MEDIA ALERT: BEYOND SPORT UNITED & GLOBAL AWARDS SEP 12 - 13
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 6, 2018
AHEAD OF UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY, GLOBAL LEADERS IN SPORT, BUSINESS, SOCIAL IMPACT AND ACADEMIA WILL GATHER IN NEW YORK TO EXPLORE WAYS SPORT CAN SUPPORT FLOURISHING YOUTH ACTIVIST MOVEMENT AND ADVANCE A MORE PEACEFUL AND SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY
Beyond Sport United participants include MLB, NBA/WNBA, NFL, NHL and MLS leagues and team representatives, ESPN, WWE, SAP, Special Olympics, Toyota, Adidas/Reebok, CAA, Thomson Reuters, Dow Jones, EverFI and many more
ESPN’s John Brenkus hosts Global Awards where basketball’s Dikembe Mutombo, hockey’s Pat LaFontaine, baseball’s Billy Bean, football’s Victor Cruz and wrestling’s Sonya Deville, Titus O’Neil and Finn Baylor on hand as over $350,000 awarded to organizations and individuals using the power of sport to spur social change
WHAT: From September 12 – 13, Beyond Sport United and Global Awards will take place in Manhattan, NY organized by global sustainable social change through sport innovator, Beyond Sport. Together, events will bring 400+ leaders from the sports industry, corporate brands, youth movements, the global development sector, grassroot NGOs, social change advocates and academia to showcase how innovators from around the world – including in New York City – are using sport to solve some of the world’s biggest societal issues. Cutting-edge projects from around the world helping to realize the UN Global Goals in areas of equality, health, climate, the refugee crisis, violence, peace, economic opportunities, social justice and sustainability, will be celebrated at the 10th annual Beyond Sport Global Awards. Special Awards for the Courageous Use of Sport, supported by WWE and Sport for Refugees, supported by Generation Amazing will also be presented. During the conference, thought leaders and influencers will explore cross sector collaborations that can effectively support the activism and leadership of the socially-conscious next generation using the opportunities that sport provides. Full schedule and speaker information available here.
Key Media Opportunities:
- Sep 12 - Community in Action – Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn in partnership with New York City FC and the City in the Community Foundation (CITC). Sessions will be led by CITC, NHL and the NJ Devils, Shooting Touch Rwanda and Generation Amazing using soccer, street hockey, basketball and football.
- Sep 12 - Beyond Sport Global Awards – One World Observatory, One World Trade
- Sep 13 - Beyond Sport United Conference – NYU Kimmel Center
Conference Interview Opportunities available throughout the day, with following highlights:
- 10:45am – speakers addressing society’s landscape including Kenyan Peace Ambassador Fatuma Adan, human rights activist/writer Richard Lapchick and Vera Institute of Justice’s Jasmine Heiss
- 11:30am – panelists providing youth perspective including 20 Under 20s Podcast/VRL Media founder Jesse Kay, UNICEF’s Curan Mehra, Joy List founder Jillian Richardson and Indo Star Fish Cambodia Coach/Play to Progress founder Tith “Nara” Sovannara - moderated by NextGen Summit founder Justin Lafazan
- 1:00pm - panelists addressing best practices on youth engagement from around the world, including ESPN, National Basketball Players Association, WWE, youth activists and sports development representatives
- 5:00pm - high level executives from the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS address how the sector can support the next generation
WHY: Sport has long been a place where activism has thrived because of its influence and global reach. Today’s youth are not only being vocal and active, they are unifying in a way that is unprecedented. As some of sport’s biggest fans young people are also demanding more from the companies they support (94% of Gen Z believe companies should help address critical issues according to 2017 Cone Gen Z study). In line with UNGA meetings on sport for development and peace and youth dialogues, the goal of Beyond Sport United is to find solutions to engage and support the next generation of social change leaders that will translate to business practices that benefit society.
WHO: Speakers and panelists include leading youth influencers, brand and league executives, nonprofit representatives, an Olympic medalist and global sport for change powerhouses (selected list below). Representatives from the NY Mets, NY Jets, NJ Devils, Philadelphia Eagles, DC United, Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bulls, NYC FC, Comic Relief, Aspen Institute, Coaches Across Continents, Women Win, Harlem RBI/Dream, Victor Cruz Foundation, love.fútbol, Generations for Peace, the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention and more are scheduled to attend.
WHEN:
Community in Action: 1:00pm – 4:00pm, Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Beyond Sport Global Awards: 6:30pm – 9:30pm, Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Beyond Sport United Conference: 10:00am – 5:15pm, Thursday, September 13, 2018
WHERE:
Community in Action: P.S. 335 Gransville T. Woods, 130 Rochester Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11213
Beyond Sport Global Awards: One World Observatory, One World Trade Center
NYU Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square S, New York, NY 10012
CONTACT :
Karen Asare, [email protected], 1-646-854-5535
Press credentials are available for the September 12 -13 Beyond Sport United Conference and Global Awards.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
SELECTED SPEAKERS & PANELISTS
Full list and bios available online
Fatuma Adan - Peace Ambassador, Founder & Executive Director, Horn of Africa Development Initiative, Kenya
Patrick Anderson - Wheelchair Basketball legend
Anucha Browne -Chief Strategy & Engagement Officer, UNICEF USA
Mary Ellen Curran - SVP, Community Relations, WWE
Sherrie Deans - Executive Director, NBPA Foundation
Sonya Deville -WWE Superstar
Steve Fleming - Co-Founder, Kick4Life
Vince Gennaro -Associate Dean & Clinical Associate Professor, NYU Tisch Institute for Global Sport
Majken Gilmartin - CEO, Global Goals World Cup
Mara Gubuan - Founder, Equality League
Isabel Gultresa -Sr. Manager Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy – Qatar 2022
Neil Hart - CEO Burnley FC in the Community
Jasmine Heiss - Director, Outreach & Public Affairs Strategist, In Our Backyard at Vera Institute of Justice
Ibrahim Hourani - Country Director, GAME Lebanon
Todd Jacobson – SVP, Social Responsibility & Player Programs, NBA
David Jones - Founder, One Young World
Jesse Kay - 20 Under 20s Podcast & Founder, VRL Media
Nick Keller - Founder & President, Beyond Sport
Rob Knesaurek - Group VP, Youth Hockey & Industry Growth, NHL
Justin Lafazan - Co-Founder, NextGen Summit (Beyond Sport United emcee)
Richard Lapchick - Civil Rights Activist & Writer
Melanie LeGrande - VP, Social Responsibility, MLB
Keke Lehana - Coach, training4changes South Africa
Michael McKee - Sr. Manager Partnerships, GLAAD
Nicole Matuska – Sr. Program Manager US Director, Women Win
Ethan Medley - Director, Community Relations & Youth Football, NY Giants
Curan Mehra - Advocacy & Engagement Fellow, UNICEF USA
Bora Milutinović – Coach (World Cup) & Former football player, Serbia
Chris Mosier - VP, Program Development & Community Relations, You Can Play
Ryan Murphy - Program Officer, Sports Diplomacy Division, US Dept of State
JoAnne Neale - Chief Administrative & Social Responsibility Officer, MLS
Titus O’Neil -WWE Superstar
Michaylah Petersen - Surf Coach, Waves for Change South Africa
Jillian Richardson - Founder, Joy List
Jenny Simpson - Olympic Medalist & NY Road Runners Ambassador
Jaime Weston – SVP, Marketing, NFL
Angela Woods - Sr. Director, Corporate Citizenship, ESPN
ABOUT BEYOND SPORT:
Founded in 2008, Beyond Sport is the leading global force for sustainable social change through sport, instilling insight, energy and impact in communities around the world. The organization does this through convening, supporting and advising the worlds of sport, business, government and development on how sport can be used as a tool to achieve both social and business objectives. Since 2009, the Beyond Sport Foundation has provided over $8 million worth of funding and support to projects across six continents addressing a range of social issues; commissioned six research projects with leading universities, corporations and the United Nations; facilitated ground-breaking action in child protection, girl’s education, urban communities, sustainability, STEM education and sports role in supporting refugees; and built sustainable sport courts in disadvantaged communities around the world. Beyond Sport’s global network encompasses 2700 organizations in more than 150 countries using sport as a catalyst for change. beyondsport.org
EVENT SUPPORTERS AND PARTNERS:
Beyond Sport United is made possible by Founding Supporters, MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL and the WNBA; International Media Sponsor ESPN; Official Partners WWE and UNICEF; Higher Academic Partner, New York University; Supporting Partners Legends and Everfi; and Champion Partners Boks, Generation Amazing and AutoDesk. The Beyond Sport Global Awards are made possible by Official Supporters, Comic Relief, ESPN, Chivas Regal, Swedish Postcode Foundation and Xiaomi; Award Category Partners, WWE, Generation Amazing and SAP; and Host Partner, Legends. Business support packages are provided by Upshot, GivenGain,TrustLaw, YouTube, Lottery.com, and the George Washington University Sport Philanthropy Certificate Program and Lottery.com.