RISE

Coming off the high of 2 weeks of nonstop Olympic viewing (from the office, my sofa and my tablet; alas not Paris) I'm reflecting on what felt so special this year. I've loved the Olympics since I first saw them on TV, when there was no cable allowing you to watch multiple sports on multiple channels at once. It's probably the reason I landed in the sports community more than 4 years ago, working among the organizations that bring greatness to the masses. And I think I have the answer at what set this year's spectacle above the others: #GenderEqualOlympics. You may have seen that hashtag across your socials the last two weeks. According to the IOC, Paris 2024 was the first Olympic Games in history with full gender parity. It's not lost on me that as a little girl the majority of the games outside of the gymnastics events (Go Mary Lou!) were mainly dominated by male athletes. In 1984, women represented about 23% of the athletes, and was itself an Olympic record. What a shift, then, over the last 40 years. But it hasn't happened by chance. It's taken a proverbial (Olympic) village of individuals and organizations to get to this point; women like Billie Jean King and the Women's Sports Foundation. Organizations like RISE, where we work to push for equity in the athletic community in both those on the field and those in the boardrooms. I'm thrilled that as the Olympics were kicking off in Paris, we were in Phoenix hosting an event called Representation Matters, sponsored by Verizon. In town for the WNBA All-Star events, we gathered nearly 100 professionals in the business of sports to network, and hear from C-suite executives around gender and racial parity in the front office. I am thrilled that in my career I get to have a small part in helping drive equity around the sports community. It's been my mission to help leave the world a bit better, for my children, my own village of friends, family and colleagues and the global community. Seeing it take shape in front of the masses on TV, socials, streaming and on the big screen made me feel as if we were all winning gold. But I know this is only the beginning, another Olympic record that we'll strive to break in the years ahead. Because what's a record created for, if not as a line to cross as we strive for greatness. I can only hope that my work allows me to play a small role in getting there. https://lnkd.in/esuukXBu

This summer our students are on the "rise". Celebrating the culmination of our journey with RISE our students participated in a 'Build a Trophy' activity. Our students crafted trophies, symbolizing their growth and achievements.  #BuildATrophy #RISELeadership #SuccessStories

BX 🔜 BK. Welcome to the club, Samantha Rosette – BKWFC’s latest United Soccer League (USL) Super League defender signing. Rosette is a Bronx native who has played internationally with RCSA in France where they secured promotion to D1 and FC Gintra and BIIK where she competed in the Champions League. “Born and raised in NYC, playing for Brooklyn FC after being abroad for my entire professional career is really a homecoming for me,” says Samantha. “Being here in its inaugural season is such a special opportunity to build a long lasting women’s football presence in my home city, and not something I am taking lightly. I couldn’t be more honored and excited, and can’t wait to get to work!” To learn more about Brooklyn FC & the Super League season subscribe here: bit.ly/4bBF3nO

Join me at the RISE Representation Matters event on July 19th during WNBA All-Star where we will discuss how to support diverse sports executives in the workplace. RSVP directly with Scarlen at smartinez@risetowin.org

If you are interested in sports and civic engagement in general and voting specifically, I think you'll love this conversation tomorrow. Its free. Join the conversation! https://lnkd.in/eQhQqa9D