseemly out of place. Growing up in Senegal, people don’t frequently have the chance to intern on Wall Street, let alone a major firm like JP Morgan. From the very first day with JP Morgan, I was embraced as a member of the team and legitimately expected to make a contribution. Todd’s advice, from resume and cover letter writing to tips on interview etiquette, played a crucial role in me securing this internship. I am really excited about my future.” — Baye Samba Fall, a reflection on his internship
NEW PROGRAM
WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT We launched Women’s Empowerment in 2016 to provide our girls with a supportive environment where they can build life skills, develop their voices and express their opinions freely. The program included a series of leadership workshops across the school year and summer, as well as opportunities for our male students to participate and support their female peers. Thank you to the Babac’ards Foundation and H.O.P.E. for Senegal (Helping Other People Everywhere) for supporting this critical program.
H.O.P.E. Summer Workshop In partnership with H.O.P.E. we provided four workshops for our SEED Girls this past August. Topics included: Leadership & Entrepreneurship, Violence Against Women, Women’s Sexual Health, SelfAcceptance.
#HeForShe x UN Women This past March, to celebrate International Women's Day, our students and staff joined the UN Women's #HeForShe campaign to raise awareness about gender equality. The 4-hour event included workshops for our SEED Academy Boys and Girls, and lectures from local community members on the importance of womens' role in Senegal.
#iamtheCODE Hackathon Our 20 SEED Girls were invited by #iamtheCODE, an NGO focused on increasing girl’s access to technology, to participate in a two-day workshop. In small groups, our girls received a tutorial in how to code. We will expand our partnership with #iamtheCODE in 2017.
© Folasade Adeoso
Picture us Ballin’ Produced and directed by Nigerian artist, Folasade Adeoso, Picture us Ballin’ explores the intersection of women, sport and culture in Africa. All 20 SEED Girls worked together to style the photoshoot, design the clothes, scout the locations and produce meaningful images that represent how they want to be seen. Please visit our online gallery for a full collection of images from this campaign. www.seedproject.org/pictureusballin
Senegal All-Stars vs NYC All-Stars // Dyckman Park
CAMPAIGNS & EVENTS
CAMPAIGNS & EVENTS
HOOP FORUM Our 14th annual Hoop Forum (Dakar & Thies, Senegal) brought together top non-profits, corporations and individuals using sport as a tool for development across Africa. The 4-day event (May 19-22, 2016) took guests on a food, music and sport tour of Senegal. More than 2,000 guests, SEED student-athletes and alumni, local and international coaches, and spectators enjoyed a balance of elite basketball camps, community give-back events, concerts, cultural activities, networking opportunities and more. This year’s theme - partnerships for social inclusion - was highlighted across all activities: NBA Africa’s Basketball Operations team led a 2-day coaching clinic with 47 local and international coaches, a UN Women’s Ambassador held a female empowerment workshop, and top Senegal business, education, and NGO leaders discussed entrepreneurial solutions to youth empowerment and gender equality.
900
47
19
STUDENTS
COACHES
ALUMNI
attended Hoop Forum activities
were trained from West Africa
participated in Hoop Forum
CAMPAIGNS & EVENTS
BATMAN VS SUPERMAN This past spring, SEED supporter, Jesse Eisenberg, rallied his fellow Batman vs Superman co-stars, Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill, to raise funds for three non-profits of each actor’s choice. Jesse chose SEED and, together, the stars supported an online raffle to win a chance to attend the March 25th premier of the movie along with the three co-stars. After months of outreach, hilarious custom content and coverage across hundreds of media outlets, this outstanding group of actors helped us raise $95,000 for SEED programming!
$95,000 RAISED to support SEED programs
LARGEST
FUNDRAISER in SEED history
538 MILLION IMPRESSIONS across all media channels throughout the campaign
CAMPAIGNS & EVENTS
SEED WEEK ’16 Each summer in New York City, we host a week of activities (July 25-29) showcasing our programs and raising funds to support our mission. This year, leaders from the financial, non-profit, sports and entertainment sectors came together to celebrate our 15th program year. From our annual Summer Party to the bright lights of the world’s most famous streetball court, it was quite a week!
SEED Summer Party More than 300 guests turned out for our 4th annual SEED Summer Party and helped us raise $60,000 to support our students. The talented music group, Eye Spy, helped us turn Marquee NY into a West African dance party where our guests heard keynote speeches from Amadou Fall (SEED Founder // VP NBA Africa), DeSagana Diop (Retired NBA Player), Masai Ujiri (President, Toronto Raptors), Makhtar Ndiaye (Wasserman Media), and Noah Levine (Executive Director, SEED Project). Also recognized were two SEED Professional Board members, Etzerson Philitas and Brian Waweru, with this year's Leadership Award for their contributions as Co-Chairs of the Finance Committee.
CAMPAIGNS & EVENTS
Senegal vs New York All-Stars For the 3rd straight year, we teamed-up with the most famous streetball court in the world, Dyckman Park, and Nike, to host one of the most highly anticipated streetball events of the summer. SEED Academy alumni took on a group of talented Dyckman Park All-Stars (all players enrolled in high school or college), and the game came down to the wire. After Team Senegal mounted a furious comeback to cut Dyckman's lead to 1 with 90 seconds to play, Team Dyckman finished the game on a 6-0 run to win their third straight game in the series.
Student-Athlete Career Services Symposium For the 3rd consecutive year we hosted our Student-Athlete Career Services Symposium to support our alumni’s ongoing professional development. This year, City National Bank hosted eight SEED alumni for a 3-hour career services workshop led by SEED Professional Board Members, Michael Wieder (Wayup), Nina Boyd (Wayup) and Todd Burach (City National Bank), and City National executives. WayUp is an online career services and job placement platform. Workshops included: Resume & cover letter workshop, Interview prep skills, an overview of City National from executives, and personal finance and budgeting
CAMPAIGNS & EVENTS
BWB AFRICA This year, the NBA’s 14th annual Basketball Without Borders Camp (September 1-4) for the top 87 African student-athletes under 18, boys and girls, was held in Angola. Joined by NBA players, coaches and personnel, SEED sent our largest group ever with five boys, five girls, and two coaches in attendance. Campers enjoyed four days of basketball skills clinics, competitive games, elite coaching from top professionals, team-building activities, and cultural excursions around the country. SEED students dominated throughout the camp and both the Boys and Girls MVP awards were awarded to SEED students. Cheikh Faye, a senior at SEED and recent Baccalaureate recipient, received the Boys MVP. This was particularly rewarding for Cheikh as he bounced back from failing the BAC last year and had a tremendous year both in the classroom and on the court at SEED. On the girls’ side, BWB invited young women from outside of South Africa for the first time ever, and our own Bigeye Sarr took home the MVP of the All-Star game. All of the girls and their coach shared a memorable experience together, and look forward to attending more BWB camps in the future.
GIANTS OF SENEGAL Two of the leading sport for development organizations in Africa, SEED Project and Giants of Africa (GOA), teamed-up to inspire Senegalese youth this past summer (August 7-9). Amadou Fall (SEED Founder // VP NBA Africa) and Masai Ujiri (Giants of Africa Founder // President Toronto Raptors) are two of the most influential figures in Africa and this marked the first time their respective organizations partnered. Each summer, GOA (based in Nigeria) hosts a series of basketball / life skills camps across Africa. This year, GOA started their tour in Senegal and worked with SEED to serve hundreds of youth around the country with basketball clinics and valuable leadership and life skills seminars.
FINANCIALS © Kevin Couliau
INCOME
Campign & Events 28%
Individual Donors 15%
Other 5%
$532,890 Total Revenue
Foundation / Gov. 24%
Corporate 29%
Corporate
$153,101
Individual
$79,176
Campaigns & Events
$147,456
Other
$27,265
Foundation & Government $125,890
EXPENSES
Fundraising & Events 9%
Other 4% Marketing 1% Travel 4% Admin & Office 2%
$527,389 Total Expenses Programming 80%
Programming
$422,379
Travel
$19,202
Fundraising & Events
$44,900
Admin & Office
$12,666
Other
$20,566
Marketing
$7,672
THANK YOU We couldn’t have had our most impactful year ever without your contributions. Thank you for continuing to help us empower the next generation of African leaders.
$50,000+
$1,000+
$200+
NBA
Austin Community Foundation
Alec Hooff
Nike
Charles Lerner
American Endowment
USAID / JSI
Daniel Regina
Chris Acidera
Den Hospitality Group
$25,000+
Etzerson Philitas
Cassandra Carr
Griffin Hoffmann
$15,000+ Babac’ards Foundation Coty Sidnam NBPA
Eve Levine Justin Piasecki and Jennifer Flora Leon Rose Meredith & Alex Falk New York Knicks Sam Simon
Ed Meehan Georgia Waltzer Hilary Tjian James O’Sullivan Jami Vandline John Tassone Jonathan Moinian Justin Tien Kevin Chenault Liame Hajduch
$5,000+
$500+
Emma Pucci
Brian Waweru
Fred Swaniker
Carmelo Troccoli
Harvey Sanders
Gueye Textiles
Justin Palmer
Melissa Owumi
Paul Waltzer
Sam Pucci
Monica Wright
Rita Brown
Sequoia Foundation
Nandi Welch
Ryan Pettinella
U.S. Fund for UNICEF
Oulimata Sarr
Samuel Huntington
Washerman Foundation Worldquant Foundation
Lloyd Pierce Nicholas Snyder Nicholas Woll Niki Kanodia
Timothy McChristian
PARTNERS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Amadou Fall, NBA Caryl Stern, UNICEF USA Fred Swaniker, AFRICAN LEADERSHIP ACADEMY Harvey Sanders, UNDER ARMOUR Justin Palmer, BGC PARTNERS Kojo Mills, INVICTUS AFRICA Noah Levine, SEED PROJECT
ADVISORY BOARD Astou Ndiaye, NBA Boikai Cummings, INVICTUS AFRICA Boris Diaw, UTAH JAZZ Joakim Noah, NY KNICKS John Manyo-Plange, NBA AFRICA Makhtar Ndiaye, WASSERMAN Masai Ujiri, TORONTO RAPTORS Pierre Thiam, CHEF Dr. Richard Lapchick, INSTITUTE FOR DIVERSITY & ETHICS IN SPORTS Romola Ratnam, UNICEF USA
STAFF Noah Levine, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SEED PROJECT Mohamed Niang, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SEED SENEGAL Brian Benjamin, DIRECTOR OF STUDENT PLACEMENT Moussa Toure, DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS Chimera Diouf DIRECTOR OF ACADEMIC Abdou Karim, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Alioune Coly, FINANCE AND ADMIN MANAGER Jules Camara, SEED ACADEMY BOYS HEAD COACH Idk Cissoko, SEED ACADEMY GIRLS HEAD COACH Saran Kaba, CAPACITY BUILDING & GRANT WRITER Baye Maguette, MONITORING & EVALUATION Mamadou Thia Diop, SEED RISE & ALUMNI COORDINATOR Adama Ciss, ACCOUNTANT Samba Fall, SEED ACADEMY & RISE COACH Ibrahima Ndiaye, OPERATIONS ASSISTANT Khadidiatou Cisse, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Cheikh Ndiaye, ESL COORDINATOR
© Alessandro Simonetti
PROFESSIONAL BOARD Alec Hooff, THIRD POINT Blake Saunders, METHUSALA ADVISORS Brian Waweru, BLACKSTONE Chris Moorman, RUBICON AGRICULTURE Dale Kim, MBA CANDIDATE Dan Solomito, ST COFFEE Eric Brest, CATALYST SPORTS Ettie Philitas, KKR Folasade Adeoso, OPEN SPACE Gavin Moseley, DEN HOSPITALITY Griffin Hoffmann, SOMERSET PARTNERS Jenny Flora, SCRIPPS NETWORKS INTERACTIVE Justin Piasecki, AVISON YOUNG Kellen Benjamin, BROOKLYN SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT Meredith Falk, GLDN EVENTS Matthew Wolfson, NBA Michael Wieder, WAYUP Nina Boyd, WAYUP Randall Harris, LOS ANGELES FOOTBALL CLUB Rashad Drakeford, BEATS BY DRE Rocky Xu, BEATS BY DRE Sam Pucci, PANDORA Samuel Aronson, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Thea Hughes, DOUBLEDAY & CARTWRIGHT Tina Fletcher, CONSULTANT Trina Fletcher, NATIONAL SOCIETY OF BLACK ENGINEERS Todd Burach, CITY NATIONAL BANK
Sport has the power to change the world, it has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It can speak to youth in a language they understand. Nelson Mandela