Athletes as Leaders | powered by LinkedIn

What do a disproportionate number of CEOs have in common? They played sports when they were younger. Join LinkedIn and Athletes’ Voices changemakers for a conversation focused on the unique characteristics of athletes that increase their fitness for leadership roles in all areas of business, philanthropy, sport, education, government and more. Watch Zaza Pachulia (NBA Legend), Leslie Osborne Lewis (Former Midfielder for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team and the Chicago Red Stars), Mike Tauiliili Brown (Former NFL Player and CEO of Win-Win), and Josh Dixon (Former Team USA gymnast) join Joseph Milord (Senior Editor at LinkedIn News) and Joanne Pasternack (Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Athletes’ Voices) to discuss Athletes as Leaders. This conversation focused on why the data included in the Ernst & Young report - “With inherent confidence, leadership skills and the drive to work as a high-performing team, athletes add tremendous value for our business, our clients and our people.” - is not only accurate, but crucial for the success of enterprise into the future.

Gun Violence | Awareness + Promoting Change Through Sports

“We need common sense gun laws to help thwart the horror of the gun violence that occurs daily in our country. Enough is enough. The young people will win, and thank God, because the old people have let us down on this issue for too long.” (Golden State Warriors Head Coach and Everytown Advocate, Steve Kerr)

In its eighth installment, Pitch for Change has curated a fascinating group of influencers who shared their first-hand accounts, professional perspective and suggested action items around sports as a conduit for awareness and action related to gun control and violence in our communities. Watch Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors Head Coach, 5x NBA Champion (player), 3x NBA Champion (coach), and Team USA Coach), Pastor Earl Smith (Author of Death Row Chaplain and Team Pastor for the San Francisco 49ers and Golden State Warrior), Torrey Smith (NFL Legend, 2x Super Bowl Champion, and Founder of LEVEL82), Daniel Webster ScD MPH (Director of the Center for Gun Violence Prevention and Policy and co-lead of the Violence Prevention Workgroup of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative at Johns Hopkins University), and Susan Dunklee (2x Olympian, 2x World Championship Silver Medalist, and member of the U.S. Biathlon National Team) as they join moderator Ali Knight (President and CEO of Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY)) for a provocative and action-oriented conversation on gun violence in our communities.

Play Equity | Access to Physical Education and Youth Sports: A Social Justice Issue

“Participating in youth sports can positively affect feelings of enjoyment; influence perceived competence, confidence, and self-esteem; and provide an avenue for the development of social skills, teamwork, leadership, and life skills.” (National Youth Sports Strategy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

In communities and populations where there is a lack of access, the impact is striking. Never has the need been greater than it is right now. In a post-COVID world, the divide between youth with and without access to resources has increased, the prevalence of social-emotional challenges is staggering and all-encompassing and the rate of obesity is continuing to skyrocket. A provocative and action-oriented conversation, featured athletes and practitioners who are on the front lines of this important topic: Marsha Blount (Chief Executive Officer of the Women’s American Basketball Association (WABA)), Phaidra Knight (President of the Women’s Sports Foundation and 18-year member of the U.S. Women’s National Rugby team), Brandon A. Logan (Executive Director of The Doug Williams Center, an affiliate of Grambling State University), Alana Nichols (3x Gold + 1x Silver +1x Bronze medalist in Paralympics for Alpine Skiing and Wheelchair Basketball), Renata Simril (President and CEO of the LA84 Foundation), and Patrick Willis (NFL Legend, Founder of The Whinkers Mind, Philanthropist, and Businessman). With this seventh installment of our Pitch for Change Speaker Series, Athletes' Voices continues to inspire impact and amplify athletes' voices as influencers around a wide range of topics, including the role sports plays in motivating young scholars.

THE RETURN TO SCHOOL | Well-Being, Academics and the Role of Sports in Social-Emotional Re-Adjustment post-COVID

Every child has experienced some degree of trauma during the pandemic but how can this be explored and resolved? With this sixth installment of our Pitch for Change Speaker Series, Athletes’ Voices continues to inspire impact and amplify athletes’ voices as influencers around a wide range of topics, including the role sports plays in motivating young scholars. This episode was a provocative and action-oriented conversation, featuring athletes and practitioners who are on the front lines as children adjust to the “New Normal”. Joined by Alejandro Bedoya (captain of the Philadelphia Union and former USMNT member), Julie Foudy (274 caps for the USWNT, 2x FIFA World Cup winner, 2x Olympic Gold medalist, Hall of Famer, and soccer analyst), Ezra Frech (high school student, U.S. Paralympic track & field competitor, U17 high jump World Champion, co-founder of Angel City Sports), Marc Sternberg (K-12 Education Program Director for the Walton Family Foundation and founder and principal of the Bronx Lab School), Gina Sudaria (Superintendent of Ravenswood City School District and former track & field, basketball and Olympic weightlifting athlete), and David West (NBA Legend and Chief Operating Officer of the Professional Collegiate League (PCL)). This fascinating group of influencers shared their first-hand accounts, professional perspective and suggested action items around sports as a conduit for awareness around the psycho-social aspects of a return to in-person learning post-COVID.

Equity + Inclusion | Rising Up Together - Trailblazers in Sports

What does it mean to be a trailblazer for inclusion? Equity? To stand on the shoulders of those who came before you … and those who will follow? This is an important and timely discussion on the role athletes and sports play as champions for equity and inclusion, standing on the shoulders of those who came before them while lifting up the next generation of leaders for change. Watch Joel Ward (National Hockey League (NHL) right-winger, and co-founder of the Hockey Diversity Alliance (HDA)), Michael Lahoud (Major League Soccer (MLS) and North American Soccer League (NASL) retired player and member of the Sierra Leone National Team), Don McPherson (NFL Quarterback and National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame inductee), Patty Cisneros Prevo (2x Paralympic gold medallist and 10-year USA Women's Wheelchair Basketball team member), and Jennifer Southall (Women's National Football Conference (WNFC) running back/linebacker, disability rights advocate, and Oregon State Hockey Association Disabled Hockey Representative) join moderator Claude Johnson (Founder and Executive Director of The Black Fives Foundation). This fascinating group of influencers shared their first-hand accounts, professional perspective and suggested action items around sports as a conduit for awareness around diversity, equity and inclusion.

GOALS FOR THE EARTH | GREEN SPORTS | Voices for Sustainability, Environmentalism and Natural Resources

The air runners breathe when competing in a marathon. Surfers on the shore, searching for the best possible waves to ride. Snowfall in November creating a pristine pathway for a cross country skier. An ice climber scaling a mountain. A soccer team taking the pitch, cleats gliding across the perfectly manicured turf enhanced by recent rainfall. Hikers. Long jumpers. A game of pick up basketball. Pentathletes and their equestrian partners jumping. Earth, wind, water, fire - the basic elements of nature required to sustain life - in balance are essential for an athlete to achieve peak performance. With this fourth installment of our Pitch for Change Speaker Series, Athletes' Voices continues to inspire impact and amplify athletes' voices as influencers around a wide range of topics, including conservation, sustainability and the environment. Featuring eco-warriors including Andrew Ference (Harvard-educated NHL Legend), Alexandra Rickham (UK Paralympic Sailing Medalist), Amy Steel (Australian Netballer), James Wilks (MMA champion and documentarian), Lew Blaustein (President of EcoAthletes and GreenSportsBlog), Maddy Orr PhD (Co-Founder of the Sport Ecology Group (SEG)), and Event Moderator Roger McClendon (Executive Director of the Green Sports Alliance), this was a provocative and action-oriented conversation.

Mental Health + Emotional Well-Being

“The harmony of body and mind has been found to be therapeutic after natural catastrophe and can give you inner peace” (Nikunj Makwana, J of Family Medicine & Primary Care).

In times of turmoil, we turn to sport, activity, movement, and mindfulness to find our balance. Never have more people felt more uncertainty and yet, still, we find comfort through sport. Featuring Apolo Ohno (United States Olympic legend), Billy Bean (Major League Baseball legend), and Odessa Jenkins (Women's National Football Conference (WNFC) CEO and Hall of Fame Running Back); along with industry experts, Dr. Christine Baugh (Assistant Professor at the UColorado Anschutz Department of Medicine and Center for Bioethics and Humanities), Kevin Dedner MPH (CEO and Founder of HURDLE), Dr. Lindsay Shaw (Senior Sport Psychophysiologist for the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC)), and event moderator, Michael Lynch (Sports Marketing Executive), augmented by Harvard-affiliated academics, this will be a provocative and action-oriented conversation. This fascinating group of influencers shared their first-hand accounts, professional perspective and suggested action items around sports as a conduit for mental health and emotional well-being - along with the pitfalls of competing at the highest levels.

ATHLETES + VOTER ENGAGEMENT | Voting + Political Activism + Involvement

The right to vote. Vote by mail. Vote in person. The DESIRE to vote. Does my vote count? How can I ensure that my voice is heard? Blue? Red? Third party? Anyone but ...? The second installment of our Pitch for Change Speaker Series will explore these questions and more. Featuring speakers currently on the frontlines of voter engagement - including athletes, influencers, academics, faith leaders, and legal experts - the webcast will be an unparalleled opportunity to gain historical perspective, real time insight and suggestions for how you can take action now. Opening remarks and context will be provided by Steve Levitsky (professor of government at Harvard University). Featured athletes on the webcast include: Anquan Boldin (NFL Legend), Thaddeus “Titus O’Neil” Bullard (WWE Superstar), Margaret “Midge” Purce (U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team and Gotham FC forward). Subject matter experts and activists include: Alexander Keyssar (Matthew W. Stirling Jr. Professor of History and Social Policy at Harvard University), Pastor Mike McBride (Faith Leader), Desmond Meade (President of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition), and Franita Tolson (Professor of Law at University of Southern California Gould School of Law). This fascinating group of influencers shared their first-hand accounts, historic perspective and suggested action items to ensure ALL voices are heard on election day.

The Origins of Change | The Role of Sports in Breaking Down Barriers, Creating Movements + Leaving a Legacy

Moses Fleetwood Walker. Paul Robeson. Gertrude Ederle. Muhammed Ali. Althea Gibson. Katherine Switzer. The Syracuse 8. Billie Jean King. Jim Brown. Loretta Claiborne. Chris Ernst, Yale University + Title IX. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. Tim Thomas. Melissa Stockwell. Carlos Delgado. Miami Heat (3.12.2012). LeBron James. Eric Reid. Colin Kaepernick. Athletes + Activism. The two have been connected since the earliest sporting events - long before Moses Fleetwood Walker took the field on May 1, 1884 in Toledo, Ohio as the first African-American Major League baseball player. But never before has the presence of athlete activism been as prevalent nor as pervasive as it is today. Joined by Sven Beckert (Harvard University, Weatherhead Initiative on Global History), Pau Gasol (NBA Legend), Donald E. Lassere (President and CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center), Caryl Stern (CEO of The Walton Family Foundation), and Torrey Smith (NFL Legend and Philanthropist). In the inaugural installment of the Athletes' Voices Pitch for Change Speaker Series, the historical roots and modern manifestation of athletes speaking up and speaking out about issues of importance will be examined. Join us as Athletes' Voices takes you to the 50 yard line where athletes, business leaders, philanthropists and academics will share insiders' perspectives on today's climate for social impact and influence through sports.